On a cold Winter’s evening, nothing beats wrapping up in a warm blanket and sipping a hot drink. It makes for great childhood memories and family bonding. Or, some well-deserved peaceful me-time!
In this blog I will be discussing the pros and cons of two very well known malt drinks that are probably in your kitchen pantry – Ovaltine vs Horlicks.
Both drinks both have pros and cons, and if you are not convinced, I will also suggest some alternatives for you and your family to try out.
What Is A Malt Milk Drink?
In a nutshell, a malted milk drink is made from a powdered mix that can contain malted barley, wheat flour and evaporated whole milk. The powder may also contain eggs, sugar, cocoa, flavors and other additives that are included by the manufacturer.
To make a malt milk drink – simply measure out the recommended quantity of powder into a mug. Add a small amount of milk or water and stir into a paste. Then fill up the mug with milk or water. Using milk makes the drink richer, while using water gives a lighter consistency. Malted drinks can be made with cold milk but the usual option is to drink it as a hot drink.
Who Are Ovaltine?
Ovaltine was originally called Ovomaltine, a name that came from the word ‘ovum’ the Latin for egg, followed by malt. Ovomaltine was first developed in Switzerland and is still made in the original village of Neuenegg, near to Bern.
The product was exported to Britain in the early 1900’s where the story goes that a misspelling of the name during the trademark application process caused it to be named Ovaltine. Over the years, Ovaltine was exported around the globe. Additional products such as breakfast cereals, chocolate bars, parfaits and cookies are also produced under the Ovaltine range.
Who Are Horlicks?
Horlicks was developed in the early 20th century by founders James and William Horlick. It was first marketed as a drink for infants and invalids.
Horlicks then expanded to include the aged and travelers, and later advertised as a powdered meal replacement drink. It also took on the label of being a nutritional supplement, under the GlaxoSmithKline label in the United Kingdom and other countries around the globe. In 2018, the Horlicks Company was acquired by mega-giant Unilever.
We now take a deeper look into Ovaltine and Horlicks.
OVALTINE
Milk Source / Protein
Being a malted milk drink, the main question is – what type of milk / protein am I drinking? The milk / protein source in Ovaltine comes from dairy whey.
The manufacturing process of creating whey is to curdle and strain cow’s milk. The liquid that is extracted is known as the whey.
Ovaltine contains a very small amount of your daily protein requirement, less than 1%. The original formulation contained protein in the form of eggs, but most variations today no longer include eggs.
When you add a glass of milk of around 8oz to your Ovaltine powder, you will get an additional 8 grams of protein.
Vitamins and Nutrients
Ovaltine provides a fair amount of the daily nutrients we require to maintain a healthy body and lifestyle.
Here is a list of Nutritional Content and Daily Values for a 3-4 teaspoon serving of Ovaltine.
- Calories – 80
- Total Fat – 0 grams
- Saturated Fat – 0 grams
- Cholesterol – 0 milligrams
- Sodium – 55 milligrams
- Potassium – 0 milligrams
- Total Carbohydrate – 18 grams
- Dietary Fiber – 0 grams
- Sugars – 14 grams
- Protein – 2 grams
- Vitamin A – 45%
- Vitamin C – 45%
- Calcium – 8%
- Iron – 15%
- Thiamin – 60%
- Riboflavin – 45%
- Vitamin B6 – 45%
- Niacin – 45%
- Phosphorus – 8%
- Vitamin D – 50%
Ovaltine offers a high level of Vitamin D, which is vital to maintain healthy bones and teeth. It is also high in Vitamin B6, which is needed for proper brain development in children. Vitamin B6 also helps the body cope with stress. That’s why drinking a glass of Ovaltine will make you feel relaxed!
Is Ovaltine cost-effective?
Ovaltine is currently selling on Amazon.com in a 2 x 12oz pack at $14.99. The price works out at around $0.62 per oz.
This is cheaper than Horlicks which is priced at around $0.78 per oz.
Are there any unhealthy ingredients in Ovaltine?
Ovaltine is sold as a nutrient-rich drink, great for growing kids and adults alike. It also claims to soothe and relax the mind and body. Ovaltine does provide a good mix of daily requirements of vitamins and minerals, which won’t cause any harm.
High levels of Sugar
Like many manufactured products, with added ingredients, there are a few cons.
High levels of sugar – The negative that I found with Ovaltine is that it contains a high level of added sugar. The American Heart Association recommends that women and children limit their daily sugar intake to 25 grams. If you are a man, you can increase this to around 36 grams of sugar per day.
Too much sugar puts you at risk for weight gain, heart disease and diabetes. At 14-18 grams of sugar per serving, you are getting a large dose of your daily average and would have to carefully monitor additional sugar intake. A glass of Ovaltine now and again won’t be a problem, but if you tend to be overweight or are worried about diabetes, you should probably look for other alternatives.
It is a dairy product – Being a milk/whey based product, Ovaltine will not be suitable for those people who react negatively to dairy products. Dairy products contain high levels of Lactose. Lactose intolerance affects many people.
It is the inability of your intestine to break down the natural sugar called lactose. If you suffer from Lactose intolerance you may experience nausea, cramps, gas, bloating, and diarrhea. Ovaltine is not for you. Consuming too many dairies can cause acne in teens and also raises cholesterol levels. For children who are allergic to milk, Ovaltine should be avoided.
Why was Ovaltine banned in Denmark?
Reading the list of ingredients, one would not see Ovaltine as a bad or harmful drink! However, it was banned in Denmark – which will certainly make you sit up and ask why?
Denmark has very strict food safety laws that restrict foods fortified with vitamins or minerals. In 2011 Denmark banned Ovaltine due to its added ingredients. In particular, the added ingredients that caused the ban were Vitamin D and Folate. To give some context – Vegemite was also banned in Denmark. In 2014, Canada followed Denmark and banned Ovaltine and other products for similar reasons.
Is Ovaltine Vegan?
Ovaltine is not Vegan. It contains dairy products which are excluded from a pure Vegan diet.
Ease of use
Ovaltine is easy to use. Simply open the bottle and spoon out 3-4 teaspoons into a mug. Add a little water or milk and mix into a paste. Then fill up your mug with additional hot milk or water.
If the kids are making Ovaltine, you will have to watch them when it comes to working with hot milk, which can boil over on the stove and burn little hands. I would not recommend that smaller children be left alone to do this. For a real quickie, mix up your powder with cold milk and heat in the microwave!
Flavours
Here is a list of the Ovaltine flavours you can enjoy
- Original Classic Malt
- Chocolate
- Chocolate Light
- Rich Chocolate
HORLICKS
Milk Source / Protein
Horlicks also contains proteins in the form of dairy whey. Also added to Horlicks is dried skimmed milk and milk protein. This makes the protein content of Horlicks slightly higher than that of Ovaltine, albeit still a minimal amount of around 2 grams. The manufacturing process of creating whey is to curdle and strain the milk. The liquid that is extracted is known as the whey. Horlicks uses dried whey which has been stripped of the liquid before it is added. When you add an 8oz glass of milk to your Horlicks powder, you will get an additional 8 grams of protein.
Vitamins and Nutrients
Horlicks does provide some of the daily nutrients we require to maintain a healthy body and lifestyle.
Here is a list of Nutritional Content and Daily Values for a 3-4 teaspoon serving of Horlicks.
- Calories – 70
- Total Fat – 0 grams
- Saturated Fat – 0 grams
- Cholesterol – 0 milligrams
- Total Carbohydrate – 14 grams
- Dietary Fiber – 0 grams
- Sugars – 14 grams
- Protein – 2 grams
- Vitamin A – 2%
- Vitamin C – 20%
- Calcium – 40%
- Iron – 60%
- Phosphorus – 50%
- Vitamin D – 45%
Horlicks has a high content of Calcium, good for building strong teeth and bones.
Is Horlicks cost-effective?
Horlicks is currently selling on Amazon.com in a 2 x 300g (10.5oz) pack at $16.50. The price works out at around $0.78 per oz.
This is more slightly expensive than Ovaltine which is priced at around $0,68 per oz.
Are there any unhealthy ingredients in Horlicks?
Horlicks is marketed as a nutritional supplement and does provide a good mix of daily requirements of vitamins and minerals, which won’t cause any harm.
Like many manufactured products, with added ingredients, there are a few cons.
High levels of sugar – The negative that I found with Horlicks, like Ovaltine, is that it contains a high level of added sugar. Too much sugar puts you at risk of weight gain, heart disease and diabetes. At 14-18 grams of sugar per serving, you are getting a large dose of your daily average and would have to carefully monitor additional sugar intake.
It is a dairy product – Being a milk/whey based product, Horlicks is not suitable for people who have allergic reactions to dairy products. Dairy products contain high levels of Lactose. Much like Ovaltine, if you suffer from lactose intolerance, Horlicks is not for you. For children who are allergic to milk, Horlicks should be avoided.
Ease of use
Horlicks is also a power mix that is easy to use. Simply open the bottle and spoon out 3-4 teaspoons into a mug. Add a little water or milk and mix into a paste. Then fill up your mug with additional hot milk or water.
As I mentioned with Ovaltine, if your kids are making Horlicks, ensure that you supervise the process of adding milk that has been heated in a pot on the stove. Do it yourself and avoid accidents! You can also add cold milk and heat it up in the microwave if you are in a hurry.
Flavours
Here is a list of the Horlicks flavours you can enjoy
- Traditional
- Light
- Light Chocolate
Quick Review
If you skipped down here to get the main pros and cons of Ovaltine vs Horlicks – here they are. Both drinks offer a good mix of nutrients and vitamins.
Ovaltine and Horlicks are dairy-based, containing milk whey and related products.
Both do have large amounts of added sugar which is a definite con.
OVALTINE
Pros
- Contains a good mix of nutrients and vitamins
- Has a high level of Vitamin C, good for warding off colds and flu
- Has a high level of Vitamin A, which helps heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs work properly
- Contains a high level of Vitamin D, which is vital to maintain healthy bones and teeth
- No artificial flavours
- Easy to use
Cons
- Contains a lot of added sugar
- Contains dairy in the form of milk whey
- Not suitable for people who are lactose intolerant
- Not suitable for children who are allergic to milk
- Also contains barley which can cause allergies
HORLICKS
Pros
- Contains a fair mix of nutrients and vitamins
- Free from artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners and preservatives
- Contains slightly more protein than Ovaltine
- Has a higher content of calcium which is good for strong bones
- Easy to use
Cons
- Contains a lot of added sugar
- Contains dairy in the form of milk whey and milk protein
- Not suitable for people who are lactose intolerant
- Not suitable for children who are allergic to milk
- Also contains barley and wheat which can cause allergies
My Final Verdict – who wins?
Both of these drinks are malted milk products. After reviewing and tasting both drinks I would say that they are very interchangeable!
Both give a warm and cozy feeling before bed and both have enough nutrients, vitamins and minerals to make me feel that my family are getting the goodness they need. Horlicks and Ovaltine are easy to make and both taste good!
I would probably say that Ovaltine wins by a slim margin simply because it has a higher content of Vitamin A and C. Ovaltine also tasted better when mixed with water instead of milk.
Although both products contain far too much added sugar, Horlicks does have marginally less, but it is fairly insignificant.
Being a chocoholic, I love the rich chocolate version of Ovaltine! As a Mum, I am happy to let my kids drink both. I would, however, restrict it to a couple of mugs a week due to the high sugar content. I would prefer not to have them drink either of these daily.
My Opinion is treat Ovaltine vs Horlicks more as like a hot chocolate over a nutritious drink.
My Alternative
Is Horlicks fattening? Is Ovaltine healthy or not? Both answers are Yes! They are fattening as they contain large amounts of added sugar. They are also healthy in that they contain vitamins and nutrients.
If your goal of drinking a malt milk powder drink is to get vital minerals and vitamins and you are looking for a Horlicks alternative or Ovaltine alternative here is a product that I would recommend.
If you want to take vitamins and minerals for best gut heath try out –
Bio Culture Complex
Bio Culture Complex is not a drink, but comes in the form of a capsule that you swallow. It contains a massive 40 Billion CFU with 15 Bacteria Strains per serving. This complex is made by Nutrivita, a company that focuses on high quality, pure products.
Bio Culture Complex contains no artificial colors or flavours. It is contaminant-free, free from gluten, lactose and nuts. Best pro of all – it has no added sugar. Take 2 capsules daily with a glass of water.
Do you want a high protein drink that is dairy-free without as much sugar? I would recommend
UFIT High Protein Shake Drink – Iced Latte 310ml
UFIT High Protein Shake Drink contains 22g of high protein. It is dairy-free and has no added sugar. It contains 100% Arabica coffee, 113mg natural caffeine, vitamins and minerals.
I love this drink because I can choose from a range of flavours that include iced latte, banana, chocolate and strawberry.
As a protein drink, it is low in fat and makes a far better choice than Ovaltine or Horlicks.
To Wrap up!
If you want a warm, feel-good drink for an evening around the fire with friends and family, serve up steaming mugs of Ovaltine. If you are looking to pump up your protein power – the UFIT High Protein Shake Drink is the one to choose.
References
https://www.livestrong.com/article/509883-health-benefits-of-ovaltine/
https://www.peta.org/living/food/reasons-stop-drinking-milk/
http://www.horlicks.co.uk/products.html
http://www.horlicks.co.uk/nutrition-zone.html
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