I don't understand where people get the idea that you can't have any variety, nutrition or even fruit cheaply.
I love fresh fruit, can enjoy wonderful variety of dishes with simple ingredients, and NEVER resort to fast food or junk food in any circumstances.
And it never feels like any kind of hardship...

Is it just the prevailing mindset of the credit card tourist to think that staying in hotels and eating at expensive restaurants gets them closer to the reality of the culture and environment of the place they're cycling in?

I'm not trying to insult anybody. I guess people who have always had money can't imagine how to live without it, and people who have always lived without it can't see any need for it.