Market Data 
- A sports dietitian shares what she eats instead of eggs to get enough protein throughout the day.
- Foods like oatmeal, nuts and seeds, beans, dairy, and lean meats are good sources of protein.
- A simple guidelines is to aim for 20-30 grams of protein per meal from a variety of sources.
Eggs, the gold standard of cheap protein for breakfast and beyond, are costing more than ever.
It’s enough make anyone cringe at the grocery store, Nancy Clark, a registered sports dietitian and author, told Business Insider — but you don’t need them to get enough protein.
Clark said she does still eat eggs, but buying them is a bigger blow to her budget and she’s making more of an effort to get her money’s worth.
“It’s fewer eggs, maybe two instead of three, and I always eat the yolk,” she said.
She’s also leaning more into more affordable proteins, from whole grains to legumes to dairy, to get enough of the nutrient daily. Adults need at least 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight every day, and up to 0.7 to maximize muscle gains, research suggests.
Here are some of Clark’s go-to meals to get enough protein and other nutrients while cutting back on eggs.
For breakfast: oatmeal, nut butter, and dairy
Clark said her approach to getting enough protein is to build meals that incorporate a variety of protein sources that add up to about 20-30 grams of protein per meal.
It starts with breakfast. Clark often relies on oats which provide about six grams of protein per half-cup.
She then mixes in almond butter and milk (dairy, not almond or oat milk) to add even more protein and healthy fats for a well-balanced, filling meal.
Oatmeal is also high in fiber packs of ton of carbs, good for building muscle and boosting energy. Ideally, you want a two-to-one ratio of carbs to protein, since “it’s actually carbs that fuel muscles,” Clark said.
For lunch: lentil soup with homemade bread
Clark’s midday meal amps up the nutrients of a classic soup-and-sandwich lunch with bread that she makes using almond flour. It contains twice as much protein as all-purpose flour.
Her go-to choice for soup is lentils, with about 18 grams of protein per cup, plus to nutrients like iron, magnesium, and B-vitamins.
If you’re not in the mood for a soup, add high-protein legumes (like chickpeas) to a salad for an extra boost at lunch.
To snack: nuts, seeds, and cheese
Between meals, Clark said she reaches for cottage cheese, offering about 13 grams of protein per half-cup serving, sometimes drizzled with olive oil for a boost of antioxidants.
If that’s not your thing, other popular cheeses like Parmesan pack a surprising amount of protein (around eight grams per one-ounce serving — roughly the size of your thumb).
“Dairy is an excellent source of high quality protein,” Clark said.
To round out a snack plate, Clark also regularly stocks nuts like walnuts and almonds, which contain four to six grams of protein per one-ounce serving (a small handful), in addition to healthy fats and fiber.
For dinner: Mexican lasagna
Clark said one of her staple recipes for dinner is Mexican lasagna, a casserole made with lean ground beef or turkey, taco seasonings, beans, and layers of corn tortillas, topped with cheese.
The combination offers plenty of protein for a satisfying way to end the day, and can be flexible based on whatever kind of beans or veggies you have on hand.
