I think, if most folks realized that they could feed a lot more people a healthier diet, on fewer dollars, without lots of hard, mysterious, or complicated work, they would.
So, let's talk nutrition and price, since I am on a pro-seitan rant (that is not just for the lazy, but also for the cheap!):
22 oz of (dry) Bob's Red Mill vital wheat gluten flour costs around $6.50, and contains 20 30gram servings, each with 120 calories, 5 of which are from fat (0.5 g fat, no saturated or trans fats), only 9 grams of sodium (although, admittedly, I add quite a bit in the cooking process), and 23 grams of protein. (so $6.50 buys you 20 servings of about 23 grams of protein each)
in contrast, 4 oz. of frozen white meat chicken (a standard serving size, info from Empire Kosher) contains 100 calories, 9 of which are from fat in a typical piece of boneless, skinless white meat (1 gram of fat, nearly all of which is saturated), 470 mg of sodium, and 23 grams of protein. A pound of frozen skinless boneless chicken breast costs about $6.50. (i.e. $6.50 buys you four servings with about 23 grams of protein each).
So, with very similar nutrient densities (cutlet sizes are similar to chicken once the seitan is prepared), you can feed FIVE TIMES the number of people a source of lean, palatable, easy-to-prepare protein for the same price.
No kidding.
to say nothing of cholesterol. Milligrams of dietary cholesterol in vital wheat gluten: none. zip. zilch. zero. Meanwhile...
Lots of my patients and friends who are on lower-cholesterol diets choose chicken and eschew red meat to lower their cholesterol intake. But here's the kicker - that very same 23 grams of protein, when you take it from chickens will punish you with 60-200mg (or more, depending on feed, and how skinless/boneless your meat really is).
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