No, drinking Horlicks during intermittent fasting breaks the fast because it contains calories and sugars.
A fasting window allows water, black coffee, and plain tea. A malted milk drink mix like Horlicks carries energy and carbs, so it ends the fast the moment you sip it. That doesn’t make the product “bad.” It just means it belongs in your eating window, not the fasting stretch.
What Horlicks Is And Why It Ends A Fast
Horlicks is a malted beverage powder made from grains and dairy ingredients. The powder supplies digestible carbohydrate, a touch of fat and protein, plus minerals such as calcium. Add hot water or milk, stir, and you’ve made a sweet, creamy drink. Those nutrients are the reason people like it at night or with breakfast. They’re also the reason it doesn’t fit inside a strict fasting period.
Horlicks Nutrition At A Glance
The manufacturer lists the following typical values for a 25 g serving of powder. Numbers can vary by market.
| Nutrient | Per 25 g Powder | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 90 kcal | Powder only; milk adds more |
| Carbohydrate | 19 g | Includes about 10 g sugars |
| Protein | 2 g | From dairy and grains |
| Fat | 0.5 g | Low, yet not zero |
| Calcium | ~50% DV | Fortified; varies by region |
| Serving Style | With milk or water | Milk increases calories |
Strict fasting means zero calories. Since the powder delivers energy on its own, any version of the drink ends the fast.
Drinking Horlicks During A Fasting Window: Clear Rules
Intermittent fasting plans vary, but the core idea is the same: eat during a set window and abstain during the fasting stretch. During the abstain period, stick to water and zero-calorie drinks. A sweet malted drink doesn’t fit that list. Keeps choices simple and consistent. Less effort.
Rule 1: Powder In Water Still Ends The Fast
Even when mixed with only water, the powder contributes carbs and small amounts of fat and protein. Your body treats that as fuel. The fast is over at the first sip.
Rule 2: Powder In Milk Ends It Sooner
Milk itself contains lactose and calories. Combining milk with the malted powder turns the drink into a mini-meal. Save this one for your first meal of the day or a late-night treat inside your eating window.
Rule 3: Try A Calorie-Free Swap During The Fast
Want a warm drink while you fast? Go with black coffee or plain tea. Sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon zest works too. Keep anything with sugar, cream, or sweet mixes for later. Unsweetened herbal blends offer warmth with no energy or dairy. Plain sparkling water can scratch the soda itch during long stretches.
Why Calorie-Free Drinks Are Allowed While Fasting
During a fasting period you want a true break from energy intake. Water, black coffee, and unsweetened tea provide hydration and flavor without energy. That keeps you inside the fast while easing hunger. Drinks with sugar or milk bring in energy, which flips you back into a fed state. Many medical guides frame fasting allowances this way, noting that water, black coffee, and tea fit the fasting stretch as long as they stay free of calories. See zero-calorie beverages for a plain summary from a large academic center.
Plain Coffee And Tea: Where Most Plans Agree
Most time-restricted eating plans permit black coffee and unsweetened tea. If caffeine makes you jittery, pick decaf or stick with water.
Why Malted Drinks Don’t Fit
A malted powder is designed as nourishment. The carbs raise energy intake. Even a “light” serving adds enough fuel to end a strict fast. For people using fasting for weight control, that energy counts toward daily intake. Place it where you plan to eat.
Common Intermittent Fasting Schedules And Where The Drink Fits
Different schedules change meal timing, not the rule about calories during the fast. Here’s how the drink fits across popular formats.
16:8 Time-Restricted Eating
Fast for 16 hours, eat during an 8-hour window. All energy-containing items land inside the 8-hour block. Enjoy the malted drink as a mid-afternoon sip or as part of your first meal when the window opens.
14:10 Or 12:12 Windows
Shorter fasting windows can feel easier. The same placement still applies. Push the malted drink into the eating block to keep the fasting hours clean.
Alternate-Day Patterns
Some plans include very low energy intake on “fast” days. If your plan allows a set calorie cap on those days, you could budget a small serving of the malted drink. Track it like any other item and keep the rest of the day lean.
How To Place The Drink Without Derailing Your Goals
Use simple steps to fit taste and timing into your week while you fast.
Step 1: Pick A Window You Can Repeat
Choose a block that matches your mornings, work, workouts, and sleep. Consistency helps appetite cues settle. Many people find mid-day to early evening windows easier to sustain.
Step 2: Park Energy Drinks Inside The Window
List any sips that add energy: malted mixes, milk-based lattes, smoothies, juices. Move them into the eating block. Keep plain water, black coffee, and tea for the fast.
Step 3: Set A Portion That Fits Your Day
A single 25 g scoop mixed with water adds calories. Prepared with milk, the number rises. If weight loss is the focus, match the mug to your daily target and sip it during your window so it actually helps satiety.
Fasting-Friendly Drinks Versus Malted Mixes
This table compares common sips during a fasting window. Values are typical and can vary by brand and pour size.
| Drink | Typical Calories | Strict Fast Status |
|---|---|---|
| Water (still or sparkling) | 0 | Allowed |
| Black coffee | ~0 | Allowed |
| Plain tea | ~0 | Allowed |
| Malted drink powder in water | ~90 per 25 g | Breaks fast |
| Malted drink powder in milk | ~200+ per mug | Breaks fast |
Label Skills: Reading A Malted Drink Panel
You can confirm where a drink fits by scanning the panel. Check serving size, calories, total carbohydrate, and sugars. Look at the ingredient list for grains, dairy, and sweeteners. Anything with energy belongs in your meal window. If you buy a different brand, run the same check and place it accordingly. The maker’s own data page lists a 25 g serving at 90 kcal with around 19 g of carbohydrate; see the Horlicks Original nutrition page for the current panel in one region.
Practical Portion Notes
Serving sizes differ. Some labels use 25 g of powder, others list two heaping spoons. If you double the powder or add milk, the calories double too. When in doubt, weigh a scoop once. That way your numbers are based on your actual mug, not the picture on the box.
Special Cases: Workouts, Medication, And Night Shifts
Some people train early, take morning medication, or work nights. That doesn’t stop you from using a fasting pattern; it just nudges your window. If you train at dawn, open your eating window earlier and place the malted drink after training, not during the fast. If a pill needs food, slide the window to the time you take it so you’re not mixing calories into the fasting stretch. Night workers can flip the clock and keep the same rules.
Cravings And Comfort Drinks
A warm, sweet sip can feel comforting. During the fast, go with herbal tea, cinnamon tea, or decaf coffee. When the window opens, enjoy the malted drink as a mindful treat. That split keeps your plan intact while still giving you the taste you like.
Flavor Fixes That Keep The Fast
Miss the malty taste during your fasting hours? Build a similar feel without energy. Steep roasted barley tea for a toasty note. Add a cinnamon stick to hot water for aroma and natural sweetness without sugar. Try a splash of vanilla essence in hot water or tea. None of these add energy in usual amounts, and they make an evening wind-down drink feel more satisfying while your fast stays intact.
Simple Night Routine
Set out your mug and kettle before your fasting stretch starts. Brew an herbal blend or barley tea when the urge for a sweet drink pops up. Write down the time your eating window opens and plan the malted drink as your first sip if you still want it. That tiny bit of prep keeps the plan on rails.
Taste, Sleep, And Timing Tips
Many people like a warm malted drink at night because it feels soothing. If that lines up with your fasting hours, adjust your window so the drink lands inside it. Another option is a decaf tea during the fast and the malted drink as the first sip when your window opens. Picking a plan that fits your routine beats fighting the clock each night.
How To Place The Drink In A Weight-Loss Plan
Energy still drives the balance. A serving of powder mixed with water adds energy. With milk, the number climbs higher. Fold that into your daily target. If weight loss is the aim, match the portion to your needs and keep the rest of the day steady.
Putting It All Together
Fasting is simpler when you separate drinks into two buckets. Zero-calorie sips fit the fasting hours. Nourishing drinks move to the eating window. A malted milk powder sits in the second bucket. Enjoy it without guilt; just time it with your meals.