Demand for protein has soared in recent years as Americans' eating habits have changed.
The Make America Healthy Again movement and new dietary guidelines emphasize protein consumption. Tens of millions of Americans using GLP-1 medications are adding more protein to their diet to preserve muscle mass while they lose weight.
Companies have started adding protein to everything from cereal to Kraft Mac & Cheese.
Increasingly, Americans want to obtain protein through high-quality beef. With the country's cattle herd at its lowest level in decades, this demand has driven up the price of steaks to nearly $13 per pound (approximately 0.454 kg) and ground beef to nearly $7 per pound.
The price of steaks has risen 3.5% in the last year and 16.6% in the last two years.
American consumers with greater purchasing power "have never had more capacity and willingness to pay for excellent quality beef, and the result of this in the market is rising prices," said Glynn Tonsor, an economist specializing in livestock farming at Kansas State University.
The average American is projected to consume 59 pounds (27 kg) of beef this year, up from a low of 54 pounds (25 kg) recorded in 2014.
Still, the rising cost of beef — and food in general — has been a recurring theme in campaign speeches this fall. With the exception of chicken, the consumption of other protein sources did not follow that of beef.
See below other sources of protein consumed by Americans.
Chicken
Chicken is the cheapest and most consumed animal protein. Whole chickens cost just $2 per pound, while boneless chicken pieces cost twice as much. It is the preferred option for those concerned about the possible health effects of red meat, although recent studies indicate that some of these concerns are exaggerated.
In the early 1990s, Americans consumed roughly the same amount of chicken and beef: about 65 pounds (29.5 kg) of each per year.
Since then, chicken consumption has skyrocketed in the United States, and each person is expected to consume, on average, 108 pounds (49 kg) this year. Almost all of this comes from broiler chickens, birds developed to produce a lot of meat.
Americans eat a little less than one egg a day — the average American will consume about 270 this year — a number that has barely changed in years.
Eggs, another source of protein, cost about $2.25 a dozen, down from $6.25 in May 2025. The previous rise was mainly attributed to bird flu.
Because chickens can start laying eggs just 16 weeks after birth and broilers can reach slaughter weight in seven weeks — compared to almost two years for cattle — any fluctuations in supply or demand can be addressed quickly.
Only another major bird flu outbreak would significantly reduce the supply of chicken and eggs and drive up prices.
Pork
While consumers may be looking to eat more protein, they are not getting it from pork.
Pork chops cost about a third the price of steaks, but that wasn't enough to get more Americans to try them.
Pork consumption has remained virtually stagnant for 40 years, at about 50 pounds (22.7 kg) per person per year, according to Department of Agriculture data.
The price of pork has remained more or less stable over the past five years, ranging between $3.50 and $3.75 per pound. Wholesale prices are falling, and production has declined slightly.
Pork sales are also more affected by high gasoline prices than other meats. According to the Department of Agriculture, bacon consumption is a "supplement to restaurant meals and car travel," two activities that decline when the price of gasoline rises.
Fish and seafood
Per capita consumption of fish and seafood in the United States has nearly doubled since the 1960s, reaching nearly 20 pounds by 2023, according to the most recent data from the Department of Agriculture.
This growth came almost entirely from fresh and frozen fish and seafood, as opposed to canned. Canned fish consumption remained stable, but its share of total consumption declined as the fresh and frozen product categories grew.
Nearly 60% of fresh and frozen fish and seafood consumed is classified by the Department of Agriculture as fish, while crustaceans and molluscs make up the remainder.
Even though eating canned fish has become a trend—anyone sardinemaxxing?—the average American still eats just a third of a pound of cured fish per year.
Fish and seafood prices are extremely vulnerable to tariffs and trade disruptions, as 80% of what Americans consume is imported. Prices have risen 6.9% in the last year.
Peru
Many Americans will roast a turkey for Thanksgiving, and this may be one of the few times of the year when they eat the whole bird.
The National Turkey Federation estimates that 45 million turkeys are sold for Thanksgiving.
Considerable quantities are also sold at Christmas and Easter, but Americans consume most of their turkey meat in other forms: sliced deli meats, turkey bacon, turkey burgers, and so on.
The average American consumed 13.2 pounds (60 kg) of turkey meat in all its forms last year, according to the Department of Agriculture, the lowest since 1986.
Part of the explanation may lie in rising wholesale prices. According to the Department of Agriculture, the average price per pound of whole frozen turkeys is up 29% from last year.
At retail, the price of what the Bureau of Labor Statistics calls "other raw poultry, including turkey" rose 9%.
Soy and other vegetable proteins
The United States produces almost a third of the world's soybeans. But Americans hardly consume it, at least not directly.
Around 40% of this soy is exported, mainly to China, while the rest is sent to processing units, where it is separated into soybean meal and oil. The bran is used mainly in animal feed, while the oil is used for cooking and is included in all types of food products.
Americans consume a lot of soybean oil — at least 25 pounds (11.3 kg) a year, whether in fried foods, mayonnaise or salad dressings. But they eat less than 2 pounds (0.9 kg) of soy per year, mostly in the form of soy milk, tofu and edamame.
Despite the rise of companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods and innovations in meat-mimicking proteins, most Americans simply don't consume these products much. And now these companies are struggling.
Beyond Meat's market value is about $125 million, compared with more than $13 billion when the company went public seven years ago.
The company reported revenue of $68.8 million in the quarter ended June 27, an 8.2% drop from the previous year. Sales volume fell 9.5%, the company reported.
