Protein head-to-heads · July 2026
Beef jerky vs Lentils (cooked): which protein is cheaper?
USDA macros joined to current US grocery prices, reduced to the two numbers that decide it: dollars per gram of protein, and protein per calorie.
Lentils (cooked) is 7.5x cheaper per gram of protein ($0.022/g vs $0.166/g), while Beef jerky is the leaner choice at 8.1 g protein per 100 kcal against 7.8 g. Budget favours one, a calorie cap favours the other.
| Food | $/g protein | 30 g protein costs | You need | kcal that come with it | Protein/100 kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beef jerky | $0.166 | $4.97 | 90 g | 371 kcal | 8.1 g |
| Lentils (cooked) | $0.022 | $0.67 | 333 g | 387 kcal | 7.8 g |
Full macros, per serving
| Food (per serving) | Price | kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beef jerky (100 g) | $5.50 | 411 | 33.2 g | 11 g | 25.6 g |
| Lentils (cooked) (100 g) | $0.20 | 116 | 9 g | 20 g | 0.4 g |
A week of protein from each
Hitting a common 100 g/day protein target from lentils (cooked) alone costs $15.56 a week; from beef jerky alone, $115.96. That is a gap of $100.41 every week for the same protein. In practice you mix sources: the planner computes the cheapest mix for your exact target and calorie cap, live from the same dataset.
Budget says one, calories say the other
Lentils (cooked) costs $0.022 per gram of protein against $0.166, so it saves $100.41 a week at a 100 g/day target. Beef jerky answers a different question: 8.1 g of protein per 100 kcal against 7.8 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 333 g of lentils (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 lentils (cooked) as the base of a meal that other protein is added to, not as the protein itself.
The gap here is 7.5x, which is unusual
Most matchups in this dataset land inside 2x. Beef jerky costing 7.5x what lentils (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 $100.41 a week and $5221.23 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 $0.67 for lentils (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)Lentils (cooked) vs Oats (dry)
- Beef jerky vs Peanut butterLentils (cooked) vs Peanut butter
- Beef jerky vs Tofu (firm)Lentils (cooked) vs Tofu (firm)
- Beef jerky vs Black beans (cooked)Lentils (cooked) vs Black beans (cooked)
- Beef jerky vs Whey protein (1 scoop)Lentils (cooked) vs Whey protein (1 scoop)
- Beef jerky vs Greek yogurt (nonfat)Lentils (cooked) vs Greek yogurt (nonfat)
- Beef jerky vs Eggs (~2 large)Lentils (cooked) vs Eggs (~2 large)
- Beef jerky vs Chicken breast (raw)Lentils (cooked) vs Chicken breast (raw)
- Beef jerky vs Canned tuna (in water)Lentils (cooked) vs Canned tuna (in water)
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper for protein, beef jerky or lentils (cooked)?
- Lentils (cooked), at $0.022 per gram of protein against $0.166 for beef jerky (July 2026 US grocery prices). A 30 g protein serving costs $0.67 vs $4.97.
- Which has more protein per calorie, beef jerky or lentils (cooked)?
- Beef jerky, with 8.1 g protein per 100 kcal against 7.8 g for lentils (cooked), 1.0x leaner. That matters when you are cutting and calories are the binding constraint.
- Which should I buy, beef jerky or lentils (cooked)?
- Depends on your constraint. On a tight budget with room in your calories, lentils (cooked) is cheaper per gram of protein. On a calorie-capped cut, beef jerky gives you 1.0x more protein per calorie and is usually worth its $0.166/g price.
Prices are representative US grocery prices as of July 2026; your store will differ. Educational content, not medical or dietary advice. Dataset: free download, CC-BY.