To think if you rely on a food bank you may need to compromise your vegan principles?

[LondonUnited]

I’m a supporter of our local food bank and am on their mailing list. I received an email earlier to say that they were supporting a vegan family and were therefore asking for specific food donations, including Oatly oat milk, various nuts and seeds, specific types of beans, etc etc.

I may get flamed for this but I couldn’t help thinking that - allergies aside (and I have a milk allergic child so I do get it) - if you need a food bank to feed your family, you might need to compromise on diet slightly? For a start, Oatly Barista is lovely and all that, but Aldi or Asda oat milk is also ok and half the price. And that the odd bit of tinned fish may be easier to access from a food bank than Brazil nuts and chia seeds...

It's a saying 'beggars can't be choosers' it means if your getting stuff for free, iits rude to be picky. I think food banks should keep it simple and just offer basics which would keep it simple. I think all people who access food banks have access to other benefits which they could buy their other bits with. I'm not sure food banks are meant to provide an entire ship but help supliment you when you are in need?

I can see where you are coming from.

I’ve had to feed (and nappy) a family of 4 on £30 a week. I only managed it by compromising my ethics re caged eggs and meat. It felt awful. I’m still can’t afford much more as we will be paying off debt for a decade (the rest of their childhood). So we either do without or compromise. If I have to choose between my child and a chicken, I realised who I would choose and all my food choices since then are based on that.

I’m not proud but I’m also a realist.

@HermioneMakepeace

I was vegetarian. I was critically ill, hours from death... I was told that as part of my recovery I needed x (non veg diet) and I stopped being vegetarian.

Sorry, but that's rubbish.

Actually it’s you who is talking rubbish. A friend of ours who has UC has just come out of hospital after a week. He was told that his vegan diet was doing more harm than good and to introduce meat into his diet. He is starting with grilled chicken because his health is more important to him than his morals. You can’t live off your morals after all.

Yes Betty. We do indeed supply all that is nutritionally required for at least 3 days. We will include toiletries, pet food, baby food and any other reasonable request.

We don't top people up. Most are absolutely at their wits end when they get to us. That is who we have referred to us, the destitute, not the slightly peckish. Think Old Mother Hubbard rather than food cupboards the day before pay day.

We offer a dietician designed bag of healthful goodies that will keep life in your body plus a few treats as and when we have them.

Many food banks have different offerings but one thing we all do is provide all that is needed for a minimum time period. Every meal.

morals are not only for the rich.

No, they are for people who can afford them. If you can’t afford them than you gonna have to go without.

‘ I think all people who access food banks have access to other benefits which they could buy their other bits with.’

This isn’t true. Benefits sanctions can remove 100% of benefits other than housing costs. The claimant is then told to use a food bank.

@HospitalToast

I can see where you are coming from.

I’ve had to feed (and nappy) a family of 4 on £30 a week. I only managed it by compromising my ethics re caged eggs and meat. It felt awful. I’m still can’t afford much more as we will be paying off debt for a decade (the rest of their childhood). So we either do without or compromise. If I have to choose between my child and a chicken, I realised who I would choose and all my food choices since then are based on that.

I’m not proud but I’m also a realist.

^This with bells on.

It’s just weird, vegan food is cheap and plentiful at most food banks. It just this processed vegan foodstuff that’s really expensive and not readily available, so it does seem strange to have that specifically requested.

Also, what’s the deal with oat milk? Did anyone even drink this stuff a few years ago?

Being vegan is better for the planet and a kinder way to eat. So by donating these things you are helping in three ways. Maybe the brand names are given to make it easier, because there are a lot of supermarket brands and it could get confusing. The issue we should be focusing on is not brand name food, but why we need food banks in the first place.

I was taking a breath before I addressed that bit.

Benefits. Originally food banks supplied 3 days worth of food to get people over a weekend when offices were closed. So they could eat whilst waiting for the government cogs to churn.

Now those cogs churn ever more slowly and food banks are changing with them. We supply more food, more often.

But it isn't only people on benefits that we see. We see people in big cars, owning big homes, private school their kids who are suddenly hit by financial misfortune. Yes they have assets to sell, belts to tighten, but that can't be done instantly. We would supply them with the same food as we do everyone else. Sudden loss of working capital, money in your pocket has the same effect on everyone.

We also see people from both 'camps' when they have got things on a more even keel. They often make large donations, suggestions on what else we can do, join us, volunteer etc. It isn't a thankless task by any means.

Also, what’s the deal with oat milk? Did anyone even drink this stuff a few years ago?

What does it matter if people drank it years ago? It’s delicious, nutritionally beneficial, and more environmentally friendly than alternatives like almond or soya.

What does it matter if people drank it years ago? It’s delicious, nutritionally beneficial, and more environmentally friendly than alternatives like almond or soya

Ooh, I get it. You must be marketing this stuff on the part of Big Oat 😂

But my point was that it’s hard to believe such a new product has become a household staple. I mean, if people want to donate name-brand oat milk, go right ahead, I just find it odd is all.

I love oat milk - much nicer than dairy and soya, as well as the ethical reasons.
Try oat milk in overnight oats with fruit - amazing !

Cheeky to request specific brands, of course okay to request vegan, halal etc. When you can afford to buy the specifics you like you can have them. I’d be annoyed at seeing that request.
We were brought up with ‘beggars can’t be choosers’ but perhaps that’s where we went wrong and should go with ‘if you don’t ask, you won’t get!?’

Although imo any oat milk will do.

Sorry not the point I know.

Erm so sorry you are poor......this is what charity can provide you. Buy the things you choose to have yourself. How lovely that the charity of others can give you ABC..... poor vegans can choose to have whatever is on offer from the food bank or not. The snotty amongst you can buy branded vegan whatever and donate it today.

The oatly barista milk will probably have been asked for because you can put it in hot drinks without it curdling.
Lots of cheaper alternatives 'turn' in tea and coffee.

Alpro doesn’t split.

Oh for gods sake - I am sure 1000 people before me have made this point but it is really annoying to have a thread 'AIBU that you should compromise your vegan morals..' but in subsequent posts OP claims that what she is really complaining about is people wanting to have branded products. Which is a totally different point!

Vegan food is cheap and healthy. It’s what the bulk of food donations are made of...

Fruit- fresh and tinned
Vegetables- fresh and tinned
Salad items
Pasta
Rice
Spuds
Bread
Variety of beans, pulses, nuts
Cheap lentils
Tinned chickpeas
Many brands of margarine
Wide selection of plant based milks
Loads of protein rich meat alternatives (many far cheaper than meat)
Tons of cheap sauces, soups, condiments etc
Heaps of cheap biscuits, crisps and confectionary when the odd treat is knocking about.

In this day and age, can we really suggest we have to choose the welfare of our children over the life a chicken... when nobody has to eat a chicken in order to maintain a healthy and nutritionally balanced diet?

And for those that have money to buy over and above the strictly necessary, there seems to be endless vegan options available.

Vegans are not all rich and they are not all poor... but the way I see it, they all have a pretty good point when it comes to nutrition and morals.

I’m pregnant and was very interested to read that all the stuff I was told to avoid eating (considered dangerous to my unborn child) a vegan wouldn’t touch any way.

Vegans don’t eat soft cheeses, runny eggs, seafood (they don’t have to worry about guidelines advising to limit weekly portions of oily fish and tuna due to mercury, pollutants and harmful bacteria), liver products, pate, cold cured meats, such as salami, pepperoni, chorizo and prosciutto, game meats such as goose, partridge or pheasant.

It certainly got me thinking.

I was going to say that, jiggly it's. If you have to have - or choose to have - a non-dairy alternative to cows' milk, the expensive barista one is the best performer in hot drinks.

If you're down enough to need help from a food bank, it would be soothing to have a decent cuppa. I wouldn't grudge it. For what it's worth, I always bring sanpro to my local food bank. I think it's the first thing women put back on the shelf when the people they love are hungry, and then dignity is gone. 😕

Every single one of them is a person every bit as worthy of respect as you are, and a vital part of that is recognising that their deeply held personal beliefs should be upheld and provided for. It is utterly dehumanising to decide that because they are struggling they are no longer considered worthy of that basic respect.

^This

Oops, the curse of autocorrect - I typed jigglybits!

I think she’s right. If you have to rely on food banks then you can’t start being fussy.

Perhaps they could rifle the bins behind asda instead then?!