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.

YABU. They're one of the most versatile foods. You can make them easily into a tomato soup, as a base for sauce for so many things, etc. My simplest use is to cook them on the stove with a big knob of butter or margarine for a while until they go all thick and silky, and mix them with spaghetti. Add meatballs if you want to. Tomatoes with toast dipped in are lovely.

If food banks only wanted foods that don't require any prep then they'd say that. You're being absolutely ridiculous.

Surely you want your food bank to allow folk to create healthy meals from scratch? The alternative is convenience foods!

Do you actually know how to cook? Any student knows that tinned tomatoes are an essential component of most cheap, nutritious meals because they can be cooked with mince.

Like pp, I donate what the food bank requests.
There's a list next to the boxes at the supermarket. Often tins of tomatoes are requested, I'm guessing for the reasons suggested above, such as versatility and nutrition.

When I was young and starting out in life. I took a tin of tomato to work everyday for my lunch.

Microwaved for a few minutes and eaten in a bowl. It was delicious and cheap. 17p as I recall.

I think you may lack some understanding of food bank users. You're making a bit of an assumption about who is using food banks.

Yes, there will be people who aren't able to cook from scratch and tinned tomatoes won't be suitable for them.

There will also be people for whom other items aren't suitable for a plethora of reasons. That's why they ask for a variety.

Just because someone is using a food bank does not mean they don't want/ aren't able to cook once they have the food.

do you have to be referred by a GP/social services etc to ask to receive items from a foodbank? I just wondered how it worked, am on a very very tight budget.

I love tinned tomatoes on toast! Nowt wrong with that as a hearty brekkie and very cheap.

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

Tinned tomatoes and mince do not need to be slow cooked for a couple of hours

Many people who use food banks still want to prioritise healthy and nutritious meals, and will find ways of cooking. Those who want more convenience foods will take the things that suit them.

@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

Why not tuna, as a matter of interest?

@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?

With brown sauce!

Ours always asks for tinned veg. My friend who volunteers said tinned tomatoes and spuds are good as they're versatile and bulk things out, so I thought it was best to get those.

I like tinned tomatoes on toast too!

OP is either a very limited cook, or has never been poor enough to make a family meal based on a can of tomatoes, a packet of pasta , dried herbs and one of

grated cheese
sliced ham
an onion
a couple of cooked sausages, sliced thin
chorizo
a couple of rashers of bacon
a can of anchovies
fish from the chip shop.
stir fry veg

Food banks don't want tinned tomatoes, and the people who use them certainly don't

I’ll tell that to our food bank, who have tinned tomatoes on their list of suggested donations for this week

I think tinned tomatoes are fine? Worse comes to worst they can be a sauce for pasta, even just on their own.

@bubblesbubbles11

do you have to be referred by a GP/social services etc to ask to receive items from a foodbank? I just wondered how it worked, am on a very very tight budget.

Normally you would get a voucher from a professional, like a social worker, GP or a charity.

However if you don't have anyone like that, you can just go to the foodbank and tell them your situation. Taking evidence of any benefits you are receiving and your financial situation will help.

Depending on the food bank they might help you there and then or they might direct you to social services and then to return once you have seen a social worker.

The most important things to donate are
-Baked Beans (Heinz, Branstons, HP or Waitrose own brand)

Fuck off nobody cares about the brand - this is just a poor attempt at a stealth boast. 'Waitrose own brand' are no better than Asda Smart Price. In fact, switch to Asda for your full weekly shop and donate the difference in price to the food bank.

@HarrietsChariot - well, it must vary.
The food bank requests at my local supermarket are a bit different - they request tins of tomatoes, among other things. Maybe it changes according to what donations they receive.
I'm in a fortunate situation and don't need to donate what's cheap, but what's needed.

I don't think there are a lot of tinned food that are meals in their own right (except soup) or don't need heating are there?

@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

You speak as if you know what you're talking about, when if you'd RTFT you'd see that in fact FBs do ask for tinned tomatoes.

They absolutely do not ask for bread or other fresh produce.

And who do you think you are to think you know anything about the motives or choice behind what people donate?

@HarrietsChariot Aside from your sneering condescension to those donating to foodbanks, have you actually read the thread? If you have, you'll see posts from people who work at food banks saying that tinned tomatoes are wanted and used, from those who've posted screen shots from foodbanks with tinned tomatoes on the lists of items they'd like donated, and from people giving examples of the ways tinned tomatoes can be used to make decent meals.

But hey, you carry on criticising if it makes you feel better

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?

What a weird thing to say. Why would people be buying them if they’re going to put them in their cupboard and not using them?! I buy tinned tomatoes every week because we use tinned tomatoes every week. They’re one or the most essential items in our weekly shop as they’re the base for a lot of meals. If I didn’t use them, I wouldn’t buy them, therefore wouldn’t have them in my basket to put in the food bank just because my kids are pestering me to!

I've sometimes donated tinned tuna too...

"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?"

I get through tons of the buggers!

@littlemysister there is a whole shelf of tinned meals in most supermarkets.

@girlmom21 - I was just about to ask why the brands mattered!