All 24 Datasets, Free to Download

Every ranking on this site runs on a spreadsheet. Here are all of them, 622 rows of priced food data, in raw CSV. No signup, no email, no gate.

Most food sites will tell you beans are cheap protein and leave it there. We got annoyed enough to actually price it. Grocery nutrition generally comes from USDA FoodData Central. Three published datasets carry the same recorded TVP product-label value; that row is sourced to the manufacturer's own label rather than USDA, which publishes no textured vegetable protein record at all, and it is labelled that way in the data. Each priced food also has a package-price source and, where relevant, an edible-fraction adjustment so a pound of oranges doesn't get credit for the peel. The fast-food ranking uses nutrition published by each restaurant chain and documented menu-price observations. Then we divided. That's the whole trick.

Grocery nutrition numbers generally come from USDA FoodData Central. Grocery prices come from Bureau of Labor Statistics Average Price data where it exists, cross-checked against national retail listings for the items BLS doesn't track. The fast-food study uses each chain's published nutrition data and documented July 2026 menu and price-tracker observations. The full rulebook is on the methodology page.

You're welcome to reuse the data under CC BY 4.0. Credit Daily Life Hacks, link back to the study, and say if you changed the material. The exact scope and copy-ready wording are on the data reuse page. Journalists, students, dietitians, people settling an argument in a group chat: go ahead. The fiber and protein flagship CSVs also have a mirror on Hugging Face (CC-BY-4.0) . The downloads on this page stay the source of record.

Want the useful numbers before opening 22 files? The food cost statistics page pulls the current leaders and daily-cost ranges straight from this release. No hand-copied winner that quietly went stale three corrections ago.

Need to find one food or compare four of them without opening a CSV? The food value database joins the protein and fiber rankings into one searchable table. Missing measurements stay missing. Nobody gets bonus protein because a blank cell looked lonely.

Two of these have names

The two flagship rankings are named metrics, so you can point at them without describing them every time. The Fiber per Dollar Index ranks 53 high-fiber foods by dietary fiber grams per dollar. The Protein per Dollar Index does the same for 49 protein sources. Both get a full price re-audit every quarter, so when you cite one, cite the year with it.

The 24 datasets

Each file is a plain CSV with a header row. The study column links to the write-up that explains what the numbers mean and where each one came from.

All 24 public Daily Life Hacks datasets with row counts, source study and CSV download links
Dataset	Rows	Study	Download
The Fiber per Dollar Index: 53 High-Fiber Foods Ranked by Cost Efficiency (2026) The full Fiber per Dollar Index: 53 high-fiber foods ranked by dietary fiber grams per dollar, with package prices, edible fractions and price per 100g. Primary nutrition source: USDA FoodData Central. Current row-level source audit: 42 exact USDA matches, 9 close USDA proxies, and 2 unresolved rows; proxy and unresolved rows are not independently re-verified.	53	Fiber per Dollar: Whole Wheat Flour 77.8g, Split Peas 71.0g	CSV Hugging Face
The Protein per Dollar Index: 49 Protein Sources Ranked by Cost Efficiency (2026) The full Protein per Dollar Index: 49 protein sources ranked by protein grams per dollar, with package prices, edible fractions and price per 100g. Primary nutrition source: USDA FoodData Central. TVP is a proxy: USDA publishes no textured vegetable protein record at all, so the row is sourced to the manufacturer label at 52.17 grams per 100 grams. Current row-level source audit: 39 exact USDA matches and 10 close proxies, with no unresolved rows; proxy rows are not independently re-verified.	49	Protein per $: Whole Wheat Flour 96.0g vs Lentils 77.7g	CSV Hugging Face
Daily Cost of 30 Grams of Fiber: 5 Real Menu Plans Priced (2026) Twenty-seven priced meal rows across five complete daily menus that each reach roughly 30 grams of fiber, with the total cost of every plan. Nutrition source: USDA FoodData Central and restaurant chains' published nutrition data. The 23 grocery rows join to the flagship fiber audit: 18 exact USDA matches and 5 close USDA proxies, with no unresolved rows; the 4 restaurant rows use chain-published nutrition data.	27	What 30 Grams of Fiber Costs: $0.62 vs $14.42	CSV
Daily Cost of 50 Grams of Protein: 5 Real Menu Plans Priced (2026) Twenty-one priced meal rows across five complete daily menus that each reach roughly 50 grams of protein, with the total cost of every plan. Nutrition source: USDA FoodData Central and McDonald's published nutrition data.	21	What 50 Grams of Protein Costs: $0.82 vs $13.23	CSV
The Sodium Index: 56 Budget Staples Ranked Lowest Sodium First (2026) Fifty-six budget grocery staples ranked by sodium milligrams per 100 g, joined to the audited price basket so each row also carries package price, price per 100 g, sodium per dollar, and the fiber or protein value from the parent studies. Primary nutrition source: USDA FoodData Central. Sodium was pulled on 2026-08-02 from the same USDA record each row already cited in the fiber and protein studies; only rows those studies marked as exact matches were eligible, so 56 of 102 parent rows qualified. Every row is an exact USDA match, and the same pull reproduced all 74 fiber and protein values those records carry (38 fiber, 36 protein across the 56 foods) exactly as audited into the parent CSVs, with zero mismatches, confirming record identity.	56	Low Sodium on a Budget: 56 Cheap Staples, Measured	CSV
BLS Nutrition per Dollar: Federal Food Prices by Region, Refreshed Monthly Protein and fiber per dollar for the BLS Average Price food items that carry a defensible USDA match, at the latest published month, for the US city average and the four census regions. Rebuilt from the BLS public API every month, so it is a live series rather than a one-retailer snapshot. Nutrition source: USDA FoodData Central. Prices are the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Average Price survey, pulled from the keyless BLS public API v2, not retailer shelf prices; the full monthly history back to 2017 ships alongside this file as bls-nutrition-per-dollar-monthly.csv. 20 of the 67 curated BLS food items carry a documented USDA match and a documented unit conversion; 15 more were adjudicated and rejected with reasons, and the remaining items are not yet adjudicated, all recorded in pipeline-data/bls/bls-food-nutrient-map.json.	92	BLS Nutrition per Dollar: Federal Food Prices by Region, Refreshed Monthly	CSV
Protein per Dollar Adjusted for Quality (DIAAS): 25 Foods (2026) Twenty-five protein foods re-ranked after adjusting protein per dollar by DIAAS digestibility scores, with the source and method behind every score. Nutrition source: USDA FoodData Central. DIAAS values use the row-level literature and institutional sources cited in the raw CSV.	25	Cheap Protein, Adjusted: Drumsticks 50.3g vs Lentils 49.0g	CSV
Fast Food Protein per Dollar: 30 Menu Items Ranked (2026) Thirty fast-food menu items from major US chains ranked by protein grams per dollar, using each chain's published nutrition data and menu prices. Nutrition source: each chain's published nutrition data.	30	Which Fast Food Has the Best Protein per Dollar? 8.4g	CSV
Eggs vs Everything: Where the Default Protein Really Ranks (49 foods, 2026) Forty-nine protein foods ranked by protein per dollar with eggs placed in context, showing where the default American protein actually lands. Primary nutrition source: USDA FoodData Central. TVP is a proxy: USDA publishes no textured vegetable protein record at all, so the row is sourced to the manufacturer label at 52.17 grams per 100 grams. Joined to the flagship protein audit: 39 exact USDA matches and 10 close proxies, with no unresolved rows; proxy rows are not independently re-verified.	49	Are Eggs the Cheapest Protein? Flour 96.0g vs Eggs 34.4g	CSV
The Shelf-Stable Pantry, Ranked by Protein per Dollar (27 foods, 2026) Twenty-seven shelf-stable pantry foods ranked by protein grams per dollar, covering canned, dried and jarred items that need no refrigeration. Nutrition source: USDA FoodData Central.	27	Shelf-Stable Protein per $: Flour 96.0g vs Lentils 77.7g	CSV
Fruits and Vegetables Ranked by Fiber per Dollar (22 foods, 2026) Twenty-two fruits and vegetables ranked by fiber grams per dollar after edible-fraction adjustment for peels, pits, rinds and other waste. Nutrition source: USDA FoodData Central.	22	Produce Fiber per $: Frozen Peas 17.6g vs Carrots 16.1g	CSV
Every Animal Protein in Our Study, Ranked by Cost (21 foods, 2026) Twenty-one animal protein foods ranked by protein grams per dollar, using USDA nutrition data and 2026 US national grocery prices. Nutrition source: USDA FoodData Central.	21	Cheapest Animal Protein: Drumsticks 50.3g vs Eggs 34.4g	CSV
Rice and Beans Math: The Cheapest Complete-Protein Combos (20 foods, 2026) Twenty legume and grain pairings scored on combined protein per dollar at a 50/50 split, ranking the cheapest complete-protein combinations. Nutrition source: USDA FoodData Central.	20	Cheapest Complete Protein: Lentils & Flour 86.8g per Dollar	CSV
Plant Protein per Dollar: 18 Sources Ranked (18 foods, 2026) Eighteen plant protein sources ranked by protein grams per dollar, covering beans, lentils, tofu, nuts, seeds and meat substitutes. Primary nutrition source: USDA FoodData Central. TVP is a proxy: USDA publishes no textured vegetable protein record at all, so the row is sourced to the manufacturer label at 52.17 grams per 100 grams. Joined to the flagship protein audit: 13 exact USDA matches and 5 close proxies, with no unresolved rows; proxy rows are not independently re-verified.	18	Cheapest Plant Protein: Lentils 77.7g vs Split Peas 73.9g	CSV
The Cheapest Protein That Needs Zero Cooking (15 foods, 2026) Fifteen protein foods that need no cooking at all, ranked by protein grams per dollar for anyone without a working kitchen. Nutrition source: USDA FoodData Central.	15	No-Cook Protein per $: PB 50.7g vs Peanuts 39.8g	CSV
What One Dollar of Fiber Buys, Food by Food (15 foods, 2026) Fifteen foods showing how many grams of fiber a single dollar buys, converted from package prices into one comparable unit. Primary nutrition source: USDA FoodData Central. Popcorn is unresolved: its 14.5-gram USDA value matches air-popped popcorn while the priced item is unpopped kernels, so it was converted to a kernel basis of 12.9 grams per 100 grams and that figure is our calculation rather than a published record. Joined to the flagship fiber audit: 12 exact USDA matches, 2 close USDA proxies, and 1 unresolved row; proxy and unresolved rows are not independently re-verified.	15	Fiber for $1: Whole Wheat Flour 77.8g vs Split Peas 71.0g	CSV
What One Dollar of Protein Buys, Food by Food (15 foods, 2026) Fifteen foods showing how many grams of protein a single dollar buys, converted from package prices into one comparable unit. Nutrition source: USDA FoodData Central.	15	Protein for $1: Flour 96.0g vs Lentils 77.7g	CSV
Meat per Dollar: 11 Cuts Ranked by Protein Value (11 foods, 2026) Eleven cuts of meat ranked by protein grams per dollar, adjusted for bone and trim waste, at 2026 US national grocery prices. Nutrition source: USDA FoodData Central.	11	Cheapest Meat Protein: Drumsticks 50.3g vs Breast 24.6g	CSV
Grains Ranked by Fiber per Dollar (11 foods, 2026) Eleven grains and grain products ranked by fiber grams per dollar, from oats and barley through bread, at 2026 US national prices. Primary nutrition source: USDA FoodData Central. Popcorn is unresolved: its 14.5-gram USDA value matches air-popped popcorn while the priced item is unpopped kernels, so it was converted to a kernel basis of 12.9 grams per 100 grams and that figure is our calculation rather than a published record. Joined to the flagship fiber audit: 9 exact USDA matches, 1 close USDA proxy, and 1 unresolved row; proxy and unresolved rows are not independently re-verified.	11	Grains Fiber per $: Whole Wheat Flour 77.8g vs Barley 57.1g	CSV
Beans Win Twice: Fiber and Protein per Dollar (10 foods, 2026) Ten bean and legume varieties scored on protein per dollar and fiber per dollar at the same time, showing which ones win on both counts. Nutrition source: USDA FoodData Central.	10	Beans Protein and Fiber per $: Split Peas 144.9g Combined	CSV
Canned vs Dry Beans: What Convenience Actually Costs (10 foods, 2026) Ten matched canned and dry bean products compared on protein per dollar, putting a number on what the convenience of the can costs. Nutrition source: USDA FoodData Central.	10	Canned vs Dry Beans Cost: 77.7g vs 22g Protein per Dollar	CSV
High-Fiber Snacks Ranked by Cost (10 foods, 2026) Ten snack foods ranked by fiber grams per dollar, covering popcorn, roasted chickpeas, dried fruit and other grab-and-go options. Primary nutrition source: USDA FoodData Central. Popcorn is unresolved: its 14.5-gram USDA value matches air-popped popcorn while the priced item is unpopped kernels, so it was converted to a kernel basis of 12.9 grams per 100 grams and that figure is our calculation rather than a published record. Joined to the flagship fiber audit: 7 exact USDA matches, 2 close USDA proxies, and 1 unresolved row; proxy and unresolved rows are not independently re-verified.	10	High-Fiber Snacks per $: Popcorn 51.3g vs Carrots 16.1g	CSV
Breakfast Staples Ranked by Nutrition per Dollar (9 foods, 2026) Nine common breakfast foods ranked by combined protein and fiber per dollar, priced as purchased at 2026 US national grocery prices. Nutrition source: USDA FoodData Central.	9	Cheapest Breakfast: Flour 173.8g vs Oats 82.4g Combined	CSV
Dairy Protein per Dollar: Milk Beats the Hype (6 foods, 2026) Six dairy products ranked by protein grams per dollar, covering milk, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and cheddar at 2026 US prices. Nutrition source: USDA FoodData Central.	6	Cheapest Dairy Protein: Milk 28.5g vs Yogurt 27.5g per $	CSV

How to cite this data

Use the dataset name, the year, and a link to the study page it came from. The two flagship indexes also have a dedicated dataset page with the same wording, a CSV button, and the Hugging Face mirror. Copy from either place:

Daily Life Hacks. "The Fiber per Dollar Index: 53 High-Fiber Foods Ranked by Cost Efficiency (2026)." 2026. https://www.daily-life-hacks.com/fiber-per-dollar-cheapest-high-fiber-foods/. Please credit Daily Life Hacks with a link.

Daily Life Hacks. "The Protein per Dollar Index: 49 Protein Sources Ranked by Cost Efficiency (2026)." 2026. https://www.daily-life-hacks.com/protein-per-dollar-cheapest-protein-sources/. Please credit Daily Life Hacks with a link.

Every study page has a ready-made citation block with the exact wording for that dataset, so you don't have to assemble it yourself. Link to the study rather than the CSV: the study is where the caveats live, and a number without its caveats is how bad statistics get born. Full terms are on the methodology page.

Who publishes this, and who to tell when it's wrong

Daily Life Hacks is the publisher of record for every dataset on this page. The datasets are published under the site's name rather than an individual byline, the way a statistical agency or a research group publishes: the accountable party is the organization, and the work is checkable because the sources are attached to every row rather than because of whose name is on the front.

That only means something if you can reach someone. Corrections and source questions go to hello@daily-life-hacks.com, and they get read. If you think row 17 is wrong, send the row, the value you have, and the source you got it from. A corrected value gets a dated note in the affected study rather than a silent edit, so anyone who cited the old number can see what changed and when.

We also flag our own unfinished work instead of hiding it. Each ranking CSV carries a nutrition_source_status column, and rows marked unresolved are ones where we have not yet tied the nutrient value to a specific source record with confidence. They are visible on purpose. A dataset that never admits to a loose end is usually one that has not been checked.

For machines

If you're pulling this programmatically, start with datapackage.json, a Frictionless Data descriptor listing every file and its fields in one place. The provenance file records when prices were observed and what the known limits are. The fiber and protein files are also on Hugging Face , and each of those two files has its own dataset page (fiber, protein) with Dataset markup, a direct CSV download, and a copy-ready citation.

There's also a free JSON API if you'd rather query than download. No key, no sign-up, open CORS. See the API documentation for the endpoints and some copy-paste examples.

Prices get a full re-audit every quarter, so the files change. If you cached a copy, re-pull it before you publish anything from it. Spotted a number that looks wrong? Tell us. Getting corrected beats being wrong.