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?

I'm the kind of person that eats quinoa and I've got an unopened packet that's been in my cupboard for months. If you're also the kind of person who eats quinoa and you also have unopened packets in your cupboard then consider how likely it is that someone using the food back is going to want your quinoa. Somebody will, eventually, but most people won't. Donate it if you like, but there are much better options for the food bank volunteers to spend their time sorting out and use their storage space for.

No ide but if you’re convened someone on Olio will definitely take it,

I believe its Jack monroe that taught people how to use a food bank. Don't assume that poor people cannot cook. They are just poor.

It seems ridiculous (and snobbish) to me to assume that every user of a food bank prefers to subsist on white bread and chip.

We donate every payday and generally do the more common things. I usually put in some gluten free items as well because I read that food banks can struggle to get those. I always get squash as well. I remember my mum being so skint when I was a kid that she could hardly ever afford squash and I hated having water all the time. It just never really quenched my thirst 🤷‍♀️

O f course you can donate it, I don't like it myself but many do, isn't it like donating rice or spaghetti

Why is it middle class, they sell it in Asda.

Yes I understood your question people are just wanting to have a go at anyone these days OP don't worry.

My local food bank has a list of items they want and Quinoa isn't on it. I think Pesto would come under pasta sauce? It depends if they are set up so everyone gets a standard box of stuff or if they are allowed to look at a shelf of "extras" or whatever.

Thanks I kind of hoped this would be the case as sometimes I donate some really random stuff and wouldn't want someone to open a parcel and unexpectedly get it.

Donate. My only concern would be the longish cooking/simmering time needed for quinoa - fuel and food poverty issues often go hand in hand.

Jack monroe taught people how to use a food bank?!?! No she didn't.

Please make sure any food you donate is within date too. I personally would not donate anything not freshly purchased.

'Oh, Miles, Charlotte, do you think we should donate some quinoa to the foodbank? I'm sure all those poor people would appreciate trying some of the delicious food they see their betters eat'

The problem with quinoa is not that people who need food banks only like nasty processed food so wouldn't eat it even if they knew how to cook it, but that it needs cooking for quite a long time and people who have no money for food often have no money for energy to cook with either, hence the request for food that can be heated quickly in a microwave and doesn't need refrigeration.

Many people aren't eating the types of food requested by food banks out of choice but out of necessity.

If I were you OP I'd just use up the quinoa myself (why haven't you done this up to now?) or put it on Olio so someone can choose to take it. Or see if there's a 'pay what you feel' type cafe nearby who can make use of it as they could put it jn a big batch oc soup or stew.

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.

Hmm, no, not really, it just seems that how you want to sound.

Quinoa is great and can be used to bulk out lots of things.

I used to volunteer in a food bank and in my experience people wanted quick and easy to cook things. The most popular item was those ready meals in a tin, where you basically have everything in one tin and just warm it up. Quinoa would have stayed on our front desk so people could help themselves or possibly just go out of date…

Why not list your items on Olio OP? Then people who genuinely want/need it can collect and use it.

I would definitely donate it

Yes. This is something I always think about when donating.

How much cooking does quinoa require?

The choice of names here has made me lol

I have special dietary needs and would be very grateful to receive quinoa, if I needed a food bank.

I can tell you from experience of volunteering at one, that most people won't want quinoa; by and large, they really do want very simple, old-fashioned stuff that requires minimal cooking or expertise. Also, food banks typically prepare bags on the basis of categories - e.g one tin of meat, one tin of veg, one tin of beans, one bag of pasta, etc - and quinoa doesn't fit into that. As a PP said, it's likely to be put out as a bonus extra for anyone who fancies it. That said, there will always be the odd person who is a bit more gourmet, and the quinoa might put a smile on their face! So go for it, but be aware that it's not really filling an urgent need.

Which of her recipes have you tried personally that you would recommend?

Very little - it cooks quickly on the hob - but if someone's not familiar with it, they may not want to take a chance on cooking a new grain and working out how to serve and season it (it doesn't taste of much plain). Assuming they even have a hob. Food banks really need microwaveable rice sachets, actually. They're so popular.

It’s a reasonable question, and good that OP asked it.

Like OP said herself, this is how guardian reading ‘progressive’ middle classes think. It’s good to be reminded about that.