Plain rice vs ven pongal: calories and protein compared
Short answer: for fat loss pick plain rice; for muscle gain ven pongal does more. The numbers are per usual serving, so check the serving sizes in the table.
| Per serving | Plain rice | Ven pongal |
|---|---|---|
| Serving | 1 katori · 150 g | 1 katori · 200 g |
| Calories | 195 kcal | 293 kcal |
| Protein | 5 g | 8 g |
| Carbs | 42 g | 41 g |
| Fat | 0 g | 11 g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 2.3 g | 2.6 g |
| Calories from fat | 0% | 33% |
What the numbers say
- Ven pongal has 98 kcal more a serving than plain rice. One serving of ven pongal has the calories of about 1.5 servings of plain rice.
- Ven pongal has more protein: 8 g vs 5 g.
- For protein per calorie, ven pongal wins with 2.6 g per 100 kcal.
- They suit different diets: plain rice is vegan and ven pongal is vegetarian.
Which to pick
- Losing fat: Plain rice, because it is lighter and the protein difference is small.
- Building muscle: Ven pongal, because it brings more protein a serving.
- Either way: the cooking fat moves both numbers most. Halving the oil or ghee is the easiest cut.