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Nutrition

10 Budget Muscle Building Foods

by Vidur Saini Published on Nov 12, 2022

10 Budget Muscle Building Foods
This post may contain affiliate links (disclosure policy).

Get Big on a Budget

It’s no secret bodybuilding isn’t a cheap sport and it’s not for everyone. Once you start with the fit lifestyle, you are pushed towards bodybuilding foods which can burn a hole in your pocket. Supplements are a different story altogether.

It is also not true you can’t build muscle on a budget. Whole foods will always be superior to the supplements when it comes to building muscle mass. If you’re looking for the list of the best budget foods, you’ve come to the right place.

1. Eggs

Eggs are one of the cheapest forms of protein. Most people don’t like eating the yolk even though it is full of protein. If you want to bulk, eating the yellow with the whites is a good idea.

2. Chicken Breast

Bodybuilders swear by the good old chicken breast. The chicken breast is one of the most common food amongst the fitness community. You will find it on the grocery list of almost every serious lifter.

3. Tuna

Tuna is a budget high-protein snack which comes in portable packaging which you can carry around with you. Each three-ounce serving contains about 22 grams of protein and it comes in delicious flavors.

4. Ground Turkey

Ground turkey comes in the chicken breast category. Many people like switching between the two to add variety to their food. Expensive cuts are made from turkey breast. Cheaper cuts can contain skin, which increases the fat content.

5. Milk

You don’t need to think outside the box to get your share of protein. Most of us have been drinking milk since a very young age. If you’re skinny and want to build muscle, you should gulp down milk without a care in the world. On the other hand, if you want to shed fat, staying away from milk would be a better decision.

6. Lean Ground Beef

This red meat is an excellent source of protein. Lean ground beef also contains essentials micronutrients like zinc, iron, and creatine. A four ounce serving of the lean ground beef gives you around 24 grams of protein.

7. Cottage Cheese

The term cottage cheese was coined in 1831 because it is was usually made in cottages from any milk left over after making butter. Cottage cheese contains 28 grams protein per cup which is more than Greek yogurt which has 15 grams of protein per cup.

8. Beans

Canned beans are cheap but the dried beans are even cheaper. Each cup of dried beans has about 15 grams of protein and just 220 calories. If you’re a vegetarian or a vegan, beans should be a part of one of your daily meals.

9. Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is one of the cheapest forms of plant-based protein. Each two-tablespoon serving contains eight grams of protein. Eating peanut butter is incredibly convenient and a jar of peanut butter is portable enough to carry around with you.

10. Sunflower Seeds

The sunflower seeds are incredibly potent when it comes to the amount of protein per serving. These seeds are filled with six grams of protein per ounce, and they’re easy to eat straight out of the bag or throw on a salad.


Which of these foods is a part of your diet? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

About Vidur Saini

Vidur is a fitness junky who likes staying up to date with the fitness industry and loves publishing his opinions for everyone to see.

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