What low cost foods are good sources of protein?

[definitelymaybe]

Just wondering what low cost foods are good sources of protein?

[HudsonHicks]

Two cheap sources I've always relied on are tinned tuna and minced beef. Ignore the mercury warnings about tuna, there are many people on this site who eat a tin a day and arent dead yet. Try and get the lean steak kind of minced beef, costs a little more but less saturate fat and usually a bit more protein.

[tagun]

Cottage cheese is dirt cheap and tastes good. Also protein powders are one of the cheapest and the highest quality protein sources around.

Oh yeah and don't go ignoring mercury warnings. The stuff really can kill you or give you some horrendous medical issues at best. 1 small can of tuna a day probably not but I wouldn't eat more than 1 pound of tuna per week. Go with light and you can get away with more, jut don't be ignorant and say **** it, I'll gorge on tuna as I've been eating it for a month now and I'm still okay. You can have 1000 X-rays and still "feel fine" but then all of a sudden you're gonna get diagnosed with cancer.

[LveNLrn]

-Eggs
-Canned Tuna (water, no sodium)
-Canned Salmon
-Dry Beans (bulk)
-brown rice (bulk)
-Extra Lean ground Beef
-Oats (steel cut)
-Cottage Cheese
-Yogurt
-Lentils
-Barley
-Quinoa (but around these parts is pricey for me)
-Tilapia (same about the $ in these parts)
-Chicken Breasts skinless

[HudsonHicks]

Oh yeah and don't go ignoring mercury warnings. The stuff really can kill you or give you some horrendous medical issues at best. 1 small can of tuna a day probably not but I wouldn't eat more than 1 pound of tuna per week. Go with light and you can get away with more, jut don't be ignorant and say **** it, I'll gorge on tuna as I've been eating it for a month now and I'm still okay. You can have 1000 X-rays and still "feel fine" but then all of a sudden you're gonna get diagnosed with cancer.

Do you have any links or proof about this?

[addictR3]

tuna!!

[tagun]

Do you have any links or proof about this?

Ah, just a few...

An Acad Bras Cienc. 2002 Mar;74(1):187-91.
Semiquantitative mercury determination in fish: a tool for poisoning prevention.

Yallouz AV, Calixto T, Hacon S.

Coordenação de Química Analítica, Centro de Tecnologia Mineral, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-590, Brasil. ayallouz@cetem.gov.br
Abstract

Human exposure to mercury intoxication through contaminated fish ingestion has been well studied, mainly among Japanese population. The Brazilian population, particularly in the Amazon region, is now in focus due to findings of fish contamination. Major health impacts caused by mercury affect mostly people who have a regular fish diet. A continuous checking for mercury content in the most consumed fish could prevent human intoxication. A simple, non-instrumental method to allow a continuous checking of the mercury content in fish was developed. Based on this method, we are proposing a prevention action where community agents can be trained to perform fish analysis. Technical Schools and Universities located nearby the affected areas would be in charge of quality control programs for the fish analysis as well as for the selection, training and update for operators.

J La State Med Soc. 2000 Feb;152(2):64-73.
Blood mercury levels and fish consumption in Louisiana.

Bellanger TM, Caesar EM, Trachtman L.

Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, USA.
Abstract

The primary source of non-occupational exposure to mercury is through the consumption of contaminated fish. Since 1994, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality has reported mercury contamination in fish obtained from bodies of water throughout the state and has issued fish consumption advisories accordingly. To determine the extent of mercury intoxication in Louisiana, screening for blood mercury levels was offered to volunteers residing near selected advisory areas. A total of 313 residents participated in the screening; 6 were found to have elevated levels. No level was detected in 48 of the participants, while the remaining participants had normal levels. Significantly higher levels were found in those associated with commercial fishing and those reporting increased fish consumption. For most people, ordinary consumption of fish contaminated with mercury does not currently appear to pose a public health hazard in Louisiana; however, educational efforts regarding the risks of fish consumption in great quantities should be continued.

Ordinary consumption being 2 cans of tuna PER WEEK.

Nutr Rev. 2005 Feb;63(2):39-46.
Fish consumption: recommendations versus advisories, can they be reconciled?

Smith KM, Sahyoun NR.

Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park 20742, USA.
Abstract

Consumption of two servings of fish per week is recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) to achieve cardio-protective effects. However, some fish are contaminated with methylmercury, which may counteract the positive effect of the omega-3 fatty acids, and numerous governments have issued advisories for certain fish species.

^^
Twice a week. Not every day. And that goes for the non-predatory species, not tuna.

A January 2008 investigation conducted by the New York Times found potentially dangerous levels of mercury in certain varieties of sushi tuna, reporting levels "so high that the Food and Drug Administration could take legal action to remove the fish from the market.

http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/tuna.asp

And even if it wasn't true and it's all a conspiracy; why eat so much tuna? It's not THAT amazingly to die for good and it's not THE ONLY CHEAP protein source. Eat some, but don't over do it. You just MIGHT regret it.

Also, you can smoke 50+ years, drink, eat fast food all the time and live to be 90. But then again there's lots of people who do it that way and get cancer at 40.

[robbie_vlad]

As a student, I depend on low cost sources of protein. Some crutches IMO:

Canned Chicken
Canned Tuna
Cottage Cheese
Eggs
Peanut Butter
Protein Powder

You can combine any of those with oats (another low cost crutch) and get delicious and nutrition meals for cheap.

[Slow-N-Steady]

I find greek yogurt on sale(every single week), and one serving has 14g protein for $1. I know this isn't the cheapest, but when you factor in the convenience of not needing to cook or prepare it, I think it is almost unbeatable....at least for me.

I eat about four greek yogurts a day...

[ucsumma]

-Eggs
-Canned Tuna (water, no sodium)
-Canned Salmon
-Dry Beans (bulk)
-brown rice (bulk)
-Extra Lean ground Beef
-Oats (steel cut)
-Cottage Cheese
-Yogurt
-Lentils
-Barley
-Quinoa (but around these parts is pricey for me)
-Tilapia (same about the $ in these parts)
-Chicken Breasts skinless

Excellent list - captured everything that I would have said.

(Quinoa is freaking awesome even though it can be a bit expensive)

[HudsonHicks]

Ah, just a few...

<snip>

And even if it wasn't true and it's all a conspiracy; why eat so much tuna? It's not THAT amazingly to die for good and it's not THE ONLY CHEAP protein source. Eat some, but don't over do it. You just MIGHT regret it.

Also, you can smoke 50+ years, drink, eat fast food all the time and live to be 90. But then again there's lots of people who do it that way and get cancer at 40.

The parts you quoted dont actually state the specific medical implications or the actual dose at which it could cause long term implications - only a very vague '2 cans of tuna a week'. The whole mercury in tuna thing just reminds me of how not long ago doctors and governments were saying dont eat too many eggs or it will give you high cholesterol.

Thanks for posting the studies, repped.

[tagun]

The parts you quoted dont actually state the specific medical implications or the actual dose at which it could cause long term implications - only a very vague '2 cans of tuna a week'. The whole mercury in tuna thing just reminds me of how not long ago doctors and governments were saying dont eat too many eggs or it will give you high cholesterol.

Thanks for posting the studies, repped.

Sure, I got ya, there's loads of bull**** in the media. But mercury in tuna is indisputably measurable, while the link between dietary cholesterol (in form of eggs, for example) and high blood serum cholesterol has ALWAYS been vague. The media and health "gurus" just went on and concluded that the two are in strong correlation... Which was was wrong, of course, yet not entirely. Eating a **** load of eggs every day coupled a high saturated fat intake and dietary cholesterol from other sources still isn't the best thing you could do.

Again not saying you'll die a year from now by eating a can of tuna every day, but it most definitely isn't advisable and there's scientific research backing it up. Some may tolerate more, some less, the question is why take the risk as the stuff isn't really the holy grail. The last thing you want to do is trying to ignore warnings for no apparent reason and saying you don't care, cuz it's all a conspiracy.

Repped back!

[Zensuji]

Milk for me.

[Fkn_Jackd_]

milk,eggs, any meat

[seanb1979]

Mercury content also increases based on the size of the fish. The highest levels reside in whales and sharks.

Following that logic it might be better to eat canned salmon. I kinda like the taste better myself.

[austizm]

http://stronglifts.com/build-muscle-...es-of-protein/

Pretty much everything the top posters said.

[m.djemal]

CHiCKEN LiVER.... although some people buy it for their cat, i buy it for my self...So you can imagine how cheap it is

[vabyss]

Go to Costco. You can buy huge amounts of chicken breast, Mahi, turkey burgers and lunch meat for reasonable prices.