Last reviewed on 11 September 2026.
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Below are six versions with the protein per glass worked out from the stated ingredients, so you can adjust them. The figures are approximate: milk, curd and paneer vary with the animal, the fat level and the dairy, and a kitchen tablespoon is rarely exactly a tablespoon.
How much protein is in milk and curd?
Milk gives about 3 g of protein per 100 ml, so a 250 ml glass gives roughly 7.5 to 8 g. Cow and toned milk sit near 3 g; buffalo milk is a little higher. Plain curd (dahi) is similar, about 3 to 3.5 g per 100 g, because it is simply fermented milk. Straining changes that. Greek-style or hung curd, with much of the whey drained away, commonly carries 6 to 10 g per 100 g depending on how long it hangs. For a fuller comparison of milk types, see the sibling post on protein and calories in milk.
What is the simplest protein shake without powder?
Milk, peanut butter and banana, blended until smooth. Take 250 ml of toned milk (about 7.5 g of protein, 150 kcal), one tablespoon of peanut butter of about 16 g (4 g, 95 kcal) and one medium banana (about 1 g, 100 kcal). That comes to roughly 12.5 g of protein and 345 kcal. A second tablespoon of peanut butter brings it to about 16.5 g and 440 kcal. It suits people trying to gain weight and anyone refuelling after training. Choose unsweetened peanut butter; the banana already sweetens the glass, so sugar or honey only adds calories.
Building a home shake, in order
The versions below are variations on the same sequence. The base decides the protein count; everything after it decides whether you will drink the thing twice.
Pick the protein base
Hung curd, paneer, sattu, tofu or plain milk do the work. Straining matters here: hung curd carries far more protein per spoon than the curd it was made from.
Choose the liquid
Milk brings protein of its own, roughly 3 g per 100 ml. Water keeps the calories down, which is why sattu in water suits weight loss and sattu in milk suits weight gain.
Sweeten with fruit, not sugar
A banana, some mango or papaya, or two soft dates is enough. Honey and sugar only add calories to a glass that is already sweet.
Add one fat or seed, measured
A tablespoon of peanut butter, chia or flaxseed rounds the glass out. Nut butter is the easiest thing here to over-pour, so level the spoon.
Count what you have made
Add up the protein from each ingredient before you drink it. Most home versions land between 10 and 18 g, and knowing which one you are holding is the whole point of making it yourself.
How do you make a curd and fruit protein smoothie?
Blend 150 g of hung curd with 100 g of fruit, such as mango, papaya or berries, and a tablespoon of chia or flaxseed, loosening it with a little water or milk. At about 8 g of protein per 100 g, the hung curd gives roughly 12 g; the fruit adds about 1 g and the seeds about 2 g, for a total near 15 g and around 250 to 280 kcal. Made with 200 g of ordinary curd instead, it gives about 9 g. It suits breakfast, and people who digest curd better than milk. Flavoured yoghurts and tinned mango pulp are usually sweetened, so start from plain.
Is a sattu drink a good protein shake?
It is one of the best budget options. Sattu is roasted chana flour, with roughly 20 to 25 g of protein per 100 g. Three heaped tablespoons, about 30 g, give 6 to 7.5 g of protein and 110 to 120 kcal. Whisked into 250 ml of water with lemon, roasted jeera, black salt and chopped onion, as it is drunk across Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, that is the whole protein count. Whisked into 250 ml of milk instead, the glass reaches about 14 to 15 g and 265 kcal. Buy chana sattu rather than barley sattu, which carries less protein, and treat the sweet jaggery version as an occasional drink.
Can you blend paneer or tofu into a shake?
Yes, and fresh paneer blends more smoothly than people expect. Take 50 g of paneer (about 9 g of protein, 140 kcal), 200 ml of toned milk (6 g, 120 kcal) and half a banana (about 0.5 g, 50 kcal) with a pinch of cardamom. The glass gives about 15.5 g of protein and 310 kcal. For a dairy-free version, blend 100 g of silken tofu, which has roughly 5 to 7 g of protein per 100 g, with 200 ml of unsweetened soy milk, for about 11 to 13 g of protein and 130 to 150 kcal. Use paneer made that day or the day before; older paneer turns sour in the blender.
How do you make a soy milk shake with oats and dates?
Blend 250 ml of unsweetened soy milk with 20 g of rolled oats and two soft dates. Soy milk varies between brands, from about 2.5 to 4 g of protein per 100 ml, so the milk gives roughly 6 to 10 g; take 8 g as a middle figure. The oats add about 2.5 g and the dates about 0.5 g, so the glass gives about 11 g of protein and roughly 210 to 240 kcal. It suits people who avoid dairy or are lactose intolerant. Choose soy milk labelled unsweetened, and stop at two dates: blended dates are still sugar, however wholesome they look.
Is there a protein shake made with roasted chana or makhana?
There is, and it tastes a little like a thick, nutty thandai. Dry-grind 20 g of roasted chana and 20 g of roasted makhana to a fine powder, then blend with 250 ml of milk, a pinch each of cardamom and nutmeg, and some ice. The chana gives about 4.5 g of protein and 75 kcal, the makhana about 2 g and 70 kcal, and the milk about 7.5 g and 150 kcal, so the glass comes to about 14 g of protein and 295 kcal. It suits an evening snack for people who dislike sweet drinks. It needs no sugar at all; the spices carry the flavour.
Why does buttermilk not count as a protein shake?
Because it is mostly water. A glass of masala chaas is curd thinned several times over, so 200 ml gives only about 1 to 2 g of protein, depending on how thick it is made. It is a cooling, low-calorie drink with a meal, but it will not do the job of a shake. If you want chaas with more protein, use more curd and less water, and it becomes a thin savoury smoothie.
Which home protein shake suits weight loss, and which suits weight gain?
For weight gain, the peanut butter and banana shake is the easiest, because it packs about 350 to 450 kcal into one glass. For weight loss, the lighter options are the sattu drink made with water, the tofu and soy milk version and the curd smoothie made with ordinary curd and no added sweetener. Liquid calories slip down without much sense of fullness, so a shake meant for weight loss should take the place of a snack rather than sit on top of one. Total intake across the day decides which way the scale moves.
| Shake | Protein | Energy |
|---|---|---|
| Toned milk, peanut butter and banana | about 12.5 g | about 345 kcal |
| Hung curd with fruit and seeds | about 15 g | 250 to 280 kcal |
| Sattu whisked into milk | 14 to 15 g | about 265 kcal |
| Paneer, milk and half a banana | about 15.5 g | about 310 kcal |
| Soy milk, oats and dates | about 11 g | 210 to 240 kcal |
| Roasted chana and makhana in milk | about 14 g | about 295 kcal |
Made with water instead of milk, the sattu drink drops to 6 to 7.5 g, which is the version to reach for when the aim is weight loss.
Is a homemade shake enough after a workout?
For most people who train a few times a week, yes. Studies generally point to about 20 to 25 g of good-quality protein in a meal as enough to stimulate muscle repair in most adults, and a homemade shake of 12 to 16 g followed by a normal meal within a couple of hours covers that comfortably. Milk-based shakes do well here because milk proteins are complete and rich in leucine. Total protein across the day matters more than the timing of one glass. Check your target on the protein calculator and count the shake as one contribution to it.
When is protein powder actually easier?
Powder earns its place when you need a lot of protein in a small volume or with few calories. A single scoop of whey gives around 20 to 25 g of protein for roughly 100 to 120 kcal, which no food shake matches. It also travels well and needs no fridge, and whey isolate, being low in lactose, suits some people who struggle with milk. Vegetarians with high targets, older adults with small appetites and athletes in heavy training sometimes find it the practical choice. Whether you need it at all is weighed up in protein powder: do you need it.
Who should check before drinking protein shakes?
People with chronic kidney disease should not raise their protein intake without their nephrologist's agreement, whether the protein comes from powder or from food. People with diabetes should watch the fruit, dates and milk sugar in these shakes, which all raise blood glucose, and ask their diabetes team how a new daily drink fits with their medicines and meal plan. Children rarely need a protein shake of any kind; plain milk and regular meals cover them.
Planning nutrition for training
Shakes are a small part of fuelling a training body well. NNWA's Fitness Nutrition Specialist course spends two months on macronutrients and energy, nutrition for fat loss, eating for muscle gain, performance and recovery fuelling, and supplements used sensibly. It is an intermediate course priced at 14,999 rupees, reduced from 21,999, with EMI from 1,250 rupees a month, and it leads to an NNWA certificate. It suits trainers and committed gym-goers who want to plan food for clients or for themselves with more precision.
The short answer
You can make a filling protein shake from milk, curd, sattu, paneer, tofu, soy milk, roasted chana or makhana, and most versions give 10 to 18 g of protein a glass. Hung curd, paneer and sattu in milk do the most work; buttermilk does little. Keep the sweetening to fruit, measure the nut butter, and reach for powder only when food cannot meet your target easily.