It’s understandable why you may feel like your grocery budget is under attack. This new reality of food inflation means most items at the supermarket are much more expensive than they were in the recent past. Feeding muscle men with protein-rich foods has never been more costly. Compounding the problem is that many of the foods highest in protein have witnessed some of the biggest price hikes. Ouch.
But you certainly don’t want to skimp too much on this macronutrient to save a few bucks since getting enough is important for building muscle, increasing bone strength and even maintaining a robust immune system. Plus, many protein-rich foods are also high in important health-hiking nutrients.
Though it can be more challenging than ever to eat the protein you require without sending your food budget soaring, the great news is that you can still find several protein-rich foods that have a less demanding price tag.
Here are some of the best protein-rich foods that are very high in protein but not too high in cost. Time to build muscle for less.
Top 7 Affordable Protein-Rich Foods
Round Steak
Let’s face it: There are few things better than a juicy slab of steak. But some options like rib eye and tenderloin can cost you a pretty penny. Not only is often overlooked round steak one of the leanest cuts at the butcher, it’s also one of the most economical costing less than $7 a pound. It’s taken from near the rear legs of the cattle, or the “round” part of the animal.
Beyond the payload of muscle-sculpting protein, this frugal cut of steak also delivers healthy amounts of highly absorbable iron to help give your workouts an energy boost. It’s worth noting that for every gram of protein in round steak, there is only a single gram of fat. This compared to rib eye which delivers a less impressive one-to-one protein-to-fat ratio.
Owing to its lower fat content, round steak can be slightly tough and dry. To help tenderize the meat and add moisture, try marinating it for an hour or more in a mixture of oil, soy sauce, an acid such as citrus juice and salt.
Edamame
If you are new to these legumes because you’re not exactly into dining out at the local sushi joint, edamame beans are whole, immature soybeans, and therefore still green. This gives them more of a vegetable-like flavor than other mature legumes. For a low amount of calories (about 100 in a 3-ounce serving of shelled beans) you get a nutrition payload including significant amounts of high-quality protein – 13 grams in each cup. This is more of the muscle-making macro than other beans like black and kidney. You also get a bounty of dietary fiber which is vital for our gut health and helps us feel full for longer. The nutritional bounty also includes lofty amounts of folate, iron, potassium, and vitamin K. A in the Journal of the American Heart Association based on data from more than 50,000 people found that those who consumed more foods that are high in vitamin K had a lower risk for cardiovascular diseases related to atherosclerosis, compared with those who ate fewer foods rich in vitamin K.
You’ll find edamame in the frozen food section of most supermarkets alongside the subzero veggies. They come both in the shell and shelled, with the latter being more convenient to use. On their own, prepared edamame is a protein-heavy healthy snack. But you can also use them in salads, noodle dishes, stir-fries and dips (edamame hummus is stellar).
Canned Sardines
In any given supermarket you can probably cast your line for a tin of sardines that costs no more than 2 bucks, well below the price of most other seafood options. (Seriously, who is paying $30 a pound for Chilean Sea Bass?) And luckily, this inexpensive swimmer houses troves of nutrients.
Not only are sardines high in protein (roughly 20 grams in a can) to help you hold onto your lean body mass, they are also a strong source of life-extending omega-3 fatty acids. A 2024 study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that subjects with higher omega-3 levels live longer and are specifically less likely to die from cardiovascular disease and cancer.
As a bonus, you’ll also get a healthy dose of vitamin D, a nutrient needed for proper bone health and muscle functioning but one that most of us fail to get enough of. And if you choose brands that include softened bones you’ll reap the benefits of extra bone-strengthening calcium. If possible, choose sardines that are canned in water or tomato sauce instead of oil. You can add them to sandwiches, pasta dishes and even salads. Or for a high-protein snack, smash them onto whole-grain crackers.
Cottage Cheese
Love Greek yogurt but find its price to be less appetizing? Cottage cheese has protein numbers (about 13 grams in each half-cup serving) on par with Greek yogurt but at a noticeably lower price point.
Beyond providing a payload of very high-quality protein to aid in your muscle-sculpting efforts, a bowl of cost-effective cottage cheese also gives you bone-strengthening calcium and phosphorus, as well as riboflavin, a B vitamin that helps your body metabolize the carbohydrates, proteins and fats you eat into the energy you use for all your daily activities including your workouts.
If you are not a fan of those large curds, there are now options that have smaller curds. Just watch out for flavored versions that can sucker-punch you with a bunch of added sugar.
For a stand-out protein-packed breakfast or post-workout nosh, dump a bunch of cottage cheese in a bowl and top with a lower sugar granola, berries and chopped nuts. You can also blend the great white into smoothies.
Turkey Drumsticks
Thanksgiving shouldn’t be the only time you grab hold of this economical delicious cut of turkey. Since turkeys use their legs continuously, drumsticks are richer in myoglobin (a type of protein that ships oxygen to muscle cells to generate energy and also contributes to the meat’s reddish color) than breast meat—flightless domestic turkeys and chickens don’t use their chest muscles very much so require very little myoglobin. All this extra activity required of the legs (drumsticks) contributes to their richer, more succulent flavor.
For some reason, dark poultry meat has obtained a bad nutritional rap compared to white meat. But when you look at the nutritionals, it turns out dark might have a leg up (pun intended) on it’s paler counterpart. Yes, dark turkey meat contains a few more calories and a little extra fat. But the fact is, nearly anyone can spare the measly extra 30 calories and 1 gram of saturated fat in a 3-ounce serving for a more nutrient-diverse cut of poultry meat.
Compared with white meat, dark poultry meat like drumsticks gives you the same bounty of protein (about 17 grams in a 3-ounce serving) but more B vitamins, iron and zinc. The body requires an adequate supply of zinc to help make certain cells involved in immunity. You can cook the drumsticks with their skin still on to retain more flavor and then peel it off afterward to save yourself from consuming an abundance of saturated fat calories.
Turkey drumsticks can be seasoned as desired and then roasted in a 350ºF oven until an internal temperature of 175ºF is reached. Or you can slowly simmer (braise) them on the stovetop or in a slow cooker in some seasoned liquid which turns the meat into fall-off-the-bone tender. At some butchers, you can find ready-to-eat smoked turkey drumsticks whose protein-rich meat can be gnawed off the bone or added to salads and sandwiches.
Textured Vegetable Protein
Though it’s often overlooked, textured vegetable protein (TVP), which is simply defatted soy flour, is an excellent source of plant-based protein—about 25 grams in each 1/2 cup serving. That makes it more protein dense than many plant proteins including tofu and beans. This same serving size only supplies 180 calories, but an impressive 10 grams of fiber.
A 2023 study in the journal Clinical Nutrition determined that with higher fiber intakes the chances of premature death from conditions like heart disease and cancer plummets. And you need to know that the most recent research suggests soy protein can be just as effective at building muscle as other protein sources including dairy without any risk for developing man boobs. (Seriously, does anyone still think that is a risk from eating soy?) And it’s certainly less costly than the new breed of engineered meatless meats on the market. Bob’s Red Mill is a reliable source for this plant-based protein juggernaut.
For the most part, any recipe calling for ground meat can be adapted to make use of TVP instead. So use this frugal protein in tacos, chili, sloppy joes and pasta sauces. I often added it to soups and curries to beef up the protein numbers.
Eggs
Yes, the price of eggs has risen upwards in recent years, but they are still good value protein. At around $.35 per egg, frugal foodies have long known that eggs are one of the most economical sources of protein around. And it’s just not just any mediocre protein we are talking about. Eggs are considered one of the highest quality proteins in the supermarket with high amounts of the amino acids that your muscles crave.
Other nutritional highlights include useful amounts of the brain-boosting compound choline, vitamin D, vitamin B12, selenium and riboflavin. You even get a shot of lutein, an antioxidant shown to improve eye health. And because they’re easy to make into zillions of dishes, break out of your breakfast shell and use eggs more often to rustle up budget-friendly dinners including frittatas and egg tacos.
Protein-Rich Foods Recipes
Round Steak with Horseradish Sauce
Steak night with more flavor and less cost. Serve this with some roasted potatoes and salad for a well-rounded meal.
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 2 round of eye steaks (6 – 8 oz each, about 1-inch thick)
- 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 3/4 cup plain yogurt
- 3 Tbsp prepared horseradish
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
Cooking Instructions
- In a shallow baking dish or container, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice,1 garlic clove and cumin. Add steak, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, flipping once.
- Remove steak from marinade and pat dry with paper towel. Build a hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium-high. Grease grill grate. Place steaks on grill grate and heat for 2 minutes, then rotate steaks 45 degrees to make diamond grill marks. Heat 2 minutes more and then flip steaks. Grill 2 minutes, rotate steaks 45 degrees and continue cooking until an internal temperature of 130°F for medium-rare is reached. Remove from grill and let rest about 10 minutes before slicing.
- Stir together yogurt, horseradish, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 garlic clove, lemon zest and a couple pinches of black pepper and salt. Serve steak slices topped with horseradish sauce and parsley.
Lemony Sweet Potato Fish Cakes with Red Sauce
If you’re a fan of sardines and looking for a new way to incorporate them into your diet, these lemon-scented fish cakes are sure to satisfy. Tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.
Serves 2
Fish Cakes Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked cubed peeled sweet potato
- 3 cans sardines, drained
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp oil
Sauce:
- 1/3 cup dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/2 cup roasted red pepper
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Cooking Instructions
- In a large bowl, mash together sweet potato and sardines. Stir in egg, bread crumbs, red onion, lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme and salt.
- Shape the mixture into four patties.
- Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the fishcakes and cook for 4-5 minutes each side, until golden brown crust forms.
- To make the sauce, place sun-dried tomatoes and 1/2 cup boiled water in a blender container and let tomatoes soak for at least 15 minutes. Add roasted red pepper, garlic, and pepper flakes to blender container and blend until smooth.
- Serve fish cakes topped with red pepper sauce.