To donate quinoa to the food bank?

Our local food bank specifically keep quinoa back for their vegan parcels, which can be difficult to stock, so yes, they will happily take it.

I deliver food from food banks, and some of it goes to places like the local women’s hostel where women and children are temporarily staying for their own safety from domestic violence.

And so do most people who are using food banks. I mean - give someone pasta and they still need to be able to cook and flavour it.
Even a tin of soup needs to be re-heated.

I recently volunteered in a food bank and someone had donated Caviar 😂 now that gave them a bit of a headache but was finally given away to a family. Quinoa and Pesto will be welcomed.

I deliver food parcels for a food hub and we regularly get given loads of things like goats cheese, buratta, guinea fowl and venison from the major butcher supplier. These things get snapped up! All people like nice food, and the chance to try different things so yes hand over the quinoa!

.....So do a percentage of other people who have found, this year, that they must do something they have never done, never envisaged themselves doing, feel sad and angry that they work 2 jobs, and now cannot buy enough food to feed their growing families or themselves AND pay the rent or other mandatory expenses.

Food is food, and there will be someone in the percentage of people who do have kitchens, and spices, and know what to do with it, besides consuming it, and will be grateful for what you do not want taking up cupboard space.

It's good OP that you're aware that you have more than many other people but please share food that you would otherwise consider disposing of.
It's pretty basic.

All food welcome! From treats to quinoa! Think of what YOU would
need/want/could make
a meal out of and donate that. Doesn’t have to be all pasta and cornflakes

I'm a bit amazed at how much interest this topic as generated, but really I shouldn't be, as people either feel passive about the banks existing or they feel passionately about the dire need for them, especially so post-pandemic.

It seems in the UK that most users are either homeless, or in such need of being able to feed their family, that they have go to the food banks.

In some places the guy that serves you your Starbucks, is on the food bank.
The woman who works 2 jobs, who has a choice: feed her family or pay the rent.
A wait staff person or an employee at your favourite fast food place; could very well be regular visitors to the local food bank.

Many people who are from different cultures with different diets, especially in those cities that are very large, and very diverse, would appreciate a donation of, for instance, Quinoa.
That's why I replied early upthread that OP should donate the quinoa and other two items she had that she questioned what to do with.

Why haven't you used it? Nor seem likely to in immediate future?
If ,lord forbid, you was ever on a mission to survive (off foodbank essentials) would you punch the air n go ...yes,my children - we shall feast tonight....(?) Is high chance wee " kwin -oah "be in future school intake rolls... Tbh

As an aside, I've put some squash (cordial) in the Foodbank collection when I went to the shop tonight on the back of a previous poster on here saying they remember not being able to have it as a kid as not enough money spare from parents to have it

Where I used to live our local food bank had a list of things it needed and requested that people stick to the list, simply because they didn't have much storage space. Quinoa definitely wasn't on it. It might be worth seeing what you can find out about how your bank operates. Some make up bags; some exchange for vouchers. Where I live now, there are food banks but we also have a set of shelves in a community area where people can leave anything they think others might like/ can make use of. In your shoes, that's where I would put the quinoa. However, I can't see myself being in your shoes and having cupboards full of in date food that I just don't want.

I've never heard of quick cook quinoa, so no. It's ten to fifteen minutes on the hob.

Odd you say "twice as long as rice or pasta" when rice already takes twice as long as pasta anyway! I cook rice for about twenty minutes (but I use brown rice so does take a bit longer), pasta is more like 8-10. Quinoa is 10-15. Admittedly cous cous is less, about five or six, but if you think quinoa takes six times as long as cous cous you'd be cooking it over half an hour which would just turn it to gloop.

@Negroany I'm a decent cook and I've never managed to cook the bloody thing properly 😂

Twice as long as rice? Are you cooking it to sludge?

It takes 10-15 mins.

Do you have quick cook quinoa or something? I find it takes twice as long as rice or pasta and 6 times longer than cous cous.

How is it a pain to cook? You simply boil it for ten to fifteen minutes in a pan on the stove (I guess it could also be microwaved). Quicker than rice or potatoes, bit longer than pasta. You do need a sieve really though as it's hard to gauge the water right.

I then use it as an accompaniment for curry, or casserole. Or I mix some harissa in and have it with roasted veg, maybe as a side to some fish.

Which is ironic as in many developing countries - lentils and beans are staples. Facilities aside, first gen immigrants tend to have better cooking skills than people born here. What is acceptable depends very much on the user base. In my local London foodbank tins of lentils and beans are fine, as are packets of ready cooked quinoa.

I was referring to tins, but yes, I think this is common because people want food they know and understand, not new stuff they're kids might not like.

Dried chickpeas take a lot of cooking using fuel many can't afford. Most of the clients who come to the Foodbank where I volunteer don't even want tinned pulses except baked beans.

Our local food bank can't take things like quinoa, it needs to be ready simple food that people know and can cook, they won't even take chickpeas.

Quinoa can be a pain to cook. I wouldn't donate it for that reason but not any other

100% this.

Our local food bank publicise that they are desperate for donations, and they are, but nonetheless they have donations that don't get used fast.

It really reflects whats desired by their user base. There can be religious and cultural factors.

They also get a lot of what middle class/affluent people with easy access to cooking facilities regard as nutritious inexpensive versatile ingredients (dried beans & lentils etc) when a lot of their client base can't manage cooking, can't afford electric/gas to cook, or have no equipment.

They list preferred items for a reason. Its sad really.

Do you really think that chips and sandwiches are eaten in every country of the world? I could name many countries across Asia and Africa, but I’m sure you’ll pop up with an establishment in an airport that sells a derivative of a sandwich and claim HAHA, told you so! Have you travelled around Asia and Africa? Chips and sandwiches are not staples (which was the original point made, that chips and sandwiches are worldwide universally eaten foods). It really isn’t worth getting het up about.