Living on a food parcel for a week - need meal ideas

pink_numbers

I think it's important to remember that the red cross food parcels are designed for failed asylum seekers. Although there are room for improvement, without them, many thousands of refused asylum seekers will have no food at all, since the goverment stops all the financial support once their application is rejected. I think it's amazing that the red cross is able to supply so much.

I do agree though that the sugar and salt is way too much.

PipneyJane

pink_numbers wrote: »

I think it's important to remember that the red cross food parcels are designed for failed asylum seekers. Although there are room for improvement, without them, many thousands of refused asylum seekers will have no food at all, since the goverment stops all the financial support once their application is rejected. I think it's amazing that the red cross is able to supply so much.

Thank you for pointing this out. The list did read, to me, like it was designed for someone with few/no cooking facilities and your comment bears that out. A refused asylum seeker is probably living in a hostel waiting to be deported.

Still don't quite understand the salt and sugar quantities. However, I'm assuming those are the smallest sized packages the Red Cross can buy, hence the sizes.

rachbc

I did the Live Belwo The Line' challenge of living on £1 per day last year - it was hard - we were bored and stressed but we didn't go hungry. We did 5 days for 4 people for £20.

Breakfasts were porridge made with half milk and water, with a litte white sugar.
Lunches were hm rolls with peanut butter/ cream cheese, carrot sticks and hm oat cookies. I also bought cheap yogurts for the kids.
I bought 1 small pack of mince which made a meal, 1 pack 99p sausages whcih made 2 meals and 1 pack whoopsied chicken breast whcih did 2 meals. Mostly in tom sauce based dishes served with rice or pasta.



I nearly cried with joy when I found a massive bag of reduced bananas for 20p!

pink_numbers

PipneyJane wrote: »

Thank you for pointing this out. The list did read, to me, like it was designed for someone with few/no cooking facilities and your comment bears that out. A refused asylum seeker is probably living in a hostel waiting to be deported.

actually, once your application is rejected, you have 2 weeks to get out of your accomodation. Many end up on the street or become totally dependent on friends and family (if they have any) to shelter them.

It's an incredibly scary reality.

Little_Vics

pink_numbers wrote: »

actually, once your application is rejected, you have 2 weeks to get out of your accomodation. Many end up on the street or become totally dependent on friends and family (if they have any) to shelter them.

It's an incredibly scary reality.

Yup - you're right.

It's a human right to claim asylum if you are in fear of your life. Many of the people we work with have been tortured, abused, raped, trafficked, imprisoned - just because of their religious or political beliefs, and in some cases just because they are female.

Refused asylum seekers can submit fresh evidence and appeal decisions, but sadly lose their accommodation and support. In some cases, the government has decided that their home country isn't safe to go back to, so don't facilitate a return. In other cases, the home country won't have them back because of their political activity. There are all kinds of reasons why they become street homeless/destitute and the Red Cross and other organisations like ours step in to help where we can.

Anyway - any more meal ideas?!

melanzana

Little_Vics wrote: »

Yup - you're right.

It's a human right to claim asylum if you are in fear of your life. Many of the people we work with have been tortured, abused, raped, trafficked, imprisoned - just because of their religious or political beliefs, and in some cases just because they are female.

Refused asylum seekers can submit fresh evidence and appeal decisions, but sadly lose their accommodation and support. In some cases, the government has decided that their home country isn't safe to go back to, so don't facilitate a return. In other cases, the home country won't have them back because of their political activity. There are all kinds of reasons why they become street homeless/destitute and the Red Cross and other organisations like ours step in to help where we can.

Anyway - any more meal ideas?!

Sorry no meal ideas -yet!

But my god almighty, if someone has been trafficked, abused etc. as you describe above, WHY are they refused asylum status?

Don't want to start a whole debate about that, but I often wonder how they could be refused if their circumstances are so awful.

Anyhow, I'm having a look at your food list, and it is... pardon the pun... giving me food for thought!

Some of us, and I include myself in this, don't have to think about what food to buy, i.e. if they can afford it. It is a bit of a wake up call to be sure to see what you are trying to do.

Good luck to you, and I hope you get loads of contributions.

meritaten

patchwork_cat wrote: »

By my calculations it does provide the 5 a day - don't forget the tins of toms are 4 servings, the beans and chickpeas count and the fruit juice is 1 a day.

However there is far too much salt, not enough protein. It is very eccentric and I applaud what the OP is doing trying to supplement this. My DD is interested in trying something similar, how do you raise money , is it sponsorship?

I do not think even I could do a weeks worth of meals from this! and I am well known for being able to make a meal from bu99er all! for four days yes - I could do it - but not seven! and NO cheese?????????????? and how exactly do you make a meal with one orange? I pity the poor sods who get this food parcel! they would have been better off with a large bag of potatoes, some cabbage carrots and onions and some scrag end of meat - a delicious stew which CAN last a week!

Skint_Catt

Tesco value savoury rice (was 28p but not bought it for a while sorry) is very filling and can be had sa a lunch or light dinner on it's own.
C xx

sb88_2

Goodluck to you! not an easy task, I tried to see what I could do with the list of foods in the red cross parcel. I don't know if i could manage to live like this..but heres my attempt.
Depending on how much bread, biscuits are in the packet, I'd ration these out at the start of the week to try and make them last!

Monday:
Breakfast: 1 orange, cup of tea and biscuit ration.
Lunch: 60g boiled pasta 1/4 tin of sweetcorn 1/4 pepper, tsp oil, cup of tea.
Dinner: 1/2 tin baked Beans on baked potato

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Banana, cup of tea and biscuit
lunch: 1/2 tin beans on toast. cup of tea
Dinner: serving of Rice (60g) with roasted 1/2 diced carrot & 1/2 onion, 1/4 pepper 1/4 tin of sweetcorn + 50g dry fried peanuts. tossed together.

Wedneday:
Breakfast: Apple, cup of tea and biscuit
lunch: tin of soup, bread, cup of tea
Dinner : 1/2 tin of chickpeas mixed with 1/2 onion fried in a lil veg oil. 1/2 carrot, juliene. 1/2 tin of sweetcorn, 50g peanuts

Thursday:
Breakfast: toast, cup of tea and biscuit (dried toast, would probably dip it in the tea!! or try some veg oil) fruit juice (250ml)
lunch: plain boiled rice and tuna(60g) cup of tea
Dinner: serving of pasta (60g), 1/2 tin tomatos, 1/2 onion, 1/2 pepper, rest of sweetcorn,

Friday:
Breakfast:(250ml) Fruit juice, dry toast. cup of tea
lunch: baked potato, serving of plain boiled rice. cup of tea and biscuit.
Dinner: 60g serving of rice mixed with 1/2 tin of chickpeas, 1 carrot, 1/2 tin garden peas

Saturday:
Breakfast:Biscuit and cup of tea, pear. fruit juice (250ml)
Lunch: 1/2 tin Spaghetti on toast and Tea
Dinner: pasta (70g)use rest of tinned tomatos and last of the onion

Sunday:
Breakfast: Toast, cup of tea, biscuit, (may use some of the spaghetti sauce to spread on the toast) fruit juice (250ml)
Lunch: Spaghetti on toast and Tea
Dinner:Pasta mixed with tin of sardines and 1/2 tin of garden peas.

pink_numbers

Little vic, did you see this article?

http://refugeeweekscotland.posterous.com/keith-and-cindys-food-parcel-endurance-challe

it has their meal plan for the week, thought it might be handy to look at what someone else did.

I think what you are doing is amazing, and what your organisation does is incredibly important. Thank you for all your hard work.