Is paneer healthier than chicken?

Paneer vs chicken has always been a matter of debate in dietary discussions. But before jumping to any conclusion, let’s just jump into the nutritional value of both in simplest form.

Paneer:

(quantity considered 100g)

Protein 18g

Carbohydrates 1g

Fat 20g

Chicken:

(quantity considered 100g)

Protein 18-25g

Carbohydrates 0g

Fat 1.5g

First of all, one should know that none of them is unhealthy and has good nutritional value. It clearly states that both are pretty good source of protein. The difference lies in quantity of nutrients served by both. Paneer can be considered a good source of protein but 100 g of paneer will also bring 20 g of fat with it whereas 100 g of chicken on the other side hardly contains 2g of fat and is a rich source of protein. Unfortunately, paneer does not serve as direct source of protein but chicken serves as good source of protein with less fat. Nevertheless, we cannot just claim that more fat isn’t healthy. At the end of day, it all lies down to personal choices and body goals of each person, paneer can be a good option for someone going for Ketogenic diet or a person who is underweight looking to gain some healthy fat. Chicken could be better option for the person who is looking for muscle building, fat burning or is a gym freak.

But that does not cut option for vegetarians , in fact more people are shifting towards vegetarianism and veganism out of choice than of compulsion. Although there always remains the question that how a vegetarian fulfills the protein requirement. Another option could plant based protein i.e. meaningful protein from plant based foods.

Conclusion:

In terms of healthy options, both protein and chicken serves as good sources. But a person inclining more on solely protein rich food aiming to shed extra fat chicken would be preferable while paneer on the is nutritionally overall a healthier option. But that does not mean that one has to shift from their personal choices from veg to non veg food for protein requirement. There are plenty of protein rich vegetarian sources waiting for you to try them out and fulfill your nutrition necessity.

Rich protein sources that could serve as good alternatives for non veg food includes: tofu, peanuts, soaked Indian Black Chickpea, chickpeas, mushrooms, oats, Greek yogurt, almonds and broccoli.