This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission for my recommendations at no additional cost to you. By browsing this website, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use.
Love ground beef but not the price tag? These budget-friendly vegetarian substitutes will help you save money while still making delicious dinners! Plus, I'll break down just how much ground beef is really costing you compared to the vegetarian alternatives.
For decades, ground beef has been (and still is!) a popular ingredient in many affordable recipes. And it makes sense — it's more affordable than several proteins like chicken breasts, steak, seafood, lamb, ground turkey, etc.
But when ground beef is put in comparison with vegetarian protein sources, ground beef isn't so affordable after all!
The Cost of Ground Beef
In 2024, at my local Walmart (which is one of the cheapest grocery stores in my area), the cheapest ground beef I can find is $5.27 per pound. And that's if you buy it in a bulk 4.5 pound tray.
If you want just 1 pound of ground beef, you'll pay $5.94 a pound. And if you want lower fat meat or grass fed meat, you're paying closer to $8 per pound.
When I started examining my own grocery spending and expanded my diet to include more vegetarian staples, I realized there are so many other vegetarian protein sources that are just a fraction of the cost.
As a frugal cook who likes to meal plan to save money, I try to build most of our meals around inexpensive staples like whole grains, beans, potatoes, and vegetables. Meat can quickly eat up the grocery budget, so when I buy it, I try to stretch it across several meals or replace it entirely with one of the following vegetarian substitutes.
Lentils
When it comes to replacing ground beef, green lentils and brown lentils are best. Red lentils are fantastic, but they are so soft once cooked, they're really better left to recipes like curry, dahl, or bolognese.
At my local Walmart, in 2024, 1 pound of lentils costs $1.92. You only need to cook 1 cup of dry lentils to make 2 cups (the equivalent of 1 pound of ground beef). Each pound bag contains about 2 1/4 cups lentils.
This means, the equivalent of 1 pound of ground beef in lentils costs just $0.85. That makes ground beef 520% more expensive than lentils. 841% cheaper than grass fed beef.
They're one of my favorite protein substitutes for recipes that traditionally use beef. When cooked, lentils have a firm, hearty consistency that mimics the heartiness of ground meat, making them a satisfying swap. Their mild flavor profile also allows them to take on the seasonings and spices used in various dishes.
Here are my top 5:
The savings might not seem huge at first, but if you use lentils for these 5 dinners in your weekly meal plan, you’d spend just $36.48. With ground beef, the cost jumps to $66.02. That means over a year, this simple switch could save you more than $1,500 eating meatless meals.
Soy Curls
Lentils are one of my all-time favorites, but I'll admit they're missing that chewy texture you'd get with ground beef. If you feel the same way, you have to try my Homemade Vegan Beef recipe.
The combination of soy curls and shiitake mushrooms pulsed in a food processor makes a texture that is much closer to the chewiness of ground beef. At $2.04 per pound, my homemade version is more expensive than lentils, but still 60% cheaper than real beef. 75% cheaper than grass fed beef.
I use this homemade version most often to make recipes like:
- Homemade Hamburger Helper
- Crockpot “Beef” Enchilada Casserole
- Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Casserole
- 15 Bean Chili
- Tater Tot Casserole
While I love soy curls, they can be a lot harder to find in stores. I only buy them in bulk online for as cheap as possible. To make sure you're actually saving, be careful where you buy soy curls from. You should be looking for them under $4 per 8 ounce bag.
Some readers have shared that their local stores carry soy curls for upwards of $8 per 8 ounces – this is a horrible deal! If this is the only price you can get, go with lentils or my next favorite vegetarian beef substitute: tofu!
Tofu
Similar to soy curls, tofu has the chewy, hearty texture people love in beef. To replicate it, you want to purchase either firm or extra-firm tofu. I often recommend extra-firm tofu because it doesn't require pressing and has the firmest texture.
Tofu can vary widely in price, but at my local Walmart, 16 ounces of extra firm tofu costs $3.42 (remember – 1 pound of beef costs $5.27!). If I am trying to save even more, I'll buy a 4-pack of tofu at Costco for about $1.50 per brick.
I'll spare you the math breakdown, but as you can see, tofu is half the price of ground beef and works well in recipes like:
How to Make the Switch
By now I hope it's clear that switching to vegetarian substitutes like lentils, soy curls, and tofu can make a significant difference in your grocery budget. But that doesn't mean you have to give up beef forever.
Simply making the swap once or twice per week will make a noticeable difference in your budget after time. You can even use 1/2 beef, 1/2 lentils — something I do often. Overtime, you won't notice the difference!
At the very least, introduce one of these naturally Meatless Meals at least once a week. If you're feeding kids, browse these 50 Budget-Friendly Vegetarian Meals Your Kids Will Actually Eat.
If you’ve tried any of these swaps or have your own tips for saving on groceries, share them in the comments below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Want to Save this Recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
