208 Grams Of Protein For $2.69?

Support CleanTechnica’s work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe.

A month ago, I wrote an article about 104 grams of protein for $1.50. I was sort of inspired by a Rich Roll YouTube video a while back where he went grocery shopping and demonstrated he was able to buy pounds and pounds of healthy plant foods for about $25-$30. He wanted to show it is possible to buy healthy food at very affordable prices, because there are some online trolls and liars who falsely have claimed plant foods ‘cost too much’ when in fact they typically cost less.

For too long, I have been buying single cans of organic black beans for about a dollar a piece. It’s so easy to microwave a bowl of 15 ounces of wet black beans that are all ready to go, meaning they aren’t dry ones that require soaking before cooking. Today at a discount grocery store, there was a bag of black beans for $2.69; it was two pounds dry. After soaking adequately in water, they would weigh a little over 4.5 pounds. That’s a lot of food for under three dollars. This bag of cheap, black beans has 208 grams of protein. To compare to a common beef product, ribeye steak, I looked at the US Dept. of Agriculture website FoodData Central. About 3.52 ounces of ribeye steak has 18.7 grams of protein, but how many ounces are needed to reach 208 grams of protein? The answer is 38.9 ounces. How much would that cost?

Looking online quickly showed the average price range is $8 to $20 per pound with premium cuts going for much more. On the low end, the cost of ribeye steak would be about $27 for 38.9 ounces and about $47 on the top of the average price range. Premium cuts would cost even more; some of those are over $30 per pound. How much did two pounds of dry black beans cost? Just $2.69, plus a little tax.

The ribeye steak costs ridiculously more and it has no fiber, which is an essential nutrient. What does the Mayo Clinic say about fiber? “Getting more fiber is linked with a lower risk of dying of any health condition, including heart disease.” The black beans have more potassium, a primary electrolyte, according to the nutrition panel on the back of the bag, and they have more magnesium. They also have a significant amount of fiber and some iron.

In case you are wondering, black beans have all the essential amino acids, plus some others. There’s something of a myth or bit of ignorance about meat being the only source of food that contains all 9 essential amino acids, but that isn’t true. There are many plant foods that are not missing the 9 essential amino acids.

CleanTechnica is primarily a website about clean energy and sustainable transportation, but agriculture and food are part of sustainability as well. Some of the worst foods for the planet are meats: beef, lamb, and farmed shrimp. Dairy products are high carbon as well.