I feel you! For anaerobic stuff, i noticed some great benefits. Specially james lightning Wilks is a great example n MMA lightweight. Have you ever checked him out?
It's true with the money. If i'd go for all the processed stuff it's super expensive.
I usually buy gluten flour or pea protein flour, lupine etc and kneed them, even using natural yeast, try to make my own fonds and then essentially prepare my own vegan meats. Specially when i cook for people accustomed to such protein rich diets.
Myself, i really eat a lot of veggies and love cabbages and mushrooms, lentils and beans and put loads of herbs in my food. I try to add vinegar to remove the bitterness. About a year ago i started acquiring this strange taste and took a direction, avoiding potatoes and aubergines. I do occasionally eat tomatoes but try to avoid them as well due to glycoalkaloids.
You are really right and i think it has truly become a science for me in terms of nutrition and creating combos bioavailable nutrients in general.