Soya Chunks Protein Per 100g: 53g Dry vs 15–18g Soaked

Soya chunks are one of the cheapest ways to add protein to an Indian meal. But the numbers on the internet can be confusing.

Is it 53g of protein per 100g, or closer to 15g? Both are right. It depends on whether you weigh the chunks dry or soaked. This guide clears it up, with a portion chart you can use every day.

The Short Answer

Quick answer: Dry soya chunks (meal maker) have about 53g of protein per 100g. Soaked soya chunks have about 15 to 18g per 100g, because water adds weight but no protein. For tracking, always weigh them dry.

Meal Maker Protein Per 100g

Quick answer: Meal maker is another name for soya chunks, so the protein is the same: about 53g per 100g dry. Soya nuggets and soya granules are the same food in a smaller cut.

Many people ask if meal maker and soya chunks are the same. They are. Shops and brands use different names for the same dry soya pieces.

The number we use comes from a real pack. The Amazon listing for Nutrela Soya Chunks (200g) shows 53.19g of protein. We round it to 53g in this guide.

Good to know: Labels differ a little from brand to brand. Check the nutrition panel on your own pack. If it says 50g or 52g per 100g, use that number with the same maths below.

Why Soya Chunks Have So Much Protein

Quick answer: Soya chunks are made from soy flour after the oil is taken out. With most of the fat gone, more of what is left is protein.

A government reading manual from NIFTEM explains it simply. Soya chunks are made of soy flour, which is a by-product of soy oil extraction (NIFTEM, Ministry of Food Processing Industries).

The flour is steamed and pushed through a machine called an extruder. This gives the chunks their spongy, meat-like bite (FAO).

Health Canada's food database shows what removing the oil does (Canadian Nutrient File):

So 30g of whole dry soybeans gives about 10.9g of protein. The same 30g of soya chunks gives about 16g. That is why "soybean" and "soya chunks" have different numbers.

Soya Chunks Protein by Portion

Quick answer: 30g of dry soya chunks has about 16g of protein. 50g has about 26.5g. 100g has about 53g. Soaking makes each portion about three times heavier, but the protein does not change.

Here is every common portion. We worked it out from 53g per 100g dry. The soaked weight uses FAO's 2:1 water guide, explained in the next section.

Use the row that matches your dry weight. 150g of dry chunks still gives about 79.5g of protein after cooking. It just fills a much bigger bowl.

30 gram soya chunks mein kitna protein hota hai? Lagbhag 16g. (In English: 30g of dry soya chunks has about 16g of protein.) 20 gram mein? Lagbhag 10.6g. 50 ग्राम सोया चंक्स में? लगभग 26.5 ग्राम प्रोटीन।

How much protein is in 1 bowl of soya chunks? A bowl is not a fixed size. Weigh the dry chunks you put in. If your bowl starts with 30g dry, it has about 16g of protein.

How many soya chunks are in 100g? There is no fixed count. Big chunks, mini chunks and granules are all different sizes. A kitchen scale is the only sure way.

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Weighs up to 3 kg in 0.1g steps, with a tare button to zero the bowl.

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Dry vs Soaked: Why the Number Drops

Quick answer: Soaked soya chunks have about 15 to 18g of protein per 100g. The chunks drink up water, so 100g dry becomes 300g or more. The protein is the same. It is just spread over more weight.

FAO is the food agency of the United Nations. Its guide to soy products gives a 2:1 water level for chunks made from soy flour. That means 2 parts water for every 1 part dry chunks (FAO).

The same guide says about 3.5 kg of soaked product comes from each kilogram of dry textured flour (FAO).

Here is what that means per 100g:

• Soaks to 3 times its weight: 53g of protein in 300g, so about 17.7g per 100g.
• Soaks to 3.5 times its weight: 53g of protein in 350g, so about 15.1g per 100g.
• Squeeze out more water: the number per 100g goes up. The total protein stays the same.

Good to know: Weigh soya chunks dry, before you soak them. Soaked weight changes with how hard you squeeze. Dry weight does not.

Is Soya a Complete Protein?

Quick answer: Yes. Soy protein scores about 1.00 on the PDCAAS protein quality scale, the same as milk protein and whey.

PDCAAS is a score for protein quality. It checks if a protein gives you all the amino acids you need, in a form your body can use. A score of 1.00 is the top.

A 2020 review in the journal Nutrients says it plainly: "Similar to milk protein and whey, soy protein essentially has a PDCAAS of 1.00" (Hertzler et al., Nutrients).

The same review says legumes are often low in two amino acids, methionine and cysteine. Grains are often low in lysine. That is why dal with rice or roti works so well together. Each fills the other's gap.

Want to compare dals? See which dal has the most protein.

Soya Chunks vs Chicken: Which Has More Protein?

Quick answer: Per 100g dry, soya chunks have more than double the protein of raw chicken breast: about 53g vs 22.5g. But per 100g on your plate, soaked soya has about 15 to 18g.

Health Canada lists raw, skinless chicken breast at 22.5g of protein and 2.62g of fat per 100g (Canadian Nutrient File).

A fair way to compare is per serving. 50g of dry soya chunks gives about 26.5g of protein. To get the same from chicken, you need about 118g of raw chicken breast.

For more on chicken, read chicken breast protein. For paneer, see paneer protein per 100g.

Soya Chunks Price Per 100g

Quick answer: On 12 October 2026, a 200g pack of Nutrela Soya Chunks cost ₹45 on Amazon. That is ₹22.50 per 100g, or about ₹4.25 for every 10g of protein.

We checked the price of Nutrela Soya Chunks 200g on Amazon on 12 October 2026. It was ₹45. Prices change, so check before you buy.

Here is the maths:

• ₹45 for 200g means ₹22.50 for 100g.
• 100g gives about 53g of protein.
• So 10g of protein costs about ₹4.25.

Work it out for any food: take the price per kg. Divide it by the grams of protein in 1 kg. Then multiply by 10. This gives you the cost of 10g of protein, so you can compare foods fairly.

How Much Soya in a Day?

Quick answer: ICMR-NIN suggests 0.83g of protein per kg of body weight per day for healthy Indian adults. For a 60 kg adult, that is about 50g. A 30g dry portion of soya chunks gives about 16g of it.

ICMR-NIN sets the protein guide for healthy Indian adults at 0.83g per kg of body weight per day (ICMR-NIN 2020).

Soya works best as one part of your protein, not all of it. Mix it with dal, curd, milk, paneer or eggs. For a full day plan, see 100g protein a day on a veg diet.

Soya chunks are also high in fibre. Health Canada lists 17.5g of fibre per 100g of defatted soy flour (Canadian Nutrient File). If you are new to high-fibre food, start with a small portion and drink enough water.

Soya and Hormones: What the Research Says

Quick answer: A 2021 review of many studies found that soy protein did not change testosterone or estrogen levels in men. If you take thyroid medicine or have a soy allergy, talk to your doctor first.

Many men worry that soya will raise estrogen. The research does not support this.

A 2021 review pooled many clinical studies. It found that "regardless of dose and study duration, neither soy protein nor isoflavone exposure affects TT, FT, E 2 or E 1 levels in men" (Reed et al., Reproductive Toxicology). TT and FT are testosterone. E2 and E1 are forms of estrogen.

Two cases where you should check first:

• Thyroid medicine: Ireland's health service says soya in food may stop levothyroxine working properly. Your doctor might need extra blood tests if you eat soya often (HSE Ireland).
• Soy allergy: if you are allergic to soy, do not eat soya chunks.

How to Cook Soya Chunks

Quick answer: Weigh the dry chunks, boil or soak them in hot water until soft, squeeze out the water, then cook them in your masala.

1. Weigh them dry. Note the weight for your protein count.
2. Boil or soak. Boil in water for about 5 minutes, or soak in hot water until they turn soft all the way through.
3. Rinse and squeeze. Press out the water with your hands or a spoon.
4. Cook. Add them to your onion-tomato masala, gravy or stir-fry.

Dry soya chunks keep well. NIFTEM notes that dried soy granules can be stored for about 12 months (NIFTEM). Keep the pack sealed and dry.

4 Quick Soya Chunk Ideas

Quick answer: Soya curry, soya bhurji, soya keema paratha and soya pulao. Each one starts from a dry weight, so you know the protein.

1. Soya chunk curry: 50g dry chunks in onion-tomato gravy. About 26.5g of protein from the soya.
2. Soya bhurji: chop 50g of soaked chunks fine and cook like egg bhurji. About 26.5g of protein from the soya.
3. Soya keema paratha: mince 40g of soaked chunks with peas and spices, then stuff 2 parathas. About 21.2g of protein from the soya. A quick pulse in an electric chopper gives a keema-like texture in seconds.
4. Soya pulao: add 30g of soaked chunks to rice with peas and carrots. About 16g of protein from the soya.

These numbers count only the soya. The dal, roti, rice or curd on your plate adds more. For more veg protein ideas, see protein in 1 katori of dal, milk and more and our list of 50 high-protein Indian foods.

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