Make Me a 200g Protein Meal Plan on a Budget (Under $60/Week)

Eating 200g of protein daily does not require expensive cuts of meat, premium supplements, or specialty health foods. With strategic grocery shopping focused on cost-efficient protein sources, you can hit this target at roughly 2200 calories for under $60 per week — approximately $8.50 per day.

The key is building meals around proteins that deliver the most grams per dollar: eggs, chicken thighs, canned tuna, Greek yogurt, whey protein, cottage cheese, and lentils. A 2020 analysis published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior confirmed that cost-per-gram-of-protein varies by a factor of 10 across common food categories, making protein source selection the single largest lever for budget-conscious high-protein diets.

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What Are the Cheapest Protein Sources Per Gram?

Before building the meal plan, understanding cost efficiency matters. Prices below are based on average US grocery prices as of early 2026.

Food	Serving	Protein (g)	Cost ($)	Cost per g Protein ($)
Eggs (dozen)	2 large eggs	12	0.50	0.042
Chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)	150g cooked	38	0.90	0.024
Whey protein concentrate	30g scoop	24	0.60	0.025
Canned tuna (chunk light)	1 can (140g drained)	30	0.85	0.028
Dry lentils	100g dry (cooked ~200g)	25	0.30	0.012
Greek yogurt (store brand, 2%)	200g	20	0.80	0.040
Cottage cheese (store brand)	200g	24	0.90	0.038
Ground turkey (93% lean)	150g cooked	32	1.20	0.038
Chicken breast (boneless)	150g cooked	46	1.50	0.033
Peanut butter	30g (2 tbsp)	7	0.25	0.036
Whole milk	250ml	8	0.30	0.038

Chicken thighs, lentils, and whey protein are the three most cost-effective protein sources per gram. This plan uses them heavily.

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The Complete 7-Day 200g Protein Budget Meal Plan

Each day targets approximately 200g protein, 180–220g carbs, 55–65g fat, and 2100–2300 calories.

Day 1 — Monday

Meal	Food	Protein (g)	Cal	Cost ($)
Breakfast	4-egg scramble + 2 slices whole-wheat bread + 1 tbsp butter	28	440	1.20
Lunch	200g chicken thigh (baked, skin removed) + 150g brown rice + steamed broccoli	50	560	1.40
Snack	1 scoop whey + 1 banana	26	230	0.80
Dinner	200g ground turkey + 100g lentils (dry, cooked) + diced tomatoes + onion	57	560	1.80
Evening	250g cottage cheese + cinnamon	30	200	1.10
Total		191	1990	$6.30

Day 2 — Tuesday

Meal	Food	Protein (g)	Cal	Cost ($)
Breakfast	Protein oatmeal: 60g oats + 1 scoop whey + 200ml whole milk	34	420	0.90
Lunch	2 cans tuna (drained) + 150g cooked pasta + 1 tbsp olive oil + lemon, black pepper	48	560	1.90
Snack	200g Greek yogurt + 30g peanut butter	27	330	1.05
Dinner	200g chicken thigh stir-fry + 150g jasmine rice + mixed frozen vegetables	50	580	1.50
Evening	3 hard-boiled eggs + salt, pepper	19	210	0.75
Total		178	2100	$6.10

Add an extra egg or 100g of cottage cheese to bring protein above 195g.

Day 3 — Wednesday

Meal	Food	Protein (g)	Cal	Cost ($)
Breakfast	4-egg omelet + 30g shredded cheddar + 50g spinach + 1 slice toast	32	430	1.30
Lunch	Lentil soup: 120g dry lentils + carrots, celery, onion, garlic + 2 slices bread	33	520	0.80
Snack	1 scoop whey + 250ml milk	32	270	0.90
Dinner	200g chicken thigh (baked) + 200g baked potato + steamed green beans	50	560	1.40
Evening	250g cottage cheese + 50g canned pineapple	30	220	1.20
Total		177	2000	$5.60

Lower protein day. Add 1 can tuna for lunch or an extra scoop of whey to reach 200g.

Day 4 — Thursday

Meal	Food	Protein (g)	Cal	Cost ($)
Breakfast	Smoothie: 1 scoop whey + 2 eggs (pasteurized) + 1 banana + 200ml milk + 30g oats	38	460	1.10
Lunch	200g chicken thigh + 150g brown rice + roasted zucchini + 1 tsp olive oil	50	560	1.50
Snack	1 can tuna + 2 rice cakes + mustard	32	230	1.00
Dinner	Turkey and lentil chili: 150g ground turkey + 80g dry lentils + canned tomatoes + onion, garlic, spices	52	480	1.60
Evening	200g Greek yogurt + 10g honey	20	180	0.90
Total		192	1910	$6.10

Day 5 — Friday

Meal	Food	Protein (g)	Cal	Cost ($)
Breakfast	4-egg scramble + 100g black beans + salsa + 1 tortilla	34	450	1.10
Lunch	200g chicken thigh (grilled) + 200g sweet potato + side salad + 1 tbsp olive oil	50	580	1.50
Snack	1 scoop whey + 30g peanut butter + 1 apple	30	340	1.00
Dinner	2 cans tuna + 150g cooked rice + steamed broccoli + soy sauce	48	480	2.00
Evening	250g cottage cheese	30	180	1.10
Total		192	2030	$6.70

Day 6 — Saturday

Meal	Food	Protein (g)	Cal	Cost ($)
Breakfast	Protein pancakes: 3 eggs + 1 scoop whey + 40g oat flour + 100g banana	37	420	1.00
Lunch	Chicken thigh burrito bowl: 200g chicken + 100g rice + 100g black beans + salsa + lettuce	58	600	1.60
Snack	200g Greek yogurt + 20g granola	22	230	0.90
Dinner	Lentil and turkey bolognese: 150g ground turkey + 80g dry lentils + 100g pasta + canned tomatoes	52	580	1.50
Evening	1 scoop casein + 200ml water	25	120	0.70
Total		194	1950	$5.70

Day 7 — Sunday

Meal	Food	Protein (g)	Cal	Cost ($)
Breakfast	4-egg omelet + 50g mushrooms + 30g cheddar + 2 slices toast	34	470	1.30
Lunch	200g chicken thigh (roasted) + 150g couscous + roasted peppers, onion	50	550	1.40
Snack	1 can tuna + 2 rice cakes + 1 tbsp mayo	32	270	1.10
Dinner	Turkey meatballs (200g ground turkey) + 200g baked potato + steamed broccoli	46	520	1.60
Evening	1 scoop whey + 250ml milk	32	270	0.90
Total		194	2080	$6.30

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Weekly Cost Summary

Day	Protein (g)	Calories	Daily Cost ($)
Monday	191	1990	6.30
Tuesday	178	2100	6.10
Wednesday	177	2000	5.60
Thursday	192	1910	6.10
Friday	192	2030	6.70
Saturday	194	1950	5.70
Sunday	194	2080	6.30
Weekly Total	Avg: 188	Avg: 2009	$42.80

The weekly total comes in well under the $60 budget, leaving room for spices, cooking oil, condiments, and occasional substitutions with pricier ingredients like salmon or steak.

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Complete Weekly Grocery List with Prices

Proteins

Item	Quantity	Estimated Cost ($)
Chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)	2.8 kg (~6 lbs)	8.40
Ground turkey (93% lean)	900g (~2 lbs)	5.40
Eggs (large)	3 dozen	7.50
Canned tuna (chunk light)	7 cans	5.95
Whey protein concentrate (2 lb tub)	8 scoops used	4.80
Casein protein	1 scoop used	0.70
Cottage cheese (store brand, 750g tub)	2 tubs	4.40
Greek yogurt (store brand, 1 kg tub)	1 tub	3.80

Carbs and Grains

Item	Quantity	Estimated Cost ($)
Brown rice	1 kg	1.80
Jasmine rice	500g	1.20
Whole-wheat bread	1 loaf	2.50
Oats (rolled)	500g	1.50
Whole-wheat pasta	500g	1.30
Couscous	250g	1.50
Tortillas (whole wheat, 8-pack)	1 pack	2.00
Rice cakes	1 pack	2.00
Dry lentils (red or green)	500g	1.50
Black beans (canned, 2 cans)	2 cans	1.60
Sweet potatoes	600g	1.80
Baking potatoes	600g	1.50

Fruits and Vegetables

Item	Quantity	Estimated Cost ($)
Bananas	1 bunch (6)	1.20
Apples	3	2.00
Frozen mixed vegetables	1 kg bag	2.50
Broccoli (fresh or frozen)	500g	1.80
Spinach	200g bag	2.00
Green beans (frozen)	300g	1.50
Onions	1 kg bag	1.20
Canned tomatoes (diced)	3 cans	2.40
Carrots	500g	1.00
Zucchini	2 medium	1.50
Bell peppers	3	2.00
Mushrooms	200g	1.50
Lettuce	1 head	1.50

Fats and Extras

Item	Quantity	Estimated Cost ($)
Peanut butter	500g jar	3.00
Olive oil	already stocked (pantry)	0
Butter	already stocked (pantry)	0
Cheddar cheese (block)	200g	2.50
Whole milk	2 L	2.40
Honey	already stocked (pantry)	0
Granola (store brand)	small bag	2.00

Estimated Weekly Grocery Total: $51–56

This leaves $4–9 under the $60 budget for spices, condiments, and pantry restocks.

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How to Reduce Costs Even Further

Buy chicken thighs in bulk

Family packs of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs drop to $1.20–1.50/lb at most grocery stores. Buy 6+ lbs, remove skin at home, and bake or slow-cook in batches. Freeze portions for the week.

Use dry lentils instead of canned

Dry lentils cost roughly half the price of canned and cook in 20–25 minutes without soaking. A 1 kg bag provides approximately 100g of protein for about $3.

Buy whey protein in larger tubs

A 5 lb tub of whey concentrate averages $40–50 and provides 70+ servings. Per-scoop cost drops to $0.60–0.70 versus $1.00+ for smaller containers or isolate formulas.

Opt for frozen vegetables

Frozen broccoli, green beans, and mixed vegetables are cheaper per serving than fresh, have equivalent nutritional value (often higher, since they are flash-frozen at peak ripeness), and produce zero waste.

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How to Track a Budget Meal Plan Without Losing Your Mind

Meal prep simplifies tracking. When you cook chicken thighs in a 1.4 kg batch, weigh the total cooked output, log it in Nutrola, and divide by the number of portions. Each portion then appears as a single tap entry for the rest of the week.

Nutrola's barcode scanner handles packaged items — scan your whey protein tub, Greek yogurt container, or canned tuna and the macro data auto-populates from a verified database, not user-submitted entries with unknown accuracy. For home-cooked meals like the turkey and lentil chili, add each ingredient once to create a saved recipe, then log a serving size on future days.

Photo logging works well for assembled plates. Snap a picture of your chicken thigh with rice and broccoli, and the AI recognizes and estimates each component. Confirm the portions and you are done in seconds.

The goal is making tracking sustainable at 200g of protein per day, not perfect. Nutrola's approach — combining AI recognition with a verified database and quick-log shortcuts — removes the friction that causes most people to abandon their meal plan by day four.

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Is 200g of Protein Necessary?

For most people, no. Research from Morton et al. (2018) in the British Journal of Sports Medicine established that protein intakes above 1.6g/kg of body weight produce diminishing returns for lean mass gains during resistance training. For a 90kg (200 lb) individual, that is 144g per day.

However, 200g per day makes sense in specific contexts:

• During aggressive caloric deficits (cutting), higher protein intake helps preserve lean mass. A study by Mettler et al. (2010) in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that 2.3g/kg preserved more lean mass during a 40% caloric deficit compared to 1.0g/kg.
• For larger individuals (100+ kg), 200g per day may represent a moderate 2.0g/kg intake.
• For athletes with very high training volumes, the upper end of the 1.6–2.2g/kg range is justified.

If you weigh under 80kg and are not in a significant caloric deficit, 150–170g of protein per day will likely produce the same results at lower cost and with less dietary restriction.

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References

• Morton, R. W., et al. (2018). A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(6), 376–384.
• Mettler, S., et al. (2010). Increased protein intake reduces lean body mass loss during weight loss in athletes. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 42(2), 326–337.
• Drewnowski, A. (2010). The cost of US foods as related to their nutritive value. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 92(5), 1181–1188.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it possible to eat 200g of protein for under $60 a week?

Yes. This plan averages $42.80 per week while delivering an average of 188g of protein per day. The key is building meals around cost-efficient protein sources like chicken thighs ($0.024 per gram of protein), dry lentils ($0.012 per gram), and whey protein concentrate ($0.025 per gram).

What is the cheapest source of protein per gram?

Dry lentils are the cheapest at approximately $0.012 per gram of protein, followed by chicken thighs at $0.024 per gram and whey protein concentrate at $0.025 per gram. Eggs are also highly cost-effective at $0.042 per gram while providing a complete amino acid profile.

Do I actually need 200g of protein per day?

For most people, no. Research from Morton et al. (2018) shows diminishing returns above 1.6g per kg of body weight for muscle building. However, 200g per day is justified during aggressive caloric deficits, for individuals weighing 100+ kg, or for athletes with very high training volumes.

Can I hit 200g of protein without protein powder?

Yes, but it requires more careful planning and cooking. Protein powder contributes 24-32g of protein per day in this plan at a very low cost per gram. Without it, you would need to replace those servings with additional chicken, eggs, or canned tuna, which increases both cost and meal prep time.

How do I meal prep for a budget protein plan?

Batch cook chicken thighs (1.4 kg at once), prepare a large pot of lentils, and hard-boil a dozen eggs at the start of each week. Divide into portions, refrigerate what you will eat in 3 days, and freeze the rest. This approach saves time and reduces the temptation to buy more expensive convenience foods.