Skip to Content

10 Quick Answers About Protein Scoops (For Beginners)

Protein powder scoops are included in pretty much all commercial protein powders. 

The little plastic tools seem simple but are actually surprisingly complex. Almost all brands use different-sized scoops that hold different amounts of protein powder.

This article covers some of the most common questions about protein scoops, including how big protein scoops are, whether they’re recyclable, and how many grams, ounces, cups, and tablespoons each protein scoop is likely to hold.

How big are protein scoops?

Protein scoops are usually on the smaller side. Most companies provide protein scoops that hold about 25gs of powder, or 2-3 tablespoons.

Are all protein scoops the same size?

No, protein scoops aren’t a standardized size. Different companies will give you different-sized scoops. 

If you want to know how much your scoop holds, you can check the label of your protein powder. It might tell you directly how much the scoop holds. If it doesn’t, you can work it out based on the weight of the suggested serving of protein. Keep reading to find out how to do this.

Are protein scoops recyclable?

Most scoops are made of polypropylene plastic, which is safe to put in a recycling bin. The label on your protein powder should let you know if the scoop isn’t recyclable.

If you’re smart about it, you can also repurpose your scoops to use as household items. 

If you like baking, they work great for scooping flour, sugar, or other ingredients. If you like cooking, they work for rice and pasta. If you’re not much of a chef, scoops work well for washing powder. The only limit is your creativity!

Are protein scoops accurate?

Protein scoops are usually pretty accurate.

To make sure that you’re getting the closest you possibly can to a true measurement, ensure to level off your scoops. You can do this by running a knife or another flat object over the top of the scoop to get rid of any excess powder.

Does protein powder come with a protein scoop?

Protein powder almost always comes with a scoop. It’ll usually be inside the container on top of the powder inside.

If you can’t see the scoop at first, shake the powder around a bit, because the scoop can sometimes be buried. 

Worst case scenario, you’ll have to pour your powder out into a bowl to find the scoop. This can get messy, so make sure to try the shaking method before you resort to this. 

What do the numbers on a protein scoop mean?

If there are markings on the inside of your protein scoop, it could mean a few different things depending on the brand of protein. Some products come with scoops measured in cubic centimeters, which isn’t all that helpful for weighing out protein. 

However, some can have markings that correlate to grams, ounces, or even cups. 

If you’re lucky, the meaning of the numbers will be somewhere on the label of the protein powder. If you’re unlucky, you might need to contact the manufacturer to figure out what the markings are. 

How many grams are in a protein scoop?

Most scoops hold about 25g of powder. If you want an exact number, then you’ll have to do a little bit of math.

The label on your protein powder should tell you how many grams the suggested serving is and how many scoops you need to make up that weight.

To work out how many grams your scoop holds, divide the number of grams by the number of scoops.

(For example, if the suggested serving size is 50g (2 scoops), then your scoop must hold 50/2 g, which works out to be 25g.)

How many ounces are in a protein scoop?

To figure out how many ounces are in your protein scoop, just convert the answer you got in grams to ounces. 

To do this, multiply the number of grams by 0.035, and you’ll get the number in ounces.

(Unless you’re a math whizz, you’ll probably need a calculator for this one.)

How many cups are in a protein scoop?

Generally, a scoop will hold about 1/5 of a cup of protein powder, but this can vary a lot. 

If you’re lucky, the manufacturer will tell you exactly how many cups there are in your protein scoop. If not, then to figure out how many cups it holds you’ll need a standard cup measure.

Using your protein scoop, scoop powder into the cup until it’s full, making sure to note down how many scoops it takes. 

Once you know how many scoops there are in a cup, it’s pretty simple to calculate how many cups in a scoop. Just convert to a fraction!

For example, if it takes five scoops to fill your cup, then your scoop is 1/5 of a cup. If it only takes four, then your scoop is 1/4 of a cup. 

How many tablespoons are in a protein scoop?

Most protein scoops hold about 2-3 tablespoons.

The easiest way to figure out how many tablespoons your scoop holds is just to get an existing tablespoon measure and see how many scoops of that fit into your protein scoop. 

Sources

Protein Scoops