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.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

Very unlikely

Catty.

I failed to consider the requirement for food banks from working families who have emergencies that mean they need help. I considered them mainly from a perspective of seeing people who cannot heat their home on a single person benefit, cannot spend money on fresh ingredients, cannot afford to run/buy/repair cooking facilities or hold a small stock of pantry ingredients.

This thread has opened my eyes in seeing how far stretching the need for food banks spreads.

I was wrong to only consider one customer base for the food banks.

Even considering only one set of service users, are they actually complaining about it or did you just assume based on their circumstances?

My local food bank lists tinned tomatoes as an urgently needed item.

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.

Pretty much a stealth dig - from someone who couldn't see past their own experience.
Or culinary skills.

Sorry but I find it really distasteful and negative to be having. a dig at people donating. Especially when you are not as well informed as most of them.

Isn't there something better for you to be having a go at?

Tinned tomatoes, potatoes & beans are often on the request list of our local food bank.

Anyone else wondering what OP put into the trolley herself?

My go-to lunch as a particularly skint student was tinned tomatoes on toast. Was the cheapest thing on the canteen menu!

Having said that, for the food bank I usually stick to things that need minimum cooking/gas/electricity -e.g. microwave rice and instant mash, tins of beef stew/chicken stew/curry, tins of ham, sundry tinned veg and fruit, long life milk, packets of biscuits, etc.

@Laufeythejust

Tinned tomatoes on toast are delicious. When I was younger and my dad was short of money he would buy a tray of tinned tomatoes from the cash and carry on pay day and we lived of them- it’s amazing what cheap meals you can make with them. Putting them in the microwave with a cracked egg in is a fab breakfast.

Do you mean scrambled egg with tomatoes through it? I might try this tomorrow.

I've had to use a food bank before and afterwards when I was spending tiny amounts at the supermarket to try and get by (value pasta, value bread and value canned tomatoes etc) I always used canned tomatoes, good on toast, into pasta, I used it with oats as some kind of savoury pasta thing with oats instead of pasta so I only had to use a kettle for the oats vs cooking the pasta , ridiculously versatile, pretty much everyone has an idea of several dishes they can be used in, they last years, don't require much (any) cooking, there's a reason they're always highly requested by the food banks

Tinned tomatoes are really versatile and they're healthy, so they're actually a great thing to have available at food banks. They can go with pretty much everything, can be cooked in a few minutes, can be used as a base for a wide range of dishes...

YABU.

Scrambled eggs with tomatoes is a great breakfast, and like lots of tomato meals more digestible with tinned. Couple of minutes on hob or less in microwave

Tinned tomatoes on toast with grated cheese on top - lovely.

I volunteer at a food bank. Tinned tomatoes are popular. However, ours is one where clients can access the shelves like a shop, and choose what they'd like and we don't pre-bag. I can see why tinned tomatoes might not be very useful to someone without cooking facilities.

@HarrietsChariot

People donate tinned tomatoes because they're cheap. Chuck a couple of 35p cans in the donation bin and you can feel good that you're part of the solution and are a GOOD PERSON who has done all they need to do.

Also, there's the guilt factor and pester factor when leaving the shop. Kids pester their parents into donating something they've bought, people feel guilty about not doing it. What can be more inessential out of all your shopping than tinned tomatoes, which were destined to sit at the back of the cupboard for a year or so until they get thrown out for being out of date?

Finally there's the "follow the leader" aspect, people see the donation bin filled with tinned tomatoes and thing "shit, that must be what we should be donating." People are unoriginal like that.

Food banks don't want tinned tomatoes, and the people who use them certainly don't. The most important things to donate are
-Baked Beans (Heinz, Branstons, HP or Waitrose own brand)
-Tinned meals like "Hunger Breaks All Day Breakfast"
-Tinned pasta shapes in tomato sauce
-Corned beef
-Sardines/mackerel/salmon (not tuna)
-Pasta (fusilli or macaroni)
-Bleach
-Sugar
-Coffee
-Long life milk
-Tinned fruit and veg
-Potatoes
-Bread

Ffs are you taking the piss?

You said “Food banks don’t want tinned tomatoes and the people who use them certainly don’t” and then also said,
“Most important things to donate are...tinned fruit and veg” (And Waitrose beans, don’t you know)

Which fruit and veg do they need then in your opinion? Every single food bank near me is requesting tomatoes.

People continue to surprise me with how far up their own arses they live.

What did you donate then, op?

Can I briefly divert the thread to ask those who volunteer at food banks about stock cubes (mentioned a few times on this thread to go with tinned tomatoes). Do you prefer small packs (so a client gets one box) or are bigger (ie better VFM) ones OK - as the individual cubes are foil wrapped so the bigger pack couid be broken down

Tinned tomatoes with pasta, salt and pepper and cheese is perfectly acceptable and tasty. Yabu to make assumptions. Our local food bank often asks for tinned tomatoes.

Can I briefly divert the thread to ask those who volunteer at food banks about stock cubes (mentioned a few times on this thread to go with tinned tomatoes). Do you prefer small packs (so a client gets one box) or are bigger (ie better VFM) ones OK - as the individual cubes are foil wrapped so the bigger pack couid be broken down

You’d do best to ask the one/s nearest you. We’d like the latter, and will bulk-buy and share out individual cubes.

YABVU
They're nutritious and it's so easy to heat them up, put them on toast with some worcester sauce and melted cheese over the top.

Give sugar.
The trussel trust don't ask for it on their lists but people want it.

You're being ridiculous

@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?

This has always been one of my favourite meals!!

OP - I give tinned tomatoes to our local food bank. I didn't think there was anything wrong with this? I always donate the type of thing I'd eat and that's on the list.

Tinned tomatoes are ace as a healthy pasta sauce base and not much else is needed! Also we love tomatoes on toast with scrambled eggs, but even on toast on their own with lots of pepper they're good.
Not sure what you're moaning about really op.

@mumda

Give sugar. The trussel trust don't ask for it on their lists but people want it.

Sugar is one of the items listed as needed by our local trussel trust food bank so maybe it’s a local decision not to include it for whatever reason

Maybe your perception of tinned tomatoes is skewed.
There are two food banks near me, both beg for tinned tomatoes , every week.

Maybe it's the demographic, but we have residents of varying ethnicities, and tinned tomatoes are an absolute staple.

I'm not a fan of tinned fish but our food banks are screaming out for them.

Tomatoes are an incredibly healthy staple food.

My local foodbank regularly asks for tinned tomatoes. I go by what they say they are short of.

They often ask for tinned fish too, that needs something else with it.

What do you put in then op that you assume people should eat?