If you plan to grill a lot of steak and hamburgers this spring, be prepared to fork over a lot of money. Beef prices have been skyrocketing lately and are expected to keep doing so in the months to come.
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Fortunately, there are some cheaper alternatives for your budget — including other sources of protein that have seen prices fall rather than rise. Here’s a look at where beef prices have headed, along with the one protein you can swap in for beef to trim your weekly grocery bill.
What’s Up With Beef?
Prices in just about every beef category rose by double digits compared with 2025, according to the latest inflation data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In February, the overall beef and veal category climbed 14.4% from the prior year. Here’s a look at some of the subcategories:
- Uncooked ground beef: Up 15.2% year over year
- Uncooked beef roasts: Up 12.4%
- Uncooked beef steaks: Up 16.3%.
Those numbers are well above the overall February inflation rate of 2.4% as well as the food index inflation rate of 3.1%.
A recent article from Circle J Meat Company cited several reasons beef prices are soaring — including the fact that the U.S. cattle supply is the “lowest it has been since the early 1950s.” This is mainly due to recent droughts that have disrupted the supply of grass and hay, forcing many ranchers to sell their herds.
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Here’s the Protein You Should Use Instead
If you want to avoid beef but still want your daily portion of protein, the best option might be to swap it out for eggs on your next grocery trip.
Since hitting an all-time high a year ago, egg prices have tumbled hard. Over the past year they’ve fallen by 42%, according to the BLS. That includes a 4% month-over-month decrease in February.
The correction reflects a “sharp recovery” in egg supply as well as cooling consumer demand, The Economic Times reported late last year.
If you’re not an egg lover, another good alternative to beef is chicken. Overall chicken prices in February rose less than 1% year over year and fell by 0.3% on a monthly basis, the BLS reported.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Beef Prices Are Poised To Jump This Spring: The Protein Swap That Can Trim Your Weekly Bill
