Weight Gain Powder at Home: Badam, Khajoor, Makhana Per Glass
Verdict: the homemade badam, khajoor and makhana weight gain powder is a pleasant milk flavouring, and the milk does most of the work. Two tablespoons add only about 100 to 110 kcal. The milk adds 160. How often you drink it matters far more than what’s in the jar.
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Weight gain powder at home is the safer cousin of the unlabelled gainers sold online, and that alone makes it worth doing. But before any recipe, one rule. If you’re losing weight without trying, or can’t gain despite eating well, see a doctor first. Thyroid problems, diabetes, TB, coeliac disease, worms, depression and eating disorders all show up this way, and no powder fixes them.
The jar, and one glass, split by weight
The common recipe: 100 g badam, 100 g makhana, 100 g dates powder (khajoor), 50 g oats and 50 g mishri, ground together. That’s 400 g. A serving of 2 tbsp is about 25 g, one-sixteenth of the jar (25 ÷ 400).
| Ingredient | Jar | In 25 g powder |
|---|---|---|
| Badam | 100 g | about 6 g (5 almonds) |
| Makhana | 100 g | about 6 g |
| Dates powder | 100 g | about 6 g (one small date) |
| Oats | 50 g | about 3 g |
| Mishri | 50 g | about 3 g (under a tsp) |
What one glass gives: powder vs milk
Approximate figures from standard food-composition tables, rounded. Full-cream cow’s milk is assumed; buffalo milk adds roughly 80 to 90 kcal more per glass.
| Nutrient | 25 g powder | 250 ml full-cream milk | Whole glass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | about 100 to 110 kcal | about 160 kcal | about 265 kcal |
| Protein | about 2.5 g | about 8 g | about 10 g |
| Calcium | about 25 mg | about 300 mg | about a third of a day’s calcium |
| Iron | about 0.5 mg | almost none | about 3% of a woman’s day |
The arithmetic. The jar holds about 1,600 kcal: almonds about 580, makhana about 350, dates about 290, oats about 195 and mishri about 200. Divide by 16 and you get about 100. Protein in the jar is about 40 g, mostly from almonds and makhana, so about 2.5 g per serving.
Of the 10 g protein in the glass, 8 g comes from the milk.
What each ingredient is doing
- Badam: the densest part, with healthy fats, vitamin E and some protein.
- Makhana: bulk and a little protein, but light in energy for its volume.
- Dates: natural sweetness, some fibre, potassium and a trace of iron.
- Oats: starch and soluble fibre; they thicken the drink.
- Mishri: sugar. Taste only. That’s it.
Why the milk and the frequency matter most
A realistic, healthy gain needs about 300 to 500 kcal a day above what you burn, which works out to roughly 0.25 to 0.5 kg a week. One glass at 265 kcal gets you most of the way, but only if it’s added on top of your normal meals, not replacing one. Two glasses a day, say mid-morning and bedtime, cover the surplus. Missing it three days a week undoes most of it. Consistency wins. The jar sitting on the shelf, however good the recipe, adds nothing at all, while a plain glass of milk with a banana drunk every single evening for three months, alongside three proper meals and a bit of strength work, is what actually moves the scale in the right direction.
Strength work turns that surplus into muscle rather than just fat, and it also sharpens appetite, which matters because many people who struggle to gain are not short of recipes at all but simply feel full after a few bites and quietly skip the second roti. Squats, push-ups against a wall and stairs, three times a week, are enough to start. Our 7-day weight gain diet plan shows how the glass fits a full day of desi meals.
What it can’t do
Myth: it builds muscle fast. It won’t. Ten grams of protein is a good snack, not a muscle programme. Muscle needs protein spread over the day, training and sleep.
Myth: “5 kg in a month”. Impossible, honestly. A gain that fast in an adult who isn’t recovering from illness is mostly water and fat, and when a product promises it, the likeliest explanation is that someone has slipped steroids or an appetite drug into the packet without telling you, which is why a doctor would rather see you gain slowly on food you can recognise. Homemade powder can’t do it. Good.
Making it properly
- Dry-roast the 100 g makhana on low heat for 6 to 8 minutes until it snaps crisp.
- Roast the 100 g badam separately for 4 to 5 minutes; oats for 3 minutes. Each at its own pace.
- Cool everything completely before grinding, so the almonds don’t turn oily and clump.
- Grind in short bursts, then stir in 100 g dates powder and 50 g powdered mishri.
- Store airtight for about two weeks, in the fridge in summer. Sniff before each use: a bitter or paint-like smell means the almonds have gone rancid.
What if you change the amounts?
- More badam (150 g): raises energy and protein per spoon. The best change.
- Add 50 g peanuts or roasted chana: cheap protein, a little under 1 g more per serving.
- More makhana: adds volume, not much energy. Pointless.
- More mishri: only adds sugar. Leave it out if dates already sweeten enough.
- Bigger serving (3 tbsp): about 150 kcal from the powder. Or simply drink two glasses.
A denser version (optional)
150 g badam, 50 g peanuts, 50 g makhana, 100 g dates powder, 50 g oats, no mishri. Two tbsp in 250 ml full-cream milk comes to roughly 275 kcal and 11 to 12 g protein.
More shake and laddoo ideas, with calorie counts, are in homemade weight gain shakes and laddoos.
Who should be careful
Never buy unlabelled “wazan barhane” powders or syrups. Many have been found to contain hidden steroids or appetite drugs. Moon face, swelling, stretch marks, mood changes or rising sugar after starting one means stop and see a doctor. More in weight gain powders and the hidden steroid risk.
Nut allergy: skip the almonds; seeds and oats may work instead, with your doctor’s okay.
Diabetes: dates, mishri and milk sugar add up to about 20 g of sugar per glass. Drop the mishri, and let your doctor adjust your plan and medicines, never yourself.
Kidney or heart disease: a gain plan should come from your doctor or dietitian.
Children and teenagers: no “gain powders”. Family meals, and a doctor to check growth on a chart. Whole nuts are a choking risk under 5.
Cheaper foods that give as much or more
- A banana and a glass of milk: about 250 kcal, no grinding.
- Two eggs fried in a tsp of ghee: about 190 kcal and 12 g protein.
- An extra roti with a spoon of ghee: about 150 kcal.
- A handful of peanuts (30 g): about 170 kcal and 7 g protein.
Other mixes are decoded in Desi Remedies.
Homemade weight gain powder: your questions
How many calories are in homemade weight gain powder?
About 100 to 110 kcal per 2 tbsp (25 g) of this recipe. With 250 ml full-cream milk the glass reaches about 265 kcal.
How much weight can I gain with it?
If two glasses a day sit on top of normal meals, roughly 0.25 to 0.5 kg a week is realistic. Faster gain is mostly water and fat.
When should I drink weight gain milk?
Between meals and at bedtime work well, so it doesn’t spoil your appetite for meals.
Can I mix it in water instead of milk?
You can, but you lose about 160 kcal and 8 g protein. Milk makes it worth drinking.
Is homemade powder better than market gainers?
It’s safer, because you know what’s in it. Unlabelled gainers can hide steroids.
Can women use this powder?
Yes. Adults of any sex can use it; pregnant women should keep portions sensible and discuss weight gain targets with their doctor.
Can diabetics drink it?
Only with a doctor’s input. Leave out the mishri and watch readings closely.
Can I give it to my child?
Not as a gain powder. Children need family meals and a doctor to check their growth.
How long does the powder last?
About two weeks airtight, longer in the fridge. Throw it away if it smells bitter.
Why am I not gaining weight even with the powder?
Usually because it’s replacing food rather than adding to it, or you’re skipping days. If intake is clearly enough, see a doctor.