Vegetables are a great source of nutrition and the gateway to good health, but the San Quentin Prison population is falling short in receiving this important food source, according to an informal survey.
The United States Department of Agriculture advises women to eat at least two and a half cups of veggies per day, and advises that men should eat at least three.
Joan Salge, the author of “Nutrition & You,” says Americans usually get about one and a half cups – way below the recommended amount. However, California state prisoners may be consuming even less than this.
W. Williams, a San Quentin prisoner housed in West Block, complained that the dining hall only serves one vegetable a day. He does not eat the salad because he thinks the dressing makes it too soggy. Williams is not alone. The survey found roughly 60 percent of the inmates said they eat just one vegetable per day.
B. Banks says that he is not getting enough vegetables and even these are over-cooked.
According to San Quentin’s Assistant Food Manager, “San Quentin is in compliance with Title 15 (Crime Prevention and Corrections Code), which mandates we comply with the RDA (recommended daily allowance). Our menu is analyzed through Sacramento. We provide these veggies on a daily average. We are working to include more fresh fruits and veggies,” he said. In other words, the vegetable requirements are, on average, met over the course of a week.
The code specifies, “Each inmate shall be provided a wholesome, nutritionally balanced diet.” However, the code mentions specific allowances of fresh vegetables only in reference to pregnant female inmates.
Getting extra vegetables can present a challenge in prison because prisoners must eat what they are served. V. Ngyuen, a San Quentin prisoner, claims he only started eating vegetables after he came to prison. Now he thinks he does not get enough veggies and tries to buy them on the tier. “I like green beans, broccoli, bell peppers, onions and carrots. I try to eat them raw because they have more nutrients,” he said.
