Best Protein Per Euro: The Irish Shopper's Guide to Affordable Gains
We ranked every major protein source available in Irish supermarkets by cost per gram of protein. The results will surprise you - and save you money.
The EFSA's Dietary Reference Values recommend 0.83g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day for adults - rising to 1.2–1.6g/kg for people doing regular resistance training. For a 75kg active adult, that's 90–120g of protein daily. Meeting that from food alone is straightforward. Meeting it without spending a fortune requires knowing which sources actually deliver.
Most people buy protein sources based on habit or marketing. When you actually divide cost by grams of protein, the "premium" options often perform worst. We looked at Tesco Ireland's current product database to rank what's actually available.
The Rankings: Cost Per 10g of Protein
All prices from Tesco Ireland, March 2026:
- 🥇 Canned Tuna (in brine): ~€0.22 per 10g protein - 4 cans for €1.99, ~24g protein per can. Shelf-stable, versatile, consistently the best value.
- 🥈 Eggs (free range 6-pack): ~€0.25 per 10g protein - €1.79 for 6 eggs, 6g protein each. High bioavailability, complete amino acid profile.
- 🥉 Chicken Thighs (skin-on, 1kg): ~€0.28 per 10g protein - ~€4.50/kg, 17g protein per 100g. Far better value than breast, better flavour too.
- Red Lentils (dry, 500g): ~€0.30 per 10g protein - €1.50 per 500g, 25g protein per 100g dry weight. Also provides fibre and iron.
- Greek Yogurt (0% fat, 500g): ~€0.45 per 10g protein - €2.20, 10g protein per 100g. Protein and probiotics in one.
- Chicken Breast (skinless): ~€0.50 per 10g protein - Popular but significantly pricier than thighs for equivalent protein.
- Branded Protein Powder: ~€0.80–1.20 per 10g protein - Despite its reputation as efficient, one of the more expensive options gram-for-gram.
- Salmon fillet: ~€1.10 per 10g protein - Premium price justified by omega-3 content, but not purely for protein value.
The Plant Protein Case
Red lentils, chickpeas, and black beans consistently rank among the best-value proteins available in Irish supermarkets. A 500g bag of dry red lentils from Tesco costs around €1.50 and provides roughly 125g of protein - approximately €0.12 per 10g of protein when cooked, making it the cheapest complete-ish protein source on the shelf. The caveat matters: plant proteins are typically incomplete, lacking one or more essential amino acids. Combining them with grains solves this - rice and lentils together form a complete amino acid profile, as populations across South Asia and the Middle East have known for centuries.
The "Healthy Protein" Marketing Traps
Several products positioned as protein-rich perform poorly on cost analysis:
- Protein bars: Typically 20g protein at €2–3 each. That's €1.00–1.50 per 10g of protein - six times the cost of canned tuna.
- Flavoured protein yogurts: The protein content is often similar to plain Greek yogurt, but with added sugar and a significant price premium.
- Deli chicken slices: High sodium (often 1.5–2g salt per 100g), high price per gram of protein versus buying and cooking whole chicken.
EFSA's protein RDA for adults is 0.83g per kg of bodyweight per day. For a 70kg person, that's ~58g daily. For someone exercising regularly, most sports nutrition guidelines suggest 1.2–1.6g/kg. [EFSA DRVs for Protein]
A Practical Weekly Protein Plan Under €20
Hitting 120g+ daily protein on a budget isn't complicated - it just requires leaning into the value sources:
- Mon–Tue: Lentil soup + eggs at breakfast - ~€3.50 total
- Wed–Thu: Canned tuna pasta + Greek yogurt - ~€4.00 total
- Fri–Sun: Chicken thigh stir-fry + egg-based breakfasts - ~€8.00 total
- Daily protein target of 120g+ achieved at roughly €15.50/week