Regular ground beef is now averaging $6.74 per pound nationally, and lean ground beef is running $8.34 per pound on average, with some grocery chains charging close to $9. That's not a sale price for a premium cut. That's the going rate for a pound of ground beef in the spring of 2026. Beef prices are predicted to rise another 10 percent this year, so this isn't a temporary situation.
The good news is that protein-rich food doesn't have to mean expensive food. Lentils, canned fish, eggs, and a handful of other staples deliver as much protein per dollar as beef ever did, often for a fraction of the cost. The swap doesn't have to be permanent. Even replacing two or three meals a week can make a meaningful difference.
Table of contents
- Dried lentils
- Canned tuna
- Eggs
- Canned sardines
- Canned salmon
- Cottage cheese
- Greek yogurt
- Black beans
- Chickpeas
- Chicken thighs
- Ground turkey
- Tofu
- Tempeh
- Edamame
- Peanut butter
- Frozen fish fillets
- Whole chickens
- Pork shoulder and pork loin
- Tips and advice for saving money on food and grocery tips on Wealthy Single Mommy:
Dried lentils
A one-pound bag of dried lentils costs around $1 to $2 and contains roughly 100 grams of protein. That works out to pennies per gram, which is hard to beat anywhere in the grocery store. They cook in 20 to 30 minutes with no soaking required, unlike most dried beans, and they work as a direct swap for ground meat in tacos, pasta sauce, soups, and chili.
Lentils are also one of the only protein sources that deliver significant fiber in the same serving. One cup cooked gives you 18 grams of protein and 16 grams of fiber simultaneously. That combination keeps you fuller longer, which matters when you're trying to cut costs on food overall, not just on protein.
Canned lentils work well too if you want speed. You'll pay a bit more per ounce, but they're still one of the cheapest proteins on the shelf.
Canned tuna
A standard can of chunk light tuna runs about $1 and contains roughly 25 grams of protein. That's a better protein-per-dollar ratio than boneless chicken breast at most price points. It requires no cooking, no refrigeration until opened, and almost no prep time.
The flavor is mild enough to go anywhere: mixed into pasta, tossed into a salad, spread on a sandwich, or stirred into scrambled eggs. If you've been avoiding tuna because of mercury concerns, chunk light (skipjack) tuna is consistently lower in mercury than albacore, and the FDA recommends it as a low-mercury choice that adults can eat two to three times a week.
Buying by the case, either at a warehouse club or online in multipacks, drops the per-can cost significantly.
Eggs
Eggs have had a rough couple of years price-wise due to the bird flu outbreak, but egg prices are predicted to decline in 2026 compared to 2025 as production recovers. Even at elevated prices, a dozen eggs delivers 72 grams of protein for around $3 to $5 in most stores, making them one of the more efficient proteins available.
Two large eggs cook in five minutes and provide all essential amino acids. They're genuinely versatile in a way that most proteins aren't: scrambled at breakfast, hard-boiled as a snack, fried on top of rice or beans at dinner. Egg whites from a carton are an option if you want pure protein with less fat.
The cost per gram of protein from eggs has historically run well below ground beef, even accounting for the price spikes of the last two years.
Canned sardines
Sardines are probably the most underused protein in the American pantry. A 3.75-ounce can contains about 18 grams of protein, typically costs $1.50 to $3 depending on the brand, and delivers a significant dose of omega-3 fatty acids and calcium at the same time. The calcium comes from the bones, which soften completely during canning and are safe to eat.
They're lower in mercury than tuna because they're small fish that don't bioaccumulate toxins the way larger species do. If the straight-from-the-tin experience isn't for you, sardines mash well into pasta sauces, toast with lemon and olive oil, or rice bowls where other flavors are doing the heavy lifting. The flavor mellows considerably when mixed with other ingredients.
Budget-wise, they're competitive with tuna on cost per gram of protein, and in many stores they're even cheaper.
Canned salmon
Fresh salmon is expensive. Canned pink salmon is not. A 14.75-ounce can typically costs $3 to $5 and contains 20 to 25 grams of protein per serving, with multiple servings per can. It has a milder, less “fishy” taste than sardines, which makes it easier to work into everyday cooking.
Canned salmon works well in salmon patties, stirred into pasta, mixed into a grain bowl, or used as a sandwich filling. It also contains the same omega-3 profile and vitamin D as fresh salmon, without the refrigeration requirement or the cost. Like sardines, the bones in canned salmon are edible and are a good source of calcium.
It doesn't get as much attention as canned tuna, but at this price point, it deserves a spot in the regular rotation.
Cottage cheese
Cottage cheese has had something of a revival recently, and there's a practical reason for it. A half cup contains about 14 grams of protein, a 16-ounce container typically costs $2 to $3, and the protein-per-dollar ratio is competitive with meat. It's a complete protein with all essential amino acids, derived from dairy.
It works sweet or savory. Mix it with fruit and a drizzle of honey for breakfast, eat it plain as a snack, use it in place of ricotta in pasta dishes, or blend it into sauces and dips for a protein boost without adding much flavor. The texture is the main thing people have to get used to. If that's an issue, blending it smooth takes about 30 seconds and removes the curds entirely.
Low-fat versions are widely available and cost the same as the full-fat kind at most stores.
Greek yogurt
Plain, nonfat Greek yogurt contains about 15 to 20 grams of protein per cup, and buying the large 32-ounce tub rather than individual cups cuts the per-ounce cost significantly. At most grocery stores, a 32-ounce tub runs $5 to $7 and delivers four to five high-protein servings.
The key is buying plain and adding your own flavoring, since flavored varieties tend to carry more sugar and cost more. Plain Greek yogurt works as a substitute for sour cream in dips and tacos, as the base for salad dressings, as a smoothie ingredient, or simply topped with fruit. It also keeps well in the fridge for a couple of weeks once opened.
Look for store-brand versions. They're made with the same process and ingredients as name brands and cost substantially less.
Black beans
A 15-ounce can of black beans costs around $1 and provides about 7 grams of protein per half-cup serving, with roughly three servings per can. Dried beans go even further: a one-pound bag of dried black beans costs $1.50 to $2 and yields about six cups of cooked beans with close to 90 grams of total protein.
Black beans are one of the most versatile staples in budget cooking. They go into tacos and burritos, soups and stews, grain bowls, quesadillas, and salads. They also add enough fiber and bulk to a dish that smaller amounts of meat stretch much further. One practical move is to use half the meat a recipe calls for and fill in with black beans.
Like lentils, beans are a high-potassium food, so people with kidney disease should check with a doctor before dramatically increasing intake.
Chickpeas
Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, run about $1 to $1.50 per can and deliver around 7 to 9 grams of protein per half-cup serving, plus a solid amount of fiber. They have a firmer texture than most beans, which makes them useful in dishes where you want something with a bit of bite: roasted in the oven until crispy, tossed into salads, blended into hummus, added to curries, or used as the main protein in a grain bowl.
Roasted chickpeas are worth trying as a snack replacement for chips or crackers. Toss a drained and dried can in olive oil, salt, and your spice of choice, then roast at 400 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes until crispy. The result is crunchy, filling, and significantly cheaper than most packaged snacks with comparable protein content.
Dried chickpeas require soaking and a longer cook time, but cost even less per serving than canned and store indefinitely in a pantry.
Chicken thighs
The gap between chicken breast and chicken thighs has grown over the past few years as consumers figured out that thighs are both cheaper and harder to overcook. Bone-in thighs and drumsticks are significantly cheaper per pound than boneless breast, and boneless thighs sit somewhere in between. The protein content is nearly identical, and the higher fat content means they stay juicy even after extended cooking in the oven, slow cooker, or Instant Pot.
Bone-in thighs especially repay the small amount of extra effort. They go on sale regularly and freeze well. If you buy in bulk when they're discounted and portion them into the freezer, you can lock in a low price for months. One large pack from a warehouse store often costs less per pound than most canned proteins.
Family packs at grocery stores tend to be priced lower per pound than individually packaged cuts. This is worth paying attention to, since the savings compound quickly if you're buying chicken multiple times a week.
Ground turkey
Ground turkey is a direct substitute for ground beef in virtually any recipe and costs around $3.50 to $4 per pound for conventional varieties, compared to ground beef that has been running $5 to $7 per pound at many stores. It has a slightly leaner profile and a milder flavor, which means it takes on the seasoning of whatever dish it's in rather than competing with it.
The 93/7 lean-to-fat ratio is the most commonly available and works well for most applications: tacos, burgers, meatballs, pasta sauce, and stuffed peppers. The 99% lean version is drier and usually not worth the premium unless you specifically need the lower fat content. Because turkey is leaner, adding a bit of oil or cooking fat helps prevent the meat from drying out.
Store brands at Aldi and similar discount grocers are typically the cheapest option. Buying a larger package and freezing half is a reliable way to cut the cost per pound even further.
Tofu
A 14-ounce block of extra-firm tofu costs around $2 to $3 and contains roughly 9 grams of protein per 3-ounce serving, which works out to about four servings per block. That's a reasonable protein-per-dollar ratio, though not quite as efficient as legumes or canned fish.
The texture question is the main thing. Extra-firm tofu pressed for 20 to 30 minutes absorbs marinades well and can be pan-fried until crispy, baked, crumbled as a ground-meat substitute, or added to stir-fries. The pressing step matters: unpressed tofu is wet and won't brown. If you skip pressing, the result is usually disappointing. A simple marinade of soy sauce, garlic, and a little sesame oil is enough to give it serious flavor.
Tofu is a complete protein derived from soybeans, meaning it contains all essential amino acids, making it a viable and filling replacement for meat at dinner.
Tempeh
Tempeh is fermented soybean cake and it's significantly more protein-dense than tofu. Three ounces of tempeh provides about 18 grams of protein, and a typical 8-ounce block costs $3 to $4 at most grocery stores. It has a firmer, meatier texture than tofu and a slightly nutty flavor that holds up well to bold sauces and seasonings.
It works sliced thin and pan-fried, crumbled into taco filling or pasta sauce, cubed and added to stir-fries, or marinated and grilled. The fermentation process makes the protein more digestible than regular soy products, which is a side benefit for people who find other legumes hard on the stomach.
Tempeh is usually stocked near the tofu in the refrigerated produce or natural foods section. It's less widely available than tofu but still common at most major grocery chains.
Edamame
Frozen shelled edamame is one of the more convenient protein options in the freezer aisle. A half cup of shelled edamame contains about 9 grams of protein, and a one-pound bag typically costs $2 to $3. You can cook it straight from frozen in about five minutes on the stovetop or in the microwave, with no thawing required.
It works as a side dish on its own with a little salt, tossed into grain bowls, added to salads, stirred into fried rice, or blended into a green hummus. It's also one of the more palatable high-protein snacks for kids who aren't fans of cottage cheese or canned fish.
Like other soy products, edamame is a complete protein. It's also notably high in folate and vitamin K, which sets it apart nutritionally from most other legume options.
Peanut butter
Two tablespoons of peanut butter contain about 8 grams of protein for roughly 25 cents, which makes it one of the cheapest protein options available per gram. A standard 16-ounce jar typically runs $2.50 to $4 and contains around 30 servings. It's not a complete protein on its own, but paired with whole grain bread or mixed with other proteins, it covers the gaps.
Natural peanut butter with no added sugar or partially hydrogenated oils is the better nutritional choice and is widely available in store brands. The main thing to watch is portion size, since the calorie density is high even though the cost per gram of protein is low. A 2-tablespoon serving is approximately 190 calories.
Peanut butter works as a quick protein source in smoothies, oatmeal, and sauces for noodles or stir-fries, in addition to its obvious role in sandwiches and snacks.
Frozen fish fillets
Fresh fish is often $8 to $12 per pound, but frozen tilapia, cod, pollock, and catfish fillets regularly come in at $3 to $5 per pound in one- to two-pound bags. The protein content is similar to fresh, and frozen fish can be cooked directly from frozen in the oven or an air fryer in about 20 minutes, no thawing required.
White fish in particular is mild enough to accept almost any seasoning, which makes it easy to swap into recipes that call for chicken. Tilapia is widely available and consistently affordable. Pollock is the fish in most frozen fish sticks and fast-food fish sandwiches, and it's cheap because it's caught in abundance in the North Pacific.
Store brands at Walmart, Aldi, and similar discount grocers tend to offer the best per-pound price on frozen fish. Checking unit pricing rather than package price is worth the extra 30 seconds at the shelf.
Whole chickens
A whole roasting chicken typically costs $1.50 to $2.50 per pound, which is substantially less per pound than boneless breasts or thighs. A five-pound chicken at $2 per pound yields enough meat for multiple meals, plus bones for stock. When you account for all the protein you get per dollar spent, it's one of the better values in the entire meat case.
Roasting a whole chicken takes about 90 minutes with minimal hands-on time. Shred the leftovers for tacos, sandwiches, fried rice, or soups over the next few days. Simmer the carcass with water and aromatics for an hour or two and you have homemade chicken stock that would otherwise cost $3 to $4 per carton at the store.
Rotisserie chickens at warehouse stores and big-box grocers are often priced below what a raw whole chicken costs, making them a legitimate shortcut for getting a lot of protein for the money.
Pork shoulder and pork loin
Pork is one of the few categories where prices are predicted to rise slower than their 20-year historical average in 2026, making it a relative bargain compared to beef at the moment. Pork loin and pork shoulder are typically $2 to $3.50 per pound depending on the cut and store, and both are protein-dense cuts with a long history in budget cooking.
Pork shoulder is specifically suited to slow cooking: it goes into a slow cooker with some onion, garlic, and liquid and comes out in 8 hours as tender pulled pork that feeds a crowd. One large pork shoulder can yield four to six meal's worth of meat for under $15. Pork loin is leaner, cooks faster, and works well sliced and pan-seared or roasted.
Bone-in pork cuts cost less per pound than boneless and are worth seeking out if your store carries them.
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