No but like seriously, why are vegan and vegetarian options always MORE expensive at restaurants. Whenever I cook my self, the meat is BY FAR the most expensive part of any meal. Meanwhile stuff like soy strips are DIRT CHEAP, not to mention they last basically forever!
The canteen I go to for lunch actually sells the meatless meals for 2/3 of the price, always a taunting reminder. Like hell yea, that’s how ya convert me!
“Meat substitutes,” ie impossible burgers and vegan cheese, are more expensive. There’s a complex process and decades of trial and error that have gone into trying to replicate specific flavors. But “things in place of meat,” like tofu or beans (dried beans especially), are often cheaper.