Protein Powder Per Dollar – Guide To Efficient Protein
EDIT: Updated for 2022, new study here.
Efficiency-Michael: Instant, Low Cost, Healthy
I often use Protein Powder as an quick, high protein meal replacement.
It’s really not that exciting but:
- 1 scoop of Whey Protein(20g Protein)
- 8oz or 1 Cup (Whole) Milk
- Veggies or a fruit.
It’s:
- Faster than ‘fast’ food
- 2x more affordable than the lowest cost fast food (Little Caesar’s 5 Dollar Pizza – 21 g Protein Per Dollar)
- Healthy and full of Protein.
Think of it nutritionally like eating a few chicken legs with veggies on the side. Depending on who you buy from, it can be a better value than chicken or far worse.
Being an engineer, we are going to use data to optimize the best value of Protein Per Dollar
The Math(Data is below):
We take the servings in a container, multiply that by the protein per serving, then divide that by the after tax cost.
An example:
Servings = 50
Protein Per Serving =24
Cost = $49.99 (online w/ free shipping)
The Data(By Best Value):
Using The Results
- Best Value 51g Protein Per Dollar – Costco with 6lb Cytosport/Muscle Milk Brand (DON’T GET THE VANILLA – traumatizing taste)
- MyProtein Impact Whey 5.5lb was on par with Costco at 50g Protein Per Dollar
Hate to drop a referral, but MyProtein has a 40% off deal for new customers. That would make it 80g Protein Per Dollar.
Other tips:
- Buy in Bulk, better Protein Per Dollar and save on shipping costs.
- There is a HUGE range of Protein Per Dollar. Make sure you know what you are buying.
- I suggest trying a smaller size first, otherwise you might end up with an unfavorable tasting mix. I usually pick Unflavored or Chocolate.
For Comparison
- Chicken Breast – 50g Protein Per Dollar
- Milk – 50g Protein Per Dollar
- Eggs -45g Protein Per Dollar
- 80/20 Ground Beef – 30g Protein Per Dollar
- Lentils and Beans are 115g and 70g Protein Per Dollar respectively
Not on that list? It’s probably more expensive than a protein shake. Or click here for the Protein Per Dollar List.
Try It:
Ready in <2 minutes
I do a daily protein shake, because Efficiency, but if you are trying it for the first time-
- Feel Lazy
- Make yourself a protein shake
- Eat a fruit or veggie
- Feel good about it
If you haven’t used protein from Costco or MyProtein – give it a try.