I read an article this morning that according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price of ground beef is up 51% since 2020.
Are you buying less meat than you used to? I know we are.
Ground beef and roasts? Are those going into your cart as much as they used too?
These days it seems like the only meat in our cart is bacon or the occasional rotisserie chicken. Maybe a packet or two of salami a year.
I suspect people’s appetites change as they get older and I know ours has.
But are you buying less meat than you used to as well? Is it because of the cost or simply because you don’t crave it anymore?
Curious minds want to know.
~Mavis
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DebW says
We now source our meat locally – knowing the farmer and the butcher.
We are actually eating more meat and far better quality than before. We purchase a partial beef and a qty of whole chickens to stock the freezer.
We pay a higher price for the chicken per lb than the grocery, but feel that’s worth it. The beef is actually cheaper per lb because of the variety of cuts from filet to ground beef.
Mark says
Definitely buying less beef because of the prices. I find myself buying more sausage and ground turkey to use in recipes instead of hamburger and I can’t even remember the last time I bought a roast. We’ve also been doing more meatless options for breakfast and lunches.
Brianna says
I know someone who sold a medium grade angus cow for $4.50/lb on the hoof last week. That is just crazy! When it is all processed, it would be $8 or $9 just for hamburger from that cow. Other cuts will be much more.
We don’t eat much meat because of a medical reasons, so I really haven’t noticed changes at the store and I rarely look in the meat department.
Mona R McGinnis says
Definitely purchasing less beef than previously. I have read that we lose an enzyme as we age that aids in the digestion of beef and I don’t digest beef as well as I used to. I do like to stock up on sale-priced steaks for the bbq season. I purchase ground beef from a local producer. Chicken (from a local producer as well) & pork are the protein mainstays in this house. I’m eating more meatless meals these days. The price of beef has skyrocketed & it is formidable.
Jennifer says
Oddly enough, beef started not tasting good to me as I came close to 50 but I don’t remember that digestion factored in.
Jennifer G says
Just bought half a beef and divided between 2 daughters & us. Wasn’t inexpensive (figured up to about $5-6 a lb. after paying farmer & processing) but the meat is sooo much better. As Hubs and I have aged we aren’t eating near as much meat and I could probably most be vegetarian.
Holley says
Absolutely buying less because of the prices. I too cannot remember the last time I bought a roast. We have been buying ground chicken more often and we really like it. Now if price of coffee continues to climb, I guess I’ll have to switch to tea!
Laura Z says
I gave up meat completely in 2019 because it’s hard on the environment and I wanted to minimize the risk of lifestyle diseases and cancer in our household. Shortly after that decision, my relatively young (and previously quite healthy) priest died of a horrifying disease called creutzfeldt-jakob disease, which can be caused by eating contaminated meat. After that, and watching a lot of videos about how meat is produced in the US has turned me off to it forever, although I’d be lying if I didn’t say I craved certain southern comfort foods like bbq or fried chicken upon occasion. I’ve discovered, in large part, that what I really like about holiday meals are the sides. 🙂 Once in a blue moon, I’ll eat a little sustainably caught shellfish if we are at the beach, but other than that, my diet is largely plant based. I feel so much better for it, honestly, and I’m grateful that I made the switch and relearned how to cook as a vegetarian before this crazy inflation. I don’t know how people afford eating meat every day. I am so glad I love beans!
Stacey says
I was whole food plant based for a year and a half for health reasons and felt a lot better. After moving back to the southwest I find it a lot harder to find the variety of foods I used to have access to. I eat animal products now, but still prefer plant based most of the time. I love beans, too!
Wendy says
We are definitely eating less meat all around. I refuse to pay those prices. It also isn’t that great for you and my body doesn’t seem to enjoy it either in my menopause years. I could definitely be a vegetarian and lean mostly towards that way of eating.
CP says
I am definitely buying less meat. For health, cost and ethical reasons, I decided to stop eating beef and pork. I’m still consuming poultry and seafood. It’s hard to find a variety of recipes using only those proteins though.
Peg says
We are both seniors and have a limited income. I still buy ground beef occasionally but only when I can find it on sale, also a very occasional roast or steak but only if they are in the marked down section of the meat department. I don’t know how families afford to buy groceries!
Diana says
We quit eating meat about 15 years ago and don’t miss it at all! Last night I made eggplant parmigiana and it was delicious! We try to grow as much of our food as we can. We do not ever buy fast food, and rarely eat at restaurants, usually only for a social event. Home cooked food is such better quality and tastes delicious. We used to say when I made something tasty, “this is restaurant quality” now we laugh because what I make is so much better. Cost of food is never a factor when we shop, quality is. I try to only buy organic local food whenever possible. Spending money on food means you don’t have to spend money on doctor’s bills and medication. They do say your health is your greatest wealth!
Yvette says
My family are hunters and fishermen. I don’t often buy meat but we consume daily and typically every meal. Obviously we are not the norm for this particular group but my freezers stock fish we have caught and game animals we have harvested,
Jennifer says
Our grocery budget for 3 people is $400 per month. I buy no beef and only chicken breast or Pork butts/shoulders if they are $1.99. On the other weeks, I buy a big package of Hillshire Farms ham and make it last two weeks. Dh, through his own weird choosing, has quit meat almost altogether and eggs/cheese are his main sources of protein. It’s not easy and it’s not fun, but at least we aren’t hungry.
christa says
I live near San Francisco and quality 90% lean ground beef is around $12.99/lb, so my shift away from red meat has continued. I prefer to make meatloaf from ground turkey anyway, and otherwise really only buy it for Bolognese sauce, which generates plenty for leftovers and some to freeze, so I feel it’s worth it, occasionally. I lean more towards chicken and vegetarian pasta recipes.
Nancy H says
I don’t think my husband will ever not want meat. But we are buying less. We only buy sales and search for clearance meat. Beef especially is outrageously expensive. Amd of course that is what he wants. I have a 16 year old grandson that likes to come over because he knows he can talk BaPa into cooking him some sort of protein, but he really wants steak.
Ashley B says
I try and buy on clearance and sale. The grocery store in general is very expensive. We try to eliminate food waste and eat our leftovers.
Sue says
I prefer ground turkey/chicken over ground beef. I still buy bottom round for things like beef stew and barbacoa. I developed an aversion to pork during my first pregnancy, and it’s never gone away. We don’t eat fish as often as we should (1x/wk) but do consume a lot of eggs. Once my pickypicky kids are out of the house, we’ll go much more plant-based, as DH I both enjoy beans.
Alecia Loveless says
We still have meat most nights as my partner is a meat and potatoes type of eater. However have found that we are eating smaller portions than we used to and if we have steak we usually split one in half and share it instead of each having an individual one.
Patti says
I just bought a flank steak that was $4.99/lb. I will make three meals from it – pepper steak (our garden is producing peppers like crazy), marinated flank steak broiled) with baked potatoes, and the rest I will cook to use up in chunks for night time salads. The price this week for chuck roast was $8.99/lb on sale. To me, that is too high for the amount of meat I would get so I will wait to see if it comes down in price or purchase it another time when I want a hearty pot roast type meal. We eat a lot of vegetarian meals using our summer produce,, a lot of dried beans, a lot of eggs, some fish and some shrimp (local). My grocery bill has gone up but not too much as I only shop the sales and stock up when items are good prices. I also make sure we have very little to no food waste.
Frances says
Definitely eating less meat for the last few years. Partly because I want to eat healthier but also I just don’t crave it like I did as a young person and beef prices are so high.
coleen says
We are buying and eating about the same amount of beef that we always have.
sandy says
Only beef entering my house…In N Out….
Mavis Butterfield says
I am SO EXCITED to eat at In N Out I can barely stand it.
Michelle says
Here in Central WA, beef is still extremely expensive straight from a farmer. Friends that usually buy 4 or 5 beef to raise and butcher chose not to this year because the investment was almost double years past. Groceries in general are out of control. For all the vegetarians that have responded previously, how do you find affordable produce? It almost feels like a special treat around here and we live in the center of an agriculture community.
Emily says
For produce, we try to buy what’s in season and on sale. We make use of frozen fruits and vegetables when the texture difference won’t make a big impact on the dish.
We take advantage of pick your own options in season and freeze or dry what we won’t eat right away to enjoy throughout the year. Always check the per pound price on you pick. Some places are more of a tourist trap where you pay more for the experience, but there are still some where there’s a savings.
I also grow as many fruits and vegetables as I can during the warm months, canning, freezing sharing, and drying the extras. We get about 2 to 3 months of eating nearly exclusively from the garden with at least a month on either side where we eat a mix of home grown and store bought. If you decide to take up gardening as a way to keep costs down, put most of your investment into good compost in the sunniest accessible patch you have and a good shovel. Don’t worry about fancy extras like raised beds, etc right away. This year I started all my plants from seeds which kept the initial investment low. I even got some of the seeds free from our library’s seed library, where I bring extra seeds I save each year. If you talk to gardening friends, just about everyone has extra seeds or plants they can share a cutting from to help you get started.
Dianne says
I am a vegetarian and eat a lot of beans, rice, pasta, greens etc. I don’t eat any meat. I stopped eating meat for health reasons and I never really liked meat , I would always imagine the animal getting slaughtered. Have never regretted it. For anyone out there looking for a great plant-based beef – Impossible Meat has the best texture and the best flavor of for the beef.
My husband would like to have red meat every day of the week. He tried to limit it to about 2x per week. He also eats pork and chicken.
We seldom go out to dinner. Nothing taste the same after Covid. We are 68 & 72. And YES beef is very high! I remember buying rib eye steaks for $14.95 a pound-the are twice as much.
Angela W says
We buy chicken, shrimp, and rarely when ground beef is on sale or discounted meats. Occasionally, pork, when it is on sale as well – but I would say 80% is chicken or eggs based diet. Almost 90% of my buying is based on sales and being creative with products that are on sale. I will continue to can and dehydrate and use my garden produce to supplement my grocery buying needs. We stockpile can goods and dried pantry items, because I don’t like to grocery shop but one time per month. This helps to reduce impulse buying or caving into cravings. I prefer to use my savings to grow my wealth and reach my financial goals.
Sue S. says
Well this generated lots of comments. We rarely buy meat. Filet Mignon at Christmas, an occasional restaurant meal of sirloin tips; mostly salmon and chicken, shrimp and scallops. We have plenty of fish markets here on the Cape. And then there’s #1 son who keeps us in fluke, flounder, black sea bass, striped bass, scup and etc. Beef just is not on our radar screen very often.
Emily says
I’ve been a vegetarian for quite some time but my husband has recently cut back on his meat purchasing/intake largely due to price increases. I went vegetarian for the environmental benefits of eating low on the food chain, but I’m grateful for how it has helped our budget over the years as well.
Amber says
We are actually buying in bulk. We purchase half of a cow from a local farm, and it’s processed at a local butcher. From there, we also try to get some pork products. At Costco, we either purchase pork loins to divide at home, or pork chops. And we watch for sales on chicken from our local grocery stores (like chicken breasts for 1.99/lb last week).
Katy @ Practical Walk says
Yes! Ground beef prices have gotten high! I buy more chicken and less ground beef. We also eat a lot of bean or lentil meals.