The cheap sources nobody advertises

Nobody runs advertising campaigns for dried lentils, which is roughly why you’ve been told protein is expensive. It isn’t, unless you buy it in a tub or a bar.

The value list

Ranked loosely by protein per unit of cost:

1. Dried lentils and split peas - around 25 grams per 100 grams dry, and almost free
2. Dried beans - chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans; the same story
3. Eggs - about 6 grams each, and the most forgiving thing in any kitchen
4. Tinned fish - sardines and mackerel especially, plus they don’t spoil
5. Milk and plain yoghurt - cheap, and easy to add to things you already eat
6. Frozen chicken thighs - cheaper and more forgiving than breast
7. Tofu and tempeh - underrated on cost, especially in larger blocks

Notice what isn’t on this list: anything with a scoop, anything marketed as “high protein” on the front of the packet, and almost anything in a bar.

The trick that makes it easy

You do not need to build meals around protein. You need to add a protein anchor to meals you already make. Lentils into a tomato sauce, an egg on top of rice, yoghurt instead of cream, tinned fish into a salad you were making anyway.

A note on plant sources

Individual plant proteins have less balanced amino acid profiles than animal ones, which used to be presented as a serious problem. In practice, eating a variety of plants over a day resolves it entirely. If you’re eating mostly plants, aim toward the upper end of your range and include soy, which is the closest plant match to animal protein.

What a day looks like

Porridge made with milk plus yoghurt, lentil soup with bread, and a rice bowl with tofu and an egg gets a 70 kilogram person to roughly their target without anything anyone would call a protein product.