Is green gram good for weight loss? Calories and how to eat it

Green gram can fit a weight-loss diet, and the trial evidence for pulses is positive but small. A meta-analysis published in 2016 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition pooled 21 trials and found that diets containing pulses, set against diets without them, lost a modest 0.34 kg across a median six weeks, even when the diets were not meant to be calorie restricted. What moong does not do is melt fat on its own; in practice, a katori of cooked dal at about 98 kcal often takes the place of heavier, oilier food.

The table below is the IFCT 2017 composition of both forms, raw, per 100 g. For dal cooked in the usual way, a katori is the standard measure, starting from 30 g of dry dal, and a standard serving from 50 g dry.

One katori of cooked green gram dal gives about 98 kcal, 7.2 g of protein and 2.8 g of fibre. The same katori of whole green moong (sabut moong) gives about 88 kcal, 6.8 g of protein and 5.1 g of fibre — the skin brings about 80 percent more fibre per katori. Scale it to a full serving and the dal carries about 163 kcal, 11.9 g of protein and 4.7 g of fibre, while sabut moong carries about 147 kcal, 11.3 g of protein and 8.5 g of fibre. All of that is before the tadka; the ghee or oil is counted separately.

Per 100 g raw, edible portion. Composition: IFCT 2017 (ICMR-NIN). GI: University of Sydney GI database. — means not reported. These are average values for the food; the label on a pack gives the values for that product.

For pulses and weight, the clearest numbers come from that meta-analysis: 21 randomized trials and 940 participants, a pooled difference of 0.34 kg (95% CI: -0.63 to -0.04 kg; P = 0.03) in favour of the pulse diets, a median daily intake near 132 g — the authors' "about one serving" — and a median length of six weeks. The authors close with a hedge worth keeping: the effect is modest, and it appears even when the diets were never meant to be calorie restricted.

The Dietary Guidelines describe what fibre does: it delays the absorption of carbohydrates and fats and increases the satiety value of a meal. In their weight-loss advice they put beans and lentils in the recommended cereal pulse ratio of 3:1 or 5:1 because, in the Guidelines' words, they "provide sustained energy and help you feel full, reducing the need for extra calories". They add that a higher protein share, about 15 percent of energy, may help preserve muscle during a typical 500 to 750 kcal daily deficit diet.

All three forms work; the choice is fibre versus lightness. Sabut moong carries the most fibre per 100 g, 17.04 g against 9.37 g in the skinned dal, and slightly fewer calories, 294 kcal against 326 kcal, so it is the sabut moong for weight loss. Yellow dal (dhuli) cooks fastest. Chilka, the skin-on split, sits between the two, though IFCT 2017 has no separate entry for it. The moong dal types guide lays out all four forms, and the moong dal hub has the full nutrition.

Eat it as the pulse part of a meal, not as a snack fried in oil. Build the plate the Guidelines' way: a plain katori of dal tempered lightly, a bowl of vegetables, and a roti or rice that keeps the cereal-pulse ratio near 3:1. Ghee in the tempering is the one add-on to count — a teaspoon brings roughly 45 kcal — and it is optional. The two easiest recipe starts are the moong dal chilla, a pan-cooked dal pancake that needs little oil, and moong dal khichdi, dal and rice cooked together in one pot. More ideas sit in the moong dal recipes roundup.

Portion, oil and what the dal replaces decide the result, not the dal itself. Deep-fried moong snacks such as kachori and dal fried with heavy cream carry far more energy than the dal, and a katori that grows into a big bowl stops being light. If the fibre increase upsets your digestion at first, start with the skinned dal and move to sabut moong gradually. If you follow a calorie target or a medical diet, check with your doctor or dietitian first: ask about the portion size that fits your daily target and whether a daily serving of pulses suits your plan.

Is moong dal good for weight loss?

Yes, as part of a calorie-conscious diet. A katori of cooked green gram dal, from 30 g dry, carries about 98 kcal with 7.2 g of protein and 2.8 g of fibre. Across pulses in general, the 2016 meta-analysis of 21 trials measured a modest pooled reduction of 0.34 kg over a median six weeks in the pulse diets.

Which moong dal is best for weight loss?

Sabut moong, the whole bean, if you want the most fibre: 17.04 g per 100 g against 9.37 g in the skinned dal, and 88 kcal per katori against 98 kcal. Yellow dal wins on quick cooking. Both come to less than 100 calories a katori, so pick the one you will actually eat daily.

Does moong increase weight?

Not by itself. A katori of cooked dal is about 98 kcal, and the trial evidence runs the other way: diets with pulses showed a modest 0.34 kg reduction over a median six weeks. Weight gain comes from the total day, not one dal, so fried moong snacks, extra oil in the tadka and oversized portions are what to limit.

How much protein in 100 gm moong dal?

The IFCT 2017 entry for raw green gram dal shows 23.88 g of protein for every 100 g. A katori of cooked moong dal, counting 30 g of dry dal, works out to about 7.2 g of protein, and a standard serving from 50 g dry gives about 11.9 g. The whole bean gives slightly less, 22.53 g per 100 g.

Can I eat moong dal every day while losing weight?

Yes, pulses are an everyday food in the Dietary Guidelines for Indians, whose balanced plate gives a sedentary man 85 g of pulses and beans a day. Moong dal can be that pulse. Keep the katori measure and the tadka small, and count the dal within the day's total rather than adding it on top.