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As part of student engagement for the Smart Protein Forum 2024 we created an opportunity for young people to play an innovative role in their food choices. Breakfast is often hailed as the most important meal of the day, but how many of us are making it count? Research suggests we need about 11-17 grams of protein in the morning to fuel muscle growth, boost brain power, and control hunger (1). But, with busy mornings and the temptation of carb-heavy options like poha or parathas, many of us fall short of that protein goal.
ICMR-NIN, India’s apex nutrition research body recommends that adults should aim for about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day, translating to roughly 56 grams for adult men and 46 grams for adult women. For breakfast to include 20-30% of this daily protein requirement, a typical morning meal that breaks your night fast should contain about 11-17 grams of protein. Are we getting that in a typical breakfast? Look at the table below and make up your mind!
Breakfast items Total Protein (g) Total Fat (g) Total Carbohydrates (g) Total Energy (kcal)
Poha 9.37 26.74 100 413.97
Idli + Sambar + Medu Vada 10.53 9.87 109.89 538.23
Vegetable Upma 3.13 3.04 26.17 108.44
Aloo Parathas + Curd 6.12 7.03 30.94 215.38
Despite the well-documented benefits of consuming adequate protein in the morning, the average breakfast is often low in protein and high in refined carbohydrates, as seen above. Prolonged protein deficiency can cause muscle loss, which can lead to weakness, slower metabolism, and difficulty keeping balance (2). Also, nutritional imbalance can lead to suboptimal muscle protein synthesis, decreased satiety, reduced cognitive performance, and poor metabolic health (3-5).
Hence, this hackathon seeks innovative solutions to the breakfast protein problem.
Create a #SmartBreakfast hack:
● Convenient – should be easy to make, such as adding hot water
● Tasty – can be savoury or sweet. Innovations on traditional foods are encouraged.
● Uses smart proteins
● Affordable - uses ingredients that are easy to find and relatively inexpensive
● Achieves a net protein of 13-17g in 1 serving.
Smart proteins are an alternative to high functional foods that can reliably and predictably replace animal-derived meat, eggs, and dairy products. For example - plant-based meats and eggs, milk substitutes and their derivatives made from plant or crop ingredients such as soy extracts, pea proteins, and seaweed proteins.
Think of your favourite Indian breakfasts—whether it's khichadi, dosa, or even parathas—and imagine how we can tweak the process to pack it with protein while making it quicker and easier to prepare. What if you could have khichdi in a cupcake format, or idli that’s ready in minutes with extra protein? One part of this hackathon is about taking these classics and using technology to change the way we cook and consume them. Whether you’re enhancing a recipe with protein-rich ingredients, creating a ready-to-eat version, or finding a new way to deliver it (freeze-dried, powdered, or even drinkable!), we want to see how far you can push breakfast innovation. Another part is about public health and using your talents to increase awareness amongst young people to consume more proteins.
We’re excited to invite students passionate about food science and nutrition to join us in this innovative challenge. Participants must be currently a student. You may be asked for your student ID to claim the prize. While students of food technology, nutrition science or culinary school may be best suited to test their potential, the hackathon is open to ALL students. Prizes will not be determined by your educational background!
To reward your hard work and creativity, we have many prizes up for grabs! The prize amounts will be announced soon.
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