To donate quinoa to the food bank?

[RaisinFlapjack]

I realise there’s no way this won’t sound like the most guardian-reading middle-class question ever so I’m just going to own it.

i’m clearing out my cupboards before Xmas and I have a fair amount of in-date jars tins and packets which are taking up space.

Ibwas thinking of bagging it up for the food bank but while I’ve got some staples like tinned tomatoes and rice pudding which are more typically on the food-bank wish lists, some of it more along the lines of rocket pesto and polenta.

Is getting random bits like that at all useful for food banks or does it create a bit of headache or at worst get thrown out?

No idea but it gave me a giggle. Can you have it with chips or in a sandwich?

Do you think people that use food banks are beneath your choice of foods? They couldn't possibly eat Pesto or quinoa 😂 just donate - you're overthinking.

Donate it, there's a lot you can do with quinoa

Donate

You think people who use food banks don't know what pesto or quinoa is?

Even people with cultured culinary tastes can fall on hard times OP 😜 I would donate it, you'll make an impecunious hippy very happy!

(I am an impecunious hippy and I eat a fuckton of quinoa)

It's healthy and in date, why wouldn't you?

I'd rather quinoa than processed junk. It's very easy to cook and flavour. A great source of protein.

I can see your predicament - polenta is never on the list so it looks like you are doing something wrong donating it. I would donate it - pesto is actually very good with pasta and makes an interesting meal. I don’t cook polenta or quinoa personally but I’m sure some people do, they are just staple the same as pasta or rice.

I work with people who are destitute and quinoa is definitely on their radar. Not sure what your point is?

Donate.

the food bank will know what to do with it.

all sorts of people use food banks.

I had to do exactly this when ds spring a collection day at school on me. Quinoa, coconut milk and a tin of red salmon. They had sent a list asking for instant mash and corned beef.

I'm sure someone made use of it.

My mum runs a food bank and things like this do hang around at hers for weeks or months, so it's not a daft question OP.

I'd ask your local branch. They'll know what will get picked out and what won't.

Absolutely donate it.
Quinoa is a grain that has been a popular staple long enough that most know what to do with it.
Everything else that you have to donate, IF it's within the BB date should definitely be donated.
It won't , it cannot, go to waste.

You win MN today 😂😂😂

Pesto is really useful - just add pasta and you’ve got a meal.

Quinoa is useful too.

Polenta is expensive to use because it needs a lot of stock, butter and seasoning to taste good.

OP is getting a hard time. It's completely normal to wonder whether less popular foods are worth donating. I've definitely had the same predicament and decided against donating a tin of smoked mussels last year!

I've no idea what it is and I went to university and everything. I know to pronounce it and thats it.

I hope you have a jar of kimchi as well.

Good to know that some areas food banks aren't in as desperate need for donations as others are.
Where we are food banks are crying out for donations and would take anything offered.

I'd ask before donating. The food bank aren't going to want it if it won't be useful.

One thing to bear in mind is that people needing food banks sometimes can't afford gas/electric for cooking or might not have access to full kitchen set ups, so foods that need minimal or no cooking are often more useful.

I work in a. Foodbank. Sadly it would not go any of our food parcels (I work for a national well known foodbank ) it will go in our ‘other’ shelf for people to choose themselves. Parcels have to be really generic.

It's not a beggars can't be choosers scenario - if your children wouldn't eat it or you wouldn't be able to cook it, it would be pointless taking it.

Thsnks - yes this is what I was thinking about. Is it just cluttering up the food bank shelves with stuff that isn’t very useful, or do they even chuck out stuff they don’t think people will want.

I was once so poor I couldn't afford enough food (when my eldest child was a toddler and before food banks were a thing). I used a lot of quinoa as a source of protein for my toddler. It is a fabulous food

Oh come on, don't be a tosser about it. Quinoa is a niche South American grain.

If you're on your uppers and trying a feed a family from the basics in a food bank parcel, quinoa is neither use not ornament.

In my 3 years volunteering it was the sort of stuff no one wanted because they didn't know what to do with it. It kicked around for months, with a tin of edame beans and a jar of kimchi.

"Crying out for donations and will take anything offered" describes most food banks, but "got some weird bourgeois stuff no one knows what to do with" isn't exactly helpful.

OP is perfectly reasonable to ask the question.

Personally, I'm getting Cher vibes from Clueless when she donates ski equipment to a disaster relief drive.