The Cost of Beans vs. Meat
By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
Beans, also known as legumes, (see vrg.org/journal/vj2022issue4/2022_issue4_nutrition_hotline.php from Issue 4 2022 of Vegan Journal for an explanation of terms) are amazing. People who eat more beans have a lower risk of heart disease1 and type 2 diabetes2 and a lower risk of dying from stroke.3 Beans are versatile and can be used in appetizers, soups, salads, entrées, breads, desserts, and more. Beans may be overlooked when we search for a convenient meal or snack. They are easy to prepare—just open a can, rinse and drain the beans to reduce sodium, and mix with a flavorful sauce. Or with a little planning, you can cook a batch of dried beans and freeze individual portions for a quick meal.
In 2023,4 we reported a study that we conducted comparing the prices of meat-like veggie burgers and vegan ground meat to animal meat. We recently expanded our study to include canned and dried beans because these products are often less expensive sources of protein, iron, and other nutrients that are also supplied by veggie burgers and vegan ground meat.
In May and June 2023, we obtained price information from Instacart that allowed us to determine the least expensive canned black beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, and vegan refried beans and the least expensive dried black beans, pinto beans, split peas, and lentils in Atlanta and Los Angeles. In each city, we selected a store in a regional supermarket chain and identified the lowest priced canned and dried beans from that store. We also updated the prices for the least expensive meat-like veggie burgers, vegan ground meat, and animal meat from the stores we used for bean prices. All prices were converted to the cost per serving of product, were non-sale prices, and did not include a shopper discount. Additionally, we calculated the price per 100 calories of each product and the price per 10 grams of protein from each product. We also compared the nutrient content of selected products.
We found that prices across the board were somewhat lower in Atlanta than in Los Angeles (Table 1). In both cities, dried beans cost the least per serving, followed by canned beans, then by animal meat, and then by veggie meat. Dried beans cost between 10 cents and 20 cents per serving, depending on the type of bean and the location of the store. Canned beans cost between 25 cents and 40 cents per serving. Compare that to 80 cents to over $2 for a serving of animal meat and 80 cents to $1.24 for a serving of veggie meat. It's clear that beans offer significant cost savings. When you're looking for a low-cost, nutritious, convenient food, remember beans!
Thanks to Mae Y. Seon and Stephanie Kumar for their vital assistance in collecting all of the data used in this article.
References
1 Bazzano LA, He J, Ogden LG, et al. Legume consumption and risk of coronary heart disease in US men and women: NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study. Arch Intern Med. 2001;161:2573-2578.
2 Becerra-Tomás N, Díaz-López A, Rosique-Esteban N, et al. Legume consumption is inversely associated with type 2 diabetes incidence in adults: A prospective assessment from the PREDIMED study. Clin Nutr. 2018;37:906-913.
3 Zargarzadeh N, Mousavi SM, Santos HO, et al. Legume consumption and risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. Adv Nutr. 2023;14(1):64-76.
4 Mangels R. Redesigning meat: Meat-like veggie burger—A cost comparison with animal products. Vegan Journal. 2023; 42(4):24-25.
| Product | Package Size | Price Per Serving Atlanta | Price Per Serving Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canned Beans | |||
| Black beans, canned | 15.5-ounce can | $0.25 | $0.37 |
| Chickpeas, canned | $0.25 (based on 15.5-ounce can) | $0.40 (based on 4 pack of 15-ounce cans) | |
| Pinto beans, canned | $0.25 (based on 15.5-ounce can) | $0.30 (based on 40-ounce can) | |
| Vegetarian refried beans, canned | 16-ounce can | $0.37 | $0.40 |
| Dried Beans | |||
| Black beans, dried | $0.15 (based on 1-pound bag) | $0.19 (based on 2-pound bag) | |
| Lentils, dried | $0.16 (based on 14-ounce bag) | $0.20 (based on 1-pound bag) | |
| Pinto beans, dried | 4-pound bag | $0.10 | $0.11 |
| Split peas, dried | 1-pound bag | $0.17 | $0.20 |
| Veggie Burger Products | |||
| Beyond Meat Cookout Classic Plant-Based Burger Patties | 32-ounce package | $1.92 | $2.12 |
| Lightlife Smart Ground Plant-Based Crumbles Original | 12-ounce package | $0.80 | $1.06 |
| Animal Meat | |||
| Ground Beef Roll, 73% Lean/27% Fat | $1.00 (based on 5-pound package) | $1.24 (based on 3-pound package) | |
| Seasoned Beef Patties | 4-pound package | $0.80 | $0.84 |
Table 2 shows what we found when we calculated the cost of 100 calories from each product. Dried and canned beans cost less per 100 calories than did animal meats or veggie meats.
| Product | Cost for 100 Calories, Atlanta | Cost for 100 Calories, Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Pinto Beans, dried | $0.10 | $0.11 |
| Lentils, dried | $0.13 | $0.17 |
| Green Split Peas, dried | $0.14 | $0.17 |
| Black Beans, dried | $0.15 | $0.19 |
| Black Beans, canned | $0.21 | $0.31 |
| Chickpeas, canned | $0.21 | $0.33 |
| Vegetarian Refried Beans, canned | $0.25 | $0.27 |
| Pinto Beans, canned | $0.25 | $0.33 |
| Ground Beef Roll | $0.29 | $0.35 |
| Beef Patties | $0.32 | $0.34 |
| Plant-Based Burger Patties | $0.66 | $0.73 |
| Plant-Based Crumbles | $1.14 | $1.51 |
| Product | Cost for 10 Grams of Protein, Atlanta | Cost for 10 Grams of Protein, Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Pinto Beans, dried | $0.12 | $0.14 |
| Lentils, dried | $0.18 | $0.22 |
| Black Beans, dried | $0.19 | $0.24 |
| Green Split Peas, dried | $0.21 | $0.25 |
| Black Beans, canned | $0.31 | $0.46 |
| Pinto Beans, canned | $0.36 | $0.50 |
| Vegetarian Refried Beans, canned | $0.41 | $0.44 |
| Chickpeas, canned | $0.42 | $0.67 |
| Beef Patties | $0.50 | $0.52 |
| Ground Beef Roll | $0.59 | $0.73 |
| Plant-Based Crumbles | $0.80 | $1.06 |
| Plant-Based Burger Patties | $1.07 | $1.18 |
Table 4 compares the nutrients in dried beans, veggie meats, and animal meat on a per serving basis. Beans and one of the veggie meat products had lower calories and protein than animal meat and the other veggie meat. Beans did not contain significant amounts of saturated fat and thus, were markedly lower in saturated fat than animal meat. Beans help to meet the recommended daily allowances for protein and other nutrients while meeting recommendations, such as those in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, to avoid excess saturated fat. Dried beans had the lowest amount of sodium unless salt was added in cooking. Canned beans can be drained and rinsed, or lower-sodium products can be selected to reduce their sodium content. A serving of beans, whether dried and cooked or canned, has an iron content similar to that of a serving of animal meat.
| Product | Serving Size | Calories | Protein (g) | Saturated Fat (g) | Sodium (mg) | Iron (mg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dried Beans | ||||||
| Black Beans | 1/4 cup dry beans | 100 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1.8 |
| Pinto Beans | 1/4 cup dry beans | 100 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1.8 |
| Split Peas | 1/4 cup dry peas | 120 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Lentils | 1/4 cup dry lentils | 120 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Canned Beans | ||||||
| Black Beans | 1/2 cup | 120 | 8 | 0 | 300 | 2.5 |
| Chickpeas | 1/2 cup | 120 | 6 | 0 | 300 | 1.6 |
| Pinto Beans | 1/2 cup | 100 | 7 | 0 | 300 | 2 |
| Vegetarian Refried Beans | 1/2 cup | 150 | 9 | 0 | 350 | 1.8 |
| Veggie Meats | ||||||
| Lightlife Smart Ground Plant-Based Crumbles Original | 1/3 cup | 70 | 10 | 0 | 170 | 1.9 |
| Beyond Meat Cookout Classic Plant-Based Burger Patty | 4-ounce patty | 290 | 18 | 7 | 340 | 3.7 |
| Animal Meats | ||||||
| Kroger seasoned ground beef patty, raw | 4-ounce patty | 250 | 16 | 7 | 430 | 1.8 |
| Ground beef, raw 75% lean | 4 ounces | 331 | 18 | 11 | 75 | 2 |
Source: Manufacturers' information for dried beans, veggie meats and ground beef patty; USDA Food Data Central (www.fdc.nal.usda.gov) for animal-based ground meat
