Image credit: Danh TX
You need at least 1g protein per pound of body-weight per day to maintain and build muscle. If you weigh 70kg/155lbs, that’s 155g protein per day. The easiest way to get this amount is to eat whole protein with each meal.
Some of you are on a tight budget, still student, living in expensive cities or just frugal. These can make it hard to get the protein you need to build muscle. This post will help you — the 10 cheapest sources of protein to build muscle.
1. Canned Tuna. 40g protein/can. Buy tuna in spring water or brine. Don’t worry about the mercury: 1 can chunk light tuna per day is safe, read this. Worry more about the mercury in your teeth fillings and the mercury in vaccines.
2. Whole Eggs. 7g protein/egg. Lower your body fat rather than throwing the yolk away if you have bad cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol isn’t bound to blood cholesterol, and the yolk contains half the protein and vitamins A/D/E.
3. Whey. 1 scoop ON whey is 24g protein/30g serving. At 2 scoops/day, a 10lbs bag will last 10 weeks for 84,99$. You don’t get cheaper than this. But don’t rely on whey only because it’s cheaper. Vary your protein intake.
4. Ground Beef. 25g protein/100g. Buy 80% ground beef and rinse the fat if lean beef is too expensive. You can reduce the fat content by as much as 50%. Read this free pdf on how to rinse ground beef.
5. Milk. 30g protein/liter milk. If you’re a skinny guy, want to gain weight fast and don’t bother gaining some fat, drink 1 gallon raw milk per day. Don’t worry about the saturated fat. Stay away from milk if you want to lose fat.
6. Frozen Chicken Breast. 25g protein/100g. Cook the frozen chicken breast using a George Foreman Grill. Consume the chicken breast within 2 months of freezing for optimal tenderness & taste.
7. Cottage Cheese. 12g protein/100g. Cottage cheese is more expensive in Europe than in the US. We buy Quark cheese: 10g protein per 100g, cheaper than cottage cheese and a better taste.
8. Ground Turkey. 25g protein/100g. Expensive cuts are made from turkey breast. Cheaper cuts can contain skin, which increases the fat content. Rinse the fat like for ground beef using this method.
9. Canned Mackerel. 23g protein/100g. Canned mackerel is high in omega-3, contains less mercury than canned tuna, and tastes a lot better too.
10. Calves Liver. 20g protein/100g. Low fat and nutrient dense. Contrary to what you might believe, liver is safe. Try one of these recipes.
Bonus Tips. Buy generic food. Buy in bulk to get discounts. Freeze everything. Get a job if you don’t have one. Increase your income if you do. Cut expenses. The following meal plan gets you +200g protein per day.
- Breakfast: 3 whole eggs with spinach
- Snack: 200g cottage cheese with apple
- Lunch: 1 can of tuna with bok choy
- Snack: 500ml raw milk and banana
- Post workout: 1 scoop whey with oats & 500ml milk
- Dinner: 150g chicken breast with pasta & broccoli
- Pre bed: 200g cottage cheese with berries & flax seeds
you know what you left out, canned pilchards, comes in a tomato sauce too, its nice on a piece of toast. grill it too when on the toast. has more protien than steak so me mum says
lentils and beans (kidney, black beans, pinto) are crazy cheap (especially in bulk) and high in protein. If you buy them raw, learn how to prepare them, as they can be toxic.
also, quinoa is a high protein, delicious, alternative to rice.
for those of you close to farms and with a lot of freezer space, look into buying whole animals: http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/12/13/how-to-buy-a-side-of-beef/
SARDINES!
So we should worry about the mercury in vaccines, which don’t actually contain any mercury (http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/thi-table.htm), but we shouldn’t worry about tuna, which does?
@Joe/jerbearw
Sure that would work too.
@mjh
Quinoa can be expensive depending on where you live (it is out here). Great suggestions.
@Jacob5
Read the links I provided and make up your own mind. My goal is to educate people, not convince them.
The best advice i extracted from this is to get a job. Which is i don’t have.
Cholosterol in eggs will give fuel to hormone production which is good thing. I think protein is overrated and carbs are underrated. For me i found that carb based diet works best. Too much protein will destroy kidneys as i read somewhere on the net. And your body can only add 1 pound of muscle mass a week and excess will go to fat and energy.
I also supplement with Amino Acids like Amino Fuel 2000 to ensure that i get all essential AA.
Is non-fat milk a good way to get protein without gaining fat? Is there a downside to drinking non-fat milk?
It should be noted that the 1 can of tuna recommendation was for a 200lb man in the T-Nation article.
What has been everybody’s experience with raw milk? I prefer pasteurized myself. Just with all the conflicting info about it, I just don’t want to take a chance.
Great article as always! My only concern with Canned Tuna was the amount of Sodium, unless the Spring Water/Brine ones you mentioned are low in Sodium (I’m not sure). Out here in Dubai, The UAE, I am yet to find a brand with low Sodium levels.
Cheers.
-Non fat milk is over processed which generally isn’t a good thing
-Phillip depending on your goals and daily life different diets will work for you so although carbs may work better for you protien could work better then carbs for tohers
Great read mehdi thanks
Bonus tip: Get a job. That’s awesome!
If you live near a Costco, or any warehouse store I guess, keep an eye out for protein powder there. Costco doesn’t carry a consistent brand, but I got some great deals on protein powder from them. Just have to time it right.
Drinking 1 gallon of Milk seems quite crazy. I’m not in disagreement with it, but I couldn’t imagine drinking that amount of milk a day. Isn’t that like 8 pints glasses of a milk throughout the day? Has anyone tried this?
I don’t go to Costco, but I go to Sam’s Club. 5lb of EAS Whey Protein is about $30. I also get salmon that I broil.
After I tasted grilled tuna steaks, I really do not like tuna in a can but I have some cans when I need the protein and do not want any more whey that day. I do not eat it because I like the taste.
Mehdi,
I have been a fan of your site and I have been on your version of the 5×5 for a little while now (I’m almost to 1.5BW on my squats). I have to take issue with your statement about the mercury issue though. Every link you posted regarding fish, fillings and vaccines is filled with misleading and potentially harmful information.
The T-Nation article suggests taking N-acetylcystine (actually spelled N-Acetylcysteine) “to insure that the liver maintains optimal antioxidant ability”. A quick look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetylcysteine#Clinical_use shows no scientific evidence to back that claim. Further, there may be a risk to the heart and lungs from this substance. A better source regarding fish might be the EPA: http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/advice/. They agree that there is little risk in consuming fish if you aren’t pregnant.
The bit about fillings is pretty well debunked here: http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/mercury.html The alternative-doctor.com site promotes things like
homeopathy(http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/homeo.html), magnet therapy (http://www.quackwatch.com/04ConsumerEducation/QA/magnet.html) and even claims to offer proof of life after death. The real story of Thimerosal is much less dramatic: http://www.cdc.gov/FLU/ABOUT/QA/thimerosal.htm. The claims of vaccines causing autism have seen no proof as the incidence of autism has not declined since Thimerosal was removed from childhood vaccines in 1999.
I would not trust youtube as a valid source of health information without a LOT of supporting information from elsewhere.
I agree that Tuna is a wonderful source of protein and I eat it about three time a week myself. Thanks for reading my rant and keep up the good work.
I think it is too bad that you have chosen to “educate” people through dated, opinionated sources (written in 2001 by a Reverend, not a doctor or health professional).
As a doctor, I hate to see this sort of slanted viewpoint propogated
Regarding whey protein powder/isolate, I have read anecdotes on the web that your body can only effectively absorb/process the protein if you also consume carbs (or something to that nature) within xx minutes of the protein powder. Does anyone have a link to conclusive research on the efficacy of whey protein powder or general tips on how to use it effectively? I usually have a shake after lifting but not on rest days as I consume enough protein as it is (I think, need to start counting properly).
@Helfrick/TJ
I differ in opinion regarding vaccines. Don’t take it personally, it’s just an opinion. People are old enough to do their own research and make their own decisions. There’s plenty of data available.
@TJ
I’d prefer the advice of a reverend than a doctor/health professional. Most doctors are retards in my book (no offence). Post links the way Helfrick did with specific info, no mass linking to official sites.
@Francis
I’ve done the 1 Gallon (3.75 litres) of milk a day. It’s just as ‘crazy’ as me contemplating a 60 kg squat when I started.
It helped me put on a lot of weight, including fat. That wasn’t a problem in my case. I combined the milk with big eating (my record is 9100+ calories in a day) and went from 89 kg to 100 kg in 25 days.
Ahh! I was looking for an article like this the other day!!!
Thanks Mehdi!
@Mehdi
I would just like to see you stick to your expertise, Medhi. Vaccinations are a touchy subject for me as I have a young son (8 months) who is compromised when others decide not to vaccinate. Those who don’t vaccinate are relying on everyone else who does to keep them safe (herd immunity), but that doesn’t apply to infants who are not fully immunized yet. If you want to take the risk that would be fine, but when it affects others that is where the ethics come in. There are plenty of non-mercury based vaccines available for those who are worried, see the table here:
http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/thi-table.htm
In the spirit of giving both sides, here is one article stating both sides …http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/03/24/autism.vaccines/
Sorry to digress…I really love your site, but I wish you would stick to what you DO know well, not what you THINK you know well…you lose credibility that way…but I guess relevant credibility may not be important to you seeing as you would seek medical advice from your minister.
Mehdi how much Franc do you spend on food each month? I’d sure like to eat to gain, but increasingly food intake (especially healthy food) from the two meals a day, sometimes one, I’m used to do right now in college, to 5+ meals is rather…… hefty.
Again I’m a college student with a college budget that wants to cut bad college diet. So I’d like to know how much money you actually spend each month to get a rough estimate (doesn’t include supplements).
Thanks for the response, as your articles are solid as always.
Hey, long time reader and I had this question at the back of my mind all along. I am currently on the 5 X 5 program (just started) and would like to know how effective would it be if I had chick peas?
thanks.
Trader Joe’s Soy protein isolate is something around $12 for 2lbs.
As possibly also alluded to by @Philip, there’s not a lot of carbs in the suggested meal plan. I understand this is a post about protein, and you’ve done a thoroughly superb job in providing alternative protein sources and presenting the intake of these throughout the day, but wouldn’t that meal plan be more suitable when bulked up a little with some carbohydrates?
As I weigh about 101 kg, I’m having a hard time eating the recommended amout of protein. I can eat about 200 g in the weekend, but its harder during working days. As I don’t have access to a fridge or microwave at work, I don’t take quark or meat with me. How do you people do that, just prepare the meat @ home and eat it without heating?
And I’m not really sure about how long quark will last when it’s not refridgerated..
@TJ
Vaccinations is a touchy subject for you, so I understand your reaction. No problem digressing, I’m sure there will be a lot more things that you won’t agree with.
@Chuck
Less than 200€/month (300$).
@San
Chick peas is fine.
@Jason
Meal plan has oats/pasta/veggies/fruits for carbs. If you want to gain weight, sure add more carbs.
@Luke
If you can’t heat the food: cans of tuna, mackerel, milk, nuts, home made protein bars, etc
@Bluestreak
I guess drinking that much milk a day might be a steady increase just like the way you progressed to 60kg squats. I guess my problem with that much milk is that it will give me gas. I have no problems digesting milk, but milk in high volumes especially with a whey protein shake will gas me out and any poor sucker in my vicinity.
“It helped me put on a lot of weight, including fat. That wasn’t a problem in my case. I combined the milk with big eating (my record is 9100+ calories in a day) and went from 89 kg to 100 kg in 25 days.”
Well done on the big eating man, 9100+ calories a day is mental! The most I’ve ever done is 2700+ in a day , my personal best, but still a really skinny guy. How many meals were you eating daily for that? Also 89kg to 100kg in 25 days, that’s impressive…well done dude!
Hi Mehdi,
Congrats for another great article ..you rock buddy ..
I have a question .actually it’s a repeat of sort …
” I take toned pasteurize milk (around 1.5 liters/ day) , is it a good way to get protein without gaining /gaining minimal fat”
Saurabh
Thanks for (another) great post Mehdi. I kind of wimped out a couple of weeks back and bought a bucket of protein shake which I use before / after a workout but I’m going to look more seriously at my protein intake and try to get some proper nutrition instead.
Well done for mentioning the vaccine issue btw. I know a lot of people are unsure about vaccine production and vaccination programmes (in the UK, there was talk of compulsory vaccination of teenage girls against cervical cancer when they were 14) and it’s good to bring this into the public domain.
Mehdi,
Of course I don’t take it personally. It is your opinion. I am grateful that you have taken the time to share your expertise on exercising with us.
Phillip,
I had heard that excess protein was dangerous too. I could only find one study that came to that conclusion (sort of). That assertion is derived from the Nurses’ Health Study. It started as a study of post-menopausal women. The problem is, the diet questionnaire was only collected in 1980, 1984, 1986 and then every four years after that. I worry about the accuracy of a large number of people trying to recall what they ate over the last two to four years. Not to mention that the study only saw a slight correlation (they never established the cause) of “mildly reduced kidney function that produced no obvious symptoms”. One last qoute on this: “high meat consumption didn’t seem to exacerbate problems in those with healthy kidneys”. http://www.webmd.com/news/20030317/high-protein-diets-can-hurt-kidneys
Grambo,
Depends on who you ask. I saw this article recently on the NYTimes web site that says there is no ratio: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/health/nutrition/05Best.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
The folks who make Accelerade disagree though: http://www.accelerade.com/science/HowItWorks.aspx
@Francis
Bluestreak is trained by me for the record. We have pics/videos/etc of before/after, full diet history on fitday, etc. He did a great job, and made it all look easy really. Might do a post about all we did in the future if he agrees with sharing the info.
@Saurabh
If you want to gain weight without gaining fast, best is to stick with lots of veggeis, lots of proteins, lots of health fats, and watch out with too much carbs (including milk). It’s a lot harder that way to get your calories that way however.
@Edziu
Agreed, let’s keep it about the protein
@Helfrick
Thanks, appreciate the mature response.
@Philip (missed your post, thanks for the reminder Helfrick)
Look at these 2 posts: http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/lyle/protein1.htm and http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/kidney.htm
@grambo
I think you mean protein absorption post workout. A mix of whey + high gi carbs is better to spike insulin. Check the post on post workout shakes: http://stronglifts.com/quick-easy-effective-post-workout-shakes/
Uhmm… BEEF JERKY anyone???
2 oz. contains 30 grams of protein and 2 grams of fat. Not to mention it tastes awesome.
Injecting a little baby with pathogens (vaccinating) is INSANE!!!!
Not to mention TOTALLY unnecessary.
If you insist on injecting your child with pathogens, at least wait until they are two to three years old.
And don’t trust ANYTHING written by a commercial media outlet on the subject of vaccines. Why? They are getting millions of dollars in ad revenue from drug companies. You simply can’t believe them because they have a financial interest in not pissing off those who peddle vaccinations.
TJ, how is your 8 month old son compromised by others not vaccinating? I assume you vaccinated him, so what are you worried about? He should be protected right?
Mehdi, providing Bluestreak agrees to share the info I’m be very much appreciating if you can share the workout and diet regime that he followed. I know everyone is different and I wont assume that I can copy his results, but I want to read for the pure motivation of it all and gathering ideas.
Thanks.
Barry,
Vaccinations have led to the almost complete eradication of many childhood diseases. They have been responsible for the increased lifespan of human beings and have dramatically increased the quality of life for us. I find this hardly “insane” or “unneccesary”. And it’s not just about TJ’s son. Believe it or not, some people actually care about the safety and health of others, especially children.
“And don’t trust ANYTHING written by a commercial media outlet on the subject of vaccines. Why? They are getting millions of dollars in ad revenue from drug companies. You simply can’t believe them because they have a financial interest in not pissing off those who peddle vaccinations.”
This works both ways. I find it ironic that people will go into a craze about the distrust they have for the mainstream media, big companies, people with vested interests, etc. yet they blindly follow whatever they read on some obscure website on the internet as if they don’t have vested interests as well (not talking specifically about any website or person here). The only reason being that it’s not part of this corrupt mainstream group. Medhi has it right when he says to do your own research. Unfortunately, many people don’t.
yo mehdi.. im still bulking but maybe gaining a bit too much fat, what about switching to fat free milk or 1% milk??? goo idea.. will i make leaner gains
I have no problem sharing my progress with others.
@Francis
Go into the forum and send me a personal message. My training log is private but I’ll share with you some of my progress, vids, etc. Note that everything I did, to gain weight, was according to this post: http://stronglifts.com/how-to-gain-weight-for-skinny-guys/
Helfrick and mehdi
thanks for the links i read them i like the one from Nytimes the most, because it make most sense to my experience with protein. By the way i don’t eat meat at all, i started eating 5 -6 times a day a couple of days ago before was only 3. I feel i recover better from each workout now. To add, time will show how far will my Pesco-Vegetarian diet take me. I strongly believe that it not gonna effect my weight training/muscle building in negative ways.
Mehdi, your site is great, keep going man.
I’ve never commented before, but I have to say something about the mercury in vaccines. All (credible) studies show that the amount of mercury in vaccines is negligeble, posing no risk at all to your health.
No need to worry about mercury in vaccines, it doesn’t harm you at all.
[...] still be too many calories & your body will store fat ) This is a good article I just found Build Muscle on a Budget: The 10 Cheapest Sources of Protein (from http://www.stronglifts.com) See also… [...]