Breakfast Protein Options

Shell shock is taking on a new meaning these days.  $9 per dozen, or 75¢ per egg.  Eggs were always the affordable animal protein, and I go through a lot since I went on the low carb diet.  Everyone has also figured out my hack of buying the quart of liquid eggs when they're cheaper than the shell ones, so there's a shortage of that.  So my challenge is how to come up with at least 5 grams of protein for less than 75¢.

Meats are an obvious choice.  A 2-3 ounce portion of most meats provides more protein than two eggs.  Chicken is currently the cheapest, at under $2 per pound for bone-in and $3 for boneless/skinless when you can find a deal.  Bird flu hasn't hit the meat bird flocks as hard as it has the laying hens, but this could easily become an unaffordable option.  Chicken does take longer to cook than some other meats because there's no rare option, so I'll have to decide if I really want to make this in the morning.

Mammals are the next category.  Pork is the cheapest, and of course pork sausage is easily available at a decent price and always has been.  I'm just already getting tired of it.  I haven't made beef sausage in a long time, so I might explore that recipe again if I find a deal.  I haven't seen $3 ground beef in forever except for clearance packs.

Many cultures eat fish at breakfast.  Not just lox.  Scandinavians tend to have salted or pickled fish, but Asians will eat steamed or roasted fish any time of day.  It is not budget friendly, but I did see $1.25 cans at Dollar Tree I should have picked up.  They had sardines and mackerel, with three servings per can.  Those frozen packs that are often on special cook down to nothing.  I like the pickled herring in a jar as a treat; it can get pricey.  I can't deny that adding fish to your diet on a regular basis is good for you.

Dairy isn't as high in protein as meats, and has about the same fat.  I already put cheese on my omelets.  I could just serve a one-ounce slice on the side instead of the egg.  Cottage cheese is a lower fat option.  I tend to have yogurt for lunch or snack, so I probably won't have it at breakfast.  3/4 C of Greek yogurt is actually higher in protein than most dairy options.

Then there are the vegan proteins.  Nuts and nut butters are good.  I haven't made my home-made Nutella in a very long time, but that counts as a protein when you make it yourself and don't add as much sugar as the commercial version.  All legumes have about the same amount of protein, but I generally don't want beans at breakfast.  The British do it, but that's too early for me.  Then there's tofu.  I bought some for a stir fry and actually read the package: 9g per serving of protein, and the other metrics are very healthy.  Upside, it has the consistency of cooked scrambled eggs and tastes like whatever you put on it.  Downside, it's tofu.  It does qualify as budget-friendly, at roughly 50¢ per serving.

I can always cheat and stir protein powder into my coffee.  It's a legit thing, and frankly way better for me than sweetened creamer.  I use it at work to make banana mocha milkshakes, since that blender is much easier to clean than my own.  Processed anything isn't as good for you as the natural source, even a protein supplement.  It's an easy out.

I'm going to keep experimenting and scouring the sale flyers for ideas.  There may be more breakfast posts as I test ideas.  I did get one dozen at Trader Joe's, which has a locked-in price with their supplier for however long the contract is.  I'm sure it will expire before supplies normalize.  This scarcity is going to last a lot longer than it did two years ago, and with worse prices.  Chickens aren't going extinct.  They expect the replacement flocks to be laying around the end of summer.