When figuring out the cheapest way to eat healthy, models show that most people in the U.S. end up with foods like beef, milk, eggs, and fish in their diet — meaning animal foods often make the most sense when you want good nutrition at the lowest cost.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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The Role of Beef for the Lowest Cost and Adequate Provision of Bioavailable Nutrients in Modeled Diets at a Population Level in the United States

Computational/Algorithm Study

2025 Dec

The study shows that when you consider how well your body can use nutrients from food, cheap healthy diets often include beef, milk, eggs, and fish. This matches the claim.

Contradicting (0)

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No contradicting evidence found

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Source Study

The Role of Beef for the Lowest Cost and Adequate Provision of Bioavailable Nutrients in Modeled Diets at a Population Level in the United States

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DOI: 10.1016/j.cdnut.2025.107604

Similar Assertions

Beef gives you key nutrients like protein, B-12, and zinc for less money than other foods when you consider how well your body can actually use them — at least in theory, according to diet models.

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88%

If you plan meals based on how well your body can actually absorb nutrients—like iron and zinc from meat—instead of just counting total nutrients, it ends up costing 50% to 89% more each day to meet your needs.

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77%