What’s the cheapest way to eat healthy?
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
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists used math to find the cheapest way to eat all the right nutrients. They found that beef and other animal foods often give the best nutrients for the least money, especially when you consider how well your body can use them.
Surprising Findings
Beef was the cheapest source of bioavailable zinc and B-12, not supplements or fortified foods.
Most assume fortified cereals or supplements are the cheapest nutrient sources, but this study shows whole animal foods outperform them when absorption is considered.
Practical Takeaways
If you're on a tight budget and need iron, zinc, or B-12, include small amounts of beef, liver, or eggs—they may be more cost-effective than plant substitutes.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists used math to find the cheapest way to eat all the right nutrients. They found that beef and other animal foods often give the best nutrients for the least money, especially when you consider how well your body can use them.
Surprising Findings
Beef was the cheapest source of bioavailable zinc and B-12, not supplements or fortified foods.
Most assume fortified cereals or supplements are the cheapest nutrient sources, but this study shows whole animal foods outperform them when absorption is considered.
Practical Takeaways
If you're on a tight budget and need iron, zinc, or B-12, include small amounts of beef, liver, or eggs—they may be more cost-effective than plant substitutes.
Publication
Journal
Current Developments in Nutrition
Year
2025
Authors
Sylvia M. S. Chungchunlam, Paul J. Moughan
Related Content
Claims (5)
Eating meat, especially beef, gives your body all the nutrients it needs to survive and thrive — and your body can actually use them well.
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.
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.
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.
It might be really hard for women between 19 and 50 to get enough iron and zinc from affordable, everyday foods—even if they're trying to eat the cheapest healthy diet possible.