Dairy and eggs
Paneer on a GLP-1: protein, portions and how to actually eat it
About 18 g of protein per 100 g (3.5 oz), fresh, pan fried or raw, for around 300 calories. Six cubes, about 80 g (2.8 oz), give roughly 14 g of protein for 240 calories.
To reach 30 g of protein from paneer alone you would need about 167 g (5.9 oz). On a small appetite that is often more than one sitting allows, which is why we pair it rather than chase the whole target from one food.
How paneer sits on a GLP-1
Paneer is the fresh Indian cheese that does not melt, so it goes into a curry in cubes and comes out in cubes: firm, mild, a little squeaky, and soft enough to eat without much chewing. At about 18 g per 100 g (3.5 oz) it is a real protein, and because it lives in a sauce it arrives wet, which is what a slow stomach wants. It is rich, so the serve stays at six or eight cubes rather than the whole block.
When your appetite is small
Six cubes, about 80 g (2.8 oz), in a small bowl of spinach or tomato curry is 14 g of protein and one of the more appealing hot meals for a flattened palate, because the spice does the work of making it taste of something. Eat the sauce with a spoon and leave the rice if there is no room for it.
Three ways to prepare it
Cubed into a tomato or spinach curry
Fry the cubes briefly first so they hold together, then simmer in the sauce for ten minutes. Palak paneer is the classic, and the spinach makes the bowl look smaller than it is.
Pan fried with cumin and lemon
Cubes in a dry pan with a pinch of cumin, salt and a squeeze of lemon. Hot, quick, and a small plate of about 14 g.
Crumbled into scrambled eggs
Paneer bhurji: crumbled paneer, onion, tomato and spice, or simply folded through two eggs. About 24 g in one small pan.
What to eat it with
Spinach, tomato, peas, cumin, coriander, lemon, a spoon of yoghurt. It is mild and rich, so it wants spice and acid. Paneer with plain rice and no sauce is dry and heavy.
How it compares
| Food | Protein per 100 g | Energy per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paneer | about 18 g | 300 kcal | this page |
| Halloumi | about 22 g | 320 kcal | See the page |
| Firm tofu | about 14 g | 130 kcal | See the page |
| Ricotta | about 10 g | 160 kcal | See the page |
All figures are typical values for the food as eaten, fresh, pan fried or raw, not laboratory figures for a particular brand.
Australian, US and UK names
Paneer in all three countries. It is in mainstream supermarkets in the UK and Australia and in Indian grocers everywhere; in the US it is easiest to find in Indian and some larger supermarkets. It is also simple to make at home from milk and lemon juice, which is how many people in the UK and Australia first meet it.
Questions people ask
Is paneer high in protein?
About 18 g per 100 g (3.5 oz), similar to halloumi, with around 300 calories in the same weight. Six cubes is about 14 g, which is a decent half stop once it is sitting in a curry you want to eat.
Your number comes first
Knowing what is in a food only helps once you know how much you are aiming for. The target is 1.2 to 1.6 g of protein per kg of your goal weight, not your current weight, which for most people is 90 to 140 g a day.
Work out your protein targetMore on eating well when your appetite is small: high protein foods for a small appetite, how much protein on a GLP-1, and every food we have written up. The whole system in five documents is the Keep Muscle Kit, A$47 / US$29 / £23.
EverStrong provides nutrition and strength coaching and education. It is not medical advice and does not replace your prescribing doctor.