Originally Posted by wanderingtheearth

Meatloaf is a dish designed to use up indifferent-quality ground meat, often bulked out with even cheaper fillers. In its default form, not a spice nor a vegetable to be seen. Hence its important role in CONUS as institutional food--served in schools, hospitals, prisons. A very cheap item to be serving in long-haul business. However, culinary preferences vary across cultures, which is why I asked.