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...

[hitchhikingghost]

I agree with you op. To request certain brands like Oatley feels a bit off.

[TheHappyHerbivore]

Nope but beggars can’t be choosers.

Goodness, going back even further than Dickens - I believe that particular proverb dates back to the 1500s. I can’t say I’d like to return to the welfare provisions of that particular era, but perhaps you’re descended from ancient aristocracy and think you would have been alright?

People who rely on food banks aren’t beggars. They’re people who need help, usually to tide them over in the short term. 39% of them work, but are paid too little to buy basic necessaries like food. A further 32% have been screwed over by delays or changes to their benefits. 700,000 of them are children.

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.

[Fatted]

I'm not vegan and I'd still be pretty pissed off if I was given tinned fish.

Based on my experiences of who has been hit hardest by Covid and lockdown, I'd say it's a lot of middle class people. This family probably have been more accustomed to expensive tastes. It's probably hard enough for them to lose their incomes, probably their homes (again based on others I know) and everything else. FFS let them hang onto one little tiny pleasure in life.

[gutentag1]

Oatly barista is £1.80 per litre, cow's milk is approx 50p per litre.

You could (nearly) give four families a litre of cow's milk for that one litre of oat milk.

Food banks should be helping people to survive, if you're going to be picky then you can buy your own shopping.

[Polnm]

[quote ilikebooksandplants]@Polnm yes. It is both those things. The food bank can request whatever they want people to donate for what is appropriate for their users. Would you like me to say it again or have you caught on yet?[/quote]
Charming . The warm caring nature of MN at it’s very best

[Polnm]

@gutentag1

Oatly barista is £1.80 per litre, cow's milk is approx 50p per litre.

You could (nearly) give four families a litre of cow's milk for that one litre of oat milk.

Food banks should be helping people to survive, if you're going to be picky then you can buy your own shopping.

You can make oat milk really simply

[lavenderlove]

I don't believe the vegan family have specifically asked for oatly oat milk. I think the organiser has done some googling and has come up with that brand.

YABU to suggest they compromise their morals, that's really horrible of you to think that.

[Pippin2028]

There is a big mentality of 'beggars can't be choosers' and poorer people shouldn't be fussy, but its saying poorer people or those on low incomes don't deserve good things. We all like the best of what we can get

[TheFuckingDogs]

Being Muslim/Jewish is a protected characteristic - being a vegan is not. Saying that it should be cheaper generally to feed a family with non meat requirements so shouldn’t be a biggie. Also further to that maybe we should just have a society that is more equal and fair and doesn’t make our humans rely on handouts so they don’t starve. . Just saying

[Stannisbaratheonsboxofmatches]

I think what many other have already said is correct. There’s nothing wrong at all with asking for vegan food when you’ve found you need to rely on a food bank. I’m sure it’s often cheaper over all than meat anyway (not that that’s why - I think that their ethical choices are as valid as anyone’s). But I agree about brand names. Maybe those were examples?

[CuriousaboutSamphire]

We don't do much milk... Few fresh products as they presume access to a fridge, other suitable storage.

Long life, yes. And we always have non dairy equivalents.

[Porcupineinwaiting]

Damned if I'm donating high cost brands to the food bank when I dont buy them for my own family.

[TheHappyHerbivore]

Being Muslim/Jewish is a protected characteristic - being a vegan is not.

That’s not actually true - An employment tribunal ruled on this recently. The judge ruled that ethical veganism is a philosophical belief and should receive similar legal protections to religion in British workplaces. www.google.co.uk/amp/s/news.sky.com/story/amp/ethical-veganism-is-a-philosophical-belief-tribunal-says-11900304

I understand that a food bank is not a workplace, but the ruling gives an indication of the status veganism holds in U.K. law.

[CrazyToast]

I would assume it was the food bank making those suggestions rather than the family demanding them. They are probably just naming the well-known stuff.

If the family are asking for the most expensive stuff purely due to preference then I would that was a bit much. Although no harm in suggesting, I guess!

[1940s]

Oatley Barista is the best recommended milk for vegan children for the fat / calcium/ iodine content. Maybe that's why it was specified

[beepbeepsheep]

DD has to have Oatly on the advice of her dietitian. Perhaps the request was from a parent of a child with allergies who'd received the same advice, lots of dietitians recommend this brand due to its content. If not then yes, bit much to request specific brands but absolutely everyone is entitled to exercise their own moral choices with regards to their diet. Also veganism is now a protected belief.

[CoronaConundrum]

Exactly @1940s

[simonneilsbeautifulhair]

I'm vegan and there is no way I'd eat meat, fish or dairy whatever my financial circumstances as it goes against all my moral beliefs and is far more damaging to the planet. Just because someone is poor doesn't mean they should have to do something they believe is wrong. Generally veganism is actually a far cheaper way to eat as long as you aren't buying processed convenience foods.

However, I wouldn't drink Oatly due to the recent news about them. The family themselves may not have even requested this brand it may be something the food put on as it is a well known brand. Would you be as up in arms if they requested weetabix, for example, as a well known wheat biscuits brand?!

[Porcupineinwaiting]

By that rationale Pippin I should be able to approach the food bank for expensive coffees, fine teas and other luxury items. Because my family like "the best" too and can't afford to buy it.

[ny20005]

We had loads of chia seeds at our foodbank. Tk max donated all their food items when lockdown happened.

I don't ever remember having a request for vegan but we are not able to support a halal request.

All meat items are tinned & ive never seen any halal tinned food (not in our area anyway)

[Rabblemum]

Wow, I’m veggie and yes, I would eat meat if I was absolutely starving. What you’re saying is in a country where many working people visit foodbanks they shouldn’t have the dignity of choice and their morals.

As someone who has nearly been to a foodbank several times but has friends have helped out, I have been working when my teen and I have been in trouble, once thanks to a huge Council Tax mistake. Maybe it’s the system that needs changing...We do live in a rich country.

Vegan diets can be pretty cheep too, a veggie chilli with a few less veg is incredibly inexpensive.

[CoronaConundrum]

I have a vegan ASD dd and the vegan is due to ARFID she only eats a small range of brand specific foods I can imagine if we had to access help from a food bank it would be tricky

[QQQQQQ123]

@Potterpotterpotter

Poor people can make choices about what diet they want to follow when they can actually afford their own food... until then they can eat what they are given and should be grateful for the help.

Totally agree, asking for certain brands is taking the piss.

[NoMoreReluctantCustodians]

Oh gosh. Those poor people daring to have dietary preferences. Shocking.

Indeed



Poor people can make choices about what diet they want to follow when they can actually afford their own food... until then they can eat what they are given and should be grateful for the help.

What a nasty spiteful attitude

YABU about the fish. Veganism is a deeply held and important belief for some people, and it would be very painful to them to start eating animals, especially when things are tough anyway.

Agree

[Potterpotterpotter]

recognising that their deeply held personal beliefs should be upheld and provided for.

They can uphold their own beliefs when they are paying for the food they are eating. If they are hand to mouth and need a food bank then they should be happy for any brand and be grateful someone else is willing to provide for food for them, Not be fussy.

Unless its a medical reason why they can’t eat certain items then they should take what they are given.

Personal beliefs don’t come into it when you can’t afford your own food.