There is nothing wrong with vegetables. We probably should eat more of them than we do meat, but we shouldn't eat either one exclusively.
The classic Southern meal of "meat and three" may be about optimum. A meat, a starch, and two veg comprises the menu. (If Southerners could manage to limit the fried stuff, the butter/cream gravies, and the high salt content, it'd be a pretty healthy diet.)
Straight from WEB MD (and my Cardio Vascular Doctor in Alabama). The top 5 worst foods for Heart disease: This is the 5 top GROUPS which include 75-80% of a southern diet.
1. Pork Bacon and sausage, to include any cured pork (Ham, Hocks, feet, necks)
2. All Red Meats (steaks, hamburgers, mostly beef)
3. Sugary drinks (Cola, Soda, even kool-aid for christs sake)
4. Anything cow milk related (Milk, Ice cream, butter, cheese, yogurt, Pizza)
5. Anything deep fried (chicken skin especially)- french fries, potato chips, we even fry tomatoes
6. Most breads
southern cooking may just about be the worst type of eating in America. Trust me, Born and raised in Alabama, 28 years in the Military with 22 countries visited. 12 states I've lived in. Southern cooking will kill you quicker than just about anything. I had to leave Alabama to realize you don't have to deep fry everything.