Horlicks Classic Malt Beverage
Red flags
- −Red flag: High added sugar (13.5g per 100g)
Green flags
- +Green flag: High protein (11g per 100g)
Ingredients, decoded
9 listed- Malt Extract (Barley (32%), Wheat Flour (Atta), Wheat, Millet)
- Milk Solids (14%)
- Sugar
- Wheat Gluten
- Minerals
- Iodised Salt
- Soy Protein Isolate
- Acidity Regulators (INS 501(ii), INS 500(ii))
- Vitamins
[F] CA4
Our take
CleanPlate reviewThe vitamins are real. So is the sugar.
Horlicks has been a household malt drink for generations, sold on growth and strength. The powder is heavily fortified, and that fortification does most of the work behind its strong score.
CleanPlate scores it [F]CA4. The C for nutrition relies on fortification: without the added iron, calcium, vitamin D and folic acid it would be a D. The A for ingredients reflects a short grain-and-milk list with almost no additives and no colours or flavourings. The 4 for risk comes from sugar: counting the malt sugars, sugar supplies about 40% of the calories.
Claims vs reality
What the pack says, checked against the ingredient list and nutrition panel.
- Product nameHolds
“Malt”
Malt extract from barley, wheat and millet is the first ingredient.
How CA4 breaks down
Each grade is scored on its own. Here are the label numbers behind each one, per 100 g.
Adequate nutrient density
- Protein
- 11 g
- Fibre
- Not declared
- Vitamins and minerals
- 5 declared
- Energy
- 377 kcal
Scored on eight nutrients (protein, fibre, calcium, iron, vitamins A, C, D and zinc), per 100 g and per 100 kcal.
Clean, minimally processed
- Base
- Malt Extract, Wheat Flour, Wh...
- Sweeteners
- Sugar
- Additives
- 2
- Flagged
- None
Scored on six things: base processing, fat quality, sweeteners, additives, colours and flavours.
High risk
- Added sugar
- 13.5 g
- Sodium
- 400 mg
- Saturated fat
- 1.4 g
- Trans fat
- 0 g
Scored on added sugar, sodium and saturated fat, with a penalty for trans fat.
[F] Added vitamins or minerals meaningfully lift this product's nutrition grade. Without them it would score lower.
A closer look
Does the label add up?
Protein is 11 g per 100 g, from milk solids, wheat gluten and soy protein isolate. Fortification is substantial: 14 mg iron, 741 mg calcium, 9.3 µg vitamin D and 370 µg folic acid per 100 g of powder.
Sugar is 46 g per 100 g, with 13.5 g declared as added. Sodium is 400 mg per 100 g, which is notable for a drink powder.
Ingredients to watch
- SugarWorth watching
46 g per 100 g of powder. Stirring in extra sugar at home, as many families do, adds even more.
- SodiumWorth watching
400 mg per 100 g, from salt and the acidity regulators.
- Fortification doing the heavy liftingWorth watching
Without the added vitamins and minerals, the nutrition grade would be lower. The grain and milk base alone is modest.
Common misconceptions
Myth: "Horlicks makes children taller and stronger"
It supplies nutrients that support growth, but so does a varied diet. No drink makes a child taller on its own.
Myth: "It is just malt and milk, so there is no sugar"
13.5 g per 100 g is added sugar, and malt itself is mostly sugar. Total sugar is 46 g per 100 g.
Myth: "More scoops means more nutrition"
More scoops also means more sugar. Stick to the pack's serving size.
How often, and how
- ChildrenOne cup a day at the pack serving size, with no extra sugar
- AdultsOccasional; plain milk does most of the job with less sugar
- Watching blood sugarTreat it as a sweetened drink and limit it
Smarter ways to eat it
Skip the extra sugar
The powder is already sweet. Adding a teaspoon of sugar per cup is where most of the excess comes from.
Use it as a top-up, not a base
A small scoop in plain milk gives the malt flavour and fortification without a full serving of sugar.
Common questions
Is Horlicks Classic Malt Beverage healthy?
Horlicks Classic Malt Beverage scores CA4 (Fair) on CleanPlate, which makes it an occasional-use product, where the concerns start to outweigh the positives. The main concerns are: High added sugar (13.5g per 100g). On the plus side: High protein (11g per 100g).
What does the CA4 score mean?
The first letter (C) grades nutritional value: adequate nutrient density. The second letter (A) grades ingredient and label integrity: clean, minimally processed. The number (4) grades risk nutrients (sugar, sodium, saturated fat): high risk. The [F] means added vitamins or minerals meaningfully lift the nutrition grade.
Last reviewed September 26, 2026. Scored with the CleanPlate method from the published label.