Nutraloaf

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Nutraloaf is a food served in certain states to United States prisoners who have significant behavioral issues. There are many different recipes, but in one common version, it is made from a mixture of wheat bread, non-dairy cheese, various vegetables, and mixed with vegetable oil, tomato paste, powdered milk and dehydrated potato flakes. Prisoners do not need utensils to eat it, and it is generally served on a piece of paper, rather than a tray.

Prisoners who are served nutraloaf are usually given the dish because they have assaulted prison guards or fellow prisoners with trays or sharpened utensils. Prison wardens argue that these prisoners are dangerous, and nutraloaf is a solution that both provides enough nutrition to keep prisoners fed and removes the tools that would cause them to behave badly.^[1]

Its status as food is contested by prisoners, claiming it amounts to punishment. Lawsuits have taken place in several states about nutraloaf. In March, 2008, prisoners brought their case before the Vermont Supreme Court, arguing that, since Vermont state law does not allow food to be used as punishment, nutraloaf must be removed from the menu.^[2]

Vermont's version of Nutraloaf has 966 calories per serving.