@GershonSurge, I don't know if you had the opportunity to watch the docuseries iTrive. It was offered for free recently. The producer of the documentary (a morbid obese and diabetic) went across our country and interviewed most of the well known experts in nutrition, including McDougal, Gregor, Furman, and many others. In one of the interviews, McDougal said that "people like to hear good news about their bad habits". My assumption is that the reason he allows a bit of sugar or white potatoes is because he knows that most people find it difficult to renounce them. So, if they can still have that, they are more prone to make changes in other areas, such as exchanging animal products for vegetables. I did not hear him talk about junk vegan, but I am convinced that he is aware of the difference. What I like about Fuhrman is the fact that is is not sugar coating his teaching. He classifies very clearly the different kinds of foods that we need (carbs, protein, and vitamin/minerals). He then classifies the nutritional value of foods from each category, and makes recommendation of what kinds of foods are unlimited, what kinds we should eat in limited amounts, and what we should avoid. Looking up the complex carbs on the internet, I found this link, which I hope you will appreciate:
https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/simple-carbohydrates-complex-carbohydrates#2
I don't know where you learned that potatoes have high nutritional value, because all the authorities in are area of nutrition clam the contrary. More than that, Only by renouncing the starchy vegetables (and adding some exercise to it!) I lost all the excess weight that I had, and I was able to maintain it for 2+ years. At the other side, every time I gave myself permission to have some carbs (share a pizza with my husband), the scale went up immediately, and so did my blood sugar. I don't deny that potatoes have some nutrients in it, but the proportion is very small in comparison with the starch and sugar that it contains. Potatoes do give us energy, because they contain a lot of macro-nutrients, but if we don't burn that energy immediately, it will eventually turn into sugar and fat. In addition, most of the times we eat potatoes, we tend to ad things to them that are also bad for us (butter, sour cream, or oil).
Now about the cost of eating nutritarian: I have been doing this for over two years and I did not find it expensive at all. On the contrary! I don't know where you live and if you have a Sprouts Farmers Market there, but that's where my husband and I are buying most of our groceries. Unless we buy a lot of nuts (which tend to be a bit more expensive), the vegetables are very inexpensive and flesh; and they have weekly discounts on some produce that would otherwise be more expensive. For example, bell pepper and avocado tends to be more expensive, but they have frequent sales when we can buy two or sometimes three for a dollar. My husband is not a nutritarian, although he did replace the unhealthy starches and the things that go with them, with healthier alternatives. He eats some kind of meat every day, for dinner. I only eat fish, every once in a while. He is still using the 2% milk. I replaced that with nondairy milk (almond and soy milk), although I mostly use it in my coffee or green tea. I rarely eat breakfast. Basically, our monthly groceries are no more that $500 for both of us. We always make two large bowels of salad with mixed vegetables, and have that in the fridge for a few days. Think of it:
Lettuce -- $1/bunch
Kale - $1/bunch
Carrots - $1/lb
Celery -- $1.29/bunch
Green onion - 2 bunches/1$
Spinach -- $1.49/ bunch (we usually buy 2 bunches - I make spinach soup, and use it in the salad)
Cabbage - $ 0.5/ lb
Green bell pepper - 3/$1 (on sale right now)
etc.
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Total: $7.00 for a week's worth of groceries for two people (we use most of the above in our salad, and add some nuts, or avocado, or dried cranberries/ raisins to it when we serve). My husband uses dressing, as well. I don't feel the need for it.
As far as legumes, they are pretty cheap, too. We can buy any variety of beans, peas, or lentil with less than $2/lb. With 1 lb. of beans, 3 carrots, 3 celeries, and 1 onion I can make a big pot of bean soup and have it all week. That is less that $10/week.
Of course, we buy other products, as well, including dairy and nondairy milk, but the cost is as reasonable as the things mentioned above. Needless to say, the things we buy are full of micronutrients, the fill our tummy, provide the nutrients that we need, and we lose weight in the process, too. Not to mention the healing power that is in every ounce of plant that we eat.
The thing is that we spend most money on are the nuts and seeds, and we do eat lot of them every day (especially my husband). But even so, the groceries for both of us are under $500/month. This is much less than when I was eating meat, and pizza, and pasta, and all the things that go with them.
I hope this answers your question (smiling). Have a great day!
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