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Original poster

Please help with the school food bank!

171 replies

Superplanner · 08/12/2023 08:00

Mumsnet hive mind,
Please can I ask for your help with a school food bank? I’m working in a secondary school in the minute and there are a number of children in need of top up food. There is a breakfast club and they get free school meals, but we’re trying to build up a dry store of filling snacks and dinner substitutes.
School have suggested pot noodles / super noodles which are great because they’re “just add water” and we’ll get protein bars.
What else would your hungry teens appreciate after school? Only stipulation is that it’s non perishable.
Thank you in advance, wise women of mumsnet!

OP posts:
jay55 · 08/12/2023 08:20

The little dole cups of fruit and fruit jelly are great. Shelf stable and give a little vitamin c.

There are shelf stable rice pudding pots too. I can't stand the stuff but it's filling.

Bearbookagainandagain · 08/12/2023 08:20

As someone else said, tinned fruits or custard, and pots of oats are great options.

If you want to bring in healthier options, you could have a look at tinned vegetables that can be eaten cold (e.g. green beans, corn, kidney beans... Can be made into a salad with some ready made bottled dressing or salad cream).

Canned tuna for proteins can also be added to loads of stuff like salads or pasta.

Mixed nuts and dried fruits are good and keep for a while.

Long-life milk is useful too.

Couscous can be made with boiled water from a kettle in minutes, you don't actually need to cook it on the hob. With some butter it's yummy!

If you go for bigger packs options to keep the cost down, you could get some of those clips thing from IKEA to close the packets of dried properly, they make a huge difference to how long cereals etc would last.

Excited101 · 08/12/2023 08:20

I understand the logic of the pot noodle but they won’t fill anyone up and are very unhealthy. What about those instant porridge pots? They’d be 100% better Even better with chia seeds or something in them.

smilesup · 08/12/2023 08:21

Most people have access to a microwave or a stove.
Tins of beans and sausages
Rice pudding in a tin
Digestive biscuits
Weetabix
Long life milk
Porridge pots
Tins of ravioli (my dd loves these)
Bento pies
Microwavable packets of rice
At my friend's school they do a Christmas raffle that is 100% fixed. They give out little "hampers" these are filled with toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, razor, chocolate, body wash, soap, shampoo etc. it is then won by kids who they know need it.

Geneticsbunny · 08/12/2023 08:22

This thread has made me so sad. I know that there will always be some kids whose families aren't managing and need some extra help but food banks in secondary schools shows how widespread this is. I am genuinely shocked. What the hell is going on with our fucking country!

Thisismy3rdusername · 08/12/2023 08:23

Geneticsbunny · 08/12/2023 08:22

This thread has made me so sad. I know that there will always be some kids whose families aren't managing and need some extra help but food banks in secondary schools shows how widespread this is. I am genuinely shocked. What the hell is going on with our fucking country!

Ours is currently entirely stocked by staff donations

Bearbookagainandagain · 08/12/2023 08:24

"Most people have access to a microwave or a stove."

Yes of course, but it's probably better to assume they don't have gas or electricity.

CompanyisComing · 08/12/2023 08:24

Why is everyone commenting here hell bent on solving problems that the OP didn’t ask for help with?

The food is clearly to be taken home to cover meal times outside of school, as the OP has already stated that they get Breakfast Club and FSM.

Like someone above has already pointed out, these kids need convenient, high-calorie foods that are shelf stable and need very little intervention to make them edible, because some of them will be quite literally starving - deliberating the nutritional benefits of one type of noodles over another is a conversation for much further up Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs than some of these families will ever attain.

DisforDarkChocolate · 08/12/2023 08:25

It may be worth seeing if you have a Hygiene Bank in your area, they could add hygiene products to your store.

weirdoboelady · 08/12/2023 08:25

PicaK · 08/12/2023 08:18

.. You just need a pan with a lid....

Depressing how people don't realise that not everyone has this

a pan with a lid and some way of heating it up, you mean? Honestly, there is such a lot of resistance in some households to using a cooker (or they may not have one, or may live in a B & B with a ghastly shared kitchen). One person on FB stated confidently that using an oven costs about £7 an hour, and they weren't cooking any more.

Idea - if anyone wants to make a donation of things like cereal bars, they are the sort of things that places like Approved Foods often has in bulk, with expired or short best before dates. I hope we are all mature enough to know the difference between best before and use by dates.... (Yes, I would eat them myself)

e.g. https://store.approvedfood.co.uk/packet_food/mega_deal_cofresh_roasted_and_salted_corn_nuts_175g-40025042-p?pid=40025042

Fooshufflewickjbannanapants · 08/12/2023 08:25

PicaK · 08/12/2023 08:18

.. You just need a pan with a lid....

Depressing how people don't realise that not everyone has this

Or even the ability to heat said pan, I have been on the bones of my arse, sometimes you can't afford to use the microwave/cooker/lights never mind heating!

Spendonsend · 08/12/2023 08:25

Pepparami dont have to be refridgerated and add a bit of flavour.
Cuppa soups are lighter than tins

Tacotortoise · 08/12/2023 08:25

Superplanner · 08/12/2023 08:17

Mainly it’s to take home as a dinner substitute/ top up, although the likes of protein bars could be eaten in school. The canteen team do their best but with budgets so stretched, a canteen lunch isn’t filling enough for growing teens.
Previous posters are right, there is not a lot of parental involvement with these children and I wouldn’t want to assume there is always a cooker / microwave available. Some will have of course, but just want to make sure we cater for everyone.
Thank you for all the suggestions so far!

Sorry for my naivety but are you saying these children's families aren't feeding them at all?

PostmansKnock · 08/12/2023 08:25

I think pot noodles are a good idea.

Everyone knows they aren't good for you.

But children will eat them, they are easy to make and you don't need a pan or crockery. Also, they aren't as embarrassing as a tin of soup somehow. Probably because they are unhealthy.

You can get slightly healthier ones in Costco and you can get Quaker porridge pots there too.

Thisismy3rdusername · 08/12/2023 08:26

CompanyisComing · 08/12/2023 08:24

Why is everyone commenting here hell bent on solving problems that the OP didn’t ask for help with?

The food is clearly to be taken home to cover meal times outside of school, as the OP has already stated that they get Breakfast Club and FSM.

Like someone above has already pointed out, these kids need convenient, high-calorie foods that are shelf stable and need very little intervention to make them edible, because some of them will be quite literally starving - deliberating the nutritional benefits of one type of noodles over another is a conversation for much further up Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs than some of these families will ever attain.

I wish there was a like button on this site.

Hankunamatata · 08/12/2023 08:28

Substitutes for dinner
Tuna light lunches
Pasta pots that microwave
Microwave rice
Quick cook pasta and pesto jar
Meatballs in a can
Mugshots
Cup a soup

Snacks for school
Flavoured milk uht
Bread sticks
Fruit pots - long life ones
Any of the fruit snack stuff you get in a packet like fruit winders
Rice pudding pots -long life
Dried fruit packets
Popcorn
Fruit squeeze pouches- my teen loves them and they do dessert versions again long life
Peperami (they don't need to be kept in fridge!)
Alpro do some nice choc puddings that are long life
Jelly tubs

PostmansKnock · 08/12/2023 08:28

These are the ones you can get in Costco.

www.costco.co.uk/Grocery-Household/Grocery-Delivery/Mr-Noodles-Kimchi-Chicken-12-x-86g/p/63325

They are slightly cheaper in the actual shop than they are online.

Godlovesall26 · 08/12/2023 08:29

@Superplanner can you give them a parental form to fill in stating whether they would prefer hot (that need to be heated) or cold meals or something vague like that, but that really implies it all ? + The basic dietary restrictions.

I appreciate it creates a two tiered system in a way, but the tinned hot meals (sausage casserole, pasta bolognese etc, there’s pretty much everything these days isn’t there?) would likely come out cheaper (especially as you can buy one large pot) and more nourishing, freeing up money for cold meals. For cold meals I’d definitely ask if tinned tuna/sardines are a viable option as they’re great healthy options, a sandwich with long conservation bread is quite filling, with a tin of say sweetcorn or other cheaper veg or similar (I’ve been skint and also worked in food banks).

I think the faff bit might be to sort out who eats what in a little more detail, you could maybe do a list of 5 more popular options before every monthly shop (as it sounds about the frequency you’re doing it) ?

contactus · 08/12/2023 08:29

CompanyisComing · 08/12/2023 08:24

Why is everyone commenting here hell bent on solving problems that the OP didn’t ask for help with?

The food is clearly to be taken home to cover meal times outside of school, as the OP has already stated that they get Breakfast Club and FSM.

Like someone above has already pointed out, these kids need convenient, high-calorie foods that are shelf stable and need very little intervention to make them edible, because some of them will be quite literally starving - deliberating the nutritional benefits of one type of noodles over another is a conversation for much further up Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs than some of these families will ever attain.

i totally disagree

let’s use the pot noodle you refer to as an example

it’s bulky so able to only stuff a couple into school bag

they are very very cheap and something that the teen no doubt probs my lives in anyway.

they are pretty much devoid of good nutrition

So…. giving careful thought to what is
provided is wholly in the best interests of the teen. rather than always going for the short term quick solution

Wakeywake · 08/12/2023 08:29

Popular with my teens but perishable: mini pork pies, bananas, cheese cubes. Non perishable: spam, those canned sausage and beans meals, tinned fruit, pretzels, biscuits. But pot noodles and cereal are by far the favourites.

YellowDots · 08/12/2023 08:29

that is NOT a good idea

Why is it not a good idea @contactus?

CoffeeBean5 · 08/12/2023 08:30

Superplanner · 08/12/2023 08:12

Totally agree, nobody wants to draw attention. It won’t be distributed to them. Most already have some involvement with the welfare team. They’ll be shown where the cupboard is and told to take what they need.

Unfortunately, children who don't need free food will take advantage of this and then there won't be much for those you actually need it. News will spread. Maybe children should be called out at the end of the day (not all together though) and given some food to put in their school bags.

contactus · 08/12/2023 08:32

why always strive for the lowest cheapest option. Is this all the teen is worth @CompanyisComing
No!!

rather than just think.let’s stuff them with cheap crap that we would avoid buying for our own teen because it’s easy and cheap…. why not raise the standard. so the john west tuna meals that you meal back the lid and there tuna-and rice and sweetcorn…. much better. much smaller than pot noodle. different to what they no doubt live on anyway.

contactus · 08/12/2023 08:34

YellowDots · 08/12/2023 08:29

that is NOT a good idea

Why is it not a good idea @contactus?

these are teenagers.

Just like you wouldn’t show them in to a newsagents and say pick whatever you like

You wouldn’t do it with a cupboard of food

i will say again… these are teenagers. any will get minimal parenting and guidance at home so they damn well need the guidance at school

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