With grocery prices remaining on the rise, home cooks need to be more mindful than ever of their food’s value. And because many high-protein food items (like meat, poultry, fish and dairy) can involve lofty price tags, our protein-obsessed culture is facing a challenge — figuring out which proteins pack the most nutritional value at the most reasonable cost.

We turned to a group of registered dietitians and nutritionists, medical doctors and chefs to find out which proteins offer the most “bang for your buck.” They came through with this list of nine grocery items.

Chicken Breast

A lean meat that’s easy to find just about everywhere, chicken breast got top rankings for quality and value from Dr. Shawn George, an internal medicine physician at Yorktown Health in Illinois.

“I recommend chicken breast due to its lean profile, affordability and versatility. It works well in various dishes (like grilled, baked or sautéed meals), making it a go-to for many of my patients,” he said.

George also touts chicken breast’s long lifespan in the freezer, saying if you buy a large bulk pack, you’ll be able to store, defrost and cook these cuts “for months, which makes [chicken breast] an ideal choice for meal planning without breaking the bank.”

To make sure that the breasts freeze correctly without spoilage or freezer burn, George said, “I advise freezing in airtight packaging or vacuum-sealed bags to maintain its quality.”

Ground Turkey

“When I was a young single mother, I worked a lot, and my go-to was ground turkey, which I always kept in the freezer for taco night for my daughter and her constant barrage of friends coming over,” said Sophina Uong, executive chef and co-owner of Mister Mao in New Orleans and Little Miss Mao in Nashville.

Uong went on to say that “ground turkey is low in fat, inexpensive and a flavor sponge. We made meatloaf, meatballs and quick chili con queso with homemade turkey chorizo. A pound of turkey goes a long way and can feed six crazy 9-year-olds if you stretch it with pasta or beans and rice.”

Salmon

Probably to no one’s surprise, salmon — a well-established superfood that’s constantly praised by nutritionists — earned a spot on this list. Rima Kleiner, a registered dietitian located in Greensboro, North Carolina, told us that “this mild fish is rich in important nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, vitamin B-12, calcium and protein, all crucial for maintaining optimal bone, immune and brain health.”

If you think it’s too expensive to belong on this list, you might be forgetting about a couple of shelf-stable options.

“Canned and pouched salmon is an affordable shelf-stable option to keep on hand for an easy, no-cook protein, as [you can] add canned or pouched salmon to salads, quesadillas or egg muffins, [you can] turn it into a burger, or enjoy it on top of bread or a halved avocado,” Kleiner said.

In terms of its ability to fit into a wide range of recipes (a crucial point for evaluating its dollar value in the kitchen), Kleiner insisted that salmon “is also incredibly versatile, convenient, budget-friendly and easy to prepare.”

If you’d rather take the frozen salmon route, Kleiner recommended “keeping some in the freezer and thawing overnight for stir-fries, tacos, soups, pasta dishes or to cook alongside veggies on a sheet pan or grill.” She said you can either “purchase already-frozen or stock up on fresh salmon when it’s on sale and freeze it” in airtight plastic wrap, freezer bags, or silicone freezer containers.

Lean Ground Beef

Ground beef doesn’t always get much credit as a healthy protein, possibly because it’s closely associated with “junk food” dishes like burgers and the high cholesterol that can result from heavy consumption. But our experts assured us that lean ground beef is an excellent performer where protein content and flexibility are concerned.

Kristina Turnure, a Columbus, Ohio-based certified nutritionist, personal trainer, and founder of Built & Balanced, said, “93/7 lean ground beef is my top choice for animal-based protein. It delivers a powerhouse of bioavailable iron, zinc and B vitamins to fuel energy production and support immunity.”

Turnure also pointed out lean ground beef’s gentle price tag and the fact that it can “adapt easily to a wide range of dishes from tacos and burgers to pasta sauces and stir-fries. For efficient meal prep, I portion it into individual servings before freezing; it thaws quickly, cooks evenly, and helps me pull together a satisfying meal in five minutes or less, which is perfect for busy schedules.”

Eggs

Eggs may be the bellwether example of increasing grocery costs. However, Lisa D. Ellis, a nutrition therapist with Integrating Nutrition in White Plains, New York, still sees them as a relatively inexpensive way to work more protein into your diet.

“They offer a well-absorbed and high biological protein source. They can be frozen as omelets [or in baked dishes like quiches and frittatas] and can be reheated. Even though the price of a carton of eggs has increased, the serving size of 1 or 2 is a fraction of the [total carton] cost,” Ellis said.

Edamame

Plant-based proteins are an unquestionably desirable product for many consumers these days, and we were glad to learn that several of our experts view these items as effective protein carriers and affordable choices. Case in point? Edamame, young soybeans frequently used in Asian cooking, that Rene Ficek, RDN, and owner/president of Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating, described as “an excellent plant-based protein that checks every box for value, versatility, and nutrition. It offers around 17 grams of protein per cup along with fiber, iron, and key antioxidants — making it a powerhouse for plant-forward or omnivorous diets alike.”

Edamame’s other benefits include its low cost and storage longevity; Ficek said, “it’s widely available frozen and holds up beautifully when stored long-term or quickly reheated. From stir-fries and grain bowls to smoothies and snacks, edamame’s mild flavor and tender texture make it an easy add-in across cuisines.”

Lentils

Legumes in general were highly celebrated among our experts, and Nisha Vora, a San Diego-based vegan chef and the author of the New York Times bestseller “Big Vegan Flavor,” wanted to give a special shoutout to lentils. “Just one cooked cup [of lentils] contains 18 grams of protein, 15 grams of fiber, and essential nutrients like iron and folate. Lentils can be used in so many dishes — think lentil salad, lentil curry, or lentil bolognese — many of which freeze beautifully.”

Vora said that, compared to other legumes, lentils are excellent time savers; they’re “naturally shelf-stable, quick-cooking, and don’t require soaking like many other legumes.”

Peanut Butter

The old lunch box classic known as peanut butter is a crowd pleaser among kids and adults alike, and Maggie Moon, a Los Angeles-based culinary school alum and registered dietitian who recently published ”The MIND Diet: 2nd Edition,” sees it as a smart move for anyone looking for affordable plant-based protein sources. “It’s probably in everyone’s pantry right now, which makes it accessible on so many levels. Conveniently shelf-stable peanut butter is incredibly versatile in recipes from sauces to spreads to baked goods to snacks,” Moon said.

To get into the numbers, “Three ounces of peanut butter provides 21 grams of protein, as well as healthy fats, fiber, antioxidant vitamin E, magnesium, and folate,” Moon said. “My favorite ways to enjoy peanut butter are swirled into yogurt for a fruit dip, stirred into hot oatmeal, added to smoothies, in a savory Indonesian-inspired stir-fry sauce, or in classic snack pairings alongside apple slices or celery sticks,” she added.

If you’d like to avoid extra sugars and preservatives, look for pre-packaged natural peanut butter or grind your own in supermarkets and specialty grocers that offer that option.

Tempeh

A traditional Indonesian product made from soybeans, “tempeh is a nutrient-dense, plant-based protein with about 19–21 grams of complete protein per 100 grams, plus fiber, iron, and gut-friendly probiotics due to its fermentation,” said Amber Dawn, chef of Amber Dawn Wellness and Avocado Gypsy Catering in Saint Petersburg, Florida.

Tempeh is often compared to tofu (also made with soybeans), and it can be used similarly. “It’s great grilled, sautéed, crumbled into sauces, or marinated, and [it] absorbs flavors well,” Dawn told us. “It’s also reasonably priced, especially when bought in bulk, and it freezes and defrosts with minimal texture loss, making it ideal for long-term storage and easy weeknight cooking. Few proteins match tempeh’s combination of affordability, digestibility, nutrition and kitchen flexibility.”