The short answer
100 g of hilsa (raw) has 21.8 g of protein and 259 kcal.1 That's about 44% of the 50 g of protein ICMR-NIN suggests a day for a 60 kg adult.2
Nutrition in 100 g of hilsa
| Per 100 g | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 259 kcal (1083 kJ) |
| Protein | 21.8 g |
| Fat | 18.5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 0 g |
| Fibre | 0 g |
| Water | 60.1 g |
These figures are for raw hilsa, edible part, without bones or shell. Cooking drives out water, so cooked fish has more protein per 100 g than raw. Weigh it raw for an accurate count.
How much hilsa for your protein?
The amounts below are worked out from IFCT's figure of 21.8 g per 100 g. To see how hilsa fits into a whole day, add it in the day builder.
| To get | Eat about | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 10 g of protein | 46 g (raw weight) | 119 kcal |
| 20 g of protein | 92 g (raw weight) | 238 kcal |
| 30 g of protein | 138 g (raw weight) | 357 kcal |
How hilsa compares
Hilsa has more protein per 100 g than 90% of the 542 foods in IFCT 2017. Here it is beside the other fish and seafood we cover:
| Fish and seafood | Protein / 100 g | kcal | From protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuna | 24.5 g | 112 | 89% |
| Seer fish | 22.3 g | 136 | 66% |
| Hilsa | 21.8 g | 259 | 34% |
| Mackerel | 21.5 g | 101 | 86% |
| Salmon | 21 g | 172 | 49% |
| Rohu | 19.7 g | 102 | 78% |
| Prawns | 19.2 g | 91 | 86% |
| Pomfret | 19 g | 123 | 63% |
| Tilapia | 18.5 g | 83 | 90% |
| Catla | 17.9 g | 94 | 77% |
| Sardine | 17.9 g | 152 | 48% |
| Pangas | 17.1 g | 204 | 34% |
| Bombay duck | 13.5 g | 69 | 80% |
Other foods with similar protein: whole urad (22 g), chicken breast (21.8 g), horse gram (21.7 g), toor dal (21.7 g), sesame seeds (21.7 g). For more protein per 100 g, try soybean (37.8 g), tuna (24.5 g), masoor dal (24.4 g). See every food on one protein chart.
Protein quality
Fish and seafood have complete protein: all the essential amino acids in good proportions.3 Most fish are lean, so they give a lot of protein for few calories.
Hilsa in Indian languages
Names as listed in IFCT 2017, which records what the food is called in each region it was sampled from.1
- Assamese
- Elish, Ilish
- Bengali
- Ilishmach, Ilish, Hilsa, Ilisha, Hilsha
- Gujarati
- Chaski, Palla, Chaksi, Chakshi
- Hindi
- Hilsa
- Kannada
- Palasa, Paliya, Polasa, Palia, Mullasu
- Malayalam
- Paluva, Valava, Paliyah
- Marathi
- Palva, Chaksi, Pala, Palla
- Odia
- Ilisha, Ilish, Jodi
- Tamil
- Karuva ullam, Sevva, Dolum, Ullam, Oolum
- Telugu
- Palasah, Polasa, Palasa, Palia
Common questions
How much protein is in 100 g of hilsa?
21.8 g, according to the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 from ICMR-NIN. That's for raw hilsa, per 100 g of the edible part. 100 g also gives 259 kcal.
How much hilsa gives 20 g of protein?
About 92 g (raw weight). That's roughly 40% of the 50 g a day ICMR-NIN suggests for a 60 kg adult.
Is hilsa a good source of protein?
34% of its calories come from protein, and it has more protein per 100 g than 90% of the 542 foods in IFCT 2017. Fish and seafood have complete protein: all the essential amino acids in good proportions.
Is this for raw or cooked hilsa?
Raw, edible part, without bones. Cooking drives out water, so 100 g cooked has more protein than 100 g raw. If you weigh it cooked, your count will come out low.
References
- Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR), Hyderabad. nin.res.in. Read through the open-data copy by Subhajit Sahu (ifct2017, MIT licence).
- ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. Nutrient Requirements for Indians: Recommended Dietary Allowances and Estimated Average Requirements. 2020. nin.res.in
- WHO/FAO/UNU Expert Consultation. Protein and amino acid requirements in human nutrition. WHO Technical Report Series 935, 2007. who.int