The Most Commonly Requested Meals Inmates Ask For Before Leaving This Mortal Coil

The history of the "last meal" for death row prisoners — where inmates get one final chance to savor their favorite foods — dates all the way back to ancient Greece. However, the practice has come under scrutiny as taxpayers question its cost as well as morality, and more states continue to outlaw capital punishment. Before this time, there was a trend amongst inmates when requesting their last meal, and it all centered around American comfort food.

Of the 27 states where the death penalty is legal, there are only 12 states that continue to provide a meal to death row inmates before their execution — just six of those let prisoners make a specific meal request for food from outside the prison. Thus, the only body of research on common last meals comes from a 2012 study out of Cornell University, when there were still 35 states with people on death row. In this study, researchers looked over 193 last meals.

Many people leaned towards fried, sugary, and fatty things, with meals coming in at an average of 2,756 calories. Think steak, french fries, burgers, fried chicken, soda, milkshakes, and fast food favorites. The 2012 meal request from Gary Carl Simmons Jr. is actually a perfect example of this. Simmons Jr. ordered two pizzas from Pizza Hut, a large pile of parmesan cheese, tons of ranch dressing, nacho cheese with jalapeños and Doritos, McDonald's fries, Cherry Coke, strawberry milkshakes, and strawberry ice cream. To put it simply, these inmates opted for a sense of familiarity in times of extreme stress. Science explains that comfort food can even change the brain's responses to be calmer in certain situations.

Even though this study was conducted in 2012, many of its findings apply to more recent last meal requests as well. After years without an execution in Oklahoma, John Grant ate two bacon cheeseburgers, a bag of barbecue chips, and a bottle of Pibb Extra for his last meal in 2021 after waiting on death row for 23 years. In 2024, murderer Jamie Mills chose to dine on shrimp, catfish, oysters, onion rings, and stuffed crab. Even outside of prison, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay dreams of a final meal that covers a full English breakfast, butter chicken, In-N-Out burgers, chicken wings, beef Wellington, and sticky toffee pudding for dessert.

It's no wonder so many inmates choose to enjoy what they loved most during their time on Earth for their last meal. As lead Cornell University researcher Brian Wansink puts it, "You don't find people going for Neapolitan ice cream or for Chunky Monkey or Chubby Hubby. They go for chocolate; they go for vanilla" (via CBS News). After all, wouldn't you want something that reminded you of your mom's homemade cooking or your favorite fast food meal right before you go?