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?

And if she'd done that, you'd have had one less thing to bitch about, so you'd have lost out there.

Well, let me rephrase that: if she mentioned donating to a foodbank and mentioned quinoa as one of the list of things she donated without apologizing or asking questions.

A lot of people on here seem convinced that virtually everyone using a foodbank has no fridge or cooking facilities whatsoever and has to feed themselves on things ready to eat from the packet; I know that's true of some FB users but I bet it's not the majority.

No-one posts a question in AIBU without expecting a bit of this. It's part of the experience.

Quinoa is gluten free, so may well be useful for someone who needs GF free meal options.

I would donate it - as others have said it could go on an “extras” shelf for people to take if they want it. Anything that isn’t really difficult and expensive to prepare will probably find some takers.

My mum volunteers for a food bank. They want things that can be made with a kettle, in a microwave or on a hob. So I'm not sure quinoa would be much use.

YABU regarding Polenta as it’s utterly lousy and no one should be eating it.

Quinoa is made on the hob, or with with a kettle and a pot.

You cook quinoa on the hob or microwave.

Exacfly. I don’t know why posters don’t think coeliacs and vegetarians don’t use foodbanks.

@Mirabai @MaggieBsBoat I didn't know that I have absolutely no idea what you do
With it!!

I work in a food bank. Quinoa and pesto are fantastic and would go in parcels sent out to people. As said by pp, quinoa would suit people on special diets and would be welcomed. If things come in which are in date but a bit "weird" they are put in the package as extras.

Such a needlessly mean way to talk to someone. Absolutely baffles me why some posters on this site are so absurdly hostile for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

Food banks tend to have a list of foods that they want. I would stick to those. I'm sure it's more helpful.

Cant you resolve to make an extra effort to use up this stuff and donate the money saved. Or buy other requesed food with it.

I have mentioned those things and I know quite a bit about foodbanks and their clientele. Some have the full range of appliances but many don't and we have to suit what we give them to their needs. We have homeless people living in tents and others in hotels with only a kettle in their room. For those in a poorly equipped flat a kettle and an air fryer is quite common. There is a whole strata of society out there some of you are not aware of.

They do and we have boxes of suitable items to swap in for them

An air fryer is fine for quinoa. Equally, if it’s the precooked packets you only need a kettle.

If they want it they could but, as I've said, some reject even rice and pasta. I had a man this morning looking at the extras table and pondering what anyone could do with tinned pulses. I did tell him but he didn't want them.

Pretty much everyone on the planet eat sandwiches and/or chips 🤣🤣🤣

Are you new to MN?
it is utterly obsessed with class.

At ours it would not go into the regular bags but there is a cart which people can help themselves from, and things which are more unusual go on there. And go really quickly usually.

What are you going to do with it if you don’t donate?

Donate it. I've never actually had it but it's a bit like rice isn't it? Long shelf life and can easily be boiled and eaten. Ideal thing to donate

Between various donation drives I've given the food bank loads on their wish list this month.

My issue is that I need to clear cupboard space in the short term. If doing so provides some bonus items for the food bank then it's a win-win. If I'm just off-loading my problem of unwanted food onto them, then not so much.

It's fine don't overthink there will be someone happy to take it. Fair point from previous posters that homeless in a tent wouldn't be able to cook it but not everyone at the foodbank will be homeless. Or if there's a community fridge near you you could donate to that instead