How much protein do you need?

The fact is that most Americans get enough protein in their diets. Adults generally need 10 to 35 percent of their total daily calories to come from protein. Based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, this amounts to about 50 to 175 grams a day. Of course, you can get protein from sources other than meat—sources that are often less expensive. Take a look at these examples:

Eggs. A large egg has 6 grams of protein. At $2.16 for a dozen, a gram of protein from eggs costs 3 cents.
Milk. A glass of milk has about 8 grams of protein. At half-gallon, that's a little more than 4 cents per gram of protein.
Cottage cheese. Many cheeses are high in fat, and high priced, but cottage cheese provides a healthier alternative. And 0.5 kg, a gram of protein from cottage cheese costs a little less than 5 cents a gram.
Tofu. At 0.5 g, you just for a gram of protein.