Drinks
Calories in Sweet Lassi
One glass of sweet lassi has about 158 kcal, with 5.7 g of protein, 28.8 g of carbohydrate and 3 g of fat. The figure is from the Indian Nutrient Databank and is for a glass churned from 100 g of curd and 20 g of sugar, thinned with water. A thick dhaba lassi topped with malai is a much bigger drink.
Nutrition in 1 glass of sweet lassi
| Nutrient | 1 glass of sweet lassi | 2 glasses of sweet lassi |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 158 kcal | 316 kcal |
| Protein | 5.7 g | 11.4 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 28.8 g | 57.6 g |
| Total fat | 3 g | 6 g |
| Dietary fibre | 0 g | 0 g |
| Sugars | 28.8 g | 57.6 g |
Of this energy, about 70% comes from carbohydrate, 16% from fat and 14% from protein.
1 glass of sweet lassi is about 7% of the daily energy requirement of a sedentary adult man and 10% of a sedentary adult woman's (ICMR-NIN, 2020).
For comparison, ICMR-NIN's Dietary Guidelines for Indians list 1 glass of 200 ml, made with 2 teaspoons of sugar at about 110 kcal.
These figures are from the Indian Nutrient Databank (INDB), which calculates each dish from a standard recipe using Indian food composition data. They describe that recipe and that serving: a larger portion, or more oil, ghee or sugar, gives more. Source: Vijayakumar A, Dubasi HB, Awasthi A, Jaacks LM. Development of an Indian Food Composition Database. Current Developments in Nutrition. 2024;8(7):103790 (Indian Nutrient Databank, INDB).
What this figure covers
The recipe is simple: 100 g of curd, 20 g of sugar and water, churned into one tall glass. That is a thin, home-style lassi, since much of the glass is water. ICMR-NIN's Dietary Guidelines for Indians give a lower figure, 110 kcal, for a 200 ml glass made with 2 teaspoons of sugar. The gap is mostly sugar: a level teaspoon is about 4 g, so the databank's 20 g is well over ICMR-NIN's 2 teaspoons. Neither figure covers the lassi sold in a kulhad at a sweet shop, which is made from far more curd, often full-fat, and finished with a layer of malai.
Carbohydrate supplies 70% of the energy, fat 16% and protein 14%. All 28.8 g of the carbohydrate is sugar: the 20 g that is added, and the rest the curd's own. The protein and the 3 g of fat both come from the curd. Set beside a salted lassi made from the same 100 g of curd, which has 80 kcal, the picture is plain. The sugar roughly doubles what the curd alone would give, so in a sweet lassi the spoon matters as much as the curd.
What goes into one serving
The recipe INDB analysed makes 1 glass. These are its main ingredients; spices, salt and water are left out.
| Ingredient | In the recipe | In 1 glass of sweet lassi |
|---|---|---|
| Curds | 100 g | 100 g |
| Sugar | 20 g | 20 g |
What changes the number
- 01
Spoons of sugar
The reference glass has 20 g of sugar. Each extra level teaspoon adds about 16 kcal, taking the glass to 174 kcal with one more and 190 kcal with two. Going the other way brings it down by a similar step for every teaspoon left out.
- 02
How much curd, and how rich
With 100 g of curd the lassi is thin. A thick one uses two or three times as much, and curd set from full-cream or buffalo milk carries more fat than curd from toned milk. More curd means more protein and calcium as well as more calories.
- 03
Malai, cream and rabri on top
Shop lassi is often topped with a spoonful of malai, and some versions add cream, rabri or khoya. These are concentrated milk fat and sugar, and they can add more than the sugar in the glass does. None is included in the 158 kcal.
- 04
Fruit and flavoured lassi
Mango, rose and other flavoured lassis add fruit pulp or syrup to the same base. Syrup is more sugar; pulp is fruit sugar plus whatever sugar is added with it. Treat a flavoured lassi as a sweet lassi with extras.
How sweet lassi compares
Other dishes of the same kind, one serving each, lightest first. Serving sizes differ, so read the serving before the number.
| Dish | One serving | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chai | 1 cup of chai | 34 | 0.8 |
| Jal Jeera | 1 glass of jal jeera | 42 | 0.6 |
| Kashmiri Kahwa | 1 cup of Kashmiri kahwa | 64 | 0.4 |
| Nimbu Pani | 1 glass of nimbu pani | 73 | 0.1 |
| Salted Lassi | 1 glass of salted lassi | 80 | 5.7 |
| Aam Panna | 1 glass of aam panna | 96 | 0.4 |
| Coffee | 1 cup of coffee | 104 | 2.9 |
| Sattu Drink | 1 glass of sattu drink | 125 | 3 |
| Sweet Lassi | 1 glass of sweet lassi | 158 | 5.7 |
| Mango Milkshake | 1 glass of mango milkshake | 202 | 6.1 |
| Cold Coffee | 1 glass of cold coffee | 207 | 4.8 |
| Banana Milkshake | 1 glass of banana milkshake | 226 | 6.4 |
| Thandai | 1 glass of thandai | 256 | 9.1 |
| Kesar Milk | 1 glass of kesar milk | 268 | 8.3 |
In a meal and in a day
A glass of sweet lassi is about 7% of a sedentary man's daily energy requirement and 10% of a woman's. It brings 5.7 g of protein and the curd's calcium, so it is not just sugar water, but as a drink beside a full meal of parathas or chole it is extra and easy to forget. Two glasses come to 316 kcal and 57.6 g of carbohydrate. It sits better as a mid-morning or afternoon drink in its own right than as an add-on to lunch, and on a day with dessert the salted version does the same job with about half the energy.
Ways to keep it lighter
- Sweeten the glass with 2 teaspoons of sugar and taste it before adding more.
- Choose salted lassi or plain chaas on days when the meal already includes a sweet.
- Set the curd from toned milk if the lassi is a daily habit.
- Ask for it without malai at a shop, and share a large kulhad.
- Blend in a few pieces of ripe fruit for sweetness and use less sugar.
Before you rely on the number
With 28.8 g of sugar counted in one glass, most of it added, sweet lassi sits among the sweeter drinks at a meal, and a second glass doubles that. The curd makes it more nourishing than a sharbat with the same sugar, but the sugar is still there. Anyone watching their blood sugar, or following a diet plan for diabetes, should take their doctor's or dietitian's guidance on sweetened drinks; plain or salted lassi is the usual alternative to ask about.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
Sweet Lassi: common questions
How many calories are in a glass of sweet lassi?
About 158 kcal for a glass made from 100 g of curd and 20 g of sugar, by the Indian Nutrient Databank's recipe. A glass sweetened with less sugar is lower, and a thick shop lassi made from more curd and topped with malai is a good deal higher.
How much protein is in sweet lassi?
About 5.7 g in a glass made from 100 g of curd, the same as a salted lassi made from the same curd. Protein supplies 14% of the energy. A thicker lassi made from more curd has more protein, and more calories with it.
Is sweet lassi good for weight loss?
At 158 kcal, with 70% of its energy from carbohydrate, a sweet lassi is a moderately heavy drink. The curd gives it some protein, which a soft drink lacks. Taken with less sugar, or swapped for salted lassi at 80 kcal, it is easier to fit in. Body weight follows the whole day's intake, not a single glass.
Which has more calories, sweet lassi or salted lassi?
Sweet lassi, by a wide margin: 158 kcal against 80 kcal for a salted lassi made from the same 100 g of curd. Protein is identical at 5.7 g. The whole difference is the 20 g of sugar.
The recipe, the ingredients and related reading
Sweet Lassi
The recipe on this site, step by step.
How Much Sugar Is Safe per Day? WHO Limits in Teaspoons and Indian Foods
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Curd vs Yoghurt: What Is the Difference, and Which Is Better?
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Mishti Doi Calories and Nutrition: Is Bengali Sweet Curd Healthy?
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Indian food calorie counter
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Calories in every dish
All the cooked dishes, with calories per serving.
Learn to read a plate
Certification in Nutrition
Estimating what is on a plate and turning it into a meal plan is taught in this NNWA course.