Vol. IEvidence-Based EditionPrice: Free

THE DAILY SCOOP

Updated 24 July 2026DIAAS · Cost · Verified SupplyIndia Desk

Lead Report

Whey Quadrupled. The Body Doesn’t Care Where Protein Comes From.

A price shock has broken the whey habit. The science says the swap was never a sacrifice — quality is a number, and you can buy it for a fraction of the cost.

For a decade the fitness aisle told a single story: whey, and only whey. Then the price of imported whey ran to roughly four times its 2024 level, and the story fell apart. What replaced it is not a compromise but a measurement. Protein quality is now scored — the FAO’s DIAAS ranks how much of what you eat your body can actually build with.

On that scale the surprise is soy protein isolate: the only single plant protein that is both complete and scores PDCAAS 1.0, at a DIAAS near 0.90 — for a fraction of whey’s rupee cost per usable gram. Whey still wins on speed and leucine; it no longer wins on value.

This edition lays out the full ledger: every source scored side by side, the true cost per usable gram, a soy verdict grounded only in the data, a personal requirement calculator, and a verified-products list restricted to batches that passed independent lab testing. Read the numbers. Then decide.

Section 01

The Protein Comparison

Every source, scored side by side — and priced by the only metric that matters: rupees per gram your body can actually use.

No. 01 / Ledger

10 sources · click a column to sort

Protein quality & value — sorted by ₹ / usable g (ascending)
Source	DIAAS	PDCAAS	Digest. %	Leucine %	Protein/100g	₹/kg	₹ / usable g ▲	Speed
Soy Isolate PlantBest Value	0.90	1.00	95	8.0	90	900	₹1	Intermediate
Egg White Animal	1.10	1.00	96	8.6	80	1,800	₹2	Intermediate
Pea Isolate Plant	0.80	0.73	92	8.0	80	1,600	₹2	Intermediate
Blend Blend	1.00	1.00	95	9.0	82	2,200	₹3	Intermediate
Whey Conc. Animal	1.10	1.00	96	10.5	80	3,000	₹3	Fast
Casein Animal	1.10	1.00	95	9.3	84	3,200	₹3	Slow
Yeast Novel	0.90	0.90	93	8.0	80	2,600	₹4	Intermediate
Whey Isolate Animal	1.10	1.00	97	11.0	90	3,800	₹4	Fast
Rice Plant	0.40	0.47	88	8.2	80	1,400	₹4	Intermediate
Hemp Plant	0.50	0.49	88	6.2	50	2,200	₹9	Slow

DIAAS (Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score) — the FAO’s measure of how completely a protein’s amino acids are absorbed and used; 1.0+ is excellent, below 0.75 carries no quality claim. A usable gram is one gram of protein weighted by density and DIAAS — the fair unit for comparing value across sources. Cost figures are approximate India-2026 retail, shown for comparison only.

Section 02

Eaten vs. Usable

Grams on the label are not grams in the muscle. Bioavailability is the part the body keeps.

No. 02 / Ledger

Solid = usable · hatched = consumed but not used

Whey Isolate90 g usable / 90 g eaten
DIAAS 1.09 · limiting AA: None (reference)
Casein84 g usable / 84 g eaten
DIAAS 1.09 · limiting AA: None
Blend82 g usable / 82 g eaten
DIAAS 1.00 · limiting AA: None (complementary)
Soy Isolate81 g usable / 90 g eaten
DIAAS 0.90 · limiting AA: Methionine (borderline)
Whey Conc.80 g usable / 80 g eaten
DIAAS 1.09 · limiting AA: None
Egg White80 g usable / 80 g eaten
DIAAS 1.13 · limiting AA: None
Yeast72 g usable / 80 g eaten
DIAAS 0.90 · limiting AA: None (claimed complete)
Pea Isolate65.6 g usable / 80 g eaten
DIAAS 0.82 · limiting AA: Methionine + Cysteine
Rice33.6 g usable / 80 g eaten
DIAAS 0.42 · limiting AA: Lysine
Hemp24 g usable / 50 g eaten
DIAAS 0.48 · limiting AA: Lysine

Bar length is scaled to protein eaten; the solid ink portion is the DIAAS-adjusted share your body can build with.

Section 03 — Feature

The Soy Verdict

The value winner nobody in the fitness aisle wanted to talk about.

No. 03 / Feature

Soy protein isolate occupies a strange position: it is the single most efficient high-quality protein per rupee on the market, and it spent a decade being dismissed. The chemistry is not ambiguous. Among plant proteins, soy isolate is the only one that is both fully complete — supplying all nine essential amino acids in adequate ratio — and scores PDCAAS 1.0, the ceiling of the older quality scale.

On the stricter modern scale it reaches a DIAAS near 0.90 (the literature ranges from about 0.84 to 0.98). That places it just below dairy and egg, and comfortably above pea, rice and hemp as a standalone protein. It manages this at a protein density of 90 g per 100 g and 95% digestibility — numbers that read like an animal protein.

Its one honest weakness is methionine, a sulfur amino acid that sits at the borderline of adequacy. This is why soy is scored as “complete but methionine-limited” rather than flawless. In practice, a mixed diet supplies methionine from grains, dairy and other sources, and the shortfall closes without effort.

The isoflavone question deserves a direct answer. Soy contains plant isoflavones, and the folk claim is that they lower testosterone. The weight of the evidence — pooled meta-analyses — does not support this at normal intakes. Soy isolate does not lower testosterone when eaten in the amounts a person actually uses as a protein supplement.

Pull Quote

“The only single plant protein that is both complete and PDCAAS 1.0 — and it happens to be the cheapest high-quality protein per usable gram.”

How does it sit against whey? Whey wins on two axes: it is faster to absorb and richer in leucine (about 11% of protein versus soy’s 8%), the amino acid that flips the switch on muscle protein synthesis. For a single post-workout dose aimed at maximal acute response, whey remains the sharper tool. Across a whole day of protein intake, that edge shrinks — and soy’s intermediate absorption speed is a feature, not a flaw, for sustained coverage.

Against pea protein — the other plant favourite — soy is simply more complete on its own. Pea is high in lysine and BCAAs but limited in the sulfur amino acids, and it needs to be paired with rice protein to reach an animal-like profile. Soy isolate needs no partner to be complete. That self-sufficiency, plus a bulk cost near ₹900/kg, is what makes it the highest quality-per-rupee protein in this ledger.

Bottom Line

If you want maximal acute muscle response from a single serving and cost is no object, whey still edges it. For everyone weighing quality against price — and especially anyone eating plant-first — soy protein isolate is the rational default: complete, PDCAAS 1.0, DIAAS ~0.90, and dramatically cheaper per usable gram. The methionine caveat is real but minor; the testosterone worry is not supported by the evidence.

Section 04

Whey has quadrupled. Soy stayed cheap.

A price shock, decoded — and repriced by the rupee-per-usable-gram metric that changes the ranking.

No. 04 / Ledger

The Numbers

Whey concentrate — bulk (pre-2024)₹700–800 / kg
Whey concentrate — bulk (2025)₹2,000–2,300 / kg
Input costs, 24-month rise+200–250%
Global whey (2026 spike)≈ 4× vs 2024
Retail whey tub (1 kg)₹3,000–6,000
Soy protein isolate — bulk≈ ₹900 / kgCheap
India's whey that is imported80–85%

Why It Happened

India imports 80–85% of supplement-grade whey — the price is set abroad and by the rupee.
Global dairy/whey supply shortages pushed prices to record highs through 2025–2026.
Surging fitness + older-adult demand (India protein market ~17.7% CAGR).
FMCG brands are reformulating toward soy, pea and yeast protein as whey climbs.

The Takeaway

Judge cost by rupees per USABLE gram of protein — price ÷ protein density ÷ digestibility (DIAAS). On that metric soy protein isolate is now dramatically cheaper than whey while still scoring PDCAAS 1.0.

Rupees Per Usable Gram — Cheapest First

Price ÷ protein density ÷ DIAAS · lower is better

Soy IsolateCheapest Quality Protein₹1
Egg White₹2
Pea Isolate₹2
Blend₹3
Whey Conc.₹3
Casein₹3
Yeast₹4
Whey Isolate₹4
Rice₹4
Hemp₹9

Cost figures are approximate India-2026 retail and volatile — shown for relative comparison only.

Section 05 · Interactive

The Vitals Desk

Your numbers, measured once — read by every tool below.

No. 05 / Ledger

Enter Your Vitals

Biological Sex

Age (yrs)

Height (cm)

Weight (kg)

Activity Level

Goal

Meals / Feeds per Day: 4

24.3

Body Mass Index

Normal

Asian-Pacific:
Overweight (Asian)

India-relevant: WHO Asian-Pacific cutoffs flag risk earlier — overweight at BMI 23 and obese at 27.5, versus 25 / 30 globally (Lancet 2004).

1,660

BMR · kcal at rest

2,573

TDEE · kcal / day

Daily Protein Prescription — Muscle Gain (hypertrophy)

137 g

Recommended target / day

115–158 g

Working range

≈ 34 g

Per meal × 4

Eat toward the top of the range on training days — protein is the raw material, a slight surplus is the signal. Same g/kg target for men.

Section 06 · Interactive

The Game Plan

One goal, translated into calories, macros and a weekly protocol.

No. 06 / Ledger

Objective

Sex

Reading Muscle Gain (hypertrophy) from the Vitals Desk. Change vitals above; everything here follows.

Macro Prescription

2,882 kcal

Daily target

+309 surplus

Protein	137 g	548 kcal
Fat	80 g	721 kcal
Carbohydrate	403 g	1613 kcal

Protein fixed from body weight; fat set at ~25% of calories; carbohydrate fills the remainder — the lever you move on training vs rest days.

Hypertrophy Protocol

Train 3–5×/wk, progressive overload, 10–20 hard sets per muscle per week.
Aim for ~+0.2–0.4 kg/wk (≈ +0.25–0.5% body weight) — faster is mostly fat.
Keep the surplus modest; add slowly and reassess every 2–3 weeks.
Sleep 7–9 h — recovery is when adaptation is banked, not the gym.
8–10k steps daily keeps NEAT high and appetite honest.
≈ 30–40 ml water per kg body weight; more on training days.

Educational only — evidence-aligned targets (ISSN 2017), not medical advice. Adjust to your own response and consult a professional for clinical conditions.

Section 07 · Interactive

Build the Plate

Search real food, sort by value, watch the protein ledger fill, then close the gap.

No. 07 / Ledger

The Pantry · omnivore · 32 foods

Sort by

Food	Protein	₹	kcal
Soya Chunks (dry) 50 g · Soy	26 g	₹12	172
Lentils / Dal (cooked) 1 cup (200g) · Pulse/Legume	18 g	₹15	230
Moong Dal (cooked) 1 cup · Pulse/Legume	14 g	₹14	210
Chickpea / Chana (cooked) 1 cup (160g) · Pulse/Legume	15 g	₹16	269
Whole Egg (boiled) 1 large (50g) · Egg	6.3 g	₹7	78
Chicken Breast (cooked) 100 g · Meat/Fish	31 g	₹35	165
Rajma (kidney beans, cooked) 1 cup (175g) · Pulse/Legume	15 g	₹18	225
Peanuts 40 g · Nuts/Seeds	10 g	₹12	235
Besan / Gram Flour 30 g · Pulse/Legume	6 g	₹8	110
Moong Sprouts 1 cup (100g) · Pulse/Legume	7 g	₹10	100
Daliya / Broken Wheat (cooked) 1 cup · Grain	6 g	₹10	150
Sattu (roasted gram) 30 g · Pulse/Legume	6 g	₹10	120
Toned Milk 250 ml · Dairy	8 g	₹14	125
Fish (Rohu/Salmon, cooked) 100 g · Meat/Fish	22 g	₹40	140
Egg Whites 3 whites · Egg	11 g	₹21	51
Cooked Rice 1 cup (150g) · Grain	4 g	₹8	200
Chapati / Roti 1 (40g) · Grain	3 g	₹6	110
Whole-Wheat Bread 2 slices · Grain	6 g	₹12	160
Tofu 100 g · Soy	12 g	₹25	145
Paneer 100 g · Dairy	18 g	₹40	265
Peanut Butter 2 tbsp (32g) · Nuts/Seeds	8 g	₹18	190
Oats (dry) 40 g · Grain	5 g	₹12	150
Poha (flattened rice) 50 g dry · Grain	3 g	₹8	180
Greek Yogurt / Hung Curd 100 g · Dairy	9 g	₹25	59
Curd / Dahi 1 cup (150g) · Dairy	5 g	₹15	90
Prawns (cooked) 100 g · Meat/Fish	24 g	₹80	99
Mutton (cooked) 100 g · Meat/Fish	26 g	₹90	250
Idli 2 pieces · Grain	4 g	₹15	120
Cheese Slice 1 slice (20g) · Dairy	4 g	₹15	70
Quinoa (cooked) 1 cup (185g) · Grain	8 g	₹35	222
Dosa (plain) 1 piece · Grain	4 g	₹20	165
Almonds 30 g · Nuts/Seeds	6 g	₹30	175

Filtered to your omnivore setting. Prices are approximate India-2026 retail per serving.

Nutrition Ledger

0 / 137g

Protein

kcal

₹0

plate cost

0% of target137 g remaining

Close the Gap · Cheapest Verified Scoop

You’re short 137 g. The best-value fix for your omnivore diet is Soy Protein Isolate at ₹1.1/usable g — about 6 scoops (~30 g each · 27 g protein · ≈₹27/scoop).

Asitis — Soy Protein Isolate

Soy · Eurofins · 27 May 2026

Trustified PASS

Chosen by lowest ₹ per usable gram (price ÷ density ÷ DIAAS) among lab-tested PASS batches — not headline price.

Section 08

Verified Products Only

The only products this ledger recommends — because each one passed independent lab testing (Eurofins / TÜV NORD via Trustified).

No. 08 / Verified

51 verified products

MuscleBlazePass ✓

Biozyme Iso Zero

Whey

15 Mar 2023 · Eurofins

THE DAILY SCOOP

Whey Quadrupled. The Body Doesn’t Care Where Protein Comes From.

The Protein Comparison

Eaten vs. Usable

The Soy Verdict

Whey has quadrupled. Soy stayed cheap.

Rupees Per Usable Gram — Cheapest First

Verified Products Only

Biozyme Iso Zero

Biozyme Performance Whey

Biozyme Whey PR

Whey Gold 100% Whey

Biozyme Gold 100% Whey

Fuel Whey

100% Performance Whey

Nitro Iso Whey

Impact Whey Protein

Ultimate ISO Whey

Whey Protein Concentrate

Pro Antium

Whey Protein Isoboost

Ultra Clean Whey Protein

Clean Whey Protein

Whey Protein Isolate Blend

Elite Series Whey Protein

Whey Protein Powder

Whey Iso-Max

100% Whey Protein

Whey Protein Isolate

Gold 100% Whey Protein Isolate

Whey Protein Puregold

Isopro Zero 100% Whey Isolate

Raw Whey Protein Isolate

Whey Protein Pro Blend

Whey Platinum Isolate

Whey Protein Concentrate 80%

Soy Protein Isolate

100% Soy Isolate

Soya Chunks

Pea Protein Isolate

Gold Hydrolyzed Pea Protein

Yeast Protein

Fermented Yeast Protein

Plant Protein 31g

Vegan Protein

Plant Protein

Plant Protein

Plant Protein

Supernatural Peanut Protein

Creatine Monohydrate

Creasure® Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine Monohydrate

Micronised Creatine Monohydrate

Pure Creatine Monohydrate

Pro Fish Oil Omega 3

Magnesium Glycinate

MB-Vite Daily Multivitamin

Men Multivitamin

Creatine Monohydrate

Protein Powder / Whey

Vitamin D3

Vitamin B12

Omega-3 / Fish Oil

Isabgol / Psyllium Husk

Magnesium

Caffeine / Pre-Workout

Electrolytes

Zinc

Fat Burners

Mass Gainers

Glutamine

BCAAs

Standalone Iodine

Sources & Method