| The idea here is to compare different sources of protein on a price per pound basis. | |||
| Prices will not be the same in Palo Alto, Toronto, New York, or New Orleans. | |||
| The cost of seafood very much depends on how close you live to the sea. | |||
| I have included some cheeses, legumes and some nuts as well as a few exotics.. | |||
| The price ranges were derived from my local Walmart Neighborhood Center (low cost) and | |||
| Safeway (higher cost generally) in Sacramento, CA. You may find “specials” at lower cost! | |||
| Price per lb. | |||
| Product Description | Low | High | Comments [Notes are below] |
| Carnivore Protein | I reveal my bias. So what? | ||
| Seafood | Necessary for any diet. | ||
| Calamari | $ 6.99 | $ 6.99 | AquaStar® frozen from Amazon. Good! [1] |
| Tilapia fillets | $ 5.00 | $ 9.44 | Never tried these. |
| Shrimp (16-20 count) | $ 9.50 | $ 13.00 | Smaller shrimp are cheaper by far. [2] |
| Salmon Fillet | $ 8.50 | $ 15.00 | Depends on overall size purchased. |
| Tuna steaks/fillets | $ 7.50 | $ 15.00 | Frozen v fresh? Fresh Sushi-grade Ahi! Aah! |
| Scallops | $ 23.00 | A rare, but delightful treat for me. [3] | |
| Chicken | |||
| Tenders | $ 3.90 | $ 6.50 | Tasteless, but good for stewing? |
| Breast (6 lb) | $ 2.28 | Good for wrapping ala Kiev, etc. [4] | |
| Thigh boneless, skinless | $ 3.48 | ||
| Thigh with bone, skin | $ 3.80 | $ 5.00 | I prefer bone-in for most recipes. [5] |
| Whole | $ 1.32 | Great if you want to make stock. | |
| Drumsticks | $ 2.00 | $ 2.50 | Obviously bone-in, but stick with thighs. |
| Andouille sausage | $ 4.90 | $ 8.60 | A necessity for Jambalaya, etc. [6] |
| Turkey | |||
| Ground | $ 3.60 | $ 4.50 | Constituents? Good in tourtiere! |
| Breast Roast 3+lbs | $ 3.99 | $ 4.30 | Price increases as Thanksgiving approaches. |
| Pork | As cheap or cheaper than chicken! | ||
| Loin or blade chops | $ 2.00 | $ 4.00 | With bone in most cases. |
| Loin center cut 6 lbs | $ 2.12 | Butcher to your heart’s content. [7] | |
| Tenderloin – 2 pack | $ 4.50 | $ 8.00 | Look for specials! |
| Bone-in roast | $ 1.50 | ? | Mainly bone? Home butchering chore? {*} |
| Lamb | Lamb is no longer cheap! | ||
| Leg with bone | $ 8.00 | $ 10.00 | |
| Lamb shanks | $ 6.99 | These are very good if cooked correctly. [8] | |
| Rack of Lamb | $ 17.00 | $ 23.00 | Wow! |
| Beef | Beef is getting expensive! [9] | ||
| Ground beef 80/20 | $ 4.50 | In 1 lb packs. | |
| Carne Asada | $ 6.99 | Source of cut not specified. Beware! [10] | |
| Chuck Roast | $ 7.00 | $ 10.00 | Tough stuff. |
| Tri-tip roast | $ 9.50 | $ 11.50 | Needs care and thin slicing. |
| Tenderloin | $ 18.00 | $ 26.00 | Beef Wellington???? |
| Exotics | Just for some perspective? | ||
| Wild Game Sampler | $ 42.00 | Bison, Elk, Venison, Boar ($186 with shipping) | |
| Ground Bison | $ 9.00 | ||
| Ostrich | $ 84.00 | Via AMZ | |
| Bison Sampler | $ 32.00 | Steaks and burgers ($160 shipped from AMZ) | |
| Cheese | Relatively inexpensive mostly. | ||
| Sharp Cheddar | $ 4.00 | American block | |
| Parmesan grated | $ 5.00 | 16 oz shaker | |
| Velveeta | $ 4.25 | 2 lb block | |
| Gruyere | $ 19.00 | 6 oz blocks | |
| Legumes and Nuts | Some have high protein content [11] | ||
| Pinto beans | $ 0.92 | ||
| Lentils | $ 1.34 | Someday, I will do a separate bllog on the | |
| Black-Eye Peas | $ 1.38 | relative protein content of various foods. | |
| Kidney red beans | $ 1.42 | ||
| Great Northern beans | $ 1.78 | ||
| Peanuts | $ 2.00 | ||
| Almonds | $ 6.00 | ||
| Cashews | $ 10.00 | ||
| Tofu | $ 3.00 | $ 4.50 | |
| Canned Protein as Necessary Pantry Items | |||
| Corned beef | $ 6.56 | Libby’s is generally considered the best. [12] | |
| Spam | $ 4.19 | Makes a good breakfast or lunch. [13] | |
| Tuna in water | $ 5.60 | Water contributes to the weight. | |
| NOTES | |||
| [1] These can be shipped from AquaStar® via Amazon. You may find some thawed at your | |||
| market so that you can try them first. Fry in a hot pan for <45 seconds per side. | |||
| [2] Large (jumbo) are necessary for Tempura or Jambalaya. | |||
| [3] There is nothing that compares to a few colossal scallops briefly seared on both sides. | |||
| [4] Slice and pound (butterfly) for numerous recipes. Season to your taste. | |||
| [5] Bone in – skin on = flavor! Think Chicken Cacciatore! | |||
| [6] Chorizo or spicy Italian sausage are reasonable alternatives. | |||
| [7] You can save considerable money by doing your own cutting, but it does take time. | |||
| [8] Cooking lamb shanks is a many hours effort, but well worth it for cost and flavor. | |||
| [9] There are some bargains to be had, but watch out for ‘Select’ or ‘Utility’ grade. | |||
| [10] Carne Asada can be good and sometimes very tough no matter how you cook it. | |||
| [11] Perhaps a separate blog. | |||
| [12] This has kept me alive and going on canoe trips in the Canadian wilderness! | |||
| [13] Despite a dubious reputation, Hormel’s sales of SPAM® continue strongly in 2022. | |||
| {*} Make pork stock from these bones! | |||