I don't have much meat and high protein foods in my house. I usually eat anything in my house I can find with any protein in it. I guess you answered your own question. Yes, protein intake is essential. Since you probably don't do your own grocery shopping, ask your grocery shopper of the household to buy some tuna fish when it's on sale if your family is on a tight budget.
Cheese is also an excellent source of protein that most families buy on a regular basis.
If you want serious results, make sure you eat enough calories and make sure you eat about 1.5-2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. Split the intake in about 6 meals per day. Even if you don't workout one day, you still need to feed your body with adequate calories and protein. OR they could be more genetically gifted in building muscle tissue. I guarantee you though that as you increase your protein intake, you will see results.