Cheap, high protein, low calorie protein
levir620
Posts: 1 Member
I need a good source of protein with semi low calories that's also pretty cheap. Can't be protein powder either.
1
Answers
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Chicken breast. Buy it bone in and skin on, way cheaper than boneless/skinless. Cook it as it, then if you don't want to eat the skin, just pull it off and carve the chicken from the bone.3
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Pork meat is quite lean. I don't know the price where you are. This is, after all a global forum. There's a list of protein-rich food somewhere here.1
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Greek yogurt and skyr are great too.
Here's the list Yirara is referring to:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also/p1
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Sardines (in brine).
Cheap AF, about 50p per tin in the UK for 100g.
183kcals and 21g protein.1 -
nolongergordo wrote: »Sardines (in brine).
Cheap AF, about 50p per tin in the UK for 100g.
183kcals and 21g protein.
Damn, I'm envious! A small tin here is more like 3 Euro
Mind you, parsnip is rather expensive here as well. It's all considered posh food. 0 -
nolongergordo wrote: »Sardines (in brine).
Cheap AF, about 50p per tin in the UK for 100g.
183kcals and 21g protein.
Damn, I'm envious! A small tin here is more like 3 Euro Mind you, parsnip is rather expensive here as well. It's all considered posh food.
Wow! If it were that expensive here I'd be much smaller than I am lol.
Get some cheap flights to the UK and stock up!1 -
nolongergordo wrote: »nolongergordo wrote: »Sardines (in brine).
Cheap AF, about 50p per tin in the UK for 100g.
183kcals and 21g protein.
Damn, I'm envious! A small tin here is more like 3 Euro Mind you, parsnip is rather expensive here as well. It's all considered posh food.
Wow! If it were that expensive here I'd be much smaller than I am lol.
Get some cheap flights to the UK and stock up!
Will be coming to the UK in February. But.. but.. I think I might be stocking up on crisps because nothing beats British crisps.
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nolongergordo wrote: »nolongergordo wrote: »Sardines (in brine).
Cheap AF, about 50p per tin in the UK for 100g.
183kcals and 21g protein.
Damn, I'm envious! A small tin here is more like 3 Euro Mind you, parsnip is rather expensive here as well. It's all considered posh food.
Wow! If it were that expensive here I'd be much smaller than I am lol.
Get some cheap flights to the UK and stock up!
Will be coming to the UK in February. But.. but.. I think I might be stocking up on crisps because nothing beats British crisps.
To be fair if I had a choice between a share-bag of cheese and onion and a can of sardines I'd probably go for the crisps too haha3 -
nicsflyingcircus wrote: »Chicken breast. Buy it bone in and skin on, way cheaper than boneless/skinless. Cook it as it, then if you don't want to eat the skin, just pull it off and carve the chicken from the bone.
I love baked bone-in, skin-on chicken breast
Whole chicken is even more economical. Sure, dark meat has a little more calories due to slightly more fat, but we need some fat anyway.
Some stores have already cooked whole chickens (rotisserie chickens) for a very good price. When I shared a kitchen, I got these a lot.0 -
nolongergordo wrote: »Sardines (in brine).
Cheap AF, about 50p per tin in the UK for 100g.
183kcals and 21g protein.
For those us in the US who were curious:
Generative AI says "50 pence is about 60 cents"
That's cheaper than I can get them here as well - Walmart's store brand is $1.07 for 3.75 oz and name brand is $2.98 for 3.75 oz.0 -
Spinach. You can eat all you want.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Spinach. You can eat all you want.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Careful there! 2kg would be about 500 calories, and that's quite a lot! Would give you 44gr of fiber though (ugh!) and about 58gr of protein
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@levir620, if you haven't already seen it, this thread may be helpful:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also
It links to a spreadsheet that lists many, many foods in order by most protein for fewest calories.
Not knowing where you are, I don't know what's cheap near you, since that can vary. Maybe you can use that thread to identify some possible things that are cheap(-ish) for you.
Dried beans are cheap in most places, but they take prep time, and you need to combine with something to get a complete, balanced protein (in terms of essential amino acids). It depends on details, but some grains, seeds or nuts can work. Beans and corn or beans and rice are traditional combinations. If you go this route, recognize that some beans need to be boiled for a bit for safety . . . slow cooking alone won't do it.Spinach. You can eat all you want.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Careful there! 2kg would be about 500 calories, and that's quite a lot! Would give you 44gr of fiber though (ugh!) and about 58gr of protein
Yup. And spinach (among other greens) is also high in oxalates, which can hinder absorption of some minerals (such as calcium), and may contribute to developing kidney stones. There's no need for most people to avoid spinach in normal moderate portions/frequency, but eating bales of it for daily protein is probably a bad idea. On top of that, it isn't necessarily cheap everywhere.0 -
Spinach. You can eat all you want.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Careful there! 2kg would be about 500 calories, and that's quite a lot! Would give you 44gr of fiber though (ugh!) and about 58gr of protein
Well, the next time someone is going to eat around 66 cups of spinach, I'll let them know to be careful.
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kshama2001 wrote: »nicsflyingcircus wrote: »Chicken breast. Buy it bone in and skin on, way cheaper than boneless/skinless. Cook it as it, then if you don't want to eat the skin, just pull it off and carve the chicken from the bone.
I love baked bone-in, skin-on chicken breast
Whole chicken is even more economical. Sure, dark meat has a little more calories due to slightly more fat, but we need some fat anyway.
Some stores have already cooked whole chickens (rotisserie chickens) for a very good price. When I shared a kitchen, I got these a lot.
I prefer dark meat too, but alot of people are really stuck on the white meat, lol. If I do eat the white meat, it's in casseroles or soups (so moist), of bone in, skin on.0 -
Egg white omlet with tomato, onion, mushroom avocado and non dairy cheese. A bit of tabasco and you'r under 300 calories.0
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I need a good source of protein with semi low calories that's also pretty cheap. Can't be protein powder either.
What does "semi low calories" mean?
Does it have to be a complete protein?
I can buy bulk dried black beans for about $1.20 per pound. They get about a quarter of their calories from protein. A pound o' beans is about 2.5 cups. A cup of dried beans makes about three cups of cooked beans, so a pound of dried beans makes almost a half gallon of cooked beans. If a serving of cooked beans is a half-cup, that pound of beans makes about 15 servings. A half-cup of cooked beans has eight grams of protein and about 120 calories. Ignoring the cost of energy to cook those beans, that's eight cents per serving. Protein for one cent per gram. That's pretty cheap.
Eggs get about a third of their calories from protein. A hard cooked egg provides about six grams of protein and about 78 calories. Pasture-raised eggs from Trader Joe's run less than forty cents each. That's about six cents per gram. You do get slightly more protein per calorie from an egg than from beans, but the cost is six times as much.
Canned fish might fit the bill. Sustainably harvested fish is going to be more expensive, but it's all I will eat. You will probably pay more for tinned salmon than tuna, and you'll get more protein from tuna. If calories are important, get fish packed in water or broth rather than oil. You can expect 15-20 grams of protein per serving and pay from less than a buck to maybe three bucks per serving.
If you're looking to save some money, there are stores that sell food that is either ugly or near/past expiration date. Look for plain yogurt or cottage cheese. Lower fat means fewer calories, and there's plenty of protein. If these are fermented (yogurt should always be, and real cottage cheese is although most isn't), they should be fine for a fair bit past the expiration date. I'd suggest also looking for budget cheeses, but they fail any "semi-low calorie" screen. I do like cheese though.
If you're looking for meat, chicken will provide the most protein per calorie, but if you are looking for chicken meat from animals that were raised and slaughtered humanely, it won't pass the cheap test. I generally avoid chickens because of the farming practices. You can find cheaper tough cuts of other meats and cook them low and slow to pass the cheap test, but they might not pass the "semi-low calorie" test. Talk to your butcher to see if they have things they can't or don't want to sell and buy 'em cheap. If you live near the coast, you can sometimes get fish carcasses too.
I don't recommend thinks like Spam, Vienna Sausage, or canned chili, but they are for sure cheap sources of protein. They likely don't pass the "semi-low calorie" screen though.
You'll get ten grams of protein for 90 calories worth of tofu. You'll get 15 grams of protein for 160 calories of tempeh. But then we're all the way back to beans, and the dried beans will be much less expensive. You can make your own tofu if you want. Making tempeh would be more challenging.
As far as that goes, when you see a local store have a ridiculous low price on milk, go buy as much as you can and make your own yogurt. When he was much younger and pretty poor, my friend ate a lot of home-made yogurt from loss-leader milk. You can read about the process. It's pretty simple, but you do want to have sanitary technique. Once fermented, it will last a long time.
Good luck.
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I need a good source of protein with semi low calories that's also pretty cheap. Can't be protein powder either.
(snip)
As far as that goes, when you see a local store have a ridiculous low price on milk, go buy as much as you can and make your own yogurt. When he was much younger and pretty poor, my friend ate a lot of home-made yogurt from loss-leader milk. You can read about the process. It's pretty simple, but you do want to have sanitary technique. Once fermented, it will last a long time.
Good luck.
Endorsed. When I was in college, my roommates and I made yogurt from nonfat instant milk powder. It wasn't the best yogurt ever, but it wasn't terrible . . . and it certainly was cheap. Stupid easy, actually - but important to make sure the powder is fully dissolved.
That homemade yogurt, homemade all whole-wheat bread, and homemade refried beans were staple foods. Cheap, nutritious. Did I say cheap? Cheap!
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I need a good source of protein with semi low calories that's also pretty cheap. Can't be protein powder either.
(snip)
As far as that goes, when you see a local store have a ridiculous low price on milk, go buy as much as you can and make your own yogurt. When he was much younger and pretty poor, my friend ate a lot of home-made yogurt from loss-leader milk. You can read about the process. It's pretty simple, but you do want to have sanitary technique. Once fermented, it will last a long time.
Good luck.
Endorsed. When I was in college, my roommates and I made yogurt from nonfat instant milk powder. It wasn't the best yogurt ever, but it wasn't terrible . . . and it certainly was cheap. Stupid easy, actually - but important to make sure the powder is fully dissolved.
That homemade yogurt, homemade all whole-wheat bread, and homemade refried beans were staple foods. Cheap, nutritious. Did I say cheap? Cheap!
Oh I totally get the idea of eating-on-the-cheap.
When I went to grad school, I opted to go to a particular institution in part because I had visited the campus before, in part because I was interested in the thesis project they were going to have me work on, and in a big part because of the assistantship and out-of-state tuition waiver they offered. Then came the bait-and-switch.
There was a fellow who was doing a non-thesis degree, but decided he wanted to write a thesis and get the full degree. They gave him my project. Way bummer. My project was interesting enough, but I wouldn't have chosen that school if that's the project they offered. I had some other options. Then when I went to register for classes, they asked me to pay tuition. I told them I thought I had a tuition waiver. They said that no, that was just for the out-of-state portion. Grad students shouldn't have to pay tuition since they do so much work for the University. Whatever. I eventually became a resident, but that didn't matter. So now my assistantship was a lot more meager. I ate a LOT of dried beans and brown rice. Served me well. I also learned to make a really good winter squash soup and beef it up with a can of mackerel. Cheap food! We grew an abundant garden for fresh vegetables in season, and I learned to make my own beer. I used the lees (yeast cake on the bottom) to make fresh bread. I didn't eat meat at the time, so that helped too.
I wouldn't change a thing. I am happy with the person I became after going through everything I went through. I do sometimes wonder what would have become of me if I had made another option for grad school. There was a scientist in Wyoming who really wanted me to come work for him. I could have had a full ride there or studying tree genetics down south.
I've got another story about those times that's sort of related, but it has even less to do with cheap food that has enough protein.
We used to make seitan, too. So much easier if you can just buy gluten. We made it the old fashioned way - rinsing and rinsing wheat flour. Cheap protein, but a fair bit of work.
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If you already have a fishing rod & reel and a license, that can be a great way to add protein.
A friend who decided to start fly fishing a few years ago who really never fished much told me though that he thought it would be cheaper to just sit in a chair next to the water and throw dollar bills in.
You know they say if you give a person a fish, they'll eat for the day. If you teach them to fish, they'll never work another honest day in their life.
And since it was just Thanksgiving - Give a person an ear of corn and they'll eat for the day; teach them to grow corn and they'll steal your land, give you smallpox, and put you on a reservation. Corn is actually fairly cheap protein, but it's not that much protein. Mix it with beans though and it's a complete one!1 -
As others have said, buy loss-leader milk and make your own yoghurt in a slow cooker (I bought my slow cooker at a yard sale for $2 and have been using it for probably 10 years). If you want Greek yoghurt, you just have to strain it for a bit. I'll be making a batch this morning. I wish I had known how easy it was to make and I would have started making my own years ago.
Dhal (Dahl) is one of my favourite "cheap" foods. The base is dried lentils with a few different additions (lots of recipes online). I try to always have some in my freezer for an "emergency" quick dinner.
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nolongergordo wrote: »nolongergordo wrote: »Sardines (in brine).
Cheap AF, about 50p per tin in the UK for 100g.
183kcals and 21g protein.
Damn, I'm envious! A small tin here is more like 3 Euro Mind you, parsnip is rather expensive here as well. It's all considered posh food.
Wow! If it were that expensive here I'd be much smaller than I am lol.
Get some cheap flights to the UK and stock up!
Will be coming to the UK in February. But.. but.. I think I might be stocking up on crisps because nothing beats British crisps.
Be careful about bringing “meats” back.
Says the lady who is now on some Sausage List and gets pulled aside for bag searches every single time.
Mine was declared and vacuum packed. No dice. Not allowed. Six or seven years of baggage searches now. 😅
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Boneless skinless chicken breast. Often $1.99 a pound locally. I grill a couple extra pounds every Sunday night with dinner, seasoned with a simple chipotle mix or a Lawry’s type seasoning, chop, and have it a low carb wrap throughout the week.
Six ounces in a wrap comes to about 225 calories, if memory serves.
Victoria Taylor Spices has an excellent honey Aleppo seasoning that is awesome on grilled chicken. Sometimes you can find it at TJ Maxx.0
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