How do you guys eat enough protein on a budget?

[Sarah_lifts]

I’m a student and chicken breast, whey, and Greek yogurt add up fast. What are your cheap high-protein staples? Eggs, canned tuna, tofu? Would love some meal ideas that don’t take an hour to prep

 

[liftinheavy]

eggs, chicken thighs, canned tuna, and greek yogurt carry me. buying chicken in bulk and freezing it cut my grocery bill a lot. whey is usually cheaper per gram of protein than most real food, so i just use it to fill the gap.

 

[Amanda_R]

Eggs are the easy one. Six grams each and they cook in five minutes.

The real time saver is cooking a big batch of rice and one protein on Sunday and just changing the sauce through the week. A slow cooker thread on here made me think of that.

 

[justinr84]

Eggs are the MVP!

 

[kev_b1989]

I try to keep things simple with boiled eggs, rice, tofu, and canned fish. Cheap, easy to prepare, and doesnt take much time in the kitchen.

 

[dave_k]

Eggs, canned sardines, lentils, and tofu are all worth keeping around. I'd also look at chicken thighs instead of breast since they're often cheaper and still give you plenty of protein.

For quick meals, try egg fried rice with frozen vegetables, tuna mixed with rice and some mayo, or tofu stir-fried with whatever vegetables are on sale. Lentils with rice are cheap too, and you can cook a big batch for several meals.

I'd honestly skip the whey if it's stretching your budget. It's convenient, but you don't need it to build muscle. Buying basic ingredients in bulk and repeating a few easy meals will probably save you more money.

One thing I'd check is the price per 25g of protein rather than just the price of the food. Some things that look cheap per package aren't necessarily the best deal for protein.

 

[kirsty1989]

Frozen chicken, fish fillets, and edamame cost less, last forever, and you throw away way less than with fresh.

 

[mattg123]

Tuna, tofu, and eggs never fail me. Easy meals without spending too much!