Protein head-to-heads · July 2026
Edamame vs Milk (2%): 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.
Edamame is 1.1x cheaper per gram of protein ($0.033/g vs $0.035/g), while it also carries more protein per calorie (9.9 g vs 6.8 g per 100 kcal), so it wins on both axes.
| Food | $/g protein | 30 g protein costs | You need | kcal that come with it | Protein/100 kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edamame | $0.033 | $1.00 | 250 g | 303 kcal | 9.9 g |
| Milk (2%) | $0.035 | $1.06 | 882 g | 441 kcal | 6.8 g |
Full macros, per serving
| Food (per serving) | Price | kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edamame (100 g) | $0.40 | 121 | 12 g | 9 g | 5 g |
| Milk (2%) (100 g) | $0.12 | 50 | 3.4 g | 4.8 g | 2 g |
A week of protein from each
Hitting a common 100 g/day protein target from edamame alone costs $23.33 a week; from milk (2%) alone, $24.71. That is a gap of $1.37 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.
This one is not a trade-off
Edamame is both the cheaper protein ($0.033/g against $0.035/g) and the leaner one (9.9 g protein per 100 kcal against 6.8 g). Most matchups force you to pick a side. This one does not, so milk (2%) has to win on taste, prep time or what else it brings to the meal, because it is not winning on the numbers.
The amount you actually have to eat
Thirty grams of protein means 882 g of milk (2%), against 250 g for edamame. That is a real constraint, not a footnote: a price per gram only counts if the serving is one a person will finish. Treat milk (2%) 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 milk (2%) brings 441 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.
Compare against other foods
- Edamame vs Oats (dry)Milk (2%) vs Oats (dry)
- Edamame vs Peanut butterMilk (2%) vs Peanut butter
- Edamame vs Lentils (cooked)Milk (2%) vs Lentils (cooked)
- Edamame vs Tofu (firm)Milk (2%) vs Tofu (firm)
- Edamame vs Black beans (cooked)Milk (2%) vs Black beans (cooked)
- Edamame vs Whey protein (1 scoop)Milk (2%) vs Whey protein (1 scoop)
- Edamame vs Greek yogurt (nonfat)Milk (2%) vs Greek yogurt (nonfat)
- Edamame vs Eggs (~2 large)Milk (2%) vs Eggs (~2 large)
- Edamame vs Chicken breast (raw)Milk (2%) vs Chicken breast (raw)
- Edamame vs Canned tuna (in water)Milk (2%) vs Canned tuna (in water)
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper for protein, edamame or milk (2%)?
- Edamame, at $0.033 per gram of protein against $0.035 for milk (2%) (July 2026 US grocery prices). A 30 g protein serving costs $1.00 vs $1.06.
- Which has more protein per calorie, edamame or milk (2%)?
- Edamame, with 9.9 g protein per 100 kcal against 6.8 g for milk (2%), 1.5x leaner. That matters when you are cutting and calories are the binding constraint.
- Which should I buy, edamame or milk (2%)?
- Edamame wins on both axes here: cheaper per gram of protein and more protein per calorie. Unless taste, prep or the rest of your macros say otherwise, it is the better default.
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.