Protein Price Watch: The Cheapest Protein per Gram This Week
This article is updated weekly with the cheapest protein per gram each week according to USDA data to help you keep up with inflation and smash your protein goals!
Meat Prices This Week
You can click the image above to open the spreadsheet and take a closer look at meat prices this week!
A lot of us don’t have the budget to buy meat in bulk, so these prices are all for the regular sized quantities of meat.
You may be able to get better deals for larger quantities! Either way, these numbers can give you a reference point on what’s a good deal this week!
Meats labeled “ABF”, Grass Fed, or Antibiotic Free are all premium options.
Insights This Week
The Cheapest Protein Per Gram this Week
🏆 Conventional Whole Young Chicken comes in at 2¢ ppg!
🏆 For red meats, conventional bone-in pork chops and ground pork tied for second at 5¢ ppg!
Replace the Eggs with Chicken
As almost always, if you are willing to do the work of carving up a chicken you can get protein for only 2¢ a gram!
One of my favorite ways to use a whole chicken right now is by carving & deboning it, grinding the meat and making homemade breakfast sausage!
This way I replace my morning eggs (currently at least 8¢ per gram of protein) with even more delicious free range chicken sausage (only 3¢ per gram of protein!).
You can read my article here about how I like to use Whole Chickens to stretch our budget!
Upgrade your Whole Chicken
The average price difference between antibiotic free (ABF) and conventional whole young chickens (called whole bagged fryers) is negligible.
It makes sense to improve the quality of your protein by upgrading there.
Ground Beef is Moving Down!
Ground beef prices are moving down, let’s watch together to see if that trend continues!
Why Look at Price Per Gram of Protein?
It can be very challenging to eat a high protein diet on a budget, and not every protein source has the same proportion!
For two adults trying to eat 100g of protein a day each, if the ppg of protein is 8¢ that’s $112 on protein alone each week!
If you can lower the ppg to a moderate 5¢ per gram of protein by mixing in some cheaper protein sources, that protein budget just went down to $70 a week!
With inflation and supply chain uncertainty, there are exciting arbitrage opportunities in meat prices each week.
By looking at each week’s national average meat prices, I am able to shop smarter and stretch my budget further!
How to Calculate Price per Gram of Protein
It’s quick to calculate the price per gram of protein once you get the hang of it! Here’s a quick formula:
(Price per lb) divided by (grams of protein per lb) = Price per gram of protein
You can quickly google the grams of protein per lb of different cuts of meat while at the store!
Eat Smart — Spend Smart
Tracking protein prices might seem like a small step, but it can make a big difference—both for your budget and your health. Whether you’re meal planning for the week or working toward specific fitness goals, knowing which protein sources give you the best bang for your buck helps you eat smarter without sacrificing quality!
I’ll keep this post updated weekly so you always have the latest numbers at your fingertips!
I’d love to hear from you—what’s your go-to budget-friendly protein source? Let me know in the comments! I’m always trying to get more out of our budget!