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Recipies for Foodbank

Hi

I am helping to set up a foodbank in my local town and within a month we hope to be ready to give out food to people in short term need of food.

I thought that people on here are experts at making money/food go a long way and some of your skills would be a helpful thing to pass on........
so I was wondering that if I posted the type of food that people would be given (3/4 days worth) could anyone give me some treied and tested recipies that I could print off, make a small booklet and give out with the food.

To make my life a bit easier, would it be possible to make it have the following format.

a name, list of ingredients, simple method and any other comments/alternatives people could use.


Tomatoes – (Tinned)
q Soup (Tinned or packet)
q Sugar
q Orange juice (carton)
q Milk (UHT or powdered)
q Fruit – (Tinned)
q Breakfast Cereal
q Meat – (Tinned)
q Vegetables – (Tinned)
q Tuna / Fish – (Tinned)
q Pasta Sauce (Jar)
q Pasta / Noodles (Dried)
q Tea Bags
q Rice Pudding – (Tinned)
q Chocolate
q Biscuits
This is the list we ask for in donations and with your help, I am sure that people will make it last longer than 3 days and have learnt how to make food/money go that little bit longer.

:T
I have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat - Rebecca West

Weight loss 2010 - 1/7lbs :rolleyes:
«134567

Comments

  • prepareathome
    prepareathome Posts: 1,931 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Tin of meat could be used over two nights

    Half a tin 1 night with vegetables and pasta

    Half a tin next night with half tinned tomatoes half packet of pasta

    Tuna with pasta with other half tinned tomatoes next night

    Pasta sauce and pasta next night - could use half the jar if you add water to make up and then it could be repeated the next night.......

    Biscuits, tinned fruit and rice pud could be eeked out over the week.....
    That is 5 nights - depending how much pasta and tins you give it might be meagre fare. Could be done just and am assuming the people have nothing at home to add to this to make things go further........

    Sorry nothing great maybe after a sleep I will come up with better and am sure plenty here will be along later with fantastic ideas but I just cannot think of them at the moment - tomorrow I will put them out in the kitchen and look, I am better doing that and see what i would do if stuck on them for a week.

    You are doing a wonderful thing they are needed more and more and more - nearest one to me is miles away and we had a firm stop and not pay people last week so me and some others had to come up with food out of our store cupboard to ensure people didn't starve until they could even get a chitty to the food bank - some a week later still haven't.

    That is where food banks fall short here anyway as people can only get a chitty to them from the social and can take a few weeks to get an appointment to see them and so what do people do till then.......Not saying yours will do that, but just thought I would mention it.........

    I honestly admire you for doing this its sadly needed. Good luck:A
    Need to get back to getting finances under control now kin kid at uni as savings are zilch

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  • Butterfly_Brain
    Butterfly_Brain Posts: 8,862 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts I've been Money Tipped! Post of the Month
    We have been chatting about this on the store cupboard thread. It is really scary how many people don't even have an extra couple of packs of food or tins:eek: As a lot of us have pointed out things can change literally over night :(

    I take it that this is only a 3 day supply of food?

    Tomatoes – (Tinned)
    q Soup (Tinned or packet)
    q Sugar
    q Orange juice (carton)
    q Milk (UHT or powdered)
    q Fruit – (Tinned)
    q Breakfast Cereal......Porridge is best because it will fill bellies
    q Meat – (Tinned)
    q Vegetables – (Tinned)
    q Tuna / Fish – (Tinned)
    q Pasta Sauce (Jar)
    q Pasta / Noodles (Dried)
    q Tea Bags
    q Rice Pudding – (Tinned)
    q Chocolate
    q Biscuits

    How about a cheese sauce to add to pasta for macaroni cheese ? you can get 4 packets of instant (just add water) in Asda for £1
    I see tins of rice pudding but no LG rice if you gave out 1kg (40p) bags of rice instead of tins, your clients could make a risotto using ½ a tin of vegetables and or ½ a tin of meat and use the dried milk to make a rice pudding with a little jam swirled in.
    What tinned meats will you be using?
    Instead of tinned or packet soup which isn't that nutritious they could make their own minestrone using ½ tin of tomatoes, ½ a tin of vegetables, a stock cube (10p a for pack of 10 in Sainsbury) and some broken up spaghetti.
    A packet of cream crackers or crispbreads might help out as well Instead of chocolate have a jar of jam or marmalade, that can be added to porridge or put on the crackers.
    Blessed are the cracked for they are the ones that let in the light
    C.R.A.P R.O.L.L.Z. Member #35 Butterfly Brain + OH - Foraging Fixers
    Not Buying it 2015!
  • pumpkinlife
    pumpkinlife Posts: 164 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker Debt-free and Proud!
    Wow terrific job Chumbasmum! :T

    I have no recipes specifically, though will have a think when I have more time.

    I think putting microwave instructions in as well as hob cooking, is a good idea. If people are in crisis and are relying in a three day food parcel, there is a very good chance that they are fuel poor. For many years of my life we grew up with just a microwave to cook in and I know that this not uncommon below the breadline these days.

    I think tinned soup is a good idea, in fact as much pre-prepared stuff as possible. You are likely going to encounter a lot of people with mental health and substance abuse issues that have been spat out by the system and are not going to be able to knock together a quick soup. Tins and/or sachets are the way to go I think, as much as possible. On the other hand you are going to have plenty of people who can cook so I can see where the recipe book idea comes from.

    There was an interesting article in the Guardian about this, with the suggestion that dried cereal that soaks up lots of milk, crackers that are depressing without cheese or spread etc aren't the best way to go. Could you perhaps specify oats as the cereal that can be made up with water, for example?

    Again, :T and good luck!
  • Butterfly_Brain
    Butterfly_Brain Posts: 8,862 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts I've been Money Tipped! Post of the Month
    The reason I suggested cream crackers or crispbreads was that they are a substitute for bread, unless the foodbank supplies bread as well or flour and yeast to make your own, but what if you have very little power and can't afford to top up? At least you would have something in your belly. I have never heard the like that people will be depressed if they can't have cheese to go with their cream crackers / crispbreads, they can be dipped in soup or use them with some jam etc, we used to have cream crackers and jam when we were children and that was looked on as a treat.
    What does worry me is the amount of processed foods, will there be a chance for bread, eggs or fresh fruit and veg? I know that this is supposed to be short term and I don't know how much money is allocated per client be they single or a family.
    Blessed are the cracked for they are the ones that let in the light
    C.R.A.P R.O.L.L.Z. Member #35 Butterfly Brain + OH - Foraging Fixers
    Not Buying it 2015!
  • Amazing idea, well done :)

    I would agree with putting in plenty of microwave-friendly recipes but like pumpkinlife I would guess that a lot of people in need are going to need instant/simple foods. And remember, you're only looking to tide people over for a few days. Three days or so of instant food doesn't harm anyone.

    Have you considered adding baby food/milk to your list? Baby formula in particular can be unbelievably expensive and if you have a small baby there are few things more terrifying than the idea that you might not be able to feed them. Most parents I know would gladly go without for their baby, but might not be able to cut enough corners to afford a tin of formula if things are really tight.

    Long life sandwich paste, jam and marmalade are good to have handy for toast and sandwiches.

    Stock cubes might be good to have on your list, as they can be used to turn a tin of tomatoes and a tin of mixed veg into a good soup, especially with a handful of rice or porridge oats thrown in. They also make hot drinks, rescue slightly less high quality instant pasta meals, turn plain rice into risotto...

    For risotto and rice pudding, short grain rice is better than long grain - it absorbs more.

    If you're making microwave risotto a good basic recipe for 4 is 450g of rice, 200ml of stock - put into a microwave proof bowl, cover and cook for 5 minutes, stir, and then cook for 1 minute at a time until the rice is soft. Should take a maximum of 10 minutes. This can then be livened up/bulked out with tinned meat or veg.

    Instant mashed potato might be a good thing to add as well - simple pies can be made with tinned meat and/or veg topped with mashed potato. It's filling, fairly balanced and it 'feels' like a proper meal too.

    Best of luck!
    If you lend someone £20 and never see them again, it was probably £20 well spent...
  • PasturesNew
    PasturesNew Posts: 70,698 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I am living in a hotel at the moment, so any cooking I do is "only using a kettle". Things I can immediately make with a kettle, or without, that "seem like meals" are:
    - cheap packets of instant noodles; simply pour some boiling water on them and cover the dish, stir it 1-2x over the next 3-4 minutes and it cooks without needing a microwave or hob.
    - cheap packets of flavoured couscous; just pour on water and wait. In fact, you can even make couscous without hot water at all, by giving it time. Add dried couscous to a tin of tomatoes and any other bits/bobs around (if any/or not). Cover and place in a fridge for 4-5 hours, stirring every couple of hours, the tomato liquid seeps into the couscous and it plumps up.

    If I want to make a "special meal", then I add in half a tin of peas, or half a tin of red kidney beans to the noodles or couscous.

    I should think people on the breadline aren't used to buying couscous though as it is a "bit of a posh/weird thing" isn't it :)

    Other "meals" I try to have in are: packets of instant custard, small tins of pineapple, packets of instant semolina.
  • Butterfly_Brain
    Butterfly_Brain Posts: 8,862 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts I've been Money Tipped! Post of the Month
    I agree with the cous cous and instant mash, but a lot of people may not like couscous, I find it bland myself. If you have a tin of minced beef and a tin of mixed veg and a pkt of instant mash you have a shepherds pie. Gravy granules/powder may be another consideration.
    Tinned pies or puddings may be another idea, or packets of dumpling mix to make dumplings to add to a tin of mince, plus veggies or boil in water and pour some watered down jam or marmalade on top , though syrup is the best.
    Blessed are the cracked for they are the ones that let in the light
    C.R.A.P R.O.L.L.Z. Member #35 Butterfly Brain + OH - Foraging Fixers
    Not Buying it 2015!
  • prepareathome
    prepareathome Posts: 1,931 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 20 July 2012 at 12:27PM
    I also feel its lacking and not really enough - I would like to know is this list a final one or has they thought this up and come on here to see if we can come up with recipes to make it work and if we can't then they will go back and have a rethink on what should be put in.

    This is the list of items the local Trussel Trust food bank offers to its clients as you can see its far more than OPs list and its considered very, very basic. This is for 3 days but they do also get bread, fruit and fresh vegetables handed in by supermarkets every day ( the ones they do not sell) so people usually get one of these as well, it is just luck of the draw on the day they go.

    Milk
    (UHT or powdered)
    Sugar (500g)
    Long life fruit juice
    Tins of Soup
    Pasta sauces
    Sponge pudding (tin)
    Tinned Tomatoes
    Breakfast cereals
    Tinned Rice pudding
    Tea Bags
    Jar of instant coffee
    Instant mash potato
    500gms Rice
    500gms Pasta
    Tinned meat/fish - they can have either three of one or other or a mixture
    Tinned fruit
    Jar of Jam
    Packets of biscuits
    Snacks

    I set out everything in the OPs list on my kitchen counter this morning and really cannot come up with anything else on just that list - people will eat but still go to bed hungry on it unless there is more than one packet of pasta or rice and mash are added.

    its a great idea to feed people via a food bank but an insult if what they are given is not actually enough to keep hunger at bay, they will feel even more downhearted than before they arrived at the foodbank - grateful yes but depressed

    With the Trussell list you can make quite a few different meals and make it stretch to about 6 days if you had to, although might feel rather hungry on some days but still fuller than three of your days supply sorry but that is the truth, you did ask.
    Need to get back to getting finances under control now kin kid at uni as savings are zilch

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  • Stephen_Leak
    Stephen_Leak Posts: 8,762 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 20 July 2012 at 10:21AM
    This one of mine immediately comes to mind. I'll see if any others are suitable.

    THREE TIN BEEF STEW

    Cheap, quick and easy, and also delicious, warming and filling. Useful as an emergency meal, especially if you have no water supply, as it uses the water in the tins. Also useful for camping or caravanning. Not recommended for backpacking, though.

    Makes 4 x 250ml bowls

    INGREDIENTS

    1 tin of stewed steak in gravy
    1 tin of carrots or peas in water
    1 tin of new potatoes in water

    METHOD

    Open the tin of steak. Put the steak and gravy into a saucepan.

    Open the tin of carrots or peas. Add the carrots or peas and the water to the saucepan.

    Open the tin of potatoes. Drain the water into the saucepan. Cut the potatoes into 2cm (1 inch) pieces. Add the potatoes to the saucepan.

    Stir thoroughly.

    Put the saucepan on a medium heat. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat until it is just boiling (simmering). Put the lid on the saucepan and continue to cook for 5 minutes until the potatoes are cooked.

    ADDITIONS & ALTERATIONS

    Use both a tin of carrots and a tin of peas.

    Add a beef stock cube.

    Add a teaspoon of dried parsley.

    TIPS

    If any of the potatoes are damaged, mash them up and add them to the saucepan. They will help to thicken the stew.
    The acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in my life. :)
  • Peabel
    Peabel Posts: 17 Forumite
    Chumbasmum

    Sorry if this has been said earlier. But what about peas, beans and lentils?

    All make a good hearty and filling soupy/stew which will fill even my teenagers with added bread.

    I usually start with onion, carrot, celery and garlic and then add a tin of tomatoes. Add herbs or spices according to taste. Blitz with a stick blender or push through a sieve, Then add your pulses. If you had a couple of potatoes you could add them in cubes or a handful of pasta/rice.

    Cannellini beans/chickpeas with pasta and Italian seasoning
    Cannellini beans/chickpeas with pasta/rice and smoked paprika
    Yellow split peas with curry powder and rice
    And split pea soup. Omit tomatoes ans add green/yellow split peas

    Feel free to add any old bits of cooked ham/bacon/salami hanging around, chopped into small pieces.

    HTH

    Peabel
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