# How do American prisoners stay big and muscular on that diet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 14, 2011, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-prisoners-stay-big-and-muscular-on-that-diet/567626 "2011-01-14T18:35:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-prisoners-stay-big-and-muscular-on-that-diet/567626/21 "2011-01-17T23:34:05Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > The thing is, some of these guys look like they are eating 3000 calories a day, at least. It doesn’t look like prisons provide that kind of caloric intake. That’s not actually out of line. IIRC, the facility where \*\*Qadgop \*\*works guarantees about 3000 calories per day per inmate. An inmate doesn’t \*have \*to eat that much, but it’s there for those who want it. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-prisoners-stay-big-and-muscular-on-that-diet/567626/22 "2011-01-18T19:11:14Z")
> [@fuzzypickles](#): > > Institutional facilities are mandated by law to provide adequate nutritional sustenance, which (as others have pointed out) can be done very cheaply. In fact, one of the best ways to lose weight & get into shape is to spend a few months behind bars…though I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. One of my relaives was a prison guard in western USa and he mentioned that when the prisoners “acted up”, and they went into lockdown, the prisoners were fed “punishment loaf”. The prepared meal was mixed together and ground up and served as one big soft blob per inmate. No knives or forks needed… ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-prisoners-stay-big-and-muscular-on-that-diet/567626/23 "2011-01-18T19:15:58Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > One of my relaives was a prison guard in western USa and he mentioned that when the prisoners “acted up”, and they went into lockdown, the prisoners were fed “punishment loaf”. The prepared meal was mixed together and ground up and served as one big soft blob per inmate. No knives or forks needed… Charming. And then they wonder why convicts don’t rehabilitate very well :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-prisoners-stay-big-and-muscular-on-that-diet/567626/24 "2011-01-18T19:50:32Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > One of my relaives was a prison guard in western USa and he mentioned that when the prisoners “acted up”, and they went into lockdown, the prisoners were fed “punishment loaf”. The prepared meal was mixed together and ground up and served as one big soft blob per inmate. No knives or forks needed… Fairly common and well-known. The stuff is called [Nutraloaf](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutraloaf), and you can find various recipes on the net if you want to make your own. Very calorie-dense, supposedly nutritionally complete, and [bland as all-get-out](http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/September-2010/Dining-Critic-Tries-Nutraloaf-the-Prison-Food-for-Misbehaving-Inmates/). ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-prisoners-stay-big-and-muscular-on-that-diet/567626/25 "2011-01-19T04:45:04Z")
> [@Rumor\_Watkins](#): > > Charming. And then they wonder why convicts don’t rehabilitate very well :rolleyes: Prisoners who are eating the loaf have minimal prospects of rehabilitation. You don’t get put on the loaf for mischievious pranks - you get put on it for something like assault, murder, rape, or arson. ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-prisoners-stay-big-and-muscular-on-that-diet/567626/26 "2011-01-19T05:12:17Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > One of my relaives was a prison guard in western USa and he mentioned that when the prisoners “acted up”, and they went into lockdown, the prisoners were fed “punishment loaf”. The prepared meal was mixed together and ground up and served as one big soft blob per inmate. No knives or forks needed… is this the ‘confinement loaf’ that Zappa sang about? ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-prisoners-stay-big-and-muscular-on-that-diet/567626/27 "2011-01-19T09:11:48Z")
> [@Rumor\_Watkins](#): > > Charming. And then they wonder why convicts don’t rehabilitate very well :rolleyes: They’re **not supposed** to like it. It’s **prison**. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-prisoners-stay-big-and-muscular-on-that-diet/567626/28 "2011-01-19T14:51:37Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > Fairly common and well-known. The stuff is called [Nutraloaf](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutraloaf), and you can find various recipes on the net if you want to make your own. Very calorie-dense, supposedly nutritionally complete, and [bland as all-get-out](http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/September-2010/Dining-Critic-Tries-Nutraloaf-the-Prison-Food-for-Misbehaving-Inmates/). Here is a picture of the Nutraloaf, prepared outside prison. [Nutraloaf](http://boingboing.net/2010/08/26/nutraloaf-cruel-and.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-prisoners-stay-big-and-muscular-on-that-diet/567626.md?page=1)