MacroThriftMacroThrift

Cheapest way to hit your protein target ($/gram protein)

Enter a daily protein goal and calorie cap. See the cheapest and leanest protein sources by real grocery cost, and what it costs per day and per week.

Cheapest protein per dollar

  1. 1Oats (dry)$0.0089
  2. 2Soybeans (dried, raw)$0.0096
  3. 3Wheat flour (all-purpose)$0.0117
  4. 4Vital wheat gluten$0.0133
  5. 5Peanuts (raw)$0.0172
  6. 6Split peas (cooked)$0.0217
  7. 7Peanut butter$0.0220
  8. 8Lentils (cooked)$0.0222
Cheapest way to hit 150 g protein
$1.33/day
$9.32/week

Oats (dry) - 888 g/day (~3453 kcal)

That blows your calorie cap. Leanest protein instead: Canned tuna (in water) (0.22 g protein/kcal).
Turn this into a full week of cheap high-protein meals →

Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no cost to you. Prices are representative US estimates computed from the open dataset; your local prices will vary.

Weekly cheap-macro grocery lists

Get a fresh lowest-cost-to-hit-your-macros shopping list each week.

Frequently asked

What is the cheapest source of protein per gram?
Ranked by cost per gram of protein, dry oats, lentils, peanut butter and tofu are typically the cheapest, while chicken breast, canned tuna and whey are cheapest among lean (high protein-per-calorie) sources. This tool ranks them live from a grocery-price dataset.
How much does it cost to eat 150g of protein a day?
It depends on the source. Using the cheapest protein in the dataset, the tool computes the exact grams needed and the daily and weekly dollar cost, and warns you if hitting the target on that source alone would exceed your calorie cap.
Cheapest vs leanest - what's the difference?
Cheapest = lowest dollars per gram of protein (often carb- or fat-heavy staples). Leanest = most protein per calorie (best when cutting). The tool shows both so you can trade cost against calories.