Protein sources beyond meat: a local guide

Dublin shoppers are quietly overhauling their protein habits. Demand for plant-based and non-meat protein staples — lentils, tempeh, Greek yoghurt, edamame, canned sardines — has risen sharply across the city's independent food retailers since early 2025, according to figures from the Irish Health Trade Association, which tracks sales across 340 member stores nationwide. The shift is showing up in trolleys from Ranelagh to the Northside, and the city's wellness culture is driving it.

The timing matters. Grocery prices remain elevated after three years of food inflation, and many Dublin households are looking at meat — particularly beef and lamb — as an expensive line item they can trim without sacrificing the protein their diets need. The Health Service Executive's 2025 dietary guidelines, updated in November, recommend adults consume between 0.8g and 1.2g of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. A 75kg adult needs somewhere between 60g and 90g. A single chicken breast hits roughly 30g. A 400g can of chickpeas delivers about 19g of protein for around €1.20 at most Dublin supermarkets right now — roughly a quarter of what a comparable portion of steak costs.

Where Dubliners are actually shopping

Two shops come up repeatedly when you ask city-centre nutrition coaches where their clients are sourcing quality non-meat protein. Nourish on Dawson Street — a five-minute walk from Trinity College — stocks an unusually wide range of pea protein powders, hemp seeds and sprouted legume blends, and staff there are trained to discuss protein combining for people cutting back on animal products. Down in the Liberties, Loose Cannon Wholefood Merchants on Drury Street has developed a loyal following for its bulk-buy section, where customers can purchase dried black beans, red lentils and nutritional yeast by weight. A kilogram of dried green lentils runs about €3.50 there — one of the better-value protein sources in the city at roughly 25g of protein per 100g dry weight.

For those who eat fish, the English Market equivalent in Dublin — Moore Street, though diminished from its 1980s peak — still has stalls selling fresh mackerel and herrings, both of which punch well above their weight nutritionally. A 100g portion of mackerel delivers about 19g of protein alongside the omega-3 fatty acids that nutritionists consistently flag as under-consumed in Irish diets. SuperValu's Ranelagh branch has expanded its chilled fish section twice in the last 18 months, which is a decent proxy for what customers in that neighbourhood are asking for.

Eggs remain the workhorse. At €2.80 to €3.40 for a box of six free-range eggs in most Dublin shops this summer, they represent one of the cheapest complete protein sources available — meaning they supply all nine essential amino acids. The Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute notes that two large eggs provide around 13g of protein, making breakfast a reasonable place to front-load daily intake without touching meat at all.

Getting the combinations right

The old rule about plant proteins needing to be combined in a single meal — rice with beans, for instance — has been largely revised by dietitians. The current thinking, reflected in guidance from the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, is that variety across a full day is sufficient for most healthy adults. That means a lunchtime bowl of hummus on wholegrain bread at a café like Sprout & Co on Dawson Street, followed by a tofu stir-fry at dinner, covers the bases without requiring precise meal planning.

Tempeh is the ingredient most Dublin food retailers say they struggle to keep on shelves. It ferments soybeans into a dense, nutty block that holds about 19g of protein per 100g — more than tofu — and it turns up in several spots around the city now, including the Asian food section of the Dunnes Stores on St Stephen's Green. Fermentation also improves its digestibility compared to raw soy products, which matters for people with sensitive digestion.

The practical starting point for anyone reconfiguring their diet is simpler than it looks: swap one meat-based meal a day for a legume, egg or fish alternative, check the labels on dairy (Greek-style yoghurt at 150g delivers 15g of protein, standard yoghurt less than half that), and give a local wholefood shop like those on Drury Street or Dawson Street half an hour on a Saturday morning. A GP or registered dietitian in Dublin can tailor this further for individual health conditions — and for anything beyond general eating patterns, that conversation is worth having before overhauling your plate entirely.