We all assume that eating healthier and bumping up protein comes with a high cost. And I’ll be honest, it can get pricey. But keeping it cheap can be done too. And have you seen the cost of sh*t like cereal and store-bought bars? Trust me, the steak is cheaper.

Cutting down on protein to save money is a hard no for me, as increasing protein intake is always a goal for myself and my clients. Learn how much protein you really need.
I’m Dutch and classically super cheap so if I can make it less expensive, I totally will. So, here are a few things I do to stock up and not break the bank.
Embrace Eggs and Tuna
Though the price of eggs has gone up, compared to other proteins they’re still a super inexpensive option! I buy both of these at Costco and it’s the cheapest I’ve found. Then, make things like a Whole30 chicken omelet or tuna stuffed avocados.
Only Shop Meat Sales
I would love to eat T-bone steak all the time but my bank account says no. So, I won’t buy much meat unless it’s on sale.
Ground beef is an easy one to find discounts on and chicken wings and drumsticks tend to be far less expensive than thighs and breasts (here’s how to cook gluten-free honey garlic chicken wings and dry rub drumsticks).
I grab literally whatever steak is on sale and make air fryer steak bites with it. Truly, to keep meat inexpensive, hound sales.
Most people tell you to buy in bulk and that’s super true. I have trouble with the big hit cost mentally though so I don’t do it as much as I can! I do however buy chicken in bulk as much as possible and make these high protein chicken recipes.
Discount Codes For Powders
I have a few protein powders, collagen powder, and egg white powders that I love. But I rarely buy them if they’re not on sale or I don’t have a discount code for them. Learn more on how to choose a protein powder.
It sounds terrible but supplements like that are expensive. Perfect supplements is where I get my collagen powder and you can use code mamabear10 to discount it. They also tend to have BIG sales so I stock up when they do. They have a good plant protein powder too and these are protein food staples that I always keep on hand.
Make Your Own Snacks
Store-bought protein bars, “health balls” and other snacks are SO expensive and you most likely have the oats, honey, nut butter, and protein powder (and all the other gluten-free pantry staples) at home. Shop smart by making your own.
Here are a few high protein snacks you can easily make:
Protein Wrap Up
There’s not a perfect system here to keep protein cheap. It’s a lot of planning, using your protein cheat sheet so you know what you need, using what you have on hand (so some experimenting haha), and being mega on top of sales.
The effort is worth it though as with a high protein diet you’ll feel more confident, energized, and strong. Need more help? Check out the 100 Grams of Protein Playbook.
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