Protein Cost Calculator
Work out what you really pay for protein by comparing foods on cost per 20 g and per 100 g of protein instead of price per package.
- Protein in package
- 113.5 g
- Cost per 20 g protein
- 1.06
- Cost per 100 g protein
- 5.29
Why price per package misleads
A 1 kg bag of lentils and a 500 g tub of protein powder can sit on the same shelf at very different prices. Neither price tells you what you're paying for protein. Packages differ in size, and foods differ hugely in how much protein they hold. The fair comparison is cost per gram of protein. This calculator expresses that as cost per 20 g and per 100 g of protein.
You enter three numbers: the price, the package weight in grams and the protein per 100 g. The tool works out total protein in the package and divides the price across it.
- Protein in package = package grams × protein per 100 g ÷ 100
- Cost per 20 g protein = price ÷ protein in package × 20
- Cost per 100 g protein = price ÷ protein in package × 100
Worked example
Here are four example products. The prices are illustrative, so use your local prices, because they vary a lot by country and store.
| Product | Price | Package | Protein/100 g | Protein in pack | Cost per 20 g protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry lentils | 3.00 | 1,000 g | 24 | 240 g | 0.25 |
| Peanut butter | 4.50 | 1,000 g | 25 | 250 g | 0.36 |
| Canned tuna | 1.80 | 120 g drained | 25 | 30 g | 1.20 |
| Whey protein | 30.00 | 1,000 g | 75 | 750 g | 0.80 |
In this example, lentils give the cheapest protein by a wide margin, and canned tuna the most expensive. Your local numbers may tell a different story, and that's the point of running them yourself.
How to use the calculator, step by step
- Find the price on the shelf tag or receipt. Use the price you actually pay, including any multi-buy deal.
- Find the package weight in grams. For tins and jars in liquid, use the drained weight if it's listed.
- Find protein per 100 g on the nutrition label. If the label only lists protein per serving, divide by the serving weight and multiply by 100.
- Enter all three numbers.
- Compare cost per 20 g of protein across foods. 20 g is roughly the protein in a typical protein-focused snack or a small meal portion.
The calculator works in any currency. Just use the same currency for every food you compare.
A larger illustrative comparison
These prices are made up for illustration. They're not quotes from any shop and will differ from yours. The protein values are typical label or USDA-style figures.
| Food | Price | Package | Protein / 100 g | Protein in pack | Cost / 20 g | Cost / 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dried lentils | 3.00 | 1,000 g | 24 | 240 g | 0.25 | 1.25 |
| Dried black beans | 2.50 | 1,000 g | 21 | 210 g | 0.24 | 1.19 |
| Eggs (10, about 500 g edible) | 3.20 | 500 g | 12.6 | 63 g | 1.02 | 5.08 |
| Chicken breast, raw | 9.00 | 1,000 g | 22.5 | 225 g | 0.80 | 4.00 |
| Firm tofu | 2.20 | 400 g | 15 | 60 g | 0.73 | 3.67 |
| Greek yogurt, non-fat | 3.50 | 1,000 g | 10.3 | 103 g | 0.68 | 3.40 |
| Peanuts | 3.80 | 1,000 g | 25 | 250 g | 0.30 | 1.52 |
| Pumpkin seeds | 6.00 | 500 g | 30 | 150 g | 0.80 | 4.00 |
| Beef jerky | 5.00 | 100 g | 33 | 33 g | 3.03 | 15.15 |
| Tuna pouch | 2.50 | 85 g | 25 | 21 g | 2.35 | 11.76 |
With these example prices, dried beans, lentils and peanuts are the cheapest protein, while chicken, tofu, yogurt and pumpkin seeds sit in the middle. Jerky and tuna pouches are the most expensive per gram of protein, but they're convenient and light, which can matter more on a trip.
Worked example: a cheaper chili
A batch of chili made with 500 g of beef mince at an illustrative 8.00 gives about 100 g of protein if the mince has 20 g of protein per 100 g. Replacing half the beef with about 210 g of dry lentils, at the 3.00-per-kilo lentil price above, gives roughly the same protein for about 4.63 instead of 8.00. That's a saving of about 42%, with more fibre and only a small change in texture.
Run your own versions of swaps like this, then scale the recipe with the meal prep recipe scaler.
Cost and convenience
| Convenience level | Examples | Typical cost pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Needs cooking from dry | Lentils, beans, dry soy | Usually cheapest |
| Raw, needs cooking | Chicken, eggs, tofu | Often moderate |
| Ready to eat | Yogurt, cottage cheese, tinned fish | Moderate to higher |
| Shelf-stable and portable | Jerky, pouches, bars | Usually the most expensive |
A sensible approach for many people is to build most meals on cheap, cook-from-scratch sources and use the convenient ones where they save real time or weight.
Trail-specific cost tips
- Peanut butter and peanuts are often among the cheapest trail protein and also very dense.
- Milk powder is a cheap way to add protein to breakfasts and drinks.
- Dry soy (TVP) is usually cheaper than freeze-dried meat and rehydrates quickly.
- Make your own trail mix with the trail mix builder rather than buying premium mixes.
- Buy bulk seeds and portion them at home.
Common mistakes
- Using the net weight for tinned food that includes liquid.
- Comparing per serving instead of per gram of protein.
- Forgetting discounts or multi-buys that change the real price.
- Comparing raw and cooked weights without noting which is which. Price usually relates to raw or dry weight, so use raw or dry protein values.
- Ignoring waste. Food you throw away still cost money.
Glossary
- Cost per 20 g protein: the price of 20 g of protein from that food.
- Drained weight: the weight of solid food in a tin or jar after liquid is removed.
- Unit price: price per kilogram or per 100 g, often shown on shelf tags.
Using the results well
Cost is only one factor. A cheap source you won't eat is no bargain. A few things to weigh alongside the number:
- Preparation. Dry legumes are cheap but need cooking. Tins and powders are convenient and cost more.
- Calories. Peanut butter is cheap protein but comes with a lot of calories. That's great on the trail and less useful if you have a calorie budget. The protein density calculator shows that trade-off.
- Weight for hiking. Tuna pouches are light per serving but, as the table shows, they're expensive protein. For trips, compare them against peanut butter powder or seeds.
- Waste. A big bag at a low unit price can still cost more if half of it goes stale.
Cost per gram of protein vs cost per calorie
Protein cost answers one question. For many budgets, calories matter too. A food can be cheap protein but expensive energy, or the reverse:
| Food type | Protein cost | Energy cost | Example use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dried legumes | Low | Low | Base of cheap meals at home |
| Peanuts and peanut butter | Low | Very low | Cheap trail energy plus protein |
| Lean meat and fish | Moderate–high | High | Protein-focused meals |
| Low-fat dairy | Moderate | High | Protein snacks with few calories |
| Oils and fats | None | Very low | Cheap calories, no protein |
If you're feeding a hungry hiking group on a budget, cheap energy matters as much as cheap protein, and peanuts, oats, oil and rice are hard to beat. If you're trying to hit a protein target within a calorie limit at home, lean sources like chicken, tofu and low-fat yogurt may be worth their higher protein cost.
Tracking prices over time
Food prices change with seasons, promotions and inflation. A simple spreadsheet with four columns (food, date, price, cost per 20 g of protein) lets you spot when a staple has crept up, or when a usually expensive item is on offer. Update it every month or two. After a while, you'll know at a glance which shelf-tag prices are good deals for you.
Protein supplements
Protein powders can look cheap per gram of protein, as in the example tables. Whether they're worth it depends on your goals and diet. Many people meet their needs from ordinary food. If you choose a powder, check the protein per scoop on the label, since scoop sizes and protein content vary between brands, and look for independent quality testing where it's available in your country.
Shopping list example
A made-up weekly budget list built on low-cost protein might include dried lentils, a big bag of oats, eggs, a block of tofu, a tub of yogurt, peanut butter and one pack of chicken. Running each through the calculator shows where most of the protein comes from and where the money goes. Often, two or three cheap staples supply most of the week's protein, while one or two convenience items take a large share of the cost.
Calculating protein per 100 g from a serving label
Many labels, especially in the US, list protein per serving rather than per 100 g. To convert:
protein per 100 g = protein per serving ÷ serving weight in grams × 100
For example, a label showing 7 g of protein in a 32 g serving works out to 7 ÷ 32 × 100 = about 21.9 g per 100 g. Enter that in the calculator. If the serving is given only by volume, such as "1 cup", weigh a serving at home once and note it down for next time.
Questions to ask before switching
Before replacing a familiar protein with a cheaper one, ask:
- Will I enjoy it enough to keep eating it?
- Do I have time to prepare it? Dry beans save money but need soaking and cooking, or a pressure cooker.
- Does it suit my diet and any allergies?
- Will it keep? Fresh foods bought in bulk can spoil before you use them.
If the answer to all four is yes, the calculator's cheapest option is probably a good switch. Try it for a week before buying in bulk, and note how it went in your price list.
Meal prep and budgets
When you batch-cook for the week, the protein in your meals adds up quickly. Running your three or four main protein sources through this calculator often shows easy savings. A common example is replacing part of the meat in a chili with lentils or beans. The meal prep recipe scaler helps you test those swaps across a whole batch.
Limitations
The calculator takes your inputs at face value. Weigh drained solids for tinned foods, because the label weight usually includes liquid. It doesn't account for protein quality, and it doesn't say anything about health. It's simply arithmetic that makes comparisons fair.
For practical, budget-minded ideas, see cheap high-protein meal prep.
Related tools and guides
- Protein density calculator: protein per gram and per calorie, to pair with cost.
- Meal prep recipe scaler: scale a budget recipe and see protein per container.
- Trail mix builder: build a low-cost, high-protein snack mix.
- Cheap high-protein meal prep: budget menus using the cheapest sources.
- High-protein diet recipes: simple recipes to plug cheap proteins into.
A quick shopping routine
Next time you shop, take photos of the price tags and labels of your usual protein foods. At home, run each one through the calculator and keep a short list of your top three by cost per 20 g. Prices change, so repeat this every few months. That small habit tends to beat any generic "cheapest protein" list, because it reflects your own store.
Frequently asked questions
Why 20 g of protein?
It's a convenient, meal-sized amount and makes comparisons easy to picture. The 100 g figure is there too if you prefer to think in daily totals.
Does the calculator handle any currency?
Yes. Enter the price in whatever currency you use. The results come out in the same currency.
Where do I find protein per 100 g?
Most labels outside the US list it directly. On US labels, divide protein per serving by serving weight in grams and multiply by 100. The protein density calculator does this for you.