Calories in a Scoop of Whey and Soy Protein Powder
Protein powder is measured by the scoop, but the calories on the tub are the maker's own number for the maker's own scoop. This guide gives three reference rows from USDA FoodData Central: a whey-based protein powder, a soy-based protein powder and plain soy protein isolate, each with the household portion USDA prints on the record. They are USDA reference products, not a brand and not the tub in your kitchen, and Indian food tables (IFCT 2017) have no protein powder row at all.
The short answer
By the USDA records below, 0.33 cup (32 g) of the whey-based powder is about 113 kcal, 1 scoop (45 g) of the soy-based powder is about 175 kcal, and 1 oz (28.35 g) of soy protein isolate is about 95 kcal. Each of those three portions holds about 25 g of protein by our arithmetic, so the same 25 g of protein costs 95, 113 or 175 kcal depending on the record. Our reading: the isolate is nearly all protein, the whey record is close behind, and the soy powder record has more carbohydrate and fat, which is why its scoop carries more calories. USDA prints the word scoop only on the soy powder record; the whey record's portion is 0.33 cup, and your own tub's scoop is whatever its maker sized it to be, so weigh it.
Calories and protein per portion
The table gives each record as USDA prints it: energy, protein, total fat and carbohydrate per 100 g, and the one household portion listed on the record page (each record also offers a 100 g view). The per portion figures are our arithmetic: grams in the portion times the value per 100 g, divided by 100, rounded to the nearest 0.1 g for protein, fat and carbohydrate and to the nearest kcal for energy, with half rounding up. Indian tables do not cover this food, so there is no IFCT row to set beside them.
| Powder | Source | Per 100 g: kcal · protein · fat · carbs | USDA portion | kcal per portion | Protein per portion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beverages, Protein powder soy based | USDA FDC 173181 | 388 kcal · 55.6 g · 5.56 g · 28.9 g | 1 scoop, 45 g (USDA) | 175 kcal | 25.0 g |
| Beverages, Protein powder whey based | USDA FDC 173180 | 352 kcal · 78.1 g · 1.56 g · 6.25 g | 0.33 cup, 32 g (USDA; not called a scoop) | 113 kcal | 25.0 g |
| Soy protein isolate | USDA FDC 174276 | 335 kcal · 88.3 g · 3.39 g · 0 g | 1 oz, 28.35 g (USDA) | 95 kcal | 25.0 g |
The sums, so you can redo them: soy powder 388 × 45 / 100 = 174.6, so 175 kcal, and 55.6 × 45 / 100 = 25.02 g of protein; whey 352 × 32 / 100 = 112.64, so 113 kcal, and 78.1 × 32 / 100 = 24.992, so 25.0 g; isolate 335 × 28.35 / 100 = 94.97, so 95 kcal, and 88.3 × 28.35 / 100 = 25.03 g.
What stands out in the numbers
- Per 100 g the rows run from 335 to 388 kcal: soy powder 388, whey 352 and isolate 335. The calories per 100 g are close; the portions are what differ (28.35 g, 32 g and 45 g).
- Protein per 100 kcal, by our arithmetic: isolate 26.4 g (88.3 / 335 × 100), whey 22.2 g (78.1 / 352 × 100) and soy powder 14.3 g (55.6 / 388 × 100).
- What the soy powder record adds. Per 100 g it prints 28.9 g of carbohydrate (22.2 g of it sugars) and 5.56 g of fat; in 45 g that is about 13.0 g of carbohydrate, 10.0 g of sugars and 2.5 g of fat, by our arithmetic. The whey record prints 6.25 g of carbohydrate and 1.56 g of fat per 100 g, about 2.0 g and 0.5 g in 32 g. The isolate record prints 0 g of carbohydrate and 3.39 g of fat, about 1.0 g of fat in 28.35 g.
- Every 10 g of powder, by our arithmetic: about 35 kcal of the whey record, 39 kcal of the soy powder record and 34 kcal of the isolate record.
- To hold the same 25 g of protein, by our arithmetic, 25 / 78.1 × 100 = about 32 g of the whey record, about 45 g of the soy powder record and about 28 g of the isolate record.
Why these are reference rows, not your tub
- USDA's own notes. On the record pages for the whey and soy powders, the protein, fat and carbohydrate values are marked "label claim (back calculated from label by NDL staff)". The whey record's energy is marked "estimated formulation based on ingredient list" and the soy powder's and the isolate's "calculated". They describe a product USDA looked at, not every product.
- Flavour, sugar and blends. A chocolate or mango powder, a mass gainer, a blend of whey and casein, or a powder with added creatine or fibre is not one of these rows, and its calories can be quite different.
- The scoop is the maker's. The scoop in a tub may hold 25 g or 40 g or more; read the grams on the pack, or weigh one level scoop once and use the per 100 g column.
- For your own tub, the pack wins. The calories and protein printed on your pack for its serving describe that product; this page does not use pack labels, so it does not mix them with the three records.
How to log it so the numbers hold
- Log the powder and the liquid separately. A shake made with milk includes the milk's calories; our milk guide gives cow and buffalo milk per 100 g from IFCT 2017. Water adds none.
- Level scoop, not heaped. A heaped scoop can hold much more powder than a level one; weigh once and log the grams.
- Add anything else you blend in. Banana, peanut butter, oats or sugar are separate foods; our spoon guide for spreads and the milk and fruit guides give them by weight.
- Do not mix sources inside one day. If you log the powder from your pack, keep to the pack; do not switch to a USDA row for the same tub.
Where NYUS fits (our app)
We make NYUS, so read this as ours. NYUS is an AI fitness and nutrition coach in early access on Android, with no ads and no data selling. You log foods yourself by searching 8,900+ Indian and global foods or by barcode, and a weekly check-in adjusts your calories, macros and step goal once enough is logged. Barcode coverage of Indian packaged foods is not complete, so search by name when a scan finds nothing.
What this page leaves out
- A protein or calorie target: we have not looked up one for any person, so we give none, and we say nothing about whether a powder is needed.
- Any named brand, flavoured, sweetened or blended powder, mass gainer, casein, pea, rice or plant blends, and ready-to-drink shakes: not covered here.
- Pack labels and FSSAI figures: not used, so the page does not mix label numbers with the records above.
- An IFCT 2017 comparison: IFCT 2017 has no protein powder row (we searched all 585 pages of the PDF on 27 Oct 2026 for whey, protein powder, protein isolate, protein concentrate, soy protein, casein and protein supplement, and found none). Food-based protein is in our whey, paneer and dal guide.
- Anything about weight, muscle, health or what protein powder does to your body: the page adds up food data and makes no claim about it. If you have a medical condition, ask your doctor or dietitian.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 173181 (Beverages, Protein powder soy based): Energy 388 kcal, protein 55.6 g, total fat 5.56 g, carbohydrate 28.9 g (sugars 22.2 g) per 100 g; household portion printed on the record: 1 scoop 45 g (read 27 Oct 2026).
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 173180 (Beverages, Protein powder whey based): Energy 352 kcal, protein 78.1 g, total fat 1.56 g, carbohydrate 6.25 g per 100 g; household portion printed on the record: 0.33 cup 32 g (read 27 Oct 2026).
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 174276 (Soy protein isolate): Energy 335 kcal, protein 88.3 g, total fat 3.39 g, carbohydrate 0 g per 100 g; household portion printed on the record: 1 oz 28.35 g (read 27 Oct 2026).
- ICMR-NIN, Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (IFCT 2017), PDF searched on 27 Oct 2026 for protein powder terms: no row found.
- nyus.in, the NYUS landing page, read on 27 Oct 2026 for the app statements in the NYUS section and the CTA.
The per portion figures, the sums, the rounding, the protein per 100 kcal, the grams that hold 25 g of protein, the per 10 g figures and every sentence starting "Our reading" are NYUS's own arithmetic or opinion, not from USDA. The three portions in the table are USDA's, printed on the record pages above. The names in the Powder column are USDA's record names; "whey", "soy" and "isolate" in our text are our short names for them.
Log what you eat and see your day add up
NYUS is an AI diet and workout coach. You can log foods by search or barcode against 8,900+ foods with calories and macros, and a weekly check-in adjusts your calories, macros and step goal once enough is logged. It gives general information, not medical advice. No ads, no data sold.
Join the NYUS waitlistFrequently asked questions
How many calories are in a scoop of whey protein powder?
The USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy record 173180 (Beverages, Protein powder whey based) prints 352 kcal and 78.1 g of protein per 100 g, and its only household portion is 0.33 cup (32 g), which is about 113 kcal and 25.0 g of protein by our arithmetic. USDA does not call that portion a scoop. Scoops differ by tub, so check the gram weight printed on yours: at 352 kcal per 100 g every 10 g of this record is about 35 kcal.
How many calories are in a scoop of soy protein powder?
USDA SR Legacy 173181 (Beverages, Protein powder soy based) prints 388 kcal, 55.6 g of protein, 5.56 g of fat and 28.9 g of carbohydrate per 100 g, and lists 1 scoop as 45 g, which is about 175 kcal, 25.0 g of protein and 13.0 g of carbohydrate by our arithmetic. The soy powder carries more calories per 100 g than the whey record because it has less protein and more carbohydrate and fat.
How many calories are in soy protein isolate?
USDA SR Legacy 174276 (Soy protein isolate) prints 335 kcal, 88.3 g of protein and 3.39 g of fat per 100 g, and lists 1 oz as 28.35 g, which is about 95 kcal and 25.0 g of protein by our arithmetic. It is a plain isolate row, not a flavoured, sweetened or blended powder, so a tub of soy protein from a shop may not match it.
Why do the three powders give about the same protein but different calories?
Only because of the portion sizes USDA prints: 32 g of the whey record, 45 g of the soy powder record and 28.35 g of the isolate record each come to about 25 g of protein. Per 100 kcal, by our arithmetic, the whey record has 22.2 g of protein, the soy powder record 14.3 g and the isolate record 26.4 g, so the same protein costs about 113, 175 and 95 kcal.
Can I use these numbers for the powder I buy?
Use them as reference rows, not as your tub. The three records are USDA reference products, not a brand, and the record pages say the protein, fat and carbohydrate of the whey and soy powder records were back calculated from a product label by USDA staff. Flavoured, sweetened and blended powders differ, and so does the scoop. For your own tub, weigh one scoop and use the calories and protein per serving printed on its pack.
Can I log a protein shake in NYUS?
NYUS is our app. You log foods yourself by searching 8,900+ Indian and global foods or by barcode; log the powder and the milk or water you mix it with separately, since milk adds its own calories. NYUS is in early access on Android: 30-day free trial, then plans from ₹499 for one month, paid once with no auto-renewal, no card needed to start.