Lowest-calorie Indian breakfasts
Breakfast and South Indian tiffin, lightest first.
Breakfast is where an Indian day quietly gains or loses three hundred calories. Steaming beats frying by a wide margin, and the gap between idli and a ghee-roast dosa is larger than most people expect.
| # | Dish | Per serving | Serving | kcal /serving | Protein /serving |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tomato Chutney | 27 kcal | 2 tablespoons · 30 g | 27 | 0.4 g |
| 2 | Coconut Chutney | 50 kcal | 2 tablespoons · 30 g | 50 | 0.8 g |
| 3 | Idli | 55 kcal | 1 medium idli · 40 g | 55 | 1.8 g |
| 4 | Rasam | 60 kcal | 1 katori rasam · 150 g | 60 | 2.4 g |
| 5 | Rava Idli | 75 kcal | 1 rava idli · 50 g | 75 | 2.0 g |
| 6 | Medu Vada | 94 kcal | 1 medu vada · 40 g | 94 | 3.2 g |
| 7 | Appam | 102 kcal | 1 appam · 70 g | 102 | 1.8 g |
| 8 | Neer Dosa | 108 kcal | 2 neer dosas · 90 g | 108 | 2.0 g |
| 9 | Idiyappam (String Hoppers) | 130 kcal | 2 idiyappams · 100 g | 130 | 2.4 g |
| 10 | Plain Dosa | 140 kcal | 1 plain dosa · 70 g | 140 | 2.8 g |
| 11 | Ragi Dosa | 140 kcal | 1 ragi dosa · 80 g | 140 | 3.6 g |
| 12 | Paddu (Paniyaram) | 175 kcal | 4 pieces · 100 g | 175 | 4.0 g |
| 13 | Ragi Mudde | 180 kcal | 1 ball · 150 g | 180 | 3.9 g |
| 14 | Avial | 180 kcal | 1 katori · 150 g | 180 | 3.6 g |
| 15 | Puttu | 186 kcal | 1 serving · 120 g | 186 | 3.6 g |
| 16 | Cornflakes with Milk | 190 kcal | 1 bowl · 200 g | 190 | 6.4 g |
| 17 | Moong Dal Chilla | 192 kcal | 2 chillas · 120 g | 192 | 10.2 g |
| 18 | Usal (Sprouted Curry) | 195 kcal | 1 katori · 150 g | 195 | 10.5 g |
| 19 | Dahi Vada | 198 kcal | 2 vadas · 120 g | 198 | 6.6 g |
| 20 | Namkeen Daliya | 198 kcal | 1 katori · 180 g | 198 | 6.1 g |
| 21 | Rava Dosa | 207 kcal | 1 rava dosa · 90 g | 207 | 3.8 g |
| 22 | Set Dosa | 210 kcal | 2 set dosas · 120 g | 210 | 4.8 g |
| 23 | Onion Uttapam | 210 kcal | 1 uttapam · 120 g | 210 | 5.0 g |
| 24 | Besan Chilla | 210 kcal | 2 chillas · 120 g | 210 | 9.6 g |
| 25 | Masala Oats | 210 kcal | 1 bowl · 200 g | 210 | 7.0 g |
| 26 | Chana Chaat | 218 kcal | 1 bowl · 150 g | 218 | 10.5 g |
| 27 | Upma | 224 kcal | 1 plate · 200 g | 224 | 5.0 g |
| 28 | Bread Butter Toast | 231 kcal | 2 slices · 70 g | 231 | 5.6 g |
| 29 | Sabudana Vada | 252 kcal | 2 vadas · 80 g | 252 | 3.6 g |
| 30 | Sambar Vada | 263 kcal | 1 plate (2 vadas in sambar) · 150 g | 263 | 9.3 g |
Nutrient values are averages for the stated preparation, based on the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (ICMR–NIN) and standard recipe analysis. Energy is reconciled against the macronutrients with Atwater factors on every build. General information only — not medical or nutrition advice. Home-cooked Indian food varies enormously with oil, ghee and portion size; every value here is an average for a stated serving, with the assumption shown.