So, I've been in conversations a lot lately about protein. To preface this whole thing: I don't currently buy grass fed, pastured, blah blah. But I've been finding that there is a difference in what I've been buying as far as conventionally raised meat goes. And I find the better quality I seek out, the less I spend. I don't know if it's psychological, or because it's more filling, or nutritious or what. I just know that our grocery bills have overall decreased.
I can't eat Tyson or Kroger store brand chicken. I get sick every time. Not E. coli sick. Just blah. Listless. A touch of tummy problems. Sometimes headaches, moodiness, and sometimes it even sets off my rosacea.
Other meats are like that as well. Generally I keep the buying of my proteins to Costco or Schnucks, or Kroger (for beef and pork). I avoid Aldi or Walmart or other chain stores. The quality is seldom as good. The taste often seems off. And the sales at Schnucks beats just about everywhere else's meat prices. It just takes planning to buy when it's on sale. If something I like isn't on sale for a while, I'll stock up on a trip to Costco.
I have prices in my head that I'll pay for things, and even if I can afford more at the time, I don't usually buy it. I know I'm the only person who reads this, but here are my protein buying price guidelines:
Whole chickens: 1.19 is my max. 99c is my buy price these days.
Bone-in breasts: seldom buy anymore, but $1.29 is my max.
Thighs: 99c max. I don't like dark meat. I use them for broth and save the meat for family members who like it and use it for quesadillas, adding to pasta, etc.
Boneless skinless breasts: $2.99, which hurts. But $1.99 breasts are often the ones that make me feel icky. The frozen (cheaper) ones often have a LOT of broth added and so the real value is lower, and they often make me sick (possible gluten in the broth, I think).
Ground pork: $1.69
Boneless Pork Loin: 2.19 max, but I try to buy up when at $1.89, which happens every 4-6 weeks. We make chops from this cut on our own, as the center cut chops at the store are $3.60 and up.
Boston Butt/ pork shoulder: 1.29, but try not to buy unless 99c.
Chuck roast: $3.69 is my happy price. I've paid $4.19 when needed for company, etc.
Other beef roasts (bottom/top rounds, etc): $3.69 max. Not my fave, but when $2.99 I'll pick something up usually.
Ground beef: Breaks. My. Heart. I've been buying it at Costco for 2.99, but it's gone up to $3.19. Locally we have an Amish store which sells it for $4.49, which makes me choke. But it tastes amazing - like a roast, even though it's lean, not random ground - and I use it in chili. Our ground meat consumption has decreased greatly.
Steak: I'm a steak snob. I grew up on ribeye like other families eat meatloaf. It's seldom of good quality AND on sale, so we buy it only a couple of times a year. My exception is every now and then, the local Kroger sells super thin (4-5 oz) "breakfast ribeye" for $7.99. I buy a pound or two, rewarap individually, and so have a freezer to plate in less than 10 minutes hearty meal for myself. Yes, I buy them only for me.
A goal for the next couple of months is to check out local butchers. Butcher shops scare me. But I'm getting comfortable enough, I think, to make the plunge.
