To donate quinoa to the food bank?

I agree they probably won't be able to put it in a food parcel.

But I think generally having stuff for the "other" shelf wouldn't be a bad thing - it's nice for people to have a choice and if they spot something they'd like that they can't otherwise get then that is great.

I volunteer for a foodbank. It wouldn't get put in a standard pack but be left on a table to pick if someone wanted it. A lot of people we see have quite conservative tastes and some don't even want rice or pasta - we can swap it for instant mash. Many of them have no cooking facilities other than a kettle, some not even that. Some have no teeth and their bags have to take that into account. We don't seem to get the cultured middle classes down on their luck that some posters envisage.

To answer the question I wouldn't donate quinoa but it won't get thrown away.

Foods that can be cooked in a pan in a stove or in the microwave are good for donation. Foods that take lots of (paid for) energy or specialist equipment to cook are less appropriate
Just because people are using a food bank doesn’t mean they don’t like a variety of flavours.

You can chuck qinoa in anything, soups, stews, salads, porridge to add protein. It's great. And a very basic foodstuff like rice in some countries. Of course someone will use it.

And theres the problem right there, even po faced people that think they know what they're talking about lecuturing everyone else is getting it muddled with other grains and similar

Best post is up above asking OP to think about why its still in her cupboard unopened and unused

And to the poster saying 'food is food and just donate it' well no. As another poster said some things are neither use nor ornament to the majority otherwise there would be a cry for tins of caviar. You cant feed a hungry family on that

Donate it. They be someone who be grateful. Was speaking to food bank co ordinator last week and he said baked beans and pasta most donated items. He said there have too much baked beans and they needed toothpaste and toothbrushes most which is something I never thought of. Every foodbank collection point always has a list of items they low on which I never knew or saw. However please donate as it will be used!

Most people? I don’t know what circles you move in but they really don’t!

Don't overthink it. Someone I'm sure will use it. But there is a reason why foodbanks have wish lists. They know what the users want most and what will be the most beneficial.

I've volunteered for a while with our local community bank and it's definitely tinned and easy reheat food that's popular. Tinned tuna and meat. Soups. Puddings. Tinned fruit. And staples like ketchup, oil, tea bags.

It’s a reasonable question, and good that OP asked it.

Like OP said herself, this is how guardian reading ‘progressive’ middle classes think. It’s good to be reminded about that.

Very little - it cooks quickly on the hob - but if someone's not familiar with it, they may not want to take a chance on cooking a new grain and working out how to serve and season it (it doesn't taste of much plain). Assuming they even have a hob. Food banks really need microwaveable rice sachets, actually. They're so popular.

Which of her recipes have you tried personally that you would recommend?

I can tell you from experience of volunteering at one, that most people won't want quinoa; by and large, they really do want very simple, old-fashioned stuff that requires minimal cooking or expertise. Also, food banks typically prepare bags on the basis of categories - e.g one tin of meat, one tin of veg, one tin of beans, one bag of pasta, etc - and quinoa doesn't fit into that. As a PP said, it's likely to be put out as a bonus extra for anyone who fancies it. That said, there will always be the odd person who is a bit more gourmet, and the quinoa might put a smile on their face! So go for it, but be aware that it's not really filling an urgent need.

I have special dietary needs and would be very grateful to receive quinoa, if I needed a food bank.

The choice of names here has made me lol

Yes. This is something I always think about when donating.

How much cooking does quinoa require?

I would definitely donate it

Why not list your items on Olio OP? Then people who genuinely want/need it can collect and use it.

I used to volunteer in a food bank and in my experience people wanted quick and easy to cook things. The most popular item was those ready meals in a tin, where you basically have everything in one tin and just warm it up. Quinoa would have stayed on our front desk so people could help themselves or possibly just go out of date…

I realise there’s no way this won’t sound like the most guardian-reading middle-class question ever so I’m just going to own it.

Hmm, no, not really, it just seems that how you want to sound.

Quinoa is great and can be used to bulk out lots of things.

The problem with quinoa is not that people who need food banks only like nasty processed food so wouldn't eat it even if they knew how to cook it, but that it needs cooking for quite a long time and people who have no money for food often have no money for energy to cook with either, hence the request for food that can be heated quickly in a microwave and doesn't need refrigeration.

Many people aren't eating the types of food requested by food banks out of choice but out of necessity.

If I were you OP I'd just use up the quinoa myself (why haven't you done this up to now?) or put it on Olio so someone can choose to take it. Or see if there's a 'pay what you feel' type cafe nearby who can make use of it as they could put it jn a big batch oc soup or stew.

'Oh, Miles, Charlotte, do you think we should donate some quinoa to the foodbank? I'm sure all those poor people would appreciate trying some of the delicious food they see their betters eat'

Please make sure any food you donate is within date too. I personally would not donate anything not freshly purchased.

Jack monroe taught people how to use a food bank?!?! No she didn't.

Donate. My only concern would be the longish cooking/simmering time needed for quinoa - fuel and food poverty issues often go hand in hand.

Thanks I kind of hoped this would be the case as sometimes I donate some really random stuff and wouldn't want someone to open a parcel and unexpectedly get it.