Calories in poha: a breakfast plate, measured

Poha nutrition, per serving and per 100 g

Serving: 40 g dry poha, one plate, weighed raw as IFCT reports it. IFCT 2017 food code A011, "Rice flakes (Oryza sativa)", the mean of 6 regions sampled. IFCT does not report glycaemic index, so this page prints none.

The verdict on poha

How poha fits a plan that loses fat and keeps muscle

Poha is flattened rice, so its numbers track rice: 354 kcal and 76.8 g of carbohydrate per 100 g in IFCT 2017, with a little more fibre than milled rice. It is quick energy, which suits a morning walk or a gym session, and it needs company to keep you full until lunch.

For a muscle-keeping breakfast, a plate of poha alone is low in protein at 3 g. Add a katori of curd, a boiled egg, sprouts or a sprinkle of roasted chana. Peanuts help a little, but they add more fat than protein, so keep them to a spoonful.

Poha in an Indian kitchen

Rinse thick poha in a sieve under the tap rather than soaking it, so it softens without going mushy. Cook it with onion, curry leaves, mustard seeds, turmeric and a lot of peas or vegetables, using a teaspoon of oil. Peanuts and sev on top are where the calories climb, so measure them. Adding sprouted moong, a boiled egg or a side of curd turns a plate of poha into a breakfast with real protein. Red poha from unpolished rice keeps a little more fibre.

Pair it, or swap it

Poha with peas, onion and a squeeze of lemon, served with curd or an egg, is a balanced plate. Kanda poha with sprouts mixed in adds protein without much extra oil.

Worth knowing

A tablespoon of oil and a handful of peanuts can double the calories of the plate. Measure the oil, and treat sev and bhujia toppings as extras.

Poha against similar foods