"Meal or No Meal:" None are a good deal.

Stumbled upon a sequence of "Meal or No Meal" on the Today Show this morning.  "Chefs" are supposed to make a meal for a family of four for $10.  Here's the non-vegan results:

1. Chunks of Chuck Steak (dead cow) sauteed with mushrooms, sweet potato fries, apple brown betty with dollop of whipped cream
2. Sauteed Chicken Corpse pieces with pinto beans, rice, celery, maybe carrots, tomato sauce, shredded cheese topped with cornbread/polenta (oven baked)
3. Slaughtered Pig's Shoulder, sauteed cabbage/carrots

How ridiculous!  Such believably unhealthy and unimaginative meals. Didn't bother watching long enough to find out who "won" (all were losers, imho).  They spent way too much on stuff that's not healthy let alone, creative.  I'm low-fat vegan.  Roughly a third to half of "the expert chef's" budget went to dead animals.  Here's some numbers showing how it could be done cheaply and heart healthy:

• $1.00 will get you a POUND of lentils (possibly organic) or a CAN of beans
• $1.00 will get you a POUND of brown rice (or other grains, millet is usually cheaper)
• $2.75 will get you TWO POUNDS of broccoli (off season)
• $1.00 will get you a POUND of organic carrots
• $1.00 will get you a POUND of romaine lettuce
• $  .50 will make a no-fat dressing (corn starch, water, spices, seasonings, leftover catsup/mustard)
• $1.00 will get you a POUND of apples (in season)
• $1.00 will get you a POUND of rolled oats
• $  .50 (an onion and garlic bulb)
• $  .25 (some brown sugar for the Apple Brown Betty)

With the above (and those are conservative estimates), I could make enough food for at least two meals (maybe more) for four people:  lentils/rice, grilled broccoli with a mustard sauce, salad with carrots, apple brown betty.  No fat, no meat, more vegetables, healthier, etc. Could use tofu ($1.50/lb. where I live). Cabbage is $.60/lb. Spinach $.99/lb. Kale $1.25/lb).  A fine vegetable soup would work, a 2 lb. loaf of whole grain bread (or a pizza crust) costs less than a buck to make with a bread machine.

Bottom line:  those chefs wasted money and produced nutritionally deficient meals.  They are not qualified to suggest that their meals are cheap and/or healthy.   The problem is their collective expensive, non-healthy, non-sustainable meat protein-centric mindset, and that's soon going to be very retro.

GO LOW-FAT VEGAN:  it's the REAL DEAL.

Comments

[Kristin V.]

Interesting post! It's very unfortunate that people see being vegan as complicated or expensive. I've also noticed that people who think eating vegan (or even vegetarian) is "expensive" are the ones who center their meals around fake meats instead of real dead animals.

[Agreed! Then there's many who think adding oil to their meals is healthy or that faux cheeses (most are mostly oil) are "healthier" than dairy cheese.

Thanks for your feedback! Best regards, Mark

[Jenna]

I have heard that eating salad with lowfat or nonfat dressings inhibits the ability to wholly absorb the nutrients in the vegetables... what do you have to say about that? There are many fat-soluble vitamins... Without fat, we can't absorb these nutrients!

[Some people will add some sunflower seeds, a little avocado, little tofu, etc., to aid with the digestion. Personally, and this is very subjective, I've been doing no-fat dressings on my salads for years and believe I've been getting sufficient nurtrition.

Thanks for your question! It's a good one.

Best regards, Mark]

[Peter]

One of percieved barriers that people have in adopting veganism in general is their lack of imagination. Instead of asking when adopting a low fat vegan diet 'what will I eat' the approach should be to look at the vast variety fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes available. The colours and flavours abound.
I rarely eat out which makes eating very cheap. I prepare everthing from scratch and buy fruit and veggies in season. Additionally I often buy fruit and veggies which are so called 'seconds' which are mostly perfectly fine with only slight blemishes on the skins. As for whole grains and lentils I buy them by the kg at a local Asian grocers. $10 spent on a low fat vegan meal made from scratch would result in a 'feast' at my house.
The pleasant side effect from not using any vegetable oil in the cooking process is that there are no greasy plates, pots and pans making cleaning much easier.

[Agreed on all accounts... I've lived on $15 for a week in lean years past, with a large abundance of fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes... I've purchased many "seconds" for frozen sauces, stews, and canning. Great savings.

Thanks for your feedback! Best regards, Mark]

[Stephanie]

One of the arguments people make to me is how expensive they think veganism is. Really? Fresh veggies, legumes and grains are the cheapest foods you can buy. Next time I'll just pass your post along!

[Yeah, and I was generous... one could make a killer stir-fry, vegetable sauce, stew, chili, with side dishes, for that amount of money. A great soup, fresh bread, and a dessert.

You're right... it's amazing how many people think that eating vegan is more expensive than eating carnivore. BTW: I sent a copy of my post to the PR representative for NBC's "Teaching Cooking" program (of which this segment was a part of).

Thanks for your feedback and I'm glad it'll be useful for you! Best regards, Mark]