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...

[Greenfinger555]

Goodness knows what stressful events have led the family to the food bank. How awful it would be to find out people were talking about you in such an unsympathetic manner. Even if they did suggest bloody Oatly, so what? It's about 50p dearer than an own brand and you don't have to donate if you don't want to. Expecting them to eat fish because they should be grateful for what they get is just plain mean spirited.

[ZolaGrey]

I think it's a pretty crap thing to get a bee in your bonnet about. Either contribute to the list or don't, but don't be pious about what a family who is struggling are wanting to eat, which is entirely none of your business.


As an aside, my friends son has a dairy and soya allergy and Oatly is the only milk he can/will drink due to things he doesn't recognise making him catastrophically poorly.

[PinkiOcelot]

YADNBU!

[TheHappyHerbivore]

it’s pretty standard to buy your own food. Hardly a privilege.

Having a job that pays your bills is a privilege. Having a job which didn’t furlough you is a privilege. Having a job which isn’t a zero hours contract in the middle of a global pandemic is a privilege. Having a job which didn’t make you redundant when times got tough is a privilege. Being healthy enough to work is a privilege. Being able to afford childcare to enable you to work is a privilege.

[NoMoreReluctantCustodians]

although I disagree with imposing your own dietary beliefs on your children

Doeant everyone do this? Meat eaters usually raise meat eating children.

[honeygirlz]

I bought some Oatly, it was yellow stickered from £1.73 to £0.42. No way would I pay full price even for myself.

[TheHappyHerbivore]

although I disagree with imposing your own dietary beliefs on your children but that an aside

What should you do - refuse to feed your children anything until they’re old enough to express their dietary preferences?

Omnivorous parents impose their own dietary beliefs on their children just as much a vegans. For some reason, they just refuse to recognise that.

[LetsBeSensible]

Chilled Oatley barista is 2 for a quid in a shop up the road.

[Branleuse]

I agree with you. Its £1.80 for oatly. Whats wrong with 49p soya milk if youre in a pickle. I do support our foodbank and do a monthly donation, but the idea of someone requesting certain expensive foods is annoying. Veganism is fine obviously but its a foodbank parcel, not a luxury hamper

[DivGirl]

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

Savers Pasta

Just thinking about that, actually - does all pasta include egg? If so, substitute 'rice' for that example.

Almost all dried pasta is egg-free and vegan so you're fine.

[Polnm]

@LetsBeSensible

Chilled Oatley barista is 2 for a quid in a shop up the road.

Fultons?

[Stannisbaratheonsboxofmatches]

With the cereals, some places like Lidl / Aldi don’t add iron etc to their own brand versions, but iron and certain vitamins are added to branded stuff like Kellogg’s.

Therefore this might be a good reason to ask for branded cereals?

[KaleJuicer]

YANBU - to ask for specific, more expensive, brands (cf foods) is a bit off. It would annoy me.

[Beautiful3]

Asking for oat milk, beans, lentils, pulses and vegetables is absolutely fine. Asking for branded food/milk is not acceptable. I prefer heinz and other branded goods but buy morrisons own labels because it's the one I can afford.

[Charleyhorses]

I think that veganisn is hardly "out there" enough to be commented on. Asking for nuts, seeds and beans, together with oat milk is hardly excessive. Some people, probably vegan may make a mental note to get that for the food bank next time.
Our local one has a weekly "We are short of" list. Why wouldn't you just get what is needed?

[Potterpotterpotter]

@TheHappyHerbivore - having a job is standard.. It’s not even close to a privilege.

[nocoolnamesleft]

@Branleuse

I agree with you. Its £1.80 for oatly. Whats wrong with 49p soya milk if youre in a pickle. I do support our foodbank and do a monthly donation, but the idea of someone requesting certain expensive foods is annoying. Veganism is fine obviously but its a foodbank parcel, not a luxury hamper

If the oatly is for a child with cows milk protein intolerance, there's a pretty high chance they can't tolerate soya either, as there's cross reactivity. Just one example of where even being in a pickle doesn't just solve dietary requirements.

[SummerSummerSummertime]

So, we are in the middle of a global pandemic that our witless fucking government has no idea how to respond to. A racist megalomaniac is the leader of the US. There is racism, sexism, war, global warming.... but the thing you most want to get wound up about is poor people daring to have a dietary preference?! 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[Polnm]

Now the food bank will have 500 cartons of oaylg and no long life semi skimmed

[SentientAndCognisant]

Being vegan is not the majority and it’s not the usual request at food bank

[WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll]

Even if they did suggest bloody Oatly, so what? It's about 50p dearer than an own brand and you don't have to donate if you don't want to.

But even if we leave aside the ideals of spreading resources among all FB users as best possible, if you can buy own-brand oat milk for a quarter or third of the price, would that specific family really prefer to be given one litre of oat milk rather than three/four litres of it? If they would, it doesn't sound like they're that needy to start with; if they expect as much as they need but still the dearest brand, they must realise that the food has been given by ordinary people on limited budgets of their own and doesn't just come from an ever-replenishing warehouse.

[SionnachRua]

Yabu about families needing to compromise on being vegan - I wouldn't expect a Muslim family to start eating pork - but yabu about the named brands. Nothing wrong with asking for oat milk but trying to get a particular (expensive) one isn't acceptable.

[SionnachRua]

Gah. Yanbu about the named brands is of course what I meant!

[CarolVordermansArse]

@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.

There are several religions that are vegetarian or vegan. Should Jews be given tinned, non kosher meat, chopped pork because it is cheaper than the kosher alternative? Or Muslims? Or people who can't afford food should give up their beliefs. Oatly Barista is the expensive option, there are others.

I took this from Google because it is more comprehensive than my memory People of many faiths, including Hindus, Buddhists, Rastafarians, Seventh Day Adventists and Jains, observe vegetarian or vegan diets.

I have only ever donated vegetable based items to a foodbank because that is what I buy for myself and because anyone can eat them. Many people still do not understand what dietary restrictions entail and asking for Oatly is probably an example of that.