Protein Shake Recipe: 10 Indian Shakes With and Without Whey

A protein shake is just food in a glass: an easy way to add protein without cooking. Most shakes below use what's already in an Indian kitchen (milk, curd, sattu, peanuts, oats, seasonal fruit); four use whey for the most protein per calorie.

10 Indian Protein Shake Recipes at a Glance

All values are calculated from IFCT 2017 (NIN India) and USDA FoodData Central data: toned milk 58 kcal and 3.2 g protein per 100 ml, banana about 118 g (105 kcal), sattu about 380 kcal and 21 g protein per 100 g, raw peanuts 567 kcal and 25.8 g protein per 100 g. Whey is taken as a 30 g scoop with 120 kcal and 24 g protein; check your own label, because scoops differ. Expect ±10% variation.

Want to know where these numbers come from for your other meals? See the Indian food calories and protein chart, and find your daily protein target with the protein calculator.

Protein Shakes With Whey

1. Whey banana shake (post-workout)

Blend 1 scoop whey, 250 ml cold toned milk and a ripe banana for 20–30 seconds. This is the default post-workout shake: about 33 g protein and 42 g carbs. If you want fewer calories, use 250 ml water instead of milk (about 225 kcal, 25 g protein). More on choosing a powder in our whey protein for beginners guide.

2. Whey oats peanut butter shake (breakfast or weight gain)

Blend the 40 g oats dry for 10 seconds first so the shake isn't gritty, then add 300 ml milk, the banana, 1 tbsp peanut butter and the whey. At 650 kcal and about 45 g protein, it replaces a full breakfast. To take it to about 780 kcal for weight gain, swap toned milk for full-cream milk and add 2 dates.

3. Whey cold coffee (fat loss)

Dissolve 2 g instant coffee in 2 tbsp hot water, then shake or blend it with 200 ml cold toned milk, a scoop of chocolate or coffee whey and a handful of ice. It costs far fewer calories than café cold coffee made with sugar syrup and ice cream. Skip added sugar; flavoured whey is already sweet.

9. Mango whey shake (seasonal)

Use fresh ripe mango (Alphonso, Kesar, Dasheri or Banganapalli) and vanilla or unflavoured whey. Mango has about 60 kcal per 100 g, so 150 g adds only 90 kcal. Avoid tinned mango pulp or aamras for a fat-loss shake: most have added sugar. For a lassi-style version, see our protein mango lassi recipe.

Protein Shakes Without Whey

You don't need protein powder to make a protein shake. These recipes give 13–19 g protein each, roughly what you'd get from 3 eggs, using foods sold in every kirana store.

4. Sattu shake (Bihari-style, sweet)

Chana sattu (roasted Bengal gram flour) has about 20–22 g protein per 100 g. Whisk 40 g sattu into 250 ml cold milk so it doesn't clump, then blend with a banana and a pinch of elaichi. Prefer it savoury? Mix the sattu in 300 ml water with lemon, roasted jeera, black salt and chopped onion (about 150 kcal, 8.5 g protein). Our sattu protein guide compares it with whey.

5. Peanut banana shake (weight gain)

Roasted peanuts are one of the cheapest sources of protein and calories in India. Blend 30 g peanuts (a small handful) with 100 ml milk first until smooth, then add the remaining 200 ml milk, the banana and 2 dates. About 494 kcal and 19 g protein. If you only have peanut butter, 30 g of it works the same way. More in our protein in peanuts guide.

6. Soya milk oats shake (lactose-free)

Plain unsweetened soya milk has about 3–3.5 g protein per 100 ml, close to dairy milk. Many Indian packs are sweetened or flavoured and carry 50–70 kcal per 100 ml, so read the label; the table uses unsweetened (about 40 kcal per 100 ml). Blend with oats, banana and peanut butter. Good for people who bloat on milk; see also whey and lactose intolerance.

7. Hung curd kesar-badam shake (fat loss)

Hang 300 g curd in a muslin cloth in the fridge for 4–6 hours and you get about 150 g thick hung curd with roughly 8–10 g protein per 100 g. Blend it with 100 ml milk, honey, almonds and a few strands of kesar soaked in warm milk. It's like a thick lassi with 18 g protein for 280 kcal. Paneer version: blend 50 g fresh paneer with 200 ml toned milk, 3 dates and 10 g almonds (about 394 kcal, 19 g protein). It's smoother than you'd expect if the paneer is soft.

8. Oats banana flax shake (breakfast)

Soak the oats in the milk for 10 minutes (or overnight in the fridge), then blend with the banana, 1 tbsp flax seeds and cinnamon. It keeps you full until lunch. Ground flax adds omega-3 fats and fibre.

10. Chikoo badam shake (seasonal, weight gain)

Chikoo (sapota) is one of the most calorie-dense fruits at about 83 kcal per 100 g, and it is naturally sweet, so you don't need sugar. Peel and deseed 2 medium chikoos (about 150 g), blend with full-cream milk, almonds and dates. Protein is modest at 13 g; add a scoop of whey for about 612 kcal and 37 g protein.

When to Drink a Protein Shake

Timing matters much less than your total protein for the day. If you ate a proper meal in the few hours before training, there is no need to rush the shake. Read more in when to drink a protein shake.

How to Make a Protein Shake Without a Blender

• Use a shaker bottle or a steel jar with a tight lid. Pour the liquid first, then the powder, and shake hard for 20–30 seconds. Powder first means lumps stuck at the bottom.
• Swap solids for soft or powdered versions. Peanut butter instead of whole peanuts, mashed banana instead of chunks, instant oats or oats ground in a mixie in advance.
• Sattu and whey mix easily by hand. Whisk them into a little milk first to make a paste, then add the rest.
• Use a fork or whisk for hung curd. Beat it smooth before adding milk, like making lassi with a mathani.
• Skip fruit that needs blending (mango, chikoo) and eat it on the side instead. The nutrition is the same.

Common Protein Shake Mistakes

• Turning a fat-loss shake into a dessert. Two tablespoons of peanut butter, 4 dates and full-cream milk can add 400 kcal to a 120 kcal scoop of whey.
• Using a shake instead of meals. A shake is a top-up. Your daily protein should still come mostly from dal, paneer, curd, eggs, soya or chicken.
• Adding sugar and ice cream. Flavoured whey and ripe fruit are sweet enough. Each teaspoon of sugar is about 20 kcal.
• Trusting the scoop, not the label. Scoop sizes vary from about 30 g to over 40 g. Read the protein per serving.
• Buying from random sellers. Buy whey that carries a 14-digit FSSAI licence number from the brand's site or an authorised seller. Our best protein powder in India guide explains what to check.

If you have kidney disease, diabetes or a milk allergy, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before adding protein shakes or sweet fruit shakes to your diet.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to make a protein shake at home?

Add 250 ml cold milk to a blender or shaker, then 1 scoop of whey (about 30 g) and a banana, and blend for 20–30 seconds. That gives about 370 kcal and 33 g protein. Without whey, use 40 g sattu or 30 g peanuts instead for about 18–19 g protein.

How to make a protein shake without protein powder?

Use Indian protein foods: 40 g sattu, 30 g roasted peanuts, 150 g hung curd or 50 g paneer blended with 250–300 ml milk and a banana or dates. Each gives roughly 13–19 g protein. Soya milk works if you avoid dairy.

Which protein shake is best for weight gain?

A shake with oats, peanuts or peanut butter, banana, dates and full-cream milk. The whey oats peanut butter shake gives about 650 kcal and 45 g protein, and the peanut banana shake about 494 kcal and 19 g protein without whey. Drink it between meals, not instead of them.

Which protein shake is best for weight loss?

Keep it under 300 kcal and high in protein: whey cold coffee with toned milk (about 236 kcal, 30 g protein) or a hung curd shake (about 280 kcal, 18 g protein). Skip peanut butter, dates, sugar and ice cream.

Can I make a protein shake with water instead of milk?

Yes. Whey mixed in water has about 120 kcal and 24 g protein per scoop, which suits fat loss. Milk adds about 145 kcal and 8 g protein per 250 ml of toned milk and makes the shake creamier.

Is it okay to drink a protein shake every day?

Yes, for most healthy people one or two shakes a day are fine as long as total protein stays around 1.6–2.2 g per kg bodyweight and most of it comes from regular food. People with kidney disease should ask their doctor first.