Hi Wolfe, that's a very good question. Quinoa and Buckwheat are inexpensive plant-based proteins that contain all nine essential amino acids for complete protein.

Other not meat foods rich in protein include grains, rice, soy, fruits such as avocados, lentils, nuts (peanuts offer complete protein), beans, legumes, hemp, peas, and more.

I often tell people a story about blood plasma. The exporting of blood plasma from some of Nicaragua's poorest people is one of humans rights violation, but also diet science. Nicaraguans have highly desirable blood plasma, and this is because of their diets, which are high in rice and beans and other high-protein plant-based foods.

The idea that meat is the best source of protein is largely a myth created by industrial animal agriculture and perpetuated by people who want to equate meat-eating with toughness, or patriotism, etc.

Anyway, back to the financial aspect -- those foods I listed are all available in bulk and far less expensive than meat. And that's compare to store-bought meat. Yet, when I ate meat, I was often getting it from small local farms, so it was antibiotic-free and grass-fed, etc., which was even more expensive -- up to five times the price.