Affordable Protein: Beans, Lentils, Eggs and Smarter Ways to Buy Meat

Protein is usually the most expensive part of any meal. Meat and fish can take up a large share of a grocery budget, which is why households trying to spend less often feel they must choose between eating well and saving money. They do not. Some of the most nutritious protein foods in the world are also among the cheapest, and even meat-eaters can make their money go much further with a few simple techniques.

This guide covers the most economical protein sources, how to buy and cook them, and how to build satisfying meals around them. It is general information about food and cooking, not personal dietary advice; anyone with specific health conditions, allergies or nutritional needs should follow the guidance of a doctor or registered dietitian.

Why protein matters

Protein helps the body build and repair tissues, and protein-rich meals tend to keep people feeling full for longer, which can reduce snacking between meals. Most people in high-income countries get enough protein; the challenge for a budget-conscious household is getting it affordably and in meals people enjoy.

The most affordable protein foods

Prices vary by country and season, but the following foods are widely regarded as inexpensive sources of protein.

Dried and tinned pulses

Beans, lentils, chickpeas and split peas are the stars of budget cooking. They are inexpensive, keep for a very long time, provide fibre as well as protein, and work in cuisines from every continent.

• Red lentils cook in about twenty minutes without soaking and dissolve into soups, curries and sauces, thickening them as they cook.
• Green and brown lentils hold their shape and suit salads, stews and shepherd's-pie-style dishes.
• Chickpeas make curries, stews, salads, roasted snacks and hummus.
• Beans — kidney, black, pinto, cannellini, butter beans — anchor chilli, stews, soups and wraps.
• Split peas become thick, warming soups.

Tinned pulses are convenient and still economical. Dried pulses are cheaper again per portion, and cooking them in batches makes them almost as convenient (see below).

Eggs

Eggs are among the most affordable complete proteins available and they cook quickly: an omelette, a frittata, scrambled eggs, a shakshuka or egg fried rice can be ready in minutes. They also extend other ingredients — a frittata turns a handful of leftover vegetables into a meal.

Dairy

• Milk and plain yoghurt provide protein for breakfasts, sauces and marinades. Large tubs of plain yoghurt are usually cheaper than small flavoured pots and can be sweetened with fruit at home.
• Cottage cheese and hard cheese add protein to snacks, salads and bakes; strong-flavoured cheese goes further because less is needed.

Tinned fish

Tuna, sardines, mackerel and salmon in tins are inexpensive, keep for a long time, and need no cooking. Oily fish such as sardines and mackerel also contain omega-3 fatty acids. Health agencies in many countries recommend eating fish regularly but also give advice on limits for certain fish and certain groups (for example during pregnancy), so it is worth checking your national guidance.

Cheaper cuts of meat

When buying meat, the least expensive cuts are often the most flavourful when cooked slowly:

• Chicken thighs and drumsticks are usually cheaper than breasts and stay juicier.
• Whole chickens often cost less per kilogram than separate portions, and the carcass makes stock.
• Braising cuts of beef and lamb (shin, shoulder, chuck, neck) become tender in stews and slow cookers.
• Minced meat stretches easily when combined with lentils or vegetables.
• Pork shoulder is generally inexpensive and suits slow roasting and stews.

Other options

• Tofu and tempeh are good-value plant proteins in many areas and take on the flavour of marinades and sauces.
• Peanut butter and peanuts add protein to breakfasts and sauces cheaply.
• Frozen fish fillets and frozen prawns are often cheaper than fresh and can be cooked from frozen in some recipes.

Cooking dried pulses in batches

Dried beans and chickpeas are cheaper than tinned, but many people avoid them because of the soaking and cooking time. Batch cooking solves this.

1. Soak. Cover dried beans or chickpeas with plenty of cold water and leave them for eight hours or overnight. They will roughly double in size.
2. Drain and rinse. Discard the soaking water.
3. Boil, then simmer. Cover with fresh water and bring to the boil. Red kidney beans in particular must be boiled vigorously for at least ten minutes to destroy a natural toxin, before simmering until tender; follow your national food-safety guidance. Most beans and chickpeas take between forty-five minutes and an hour and a half to become tender, depending on age and variety.
4. Salt near the end, or follow your preferred method.
5. Cool, portion and freeze. Freeze in portions roughly equal to a tin (about 240 grams drained), with a little cooking liquid. They will keep for months and can go straight into stews and curries.

A pressure cooker or electric multi-cooker reduces cooking time considerably and can make dried pulses even more economical in energy terms.

Lentils and split peas do not need soaking and cook much faster, so they are the easiest place to start.

Stretching meat further

Meat does not have to disappear from the menu to save money. Using less of it per portion, alongside other proteins and vegetables, keeps its flavour while cutting the cost.

• Half and half mince. Replace half the mince in a bolognese, chilli, cottage pie or taco filling with cooked lentils or beans. The texture stays familiar and the dish becomes cheaper and higher in fibre.
• Meat as a flavouring. Use a smaller amount of a strongly flavoured meat — bacon, chorizo, sausage — to season a pot of beans or vegetables.
• Bulk up stews. Add root vegetables, pearl barley, lentils or potatoes to stews so each portion contains less meat.
• Roast once, eat three times. A whole roast chicken can make a Sunday dinner, sandwiches or a curry on Monday, and a pot of stock for soup.
• Slice thinly. Thinly sliced meat in stir-fries and wraps spreads a small amount across more portions.

Building cheap, filling meals

A protein-rich budget meal usually combines a protein, a starch and vegetables. Some reliable combinations:

Shopping tips for protein

• Compare unit prices, especially for meat, where pack sizes vary widely.
• Buy whole and portion at home. Whole chickens and larger packs of meat are often cheaper per kilogram; divide them into portions and freeze.
• Use the freezer section. Frozen chicken, fish and vegetables can be cheaper and produce less waste.
• Check reduced-price counters for meat near its use-by date, and freeze it the same day if you will not cook it immediately.
• Try own-brand pulses and tinned fish, which are often very similar to branded versions.
• Buy dried pulses in larger bags from world-food aisles or specialist shops, where they are often cheapest.

A week of protein for less

To see how these ideas fit together, here is how one household might cover a week of dinners with a mix of proteins rather than relying on meat every night:

• Monday: red lentil and tomato soup with bread — lentils cooked from dry in twenty minutes.
• Tuesday: chicken thigh tray bake with potatoes and carrots, cooking two extra thighs for Wednesday.
• Wednesday: leftover chicken shredded into wraps with salad and yoghurt sauce.
• Thursday: cheese and vegetable omelette with a side of baked beans.
• Friday: half-beef, half-lentil chilli with rice, with half the pot frozen.
• Saturday: chickpea and spinach curry with flatbreads.
• Sunday: sardine and tomato pasta, or a bean and vegetable stew.

Meat appears on only two or three nights, and when it does, it is a cheaper cut or stretched with pulses. Every other night still delivers a protein-rich meal. The household eats a broader range of foods, the freezer gains a portion of chilli for a busy evening, and the total spent on protein falls considerably compared with a week of chicken breasts and steak.

Storing protein foods safely

Cheap protein is only a saving if it stays safe to eat. Keep raw meat and fish in sealed containers at the bottom of the fridge, freeze fresh meat you will not cook before its use-by date, and cool cooked pulses and meat dishes quickly before refrigerating or freezing them. Eggs are best kept according to the guidance in your country. Dried pulses keep for a long time in airtight containers, but very old beans can take much longer to soften, so it is better to buy amounts you will use within a year.

Getting the household on board

Families accustomed to meat at every meal sometimes resist change. A few approaches help:

• Start with familiar dishes. Lentils in a bolognese or beans in a chilli are less of a leap than a completely new recipe.
• Introduce one meat-free night a week and build from there.
• Season generously. Pulses are mild; garlic, onion, spices, herbs, stock and a squeeze of lemon make them delicious.
• Mind the texture. Blending some of the beans into a sauce creates a thick, hearty consistency that many people prefer.

The takeaway

Affordable protein is not about deprivation. Pulses, eggs, dairy, tinned fish and cheaper cuts of meat can form the basis of satisfying, flavourful meals at a fraction of the cost of premium cuts. Batch-cook dried pulses, stretch meat with lentils and vegetables, and lean on a handful of reliable recipes. Your meals stay filling, your diet gains fibre and variety, and your weekly shop becomes noticeably cheaper.