Pick Another Protein? Americans Still Want Beef, Despite the Price.

Demand for protein has skyrocketed in recent years as American eating habits have changed.

The Make American Healthy Again movement and new dietary guidelines emphasize protein. Tens of millions of Americans on GLP-1 medications are adding more protein to their diet to retain muscle as they lose weight. Companies have added protein to everything from cereals to Kraft Mac Cheese.

Increasingly, Americans want their protein through high-quality beef. With the country’s cattle supply at its lowest level in decades, that demand has pushed steak prices to nearly $13 per pound and ground beef to nearly $7 per pound. Steak prices are up 3.5 percent in the last year, and 16.6 percent in the last two.

The well-off among American consumers “have never been more able and willing to pay for great beef, and it has the market outcome of raising the price,” said Glynn Tonsor, a livestock economist at Kansas State University. The average American is projected to eat 59 pounds of beef this year, up from a low of 54 pounds in 2014.

Still, the rising cost of beef — and groceries overall — has been a common talking point on the campaign trail this fall. With the exception of chicken, consumption of other forms of protein hasn’t kept up with beef.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/31/business/beef-prices-protein.html