How much protein is in one scoop?
Typically 24–27g for a 30g scoop of isolate, or 20–24g for a concentrate.
Protein Shakes: What They Do and When to Use One
A protein shake is a convenience food, not a supplement with special powers. Its only advantage is delivering 25g of protein in 30 seconds with almost no calories attached.
Whey isolate is around 90g of protein per 100g of powder, so a 30g scoop is roughly 25–27g of protein for about 110–120 calories.
Plant isolates (pea, soy, rice) land at 80–90g per 100g and work equally well when total daily protein is adequate.
Protein powders compared
Protein and calories per 100g, from the Protein Hunter database.
| Food | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 🥤 Whey protein isolate | 90g | 400 |
| 🌱 Soy protein isolate | 90g | 390 |
| 🥤 Collagen peptides | 90g | 375 |
| 🥤 Whey protein concentrate | 80g | 390 |
| 🥛 Casein protein | 80g | 360 |
| 🌱 Pea protein isolate | 80g | 380 |
| 🌾 Brown rice protein | 80g | 390 |
| 🥚 Egg white protein powder | 80g | 390 |
| 🌿 Hemp protein powder | 50g | 370 |
Per 100g.
Choosing and using one
- Whey isolate: fastest digesting, highest protein per calorie, best around training.
- Casein: slow digesting, useful before bed.
- Pea or soy isolate: the plant equivalents of whey, nearly identical on protein per scoop.
- Collagen is not a muscle-building protein — it is incomplete and very low in leucine.
- One shake a day is a sensible cap; food beats powder for micronutrients and fullness.
Add up your whole meal
Type what you ate in plain words and Protein Hunter returns protein and calories for the full plate.
Try the Protein CalculatorCommon questions
Do I need a protein shake to build muscle?
No. It is convenience, not necessity — total daily protein is what matters.
Is whey or plant protein better?
Whey is slightly more efficient per gram, but plant isolates produce comparable results when total intake is adequate.
Keep reading
Protein CalculatorAdd up any meal in plain words.Protein database230+ foods with protein and calories.How much protein per daySet the target these foods feed into.What is Protein Hunter?
Protein Hunter is a protein and nutrition app with a database of 232 foods — from a leaf of kale to a wagyu steak — plus AI tools that answer protein questions, count a whole meal, build recipes to a macro target, and track what you actually eat.
- Search any food
- Count a full meal
- Recipes to your macros
- Scan a plate or label
Why it's different: the numbers are calculated from a fixed ingredient database rather than guessed, and when a target is not physically achievable the app says so instead of inventing a figure.
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