The short answer
100 g of ragi (dry, uncooked) has 7.2 g of protein and 321 kcal.1 That's about 14% of the 50 g of protein ICMR-NIN suggests a day for a 60 kg adult.2
Nutrition in 100 g of ragi
| Per 100 g | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 321 kcal (1342 kJ) |
| Protein | 7.2 g ± 0.6 |
| Fat | 1.9 g |
| Carbohydrate | 66.8 g |
| Fibre | 11.2 g |
| Water | 10.9 g |
These figures are for dry ragi, before cooking. Grains absorb water as they cook, so weigh them dry for an accurate count.
How much ragi for your protein?
The amounts below are worked out from IFCT's figure of 7.2 g per 100 g. To see how ragi fits into a whole day, add it in the day builder.
| To get | Eat about | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 10 g of protein | 140 g (dry, uncooked weight) | 449 kcal |
| 20 g of protein | 279 g (dry, uncooked weight) | 896 kcal |
| 30 g of protein | 419 g (dry, uncooked weight) | 1345 kcal |
How ragi compares
Ragi has more protein per 100 g than 46% of the 542 foods in IFCT 2017. Here it is beside the other cereals and millets we cover:
| Cereals and millets | Protein / 100 g | kcal | From protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rajgira | 13.3 g | 356 | 15% |
| Quinoa | 13.1 g | 328 | 16% |
| Sooji | 11.4 g | 334 | 14% |
| Bajra | 11 g | 348 | 13% |
| Barley | 10.9 g | 316 | 14% |
| Atta | 10.6 g | 320 | 13% |
| Maida | 10.4 g | 352 | 12% |
| Little millet | 10.1 g | 346 | 12% |
| Jowar | 10 g | 334 | 12% |
| Brown rice | 9.2 g | 354 | 11% |
| Kodo millet | 8.9 g | 332 | 11% |
| Maize | 8.8 g | 334 | 11% |
| White rice | 7.9 g | 356 | 9% |
| Parboiled rice | 7.8 g | 352 | 9% |
| Puffed rice | 7.5 g | 362 | 8% |
| Poha | 7.4 g | 354 | 9% |
| Ragi | 7.2 g | 321 | 9% |
Other vegetarian foods with similar protein: dry coconut (7.3 g), green peas (7.3 g), moringa leaves (6.4 g), jackfruit seeds (5.8 g), buffalo milk (3.7 g). For more protein per 100 g, try soybean (37.8 g), masoor dal (24.4 g), moong dal (23.9 g). See every food on one protein chart.
Protein quality
Cereals and millets supply a large share of the protein Indians eat, simply because we eat so much of them. Their protein is low in lysine, which pulses, milk and eggs supply, so pairing them improves the mix.3
Ragi 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
- Ragi
- Bengali
- Ragi
- Gujarati
- Bavato
- Hindi
- Ragi
- Kannada
- Bhakri
- Malayalam
- Panjapulle
- Marathi
- Bhakri
- Odia
- Mandia
- Punjabi
- Mandal
- Tamil
- Kelvaragu
- Telugu
- Ragi
- Urdu
- Mandwa
Common questions
How much protein is in 100 g of ragi?
7.2 g, according to the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 from ICMR-NIN. That's for dry, uncooked ragi, per 100 g of the edible part. 100 g also gives 321 kcal.
How much ragi gives 20 g of protein?
About 279 g (dry, uncooked weight). That's roughly 40% of the 50 g a day ICMR-NIN suggests for a 60 kg adult.
Is ragi a good source of protein?
9% of its calories come from protein, and it has more protein per 100 g than 46% of the 542 foods in IFCT 2017. Cereals and millets supply a large share of the protein Indians eat, simply because we eat so much of them.
Should I weigh ragi raw or cooked?
Raw. These figures are per 100 g of dry ragi. Cooking adds water, so the same 100 g cooked has noticeably less protein.
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