Grocery prices: value by the nutrient
How to find the cheapest source of protein and calories in your basket — compared the fair way, per 100 g of protein and per 1000 kcal.
Stop comparing per pack
The shelf price tells you what a pack costs, not whether it is good value. A big cheap pack of something that is mostly water can cost more per gram of protein than a smaller, pricier one. The fix is to compare food by what you actually want from it: protein, energy, or like for like.
| What you are buying | Compare it by |
|---|---|
| Protein foods (meat, fish, dairy, eggs, beans) | Price per 100 g of protein |
| Staples for energy (grains, oil, potatoes) | Price per 1000 kcal |
| Vegetables and fruit | Price per kilo, in season |
| Any two similar products | Price per 100 g of the same food |
A worked example
Say you are choosing a protein. Suppose chicken breast costs €8 per kg with about 23 g of protein per 100 g — that is 230 g of protein per kg, or roughly €3.48 per 100 g of protein. Now suppose eggs cost €3 per kg with about 13 g of protein per 100 g — 130 g per kg, or about €2.31 per 100 g of protein. The eggs win on protein value, even though nobody thinks of them as a protein food. (Prices here are illustrative, to show the arithmetic.)
The prices in the example are illustrative, chosen to show the calculation. Use your own shop's prices to compare.
Categories
Cheapest protein
How to find the best-value protein — compared per 100 g of actual protein, not per kilo of food.
Cheapest calories
The most energy per euro — useful for tight budgets, with a note on doing it healthily.
Meat and fish
Getting the most protein per euro from meat and fish.
Dairy and eggs
Some of the best-value everyday protein there is.
Grains and legumes
The cheapest calories and plant protein, especially dried.
Vegetables and fruit
Eating your vegetables without overspending.
Source: Method and worked examples are our own; any live prices link to their store and date. Example prices are illustrative. · checked 2026-09-04
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest source of protein?
Compared per gram of protein rather than per kilo of food, the cheapest sources are usually eggs, milk, dried lentils and beans, canned fish and whole chicken. Powders and bars are convenient but seldom the cheapest.
How do I compare food prices fairly?
Do not compare per pack. For protein, work out the price per 100 g of protein; for energy, the price per 1000 kcal; for like-for-like foods, the price per 100 g. That reveals value the shelf price hides.
Do you show live prices?
Where a price feed is available, tracked products appear with their latest price and value per nutrient. Everywhere else, the method here lets you work it out for your own shop in seconds.
Eat well for less
TempoLife tracks what you eat and its nutrition, so you can hit your protein without overspending.