Divide your protein intake per day into roughly equal parts for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a small snack in between. Then make sure each meal has its own protein food, so no single meal has to supply most of the total. The sample menus from the Indian Council of Medical Research's National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN) already follow this pattern. 1
Your Total for the Day Sets the Split
ICMR-NIN's allowance of 0.83 g per kg gives the day's total. For a 65 kg adult, that one-day protein intake is about 54 g, the same figure for men and women. 1 Splitting it three ways means roughly 15 to 18 g per main meal, with a few grams left for a snack.
The exact split does not need to be perfect. What matters is that breakfast and dinner are not left with almost nothing while lunch supplies most of the protein. Your average protein intake per day over a week counts for more than any single meal.
Why an Even Spread Is Easier to Keep Up
An even spread leaves your protein consumption per day unchanged and only moves it around, so it is mostly a practical choice. If each meal provides part of the total, one rushed meal does not leave the whole day short. It also keeps portions normal, so nobody needs a huge bowl of dal or a plate of paneer at dinner to catch up.
It suits Indian eating habits too. Dal, curd and milk already appear at different times of day in most homes. Spreading protein often just means adding a little at breakfast and moving some from dinner to lunch.
A Simple Split for Three Meals and a Snack
The table shows one way to spread 54 g, using protein figures from the Indian Food Composition Tables and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). 2, 3
| Meal | What to Eat, with Raw Amounts | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Besan chilla from 50 g besan, with 150 g curd | About 16 g |
| Lunch | Rice from 80 g raw, toor dal from 40 g raw, 100 g curd | About 19 g |
| Evening | 20 g groundnuts | About 5 g |
| Dinner | Rotis from 60 g atta, 50 g paneer in a sabzi | About 16 g |
| Total | About 55 g | |
The three main meals end up close to an even split. Non-vegetarians can swap the paneer for an egg curry or a piece of fish without changing the pattern.
How ICMR-NIN's Sample Days Spread Protein
The guidelines' suggested day for a sedentary 65 kg man puts a pulse in every main meal. Breakfast has 35 g of boiled beans or chickpeas, lunch 30 g of pulses with curd, and dinner 25 g of pulses with curd. 1 An evening glass of milk sits in between, and the day comes to about 72 g of protein.
The suggested day for a 55 kg woman follows the same shape with smaller amounts. She has 30 g of beans at breakfast, 20 g of pulses at lunch and 15 g at dinner, for about 57 g in all. 1 The guidelines add that the timings and meal sizes are only indicative, and that two meals a day can suit some people's preferences and needs.
Fixing the Meals That Usually Come Up Short
In many homes, breakfast is the meal with the least protein. Adding curd, milk, sprouts or an egg brings more protein to tea with toast or plain upma. Dinner sometimes has the opposite problem, with a large serving of chicken or paneer after a light day.
If you eat only two main meals, aim to split the total between them. A late-morning brunch with dal, curd and roti, and an early dinner with paneer or fish, can still give the day an even shape.
Where Horlicks Protein Fits in the Day
One sachet of Horlicks Protein, mixed into a 200 ml glass of cold milk or water, gives 24 g of protein. That makes it a good fit for whichever meal is lightest for protein, often breakfast. For an afternoon gap, the 240 ml milkshake brings 20 g of ultra-filtered milk protein.
Use one serving daily, which is what Horlicks Protein recommends. Placed at the lightest meal, it evens out the day without adding to a meal that is already full.
In short, spreading protein evenly means turning your protein-per-day requirement into three similar portions and a small snack. For a 65 kg adult, that is about 15 to 18 g at each main meal. ICMR-NIN's sample menus show the idea, with pulses in breakfast, lunch and dinner and curd or milk in between. Add protein to the lightest meal first, and if you use Horlicks Protein, place its one daily serving there.
Sources
1. ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. Dietary Guidelines for Indians, 2024.
https://nin.res.in/dietaryguidelines/pdfjs/locale/DGI_2024.pdf
2. ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. Indian Food Composition Tables, 2017.
https://www.nin.res.in/ebooks/IFCT2017.pdf
3. USDA FoodData Central. Yogurt, plain, whole milk. FDC 171284.
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food