Nutraloaf - Looks like Pajun!

I read an interesting article on Nutraloaf. It’s served in prison under special disciplinary circumstances and is something that has been the source of litigation as being unconstitutionally bad. It’s “off the menu” and is typically served only to inmates who have misbehaved, usually by proving untrustworthy with their utensils. A nutraloaf has all of the required day’s nutrients.

The guy who wrote it actually made three different state’s version of nutraloaf and hosted a tasting party. He mentioned something about a penal cookbook. Is there really such a thing?

Anyway, here are what I thought were the best bits of the article:

Among other complaints about the accommodations there, LeMaire (someone who slit a man's throat before going to state prison and attacked his prison guards and fellow prisoners with sharpened poles, feces, and a homemade knife once inside) argued that Nutraloaf was cruel and unusual and thus violated his 8th Amendment rights.

A lower court agreed with LeMaire and ordered the prison to serve him something more delicious. The 9th Circuit, however, overturned the lower court's decision, holding that while Nutraloaf may be unappetizing, "The Eighth Amendment requires only that prisoners receive food that is adequate to maintain health; it need not be tasty or aesthetically pleasing."

Even unsympathetic courts seem willing to concede that Nutraloaf is pretty disgusting.

It was dense and dry and tasted like falafel gone wrong. But instead of it making me feel pleasantly sated like falafel does, even the small test slice I sampled gave me a stomachache.

When the Vermont prison's lawyer was asked during oral arguments why Nutraloaf couldn't be made more appetizing, he answered that if it were tastier, then prisoners would act up for the privilege of getting Nutraloaf.