Protein head-to-heads · July 2026
Lentils (cooked) vs Tilapia (raw): 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 2.1x cheaper per gram of protein ($0.022/g vs $0.048/g), while Tilapia (raw) is the leaner choice at 20.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lentils (cooked) | $0.022 | $0.67 | 333 g | 387 kcal | 7.8 g |
| Tilapia (raw) | $0.048 | $1.43 | 150 g | 144 kcal | 20.8 g |
Full macros, per serving
| Food (per serving) | Price | kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lentils (cooked) (100 g) | $0.20 | 116 | 9 g | 20 g | 0.4 g |
| Tilapia (raw) (100 g) | $0.95 | 96 | 20 g | 0 g | 1.7 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 tilapia (raw) alone, $33.25. That is a gap of $17.69 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 $0.048, so it saves $17.69 a week at a 100 g/day target. Tilapia (raw) answers a different question: 20.8 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 150 g for tilapia (raw). 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.
One of these is a convenience purchase
Tilapia (raw) ranks #21 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: $1.43 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.
On a cut these are not comparable
Tilapia (raw) carries 2.7x the protein per calorie that lentils (cooked) does. When you are eating at a deficit, that ratio is the whole game: the same 30 g of protein arrives with 144 kcal from one and 387 kcal from the other. The cheaper option stops being cheaper once you count what you had to give up elsewhere to fit it in.
Compare against other foods
- Lentils (cooked) vs Oats (dry)Tilapia (raw) vs Oats (dry)
- Lentils (cooked) vs Peanut butterTilapia (raw) vs Peanut butter
- Lentils (cooked) vs Tofu (firm)Tilapia (raw) vs Tofu (firm)
- Lentils (cooked) vs Black beans (cooked)Tilapia (raw) vs Black beans (cooked)
- Lentils (cooked) vs Whey protein (1 scoop)Tilapia (raw) vs Whey protein (1 scoop)
- Lentils (cooked) vs Greek yogurt (nonfat)Tilapia (raw) vs Greek yogurt (nonfat)
- Lentils (cooked) vs Eggs (~2 large)Tilapia (raw) vs Eggs (~2 large)
- Lentils (cooked) vs Chicken breast (raw)Tilapia (raw) vs Chicken breast (raw)
- Lentils (cooked) vs Canned tuna (in water)Tilapia (raw) vs Canned tuna (in water)
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper for protein, lentils (cooked) or tilapia (raw)?
- Lentils (cooked), at $0.022 per gram of protein against $0.048 for tilapia (raw) (July 2026 US grocery prices). A 30 g protein serving costs $0.67 vs $1.43.
- Which has more protein per calorie, lentils (cooked) or tilapia (raw)?
- Tilapia (raw), with 20.8 g protein per 100 kcal against 7.8 g for lentils (cooked), 2.7x leaner. That matters when you are cutting and calories are the binding constraint.
- Which should I buy, lentils (cooked) or tilapia (raw)?
- 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, tilapia (raw) gives you 2.7x more protein per calorie and is usually worth its $0.048/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.