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Breads · 5 varieties featured

Indian breads

Roti, chapati, phulka, paratha, puri and parotta: the everyday breads eaten with dal and curries. Whole-wheat breads cooked with little oil fit best. Compare each variety's weight-management rating, calories per serving and where to find it

The short answer

Across the 5 varieties of Indian breads we compare, a serving has about 97 to 317 kcal: Whole wheat roti is the lightest (about 97 kcal for 1 roti, about 40 g) and Aloo paratha the heaviest (about 317 kcal for 2 small parathas, about 150 g). For weight management, Whole wheat roti rates highest (3.0/5, moderate fit), judged on calories per gram, protein and fibre for the calories, and the size of a regular serving.

Reviewed by Deepu Oommen on 6 Nov 2026 · How we review

Indian breads

Average weight-management rating

2.5 / 5Rated 2.5 out of 5. Moderate fit for weight management

Average of the 5 varieties, rounded to the nearest half star. Varieties range from 1.0 to 3.0.

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Calories per serving
97 to 317 kcal
Best for weight management
Whole wheat roti · 3.0/5
Lightest
Whole wheat roti · 97 kcal
Varieties compared
5

How many calories are in Indian breads?

Calories per serving, lowest first
VarietyCaloriesFor weight management
Whole wheat roti1 roti (about 40 g)97 kcal3.0/5Moderate fit
Puri2 puris (about 40 g)124 kcal2.5/5Moderate fit
Plain paratha1 paratha (about 50 g)159 kcal2.5/5Moderate fit
Malabar parotta1 parotta (about 80 g)284 kcal1.0/5Poor fit
Aloo paratha2 small parathas (about 150 g)317 kcal2.5/5Moderate fit

Which Indian bread is best for weight management?

  • Whole wheat roti

    Whole wheat roti

    Across India

    3.0 / 5Rated 3 out of 5. Moderate fit for weight management
    How this is worked out
    Calories per gram (35%)
    2.43 kcal · 46/100
    Protein per 100 kcal (25%)
    3.2 g · 32/100
    Fibre per 100 kcal (20%)
    3.4 g · 100/100
    Portion (20%)
    97 of 250 kcal (bread) · 100/100
    Per 100 g
    242.7 kcal · P 7.8 g · C 47.1 g · F 2 g

    Score 64.2 of 100 = 3.0 stars. Calculated from a standard recipe using IFCT 2017 (ICMR-NIN) and USDA FoodData Central values. Source: Recipe: Hebbar's Kitchen, How to make roti | soft chapati | phulka.

    97 kcal

    1 roti (about 40 g)

    About 20 min of brisk walking uses similar energy

    Find near you
  • Aloo paratha

    Aloo paratha

    North India

    Also in:Breakfast dishes

    2.5 / 5Rated 2.5 out of 5. Moderate fit for weight management
    How this is worked out
    Calories per gram (35%)
    2.12 kcal · 55/100
    Protein per 100 kcal (25%)
    2.0 g · 20/100
    Fibre per 100 kcal (20%)
    2.1 g · 71/100
    Portion (20%)
    317 of 400 kcal (breakfast) · 71/100
    Per 100 g
    211.6 kcal · P 4.2 g · C 27.5 g · F 9.3 g

    Score 52.7 of 100 = 2.5 stars. Calculated from a standard recipe using IFCT 2017 (ICMR-NIN) and USDA FoodData Central values. Source: Recipe: Swasthi's Recipes, Aloo Paratha Recipe.

    317 kcal

    2 small parathas (about 150 g)

    About 1 hr of brisk walking uses similar energy

    Find near you
  • Plain paratha

    Plain paratha

    North India

    2.5 / 5Rated 2.5 out of 5. Moderate fit for weight management
    How this is worked out
    Calories per gram (35%)
    3.18 kcal · 24/100
    Protein per 100 kcal (25%)
    2.2 g · 22/100
    Fibre per 100 kcal (20%)
    2.3 g · 77/100
    Portion (20%)
    159 of 250 kcal (bread) · 86/100
    Per 100 g
    317.8 kcal · P 6.9 g · C 41.5 g · F 13.5 g

    Score 46.5 of 100 = 2.5 stars. Calculated from a standard recipe using IFCT 2017 (ICMR-NIN) and USDA FoodData Central values. Source: Recipe: Swasthi's Recipes, Paratha Recipe (Plain Paratha), 2017.

    159 kcal

    1 paratha (about 50 g)

    About 30 min of brisk walking uses similar energy

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  • Puri

    Puri

    Across India

    2.5 / 5Rated 2.5 out of 5. Moderate fit for weight management
    How this is worked out
    Calories per gram (35%)
    3.10 kcal · 26/100
    Protein per 100 kcal (25%)
    2.0 g · 20/100
    Fibre per 100 kcal (20%)
    2.2 g · 72/100
    Portion (20%)
    124 of 250 kcal (bread) · 100/100
    Per 100 g
    310.2 kcal · P 6.3 g · C 38.2 g · F 14.4 g

    Score 48.7 of 100 = 2.5 stars. Calculated from a standard recipe using IFCT 2017 (ICMR-NIN) and USDA FoodData Central values. Source: Recipe: Swasthi's Recipes, Poori Recipe, 2017.

    124 kcal

    2 puris (about 40 g)

    About 25 min of brisk walking uses similar energy

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  • Malabar parotta

    Malabar parotta

    Kerala

    Also in:Malabar dishes

    1.0 / 5Rated 1 out of 5. Poor fit for weight management
    How this is worked out
    Calories per gram (35%)
    3.55 kcal · 13/100
    Protein per 100 kcal (25%)
    1.8 g · 18/100
    Fibre per 100 kcal (20%)
    0.5 g · 18/100
    Portion (20%)
    284 of 250 kcal (bread) · 36/100
    Per 100 g
    355.3 kcal · P 6.4 g · C 47.5 g · F 15.4 g

    Score 19.9 of 100 = 1.0 stars. Calculated from a standard recipe using IFCT 2017 (ICMR-NIN) and USDA FoodData Central values. Source: Recipe: Hebbar's Kitchen, Parotta (Kerala paratha, Malabar paratha), 2017.

    284 kcal

    1 parotta (about 80 g)

    About 55 min of brisk walking uses similar energy

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Walking times are for a 70 kg adult at a brisk pace (about 5.6 km/h). Enter your weight in How much should I eat? to make them yours.

Walking energy: Compendium of Physical Activities, 2011. Calories are estimates; restaurant portions vary. Ratings scored on 2026-11-03.

Are Indian breads good for weight management?

On average, the 5 varieties of Indian breads we compare rate 2.5/5 (moderate fit) for weight management, but they differ a lot. Whole wheat roti is the better everyday choice; Malabar parotta (1.0/5, poor fit) is better kept to a smaller portion or an occasional meal. Adding vegetables, dal or curd on the side and keeping to one serving matters as much as which variety you pick.

Common questions about Indian breads

How many calories are in Indian breads?

About 97 to 317 kcal per serving, depending on the variety. Whole wheat roti is the lightest and Aloo paratha the heaviest.

Which Indian bread has the fewest calories?

Whole wheat roti, with about 97 kcal for 1 roti, about 40 g.

Which Indian bread is best for weight management?

Whole wheat roti rates highest at 3.0/5, moderate fit. Ratings combine calories per gram, protein and fibre per 100 kcal, and the size of a regular serving, each scored against fixed limits.

How much walking uses the energy in a serving of Indian bread?

For a 70 kg adult walking briskly, about 20 min for Whole wheat roti and 1 hr for Aloo paratha.

Which Indian bread is best for weight management?

A plain whole-wheat roti or phulka. Parathas, puris and Malabar parotta have more oil, and parotta and puri are often made with maida.

Is roti better than rice?

Per regular serving they are similar in calories; roti gives a little more fibre. The number of rotis matters more.

About these ratings

Each rating combines four things, each scored from 0 to 100 against fixed limits: calories per gram (35%), protein per 100 kcal (25%), fibre per 100 kcal (20%), and the size of a regular serving compared with what that kind of dish should provide in a meal (20%). More than 15 g of added sugar in a serving caps the rating at 2 stars. A higher rating does not mean a dish causes weight loss. See the methodology for the formula.