AIBU to think that donating tinned tomatoes to the food bank shows a real lack of understanding of food poverty?

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

The food bank donation box at my local supermarket this morning had a fairly good mix of items, apart from about a third of the tins were tinned tomatoes.

Surely it would be better all round to donate products which need little to no additional ingredients?

Tinned tomatoes are a base - they will never be a meal in their own right. They need at the bare minimum, some seasoning and or some veg or protein to make them useable.

And then even if you could rustle up some other ingredients to make them palateable/nutritious, you need to heat them - if they contain meat or lentils they need a good length of time on the heat.

Those using food banks likely cannot give over 20mins on the hob for tinned tomatoes. The cost of heating up the food (if there is even funds on the meter) is too high for the return.

I do think that people who donate tinned tomatoes, come at it from a reasonably comfortable point of view - just chuck it in with some mince and a bit if garlic and slow cook it for a couple of hours.

All of which is likely to be outside of the financial scope of the recipient.

i had tinned tomatoes on toast with tomoato sauce..

i am not living in food compost and popped them in the microaves for 2 mins.

I have not read the whole thread, but I think it’s actually the OP who misunderstands people who rely on food banks. Sure, there might be some people who have no cooking facilities or are just relying on a microwave - but I think a lot of people who are using food banks do actually have access to a basic kitchen.

I think it would be really wrong for food banks to only provide really crap highly processed food.

what a weird criticism OP. I don't really understand what you're getting at.

You're seem to be making a kind of classist criticism at people dropping T Toms into food banks.

Seems like you have quite a rigid view about who puts food into food banks and who use them.

It's also quite ignorant as many posters who know , who actually work in FBs etc have pointed out. They are often ASKED for by Food Banks.

What are you getting at OP. What do you think we should be putting in?

@HarrietsChariot YOUR foodbank may not want them, MINE does. They are regularly requested for all the reasons listed above.

They also cannot accept any fresh product like bread or potatoes (not tinned).

So off you trot and think about the fact not everywhere is the same. Shocking I know.

I love tinned tomatoes on toast, add cheese and it’s even better. We also sometimes have them with chips instead of beans

If I needed a food bank nothing would depress me more than having to accept ready made tinned bolognese or beans with sausages in them. I find that food disgusting and inedible (and have been extremely poor in the past. When I was broke I lived on pasta with tinned tomatoes and loved it. At least it didn't taste too processed.

I realise this is off topic but couldnt resist: "Turn up the flame if your tinned tomatoes take 20 mins to cook..."

We are a Mediterranean household. Our tomatoes take 40 mins of slow cooked. You need to If you turn up the heat they will burn and you wont get that nice, concentrated yumminess.

Back on topic, when we organise the donations at our church, tinned tomatoes are always very welcomed, they make a good soup or tomatoes on toast.

Our local food bank asks for tinned toms.

I usually donate things like tinned rice pudding. The food bank says people can eat it cold out of a can with a spoon and they don’t need to warm it. Most of their customers are homeless men. They said anything in a can that can be eaten cold is fine. So baked beans, tinned toms, rice pudding. Etc.

@NoYOUbekind

I think a lot of people aren't aware of how poverty shows up. I give pasta mug shots to the food bank and other things that can be 'cooked' by a kettle. I hate doing it, it's food I'd never eat, but I know that keeping fuel costs down is an equal priority.

That all said, sometimes they ask for specific items and I've seen tinned toms on that list.

I do the same

Tomatoes are the start are tons of slow-cooker and soup and stew recipes. I know because I am allergic to tomatoes and finding recipes is a real struggle.

I understand that people in extreme situations aren’t sitting down and making a recipe like that, but lots of people who use food banks are families who need to stretch the food budget. A slow cooker meal with lentils and tinned tomatoes, and rice is nutritious, not time consuming, and filling.

My go-to donation is tuna in foil packs because most of the time that I’m making a donation I’m carrying it for some distance. Those packs are light and small so I can put a lot in my bag without straining my back. It’s mostly selfish on my part, but I figure they make a decent donation too.

Pasta with chopped tomatoes and maybe an onion and a pepper (or not!) Is a perfectly decent meal and not one that takes forever or is unimaginable for those with food poverty and using food banks. It can spread to feed a family really easily if you water the tomatoes down etc and pasta in tomato is a dish most children will eat.

Growing up my mum sometimes needed the food bank. Even when we didn't, tinned tomatoes on a slice of bread/ toast was a regular occurrence. Low calorie but filling and reasonably healthy.

I donate to a tiny foodbank who only help about half a dozen families at a time.
The way they help means they aren't just getting food help so the people who have contact with them really do know what those people need.
I never have contact myself.

Sometimes the people they are helping have freezers, fully equipped kitchens etc.., other times they are in a bedsit with a kettle & nothing else & every situation in between.

Sometimes we get asked for specific things (one man only wanted a large bag of potatoes & some cooking oil, another lady desperately wanted fishfingers - any old brand, she wasn't being fussy it was just that it had been a long time since her kids could have something they liked & it was for one of the kids birthday meal).

You are being ridiculous to think tinned tomatoes are an issue as they are one of the most welcomed items year after year.

It's one of the things my local one asks for. I imagine they know what is needed.

Same here.

You can make a lovely big nutritious vat of lentil soup with tinned tomatoes, stock, a couple of carrots and an onion. You can use tinned veg too. Cheap and quick to make. That's what I'd do with tinned tomatoes.

We donate both tinned veg and things like mug shots, quick noodles, tinned fruit. Stuff that you can use as is or turn into a bigger meal if you want.

@Thecathouse

Tinned tomatoes on toast was a common lunch when I was growing up. They only need 5 minutes on the hob and a sprinkle of salt, and they get one of your five a day in

They aren't just a base. Ha e you never had tinned tomatoes on toast?

We often have tinned tomatoes on toast - cheap, quick lunch and one of your 5 a day.

@LazRaz

This puts me off the idea of donating to food banks. There could be someone policing my donations and declaring how crap they are.

But it will probably be people deciding on behalf of those who actually use them what's good and what's bad.

Ours has a "we urgently need" list and a "we have plenty of" list. Tomatoes is not on either unless they class it with the urgently needed Tinned veg and fruit.

Our Christmas food bank is always about 60 to 70 percent tinned tomatoes, peaches, pears, I totally agree with you OP, and having been properlypoor for a few years I cannot tell you how bloody depressing tons of tomatoes are (and I knew everyone here would argue with you)

I used to regularly have tinned tomatoes on toast with a bit of cheese for my tea. It's quick, easy and cheap. Also sometimes I make a quick "tomato soup" with them in the microwave with a stock cube, hot water, garlic powder and salt and pepper. So YABU, I think, though I agree that a lot of people don't understand food poverty and the costs of cooking something. Tinned tomatoes is the wrong example, though.

My nearest food bank’s website now:

URGENTLY NEEDED FOOD ITEMS

TEA BAGS
COFFEE (INSTANT)
SUGAR (500G)
CEREAL
PASTA
PASTA SAUCE
MILK (UHT OR POWDERED)
FRUIT JUICE (LONG LIFE)
TINNED TOMATOES
TINNED VEGETABLES
TINNED FISH
TINNED MEAT
BISCUITS/SNACK BARS
TINNED RICE PUDDING
RICE
TINNED FRUIT

Take your lead from what they ask for, they know the populations they support and what works or doesn’t.

I highlighted the wrong bloody one

Off to have some tinned tomatoes on toast now

@stayathomer

Our Christmas food bank is always about 60 to 70 percent tinned tomatoes, peaches, pears, I totally agree with you OP, and having been properlypoor for a few years I cannot tell you how bloody depressing tons of tomatoes are (and I knew everyone here would argue with you)

You may have found them depressing, but the point is, if food banks are asking for them, who are we to disagree?

In the post above yours @Notcontent I names three things that just need boiling water. Porridge made by steeping oats in hot water is healthy and filling.

It doesn't have to be mug pasta type food.

I'd rather use tinned tomato than a pasta sauce in a jar. Healthy food doesn't have to be expensive. Greengrocers are good for cheap fruir and veg and you can buy as little as you need.,