Poha is not the problem. A fitness trainer and dietician breaks down the three things that decide whether your plate helps or hurts.
Dhamkee doesn't give medical or nutrition advice. This post reports what a qualified professional said on Instagram — their original post is embedded below, in full.
Yes. Poha is light, low in calories and easy to digest. What changes the maths is how much oil goes into the pan and whether there is any protein on the plate alongside it.
Poha is one of the most-asked-about breakfasts in Indian kitchens, and the general advice never quite answers it, because the general advice was not written about poha. Ambika Jain, a fitness trainer and dietician who posts as @fitwithambika, took the question on directly on Instagram in January 2025 — and her answer is not about giving it up.
View this post on Instagram
Post by @fitwithambika, embedded with credit.
The oil is where it goes wrong
Ambika's first point is the one most kitchens never measure. She says a teaspoon of oil is around 45 calories and a tablespoon is closer to 100 — and that these small things, as she puts it, make a big difference to the total count of the meal. Same poha, same bowl, and most of us pour by eye.
1 tsp oil
1 tbsp oil
same plate
The three things she changes
Her post lays out three steps, in her words:
- She recommends measuring the oil rather than pouring it — one teaspoon for the preparation.
- She suggests making it colourful and loading in fibre: tomato, beans, beet, carrot, peas, capsicum, onion and potato, in a big portion. Vegetables, she says, make it both more nutritious and more filling.
- She advises adding one source of protein in good amount — a whole egg with an egg white, or a vegetarian option such as tofu, paneer, soya chunks, sprouts or chana.
Poha is a "light" food, so the portion and the preparation do not really matter.
Poha is light and easy to digest — but the oil decides the calorie count, and protein is what makes the meal hold you.
What the protein actually adds
These are the options Ambika names in her post, with the protein each one roughly contributes.
| Her suggested addition | Protein (g) |
|---|---|
| 1 whole egg + 1 egg white | 10 |
| Paneer | 9 |
| Sprouts | 7 |
| Soya chunks | 13 |
| Chana | 9 |
Why she puts protein at the centre of it
Adding protein makes it a wholesome meal, as we need to eat a high protein breakfast to feel full and strong for longer.
Ambika Jain, fitness trainer and dietician
Most Indian breakfasts are built around a carbohydrate, and poha is one of the easier ones to work with, because it takes additions well. A handful of peanuts, an egg on the side, or paneer stirred through changes your plate without changing the recipe anyone else at the table is eating — which is usually the real constraint on a weekday morning.
If you train early, this is also the meal that has to carry you to lunch. Ambika's point about protein and staying full for longer is the one that matters there, more than the calorie arithmetic.
Curd is the other addition worth a look, and it comes with its own household argument — when to eat curd for weight loss, and if you are choosing between dahi and Greek yogurt, the protein and the price compared.
And if the number on the scale is not moving while your clothes are fitting differently, that is a different question with a different answer — see the scale hasn't moved but your clothes fit better.
For more on what Indian kitchens actually put on the plate, see is rice good for weight loss, how many almonds to eat per day, is a protein shake good for weight loss, Indian diet for weight loss, or start at weight loss for Indian women.
Questions people also ask
Can I eat poha every day for weight loss?
Ambika's post does not cover how often to eat it. What she addresses is the preparation — the oil, the vegetables and the protein.
Is poha better than upma?
Her post is about poha specifically and does not compare the two. The variables she names — oil and protein — apply to either.
Does poha have enough protein on its own?
Her post treats it as needing an addition: she recommends adding one protein source in good amount rather than eating it plain.
Does the kind of oil matter?
She talks about the quantity, not the type. Her worked example is one teaspoon versus one tablespoon.
Shaina writes for Dhamkee. She is a mother of two who runs, practises yoga, and cooks — usually before the rest of the house is up. She is not a nutritionist or a doctor and does not play one here. On this blog she reports what qualified professionals have said publicly, and points you to them. More about how we work.