Americans are still eating plenty of protein — but rising beef prices are pushing more shoppers toward chicken. Why it matters: Tyson Foods' results show a widening shift in how Americans are buying meat: the move toward chicken is playing out in grocery aisles and in a restaurant sector seeing a traffic rebound. Driving the news: Tyson's results, released Monday, underscore the shift:Total sales for the meat processor rose to $13.7 billion in the quarter ending March 28, even as its beef sales — its largest segment — fell 13% in volume terms from a year earlier.Chicken sales volume increased 1.7%, and about 3x faster at grocery stores and restaurants, the company said.Tyson CFO Curt Calaway said Monday that Tyson sees "continued evidence that chicken will be a preferred protein in the upcoming year."Between the lines: Consumers aren't cutting back on meat — they're trading across it, with affordability and convenience playing a bigger role.Branded, value-added chicken is growing faster than fresh meat, with frozen and prepared items outperforming the broader food category, NielsenIQ data shows.U.S. chicken production is expected to rise this year overall while prices remain relatively stable, according to USDA data.Tyson's beef segment, meanwhile, is getting squeezed from both sides.While its total sales from beef increased in the quarter, that was driven by an over 11% rise in average prices.The company posted a $240 million loss in the beef segment as costs surged, Tyson said.U.S. beef production is expected to decline again in 2026, while cattle prices are projected to rise about 8%, according to the USDA.Zoom in: The U.S. cattle herd is at its lowest level in decades, tightening supply, per USDA data.Ground beef averaged about $6.70 per pound in March — roughly 16% higher than a year earlier, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.What we're watching: Separately, the Justice Department said Monday at a news conference that it will use "every law enforcement tool available" to address rising food prices.The department, along with the USDA, is continuing a broader probe into potential antitrust issues in the meatpacking industry, which includes major players like Tyson, Cargill JBS and National Beef. The effort dates back to a Trump directive last year to investigate alleged collusion as beef prices climbed.The bottom line: Beef is getting more expensive — and chicken is taking its place on more American plates.More from Axios:Costco updates its $1.50 hot dog combo — without raising the priceClaire's bets on Gen Alpha with sensory-first rebootDrink wars heat up as fast-food chains bet big on beverages