Fresh and nutritious are not words that you would usually associated with the food served up in prisons, however, following a year long review, the Irish Prison Service has updated its catering offering to include more fresh produce and less fats.
The Irish Times reports that the prison authorities are also "making better provision for diabetics and vegetarians", as they look to ensure "varied and nutritious" meals are provided to prisoners, including halal and kosher food on request.
According to figures released to The Irish Times under the Freedom of Information Act, the food bill for prisons has actually fallen from €8.7million in 2014 to €7.6 million last year.
Mealtime staples in Irelands prisons include Dublin coddle, alongside chicken casserole, cottage pie, breaded fillet of fish with chips and mushy peas, and pork chops with potatoes, cabbage and gravy.
Meanwhile, vegetarian prisoners can choose from the likes of vegetable curry, vegetarian pasta bake, Quorn sausage with mash and onion gravy, and savoury omelette, while veggie burgers, spring roll and peas, cheese wrap, or baked potato and beans are also on offer.
