Compare the price of protein before you swap the meat

If meat has become too expensive for you, the aisle beside it is full of things sold as the cheaper way to get protein. Some are cheaper. Some cost as much as the meat, and where you live decides which.

Before you swap the meat for something cheaper, work out what each choice costs per gram of protein where you shop, then buy the cheapest one you will actually eat.

This page is for anyone looking at a grocery bill. It is not for someone who needs red meat for a medical reason, and it does not cover what growing children need. The last section says who should ask a doctor first, and where to get food if you are running short.

How to do the sum

The label gives you the numbers when there is one; fresh meat may come without a nutrition label of its own, so look for a sign beside it in the shop or on the shop’s website. In the US, the Nutrition Facts label shows the grams of protein in one serving and the number of servings in the package, so multiply the two. In the UK, the label gives the nutrition per 100 grams, so multiply the protein per 100 grams by the weight of the package in grams, divided by 100. Then divide the price by the grams of protein. With made-up prices: a $3 bag holding 140 grams of protein costs about 2 cents a gram, and a $6 package holding 80 grams costs 7.5 cents a gram, so the second costs more than three times as much per gram.

Compare like with like. Dried beans and lentils swell with water when they are cooked, and canned beans are already cooked, so the label on a can describes a heavier, wetter food than the label on a bag of dried beans. The whole-pack sum above already allows for this; it matters only if you compare one serving with another. Some people say dried beans are better value than canned. Weigh the bone, too: one person says bone-in cuts cost less per pound but leave less usable meat once the bone is off, and another calls a T-bone steak poor value because you pay for the weight of the bone.

What people say comes out cheap

Many people say beans, lentils and chickpeas are a cheap, effective replacement for meat protein, often costing much less per pound than animal products. Some people say lentils need no soaking, so they cook fast. Some people point out that red lentils are split, so they cook down to a mush that suits purées and sauces, while brown lentils hold their shape; one person suggests blending red lentils into pasta sauce to add protein and fibre without changing the dish much. One person says dal, a cheap, quick meal of lentils, split peas or chickpeas simmered with spices, is served with bread, rice or potatoes.

Some people say tofu is cheap and versatile and can take on a meaty texture if you prepare it well, for example by crisping it with cornstarch, and that it is often cheaper than even discounted cuts of meat. Others say tofu can cost about $5 a pound where they shop, more than many cuts of meat. One person says Asian markets sell tofu and edamame for less than mainstream shops.

Some people say textured vegetable protein, which is usually made from soy, is very cheap, keeps without a fridge, takes on the flavour of whatever it is cooked in, and can replace ground beef in tacos and sauces. Its price is not the same everywhere: some people say it has risen along with meat, and one person found it cheaper at a Mexican grocery than at a health food shop. One person warns that a lot of textured soy protein chili in one day can cause severe digestive trouble, because of the fibre.

Many people say ready-made imitation meats often cost more than real meat, and that whole foods such as beans and tofu are the cheap route.

Some people say eggs are one of the cheapest easy proteins if you do not want to go fully plant-based, though egg prices vary by place and season. One person says dried beans are usually cheaper than eggs unless eggs are on deep discount, and some people suggest comparing the cost per gram of protein, which is the sum above. Some people also note that cheap eggs may mean poor conditions for the hens. One person says seitan, which is made from wheat gluten, gives the cheapest protein per gram; this page could not check that, and seitan is not for anyone with coeliac disease or a wheat allergy.

Some people cut the meat to about six to eight ounces a person instead of a pound, and some stretch ground meat with beans, lentils, mushrooms or textured soy protein to get more volume and protein from less meat. This site has a page on that, called Make the meat a seasoning.

When meat is the cheaper protein

Cheap per pound is not the same as cheap per gram of protein, and the sum can favour meat. Some people point out that red meat is often cut sharply in price near its date or in a sale, sometimes below the price of beans, and some say beef on sale can match chicken. Others say beef’s usual price is much higher than chicken, pork or dried beans, and that relying on sales is not a steady plan. Some people say that in places with strong cattle or hog farming, red meat can cost less than chicken, and that beef’s strong flavour means you need less in a dish. One person says demand for cheap cuts such as bone-in thighs has pushed their prices up, in some places doubling them, and one person could not find chicken leg quarters under a dollar a pound anywhere. The prices people quote are from their own shops, so use yours.

Eat what you will keep eating

One person says people should not be pushed onto a dull survival diet, and that food you like can ease the feeling of being poor and keep some dignity. One person says buying red meat is irresponsible when it leaves you out of food before payday. Both are about the same sum: what the food costs against what you have left.

Texture and gas stop some people. One person says beans and rice are cheap and filling, but that texture can put people off, and another says certain beans put people off despite the saving. Some people say beans give them too much gas to eat often; others say it eases as the body gets used to the fibre, and that eating more beans over time builds tolerance. Some people suggest soaking for twelve hours or more and changing the water, pressure cooking, chewing well and drinking water with the meal, or adding baking soda to the soaking water; one person says they read that baking soda helps and believes it does, and one suggests an over-the-counter product sold for the purpose. This page cannot say how long the adjustment lasts.

Who this page is not for

If you have anaemia or low iron, do not cut red meat on the strength of this page: ask your doctor or a dietitian first. The US National Institutes of Health says the body takes up iron from plant foods less well than iron from meat, so people who eat no meat, poultry or seafood need almost twice as much iron, and that plant iron is taken up better with meat, poultry or seafood, or with foods rich in vitamin C such as citrus fruits, strawberries, sweet peppers, tomatoes and broccoli. The NHS says, on vegan diets, to eat vitamin C foods at the same time and to avoid tea or coffee during or after main meals. The NIH also says that acid-reducing medicines such as omeprazole and lansoprazole might reduce the iron your body takes from food, and to tell your doctor or pharmacist what you take. If you are pregnant, talk to your midwife or doctor first. If you have diabetes or take regular medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist before you change what you eat a lot. If you stop eating all animal foods, not only meat, the NHS says a vitamin B12 supplement may be needed, because the vegan sources are limited.

If you are changing what a young child eats, ask a health visitor, doctor or dietitian first; this page does not cover what growing children need. If anyone you cook for has a food allergy or coeliac disease, check each food before you swap: tofu and textured soy protein are soy, eggs are eggs, and seitan is wheat gluten.

If the problem is running out of food and not the price of meat, a price sum is the wrong tool. In the US, the National Hunger Hotline, 1-866-348-6479 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm Eastern), can help you find food near you, including pantries and SNAP, and 211 connects you to local help with food and bills; food banks keep their own hours, so check before you go. In the UK, a food bank gives an emergency parcel of at least three days of meals, and you need a voucher from a local community organisation first; Citizens Advice can help with money problems underneath.