Best Fish for Weight Loss in India

The leanest fish commonly sold in Mumbai and Thane are prawns (65 kcal per 100 g), bhetki (68 kcal), bombil (69 kcal) and rawas (73 kcal), and bangda has the most protein of the fish around 100 kcal (21.51 g). No fish makes you lose weight by itself. What fish does offer is a lot of protein for few calories, as long as it isn’t cooked in a lot of oil. ICMR-NIN’s guidelines suggest grilling, baking, steaming or sautéing with minimal oil instead of frying.

Every number below comes from a source listed under Sources. Values are per 100 g raw edible portion (the flesh you eat, without head, bones or shell).

This is general food information, not medical or dietary advice. If you have diabetes, a heart or kidney condition, or are pregnant, check with your doctor before starting a weight-loss diet.

Which Indian fish are lowest in calories?

Fish	Energy (kcal)	Protein (g)	Fat (g)
Prawns (tiger prawns)	65	14.25	0.74
Bhetki (barramundi)	68	15.28	0.29
Bombil (Bombay duck)	69	13.53	1.03
Rawas (Indian salmon, fourfinger threadfin)	73	17.9	0.1
Katla	94	17.94	2.15
Bangda (Indian mackerel)	101	21.51	1.53
Rohu	102	19.71	2.39
Pomfret (white, paplet)	123	19.02	5.12
Halwa (black pomfret)	123	18.91	4.83
Surmai (kingfish)	136	22.28	5.18
Tarli (oil sardine)	152	17.91	8.99
Salmon (Atlantic)	172	20.97	9.86

How to read this table

All rows except rawas are from IFCT 2017 (ICMR-NIN). IFCT gives energy in kilojoules; we converted to kcal with IFCT’s own factor (1 kcal = 4.18 kJ) and rounded.
Rawas is not in IFCT 2017. Its row is from the Philippine Food Composition Table for the same species, Eleutheronema tetradactylum, per 100 g edible portion.
These are raw values. Cooking changes them: fish loses water, and any oil you add adds calories.

Lean fish or oily fish: which is better for weight loss?

Both fit. Lean fish (prawns, bhetki, bombil, rawas, rohu) have the fewest calories. Oilier fish (tarli, surmai, pomfret, salmon) have more calories, but most of the extra is fat that includes omega-3: per 100 g, surmai has 1.05 g EPA + DHA, tarli 0.61 g and pomfret 0.59 g, against 0.12 g for prawns (IFCT 2017). ICMR-NIN recommends marine fish for these omega-3 fats.

A practical mix is to eat mostly lean fish and include an oily fish once or twice a week. For more on omega-3, see omega-3 fish for heart health.

How much fish should you eat?

ICMR-NIN’s Dietary Guidelines for Indians (2024) say:

Non-vegetarians can get high-quality protein from 700 g to 900 g a week of fish, poultry or lean meat, or from eggs.
During a weight-loss diet with a daily deficit of 500 to 750 kcal, getting about 15% of energy from protein may help preserve muscle mass.
Don’t cut more than 40% of your daily energy needs, so that muscle is maintained.

How much of that weekly total is fish is up to you. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about the calorie target that is right for you.

Is fish tawa fry good for weight loss? Tawa fry vs curry vs steamed

ICMR-NIN’s guideline on preventing obesity says to choose lean meats such as skinless poultry and fish, and to cook by grilling, baking, steaming or sautéing with minimal oil instead of frying, because this lowers the energy density of the meal. Applied to everyday Indian fish dishes:

Steamed or grilled (paplet in banana leaf, grilled bhetki or rawas): little or no added oil.
Curry (bangda or rohu curry, prawn curry): a good option if you go easy on oil and coconut.
Tawa fry with a little oil: closer to sautéing than to deep frying. A thick rava or batter coating and extra oil add calories.
Deep fried: absorbs the most oil.

On air fryers, ICMR-NIN says air frying uses much less oil than deep frying, but air-frying fish may lower its omega-3 fats and increase some inflammatory compounds; adding herbs may reduce that.

A simple week of fish meals

There is no fixed plan in the guidelines, so treat this as an example, not a prescription:

Monday: Bangda curry, light on oil, with rice or bhakri and a vegetable
Wednesday: Steamed or grilled pomfret with salad and chapati
Friday: Prawn and vegetable stir-fry with a little oil
Sunday: Rawas or bhetki tawa fry with minimal oil, and dal

FAQ

Which fish is best for weight loss in India? Prawns, bhetki, bombil and rawas are lowest in calories per 100 g (65 to 73 kcal). Rawas has the most protein for its calories in the table (17.9 g in 73 kcal), and bangda has 21.51 g protein in 101 kcal.

Is fish tawa fry good for health? A tawa fry with a little oil is lighter than a deep fry. ICMR-NIN suggests grilling, baking, steaming or sautéing with minimal oil instead of frying.

What are the healthiest types of fish to eat? For calories, lean fish like prawns, bhetki and rawas. For omega-3, oilier sea fish like surmai, tarli and pomfret. A mix of both is a sensible approach.

Can I eat fish every day while losing weight? ICMR-NIN suggests 700 g to 900 g a week of fish, poultry or lean meat in total for non-vegetarians. If you are pregnant, follow the mercury advice in our low-mercury fish guide.

Is fish better than chicken for weight loss? Both are lean protein; see our fish vs chicken comparison.

Getting lean fish fresh

Verified sellers on Relifish list prawns, bombil, rawas, bangda and more each day, and can clean and cut them for steaming or the tawa. Browse today’s fish.

Sources

Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (IFCT 2017). ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad. PDF at nin.res.in. Table 1 (energy, protein, fat) and Table 7 (EPA, DHA). Entries: Tiger prawns orange Q008, Betki P005, Bombay duck P007, Catla S002, Mackerel P034, Rohu S006, Pomfret white P057, Pomfret black P055, Vanjaram P087, Sardine P071, Salmon P068.
DOST-FNRI, Philippine Food Composition Table (PhilFCT): Threadfin, fourfinger (Eleutheronema tetradactylum), Food ID G143. Used for rawas.
ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024. PDF at nin.res.in. Guideline 7 (marine fish for omega-3, page 56), Guideline 8 (700 to 900 g a week of flesh foods, page 58), Guideline 9 (protein during weight loss, lean meats and cooking methods, page 66), Guideline 13 (air frying, page 86).