When you pick up a protein powder, the nutrition label can leave you with more numbers than answers. How much protein are you actually getting? What do the BCAAs and EAAs mean, and what else comes with each serving?
Looking at the full nutrition profile can make these numbers easier to understand and help you see where a serving fits into your day. Horlicks Protein Powder provides more than just protein in each 36g sachet, so let's break down what you get in a serving and what these numbers mean for your everyday nutrition.
How Much Protein Is in One 36g Sachet?
Each 36g sachet provides 24g of protein, making protein the main nutritional component of the serving. Horlicks Protein Powder states a PDCAAS of 1.0, indicating complete protein with all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts.
Protein is made up of amino acids, including nine essential amino acids that the body cannot make on its own and therefore needs to obtain from food. Protein quality considers both amino acid composition and digestibility. PDCAAS is one established method used to assess protein quality.
This makes the 24g protein per serving more useful to look at alongside protein quality rather than as an isolated number.
If you are trying to understand how much protein you need across the day, your daily protein requirement can vary with factors such as body weight, age and life stage.
Amino Acid Breakdown: BCAAs and EAAs Per Serve
Horlicks Protein Powder provides 4.8g BCAAs and 10.5g EAAs per serving in the Chocolate and Coffee variants, while the Unflavoured variant provides 4.9g BCAAs and 11.2g EAAs.
BCAAs, or branched-chain amino acids, are a group of three essential amino acids: leucine, isoleucine and valine. EAAs, or essential amino acids, include all nine amino acids that need to come from the diet.
Because BCAAs are part of the broader EAA group, the two numbers should not be added together. The BCAA figure is already included within the total EAA figure.
The amino acid profile can be relevant when considering protein for muscle health, alongside adequate total protein and regular physical activity.
How Much Fibre Does One Serve Contain?
One 36g sachet provides 4g of prebiotic fibre. Prebiotic fibre is a type of dietary fibre that can be used by beneficial microorganisms in the gut. Fibre intake is part of overall dietary quality, so this contribution can be considered alongside fibre from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pulses and other foods.
What Else Is in Each Serve? Digestive Enzyme and Ingredient Base
Each 36g sachet provides 72mg of digestive enzyme, identified on the official website as papain. The powder is built on a fermented yeast protein base, while whey protein concentrate is added to the Unflavoured Protein Powder.
The powder also contains chicory root fibre and monk fruit powder. The formulation differs slightly across the three available flavours, so checking the product label is important if you have specific dietary preferences or allergies.
The current range includes Unflavoured, Chocolate and Coffee, all in pre-dosed 36g sachets.
For anyone comparing different protein products, looking at the actual protein source and formulation can be more useful than comparing only the number of grams of protein on the front of the pack.
Calories and Sugar: What You're Not Getting
The official Horlicks Protein Powder information currently specifies 24g protein and 4g prebiotic fibre per 36g sachet, but the accessible product information does not provide a calorie figure for the powder. It would therefore be inaccurate to estimate or state a calorie value as an official product fact.
The product does state no added sugar and no artificial sweeteners. Instead, monk fruit powder is used to provide sweetness. It is important to distinguish “no added sugar” from “sugar-free”, as the two terms do not mean the same thing.
So, when looking at Horlicks Protein Powder nutrition facts, the most clearly stated figures include its protein, fibre, amino acid profile and digestive enzyme content.
How the Macros Compare Across Flavours
The core protein and fibre numbers remain the same across the three powder variants, while the stated BCAA and EAA values differ slightly.
| Nutrition Detail Per 36g Serve | Chocolate | Coffee | Unflavoured |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 24g | 24g | 24g |
| Prebiotic Fibre | 4g | 4g | 4g |
| BCAAs | 4.8g | 4.8g | 4.9g |
| EAAs | 10.5g | 10.5g | 11.2g |
| Protein Quality | PDCAAS 1.0 | PDCAAS 1.0 | PDCAAS 1.0 |
Horlicks Protein Powder has 4.8g of BCAAs and 10.5g of EAAs per 36g serving in its Chocolate and Coffee Protein Powder flavours. The Unflavoured variant has 4.9g of BCAAs and 11.2g of EAAs per serving. While the numbers vary slightly by flavour, all three variants provide 24g of protein per 36g sachet.
What This Macro Profile Means for Your Daily Protein Goals
A 36g serving of Horlicks Protein Powder provides 24g protein, which can make up a significant part of the protein you need across the day. But how much of your daily requirement does that actually cover?
- For a 65kg healthy adult: ICMR NIN's Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 recommends 0.83g protein per kg body weight per day, which works out to about 54g protein per day.
- One 24g serving: This provides roughly 44% of that reference amount, leaving the rest to come from your regular meals.
- Across the day: Foods such as dal, dairy, eggs, soy, nuts and seeds can contribute to the remaining protein intake.
- Your requirement may differ: Protein needs can vary with age, activity level, health status and life stage, so the 54g figure is a reference value, not a universal target.
- Think of it as a top-up: A protein powder can complement your meals when they do not provide enough protein, rather than replacing the variety of foods in your diet.
If you're looking at protein malnutrition and deficiency, understanding how inadequate protein intake can affect nutritional health also puts the importance of meeting your daily needs into perspective.