Beef jerky vs Black beans (cooked): which protein is cheaper?

Budget says one, calories say the other

Black beans (cooked) costs $0.025 per gram of protein against $0.166, so it saves $98.66 a week at a 100 g/day target. Beef jerky answers a different question: 8.1 g of protein per 100 kcal against 6.7 g, which is what matters once calories, not dollars, are the thing you run out of first.

The amount you actually have to eat

Thirty grams of protein means 337 g of black beans (cooked), against 90 g for beef jerky. That is a real constraint, not a footnote: a price per gram only counts if the serving is one a person will finish. Treat black beans (cooked) as the base of a meal that other protein is added to, not as the protein itself.

What the calories cost you

Getting 30 g of protein from black beans (cooked) brings 445 kcal with it. On a 2,000 kcal day, three servings would be most of your budget before anything else goes on the plate. That is fine when you are eating at maintenance or building, and it is the reason this food falls apart on a cut no matter how good the price per gram looks.

The gap here is 6.7x, which is unusual

Most matchups in this dataset land inside 2x. Beef jerky costing 6.7x what black beans (cooked) does for the same gram of protein means you are buying something other than protein: processing, shelf stability, convenience or flavour. Worth paying for sometimes, but name it, because at a 100 g/day target that gap is $98.66 a week and $5130.35 a year.

One of these is a convenience purchase

Beef jerky ranks #25 of 25 on cost per gram of protein, near the bottom. It is not a bad food, it is an expensive way to buy protein: $4.97 per 30 g against $0.74 for black beans (cooked). If it is in your basket for the protein, swap it. If it is there because it travels well or you enjoy it, that is a different and perfectly good reason.

Compare against other foods

• Beef jerky vs Oats (dry)Black beans (cooked) vs Oats (dry)
• Beef jerky vs Peanut butterBlack beans (cooked) vs Peanut butter
• Beef jerky vs Lentils (cooked)Black beans (cooked) vs Lentils (cooked)
• Beef jerky vs Tofu (firm)Black beans (cooked) vs Tofu (firm)
• Beef jerky vs Whey protein (1 scoop)Black beans (cooked) vs Whey protein (1 scoop)
• Beef jerky vs Greek yogurt (nonfat)Black beans (cooked) vs Greek yogurt (nonfat)
• Beef jerky vs Eggs (~2 large)Black beans (cooked) vs Eggs (~2 large)
• Beef jerky vs Chicken breast (raw)Black beans (cooked) vs Chicken breast (raw)
• Beef jerky vs Canned tuna (in water)Black beans (cooked) vs Canned tuna (in water)

Frequently asked

Which is cheaper for protein, beef jerky or black beans (cooked)?

Black beans (cooked), at $0.025 per gram of protein against $0.166 for beef jerky (July 2026 US grocery prices). A 30 g protein serving costs $0.74 vs $4.97.

Which has more protein per calorie, beef jerky or black beans (cooked)?

Beef jerky, with 8.1 g protein per 100 kcal against 6.7 g for black beans (cooked), 1.2x leaner. That matters when you are cutting and calories are the binding constraint.

Which should I buy, beef jerky or black beans (cooked)?

Depends on your constraint. On a tight budget with room in your calories, black beans (cooked) is cheaper per gram of protein. On a calorie-capped cut, beef jerky gives you 1.2x more protein per calorie and is usually worth its $0.166/g price.