Poha, Sooji (Rava), Dalia and Vermicelli: Calories and Protein of the Dry Base (IFCT 2017)
"How many calories are in poha, upma or dalia?" has a solid answer for the dry ingredient and none for the plate. In the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (IFCT 2017) of the National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN), dry rice flakes (poha), wheat semolina (sooji or rava), wheat bulgur (the closest row to dalia) and wheat vermicelli all sit between 333 and 354 kcal per 100 g, and differ more on protein and fibre. Below are the per 100 g, 40 g and 60 g figures, what ICMR-NIN says, and what the table does not cover: oats are not in it. The kJ to kcal conversion and the portions are our arithmetic.
Per 100 g of the dry ingredient: the IFCT 2017 figures
IFCT 2017, Table 1 (Proximate Principles and Dietary Fibre), group A (cereals and millets), per 100 g of raw, dry edible portion, average of the regions sampled. IFCT prints energy in kilojoules (kJ); we converted with 1 kcal = 4.184 kJ. These are the dry ingredients you cook from, not a cooked plate. IFCT 2017 has no row called dalia: the closest is "Wheat, bulgur", and the sooji or rava row is "Wheat, semolina".
| Dry, per 100 g | Energy | Protein | Dietary fibre | Fat | IFCT code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice flakes (poha) | 354 kcal (1480 kJ) | 7.44 g | 3.46 g | 1.14 g | A011 |
| Wheat, semolina (sooji / rava) | 334 kcal (1396 kJ) | 11.38 g | 9.72 g | 0.74 g | A022 |
| Wheat, bulgur (closest row to dalia) | 342 kcal (1430 kJ) | 10.84 g | 8.81 g | 1.45 g | A021 |
| Wheat, vermicelli (seviyan) | 333 kcal (1392 kJ) | 9.70 g | 9.28 g | 0.45 g | A023 |
| Wheat, vermicelli, roasted | 340 kcal (1423 kJ) | 10.37 g | 9.55 g | 0.49 g | A024 |
| Rice, raw, milled (for comparison) | 356 kcal (1491 kJ) | 7.94 g | 2.81 g | 0.52 g | A015 |
| Wheat flour, atta (for comparison) | 320 kcal (1340 kJ) | 10.57 g | 11.36 g | 1.53 g | A019 |
The five breakfast bases are close on energy (333 to 354 kcal per 100 g dry). Poha, the rice flakes, is the highest of them on energy and the lowest on protein (7.44 g) and on fibre (3.46 g); the wheat-based rows have 9.70 to 11.38 g of protein, and the semolina row the most (11.38 g).
Measured portions: 40 g and 60 g of the dry base
The two portions below, 40 g and 60 g of the dry base, are our assumptions, not a recommended portion. For context only: the ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 (DGI 2024) do put 40 g of rice flakes with 15 g of black gram dal in a breakfast, but that is in its suggested daily menus for children over 1 year (Figure 4.4, 1,110 kcal a day, PDF page 47) and its diet chart for 1 to 3 year old children (40 g as one small katori of 115 ml, PDF page 135). It is a toddler's portion, not an adult one. The 60 g of whole grains in a breakfast on PDF page 34 comes from DGI's diet chart for a normal sedentary pregnant woman (Figure 2.3), which is not a general adult portion either. The arithmetic is IFCT x weight / 100:
| Dry base | 40 g: energy | 40 g: protein | 60 g: energy | 60 g: protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice flakes (poha) | ~141 kcal | 3.0 g | ~212 kcal | 4.5 g |
| Wheat, semolina (sooji / rava) | ~133 kcal | 4.6 g | ~200 kcal | 6.8 g |
| Wheat, bulgur (closest row to dalia) | ~137 kcal | 4.3 g | ~205 kcal | 6.5 g |
| Wheat, vermicelli (seviyan) | ~133 kcal | 3.9 g | ~200 kcal | 5.8 g |
| Wheat, vermicelli, roasted | ~136 kcal | 4.1 g | ~204 kcal | 6.2 g |
For scale, one roti made from 30 g of atta is about 96 kcal and 3.2 g protein (IFCT 2017, code A019; see the roti-size guide).
What goes into a poha plate
A plate of poha is the flakes plus whatever is cooked into them. Using only sourced rows, 40 g of dry rice flakes is about 141 kcal and 3.0 g protein, and 10 g of raw groundnut (IFCT 2017, code H012) adds about 52 kcal and 2.4 g protein: together about 193 kcal and 5.3 g protein, before any oil, onion, potato or curry leaves. We give no figure for the oil or for the cooked plate, because IFCT 2017 has no row for cooked poha, upma or dalia and a spoon of oil changes the total; weigh the dry base and the oil you use.
What ICMR-NIN says
DGI 2024 asks that at least half of the recommended cereals be whole grains such as millets (PDF page 23). In the IFCT rows above, the wheat-based dalia row has more fibre than rice flakes (8.81 g against 3.46 g per 100 g dry). That is a statement about two rows, not about which breakfast is right for you: your own calories come from your goal (see how many calories to lose weight).
What these numbers do not cover
- Oats and muesli. There is no oats row in IFCT 2017 Table 1, so we give no oats number and make no "poha vs oats" claim; read the pack label.
- The cooked plate (poha with peanuts and oil, sooji upma, dalia with milk, vermicelli upma). IFCT 2017 lists the raw ingredients only.
- Cornflakes, instant poha and packaged mixes. Not in IFCT 2017 Table 1; use the pack label.
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Frequently asked questions
How many calories are in 100 g of poha?
IFCT 2017 gives dry rice flakes (code A011) 1480 kJ per 100 g, about 354 kcal, with 7.44 g protein and 3.46 g fibre. That is the dry ingredient: a cooked plate of poha is not in the table.
How many calories are in 40 g of dry poha?
About 141 kcal and 3.0 g protein, from the IFCT 2017 rice flakes row (40 g x 1480 kJ per 100 g, converted at 4.184 kJ per kcal). 40 g is our assumed portion: DGI 2024 uses 40 g of rice flakes only in its menus for children over 1 year and for 1 to 3 year olds (PDF pages 47 and 135), so it is a toddler's portion, not an adult one. Oil and peanuts are extra.
How many calories are in sooji (rava)?
IFCT 2017 gives dry wheat semolina (code A022) 1396 kJ per 100 g, about 334 kcal, with 11.38 g protein. A 40 g portion is about 133 kcal. Cooked upma is not in the table.
How many calories are in dalia?
IFCT 2017 has no row named dalia; the closest is dry wheat bulgur (code A021) at 1430 kJ per 100 g, about 342 kcal, with 10.84 g protein and 8.81 g fibre. A 40 g portion is about 137 kcal.
Is poha or oats better for weight loss?
We cannot say. IFCT 2017 has no oats row, so there is nothing to compare poha with row by row, and a cooked plate depends on the oil, milk or sugar added. Compare labels and weigh the portion; we make no claim that either food causes weight loss.
Sources (checked 21 October 2026)
- Longvah T., Ananthan R., Bhaskarachary K., Venkaiah K., Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR), Hyderabad, Table 1 "Proximate Principles and Dietary Fibre" (energy kJ, protein, fibre, fat; codes A011 rice flakes and A015 milled rice, PDF page 41; A019 atta, A021 bulgur, A022 semolina, A023 and A024 vermicelli, PDF page 42; H012 groundnut, PDF page 55): IFCT 2017 (PDF, nin.res.in)
- ICMR-NIN, Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 (at least half of cereals to be whole grains: PDF page 23; Figure 2.3, diet chart for a normal sedentary pregnant woman, with 60 g of whole grains in a breakfast: PDF page 34; Figure 4.4, suggested daily menus for children over 1 year, 1,110 kcal, with 40 g of rice flakes and 15 g of black gram: PDF page 47; diet chart for 1 to 3 year old children, 40 g of rice flakes as one small katori of 115 ml: PDF page 135; none of these is an adult portion): full guidelines (PDF, nin.res.in)
- kJ to kcal (1 kcal = 4.184 kJ), the 40 g and 60 g portions, the poha-plus-peanuts example and every per-portion figure: NYUS arithmetic on the IFCT 2017 rows.