Does paneer or firm tofu have more protein?
Paneer, at 18g per 100g versus 12g for firm tofu.
Paneer vs Firm tofu: Which Has More Protein?
Paneer wins on protein: 18g per 100g versus 12g, a gap of 6g. Calories and protein quality change the picture, so here is the full comparison.
Head to head, per 100g
| Food | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 🧀 Paneer | 18g | 265 |
| 🍢 Firm tofu | 12g | 76 |
Per 100g.
What the numbers mean
Paneer delivers 18g of protein for 265 calories per 100g. Firm tofu delivers 12g for 76 calories. If you are counting calories as well as protein, firm tofu is the leaner choice per 100g.
Protein quality: paneer is a complete protein, firm tofu is a complete protein. Complete proteins carry all nine essential amino acids in useful amounts; incomplete ones are still valuable, they just want a complementary source across the day.
Fresh non-melting cheese — pan-fries beautifully. From soybeans — complete protein.
Which should you choose?
- For maximum protein per 100g: paneer (18g).
- For the fewest calories per 100g: firm tofu.
- For everyday practicality, the better choice is the one you will actually eat regularly — the difference between 18g and 12g matters far less than consistency across the week.
- Mixing both across the week covers a wider spread of micronutrients than committing to one.
Add up your whole meal
Type what you ate in plain words and Protein Hunter returns protein and calories for the full plate.
Try the Protein CalculatorCommon questions
Which has fewer calories, paneer or firm tofu?
Firm tofu — 76 calories per 100g versus 265.
Can I swap one for the other in a recipe?
Usually yes, but adjust the weight so the protein matches. To replace 100g of paneer you need about 150g of firm tofu.
Keep reading
Protein in paneer18g per 100g in full detail.Protein in firm tofu12g per 100g in full detail.Compare any two foodsSearch the full protein database.What is Protein Hunter?
Protein Hunter is a protein and nutrition app with a database of 232 foods — from a leaf of kale to a wagyu steak — plus AI tools that answer protein questions, count a whole meal, build recipes to a macro target, and track what you actually eat.
- Search any food
- Count a full meal
- Recipes to your macros
- Scan a plate or label
Why it's different: the numbers are calculated from a fixed ingredient database rather than guessed, and when a target is not physically achievable the app says so instead of inventing a figure.
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