Eggs get cheaper

Eggs are getting cheap enough to compete with meat again at U.S. grocery stores. (fred.stlouisfed.org) The U.S. city average price for a dozen Grade A large eggs was $2.348 in March 2026, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data published through the St. Louis Fed on April 10. USDA’s weekly market report on April 17 put national wholesale large shell eggs at $0.23 a dozen and Midwest warehouse prices at $0.53. (fred.stlouisfed.org; ams.usda.gov) Retail promotions are following the drop. USDA said the average advertised price for conventional caged eggs at grocery stores fell to $1.68 a dozen in the week of April 17, while demand was light and supplies were “moderate to fully adequate.” (ams.usda.gov) The swing comes after months of bird-flu disruptions. In its March 16 outlook, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said 2026 table egg production expectations were lowered because of highly pathogenic avian influenza, but egg price forecasts were also cut because recent market prices were already falling. (ers.usda.gov) Beef is moving the other way. CBS, citing March price data, reported ground beef at $6.70 a pound and beef steaks at $12.73 a pound, both up about 16% from a year earlier. (cbsnews.com) USDA’s March outlook also raised its 2026 slaughter steer price forecast to $242 per hundredweight and cut projected beef production to 25.810 billion pounds. Smaller cattle supplies are one reason beef has stayed expensive while eggs have come off their highs. (ers.usda.gov) Restaurants are not getting the same relief consumers see in the egg case. National Restaurant News reported on April 22 that Technomic expects 2026 restaurant traffic to be pressured by gas above $4 a gallon, higher inflation expectations, and a menu mix shifting toward protein. (nrn.com) The National Restaurant Association said on February 12 that restaurant and foodservice sales are still projected to reach $1.55 trillion in 2026, but operators face “persistent cost pressures” and only 1.3% real sales growth. (restaurant.org) Another pressure point is how Americans are eating. CNBC reported in March that about one in eight U.S. adults is taking a glucagon-like peptide-1, or GLP-1, drug, and users who eat fewer calories report snacking less, pushing chains to add smaller portions and more protein-heavy items. (cnbc.com) For shoppers, though, the math is simple again: in March 2026, a dozen eggs cost less than half the March price of a pound of ground beef. That puts omelets, fried rice, and egg sandwiches back in the low-cost dinner rotation. (fred.stlouisfed.org; cbsnews.com)