Cheap protien

Eve53

I need suggestions on cheap protien. My food budget is really low (about $40 a week) so I can't afford the shakes and bars and all of that stuff. Even things like nuts are really too expensive. So what do you all recommend? Anything? Please help.

Michellerw1

Dried beans, grains like quinoa, and whatever meat may be on sale. It is much more healthy and inexpensive to do natural foods rather than bars/shakes.

Circa1964

I'm not good at this either. There are 7 grams in 2 tbsp of Peanut Butter. Beans are high in protein and very inexpensive, and eggs and milk both have 6 g. I hope this helps. I need more protein too.

Artemis_Acorn

Tuna fish, cottage cheese, eggs, beans, milk, chicken.

skinnylove00

two words: CANNED TUNA.

wearystar

canned tuna or salmon, eggs, peanut butter (especially on sales), canned beans (dried are cheaper but a pain to prepare).
i have a low budget too, these things can be used different ways in a lot of meals though and are usually really cheap.

ak_in_ak

string cheese, edamame beans, plain yogurt( get a larger container and portion out yourself)

one of my favoirte things to make are bean burritos, low carb wraps with shredded cheese and beans
you get protein, fiber, and good carbs all in one.

angelew

Beans! Meals could be red beans with brown rice and chicken sausage, Cuban black bean soup, split pea soup with diced ham, etc. Most bags of dry beans have some good recipes on the back. If time is an issue, canned beans are great, too! There is nothing better on a salad than garbanzo beans. The cheapest, healthiest (fat free) protein out there!

kensky

Eggs! I get the big pallet of them for 7 dollars--I want to say there are 30+ of medium sized store-brand eggs for that price. We hard boil most of them and eat them as snacks all the time. Egg salad is also a favorite lunch of ours too.

If you get a big honking can of tuna rather than the small sized pouches then you get a much better value also.

Nonfat powdered milk is way cheaper than a jug. This is the only kind of cow's milk I buy these days.

Leslietheriot

Tuna fish and dried beans are a cheap option. Stay away from the protein bars and shakes. They are expensive and sometimes have alot of fat and/or sugar.

Lori_menorahlover

Edamame is very cheap. I buy the Seapoint Farm brand in the freezer section: http://www.seapointfarms.com/

brewingaz

Tuna is pretty cheap.

MissMaryMac33

You can get a whole jug of whey protein from Walmart for about $15 --- body fortress. It's not bad in a pinch -- I actually love my protein shakes and this is what I buy when funds are running low. The other place I buy from is trueprotein.com which is very cheap since you're not paying for fancing packaging and they have tons of good flavors. Quick 20-30g protein fix.

Greek Yogurt is another one I can't live without -- I buy Fage 0% in bulk from Target and its an easy 20g protein.

Quinioa and some of the other suggestions are great too..

SimplyFreckled

Egg Whites.........

MissMaryMac33

Tuna fish and dried beans are a cheap option. Stay away from the protein bars and shakes. They are expensive and sometimes have alot of fat and/or sugar.

Only if you buy the expensive pre-made one. If you make them yourself, they are one of the best protein boosts.
My typical daily shakes have no fat, sugar or carbs and 27g protein. I make them myself.

peachNpunkin

if you have a crock pot, or you can probably get one at good will. Just soak you some beans overnight, rinse them well the next morning, and throw them in your crockpot on high for a couple hours and then on low for about 5 or 6 hours. They will be ready by the time you get home in the evening. Its easy to do, and you can eat them with meats, or with brown rice. I do it all the time, and you can get good size bag of beans for a buck or so. 1 bag can last you a couple of weeks.

fteale

Chickpeas, pulses, textured veg protein.

Hodar

Tough to beat eggs and cheese.

Omlettes, boiled - or my all time easy to-go habit. I affectionally call them hockey-pucks.

Whip eggs in a blender. Either pre-cooked sausage or cook your favorite sausage. Cut up an onion, and grab a bag of shredded cheese.

Get a muffin pan (I prefer the jumbo muffins). fill about half-full with the omlete ingredients, then fill to the 3/4 mark with the blended eggs.
Bake at 350 for ~20 minutes.

Get a small container of Salsa you carry to work. Microwave the hockey-pucks for 1 minute - dunk or top with Salsa and you have a high protein breakfast that is ready to go; and lasts about a week in the fridge.

wifeygettingfit

Hi. I use protein powder, Biochem 100% Whey Protein. One container should last well into the next month. You can mix with water, juice, milk........ I also figured a flat of eggs in the long-run is less expensive than a dozen. One whole egg + 3-4 egg whites is a good part of breakfast or even dinner.

jlrae

Have you tried Aldi? You can get small packages of dried fruits and nuts there for quite cheap- they also have dried beans, some produce, wheat bread, large bags of chicken breast for $6, hummus, light string cheese, etc.

The farmer's markets are GREAT for healthy budget cooking- for example, I just picked up seven giant zucchini for $5!

Eat lots of beans, whole grains, fruits and veggies, stay away from the convenience stuff. You can make a BIG pot of brown rice, veggies or beans, and (one) chicken breast that will last for several meals! Or a pot of lentil soup that will feed you for nearly a week!

I can feed my family of six quite well for under $50 a week- it just takes research, planning and effort!

momburntdinner

I need to know on what planet tuna is cheap. Tuna here is ridiculously expensive and I shop and Aldi's and Grocery outlets...!!