Some people say that food bank food is fattening. Well, it depends. It can be. There are way too many cookies, crackers, chips, pasta, and mac and cheese for me. I give that away.
Some give me a choice of what I can get. One food bank has items on shelves where I can see things and choose. Or, they take it from the shelf after I choose.
Here is what I received from one. Usually, I get twice as much, but there was little in their stores the day I went. Remember, in every case, I had a choice.
For instance, for meat I could have had a choice of several lunch meats. You can see my choices below. I was allowed three meats. I can go here once each month.
Ground pork
bacon
Tombstone pizza
kale salad mix
Rye bread
5 apples
6-pack Raisins
can mixed vegetables
can green beans
Frosted Flakes...he will eat these
half gallon milk
apple pie
blueberry pie
Bag of three chocolate chip cookies...expensive little bag.
Onions and limes were available, but since I got the apples, I could not have onions or limes. I could have put back some of the apples and gotten an onion and a lime or two. But, apples were okay and I want to cook them.
If there was nothing on a shelf I would eat or wanted, I got something he will eat--mixed vegetables and Frosted Flakes are examples. The kale salad mix had kale and shaved/sliced Brussels Sprouts along with cheese, dressing and croutons. I had this for dinner Thursday night along with part of the pizza. We ate the rest of the pizza and the rest of the salad for Friday lunch. Friday dinner was the veal and potatoes from elsewhere and the slaw mix I bought.
Usually, this place gives me two or three dairy--cottage cheese, cheese, yogurt, milk, my choice. Most of these were present, but I chose the Lactaid milk since I could only have one thing.
The pies were about seven inches across. I cut both in half and transferred one half to the other pie plate in clamshell so we both had half a blueberry pie and half an apple pie which was actually peach and mislabeled.
In the next list, I had no choiceThe other things I received this month I am not sure of the total amounts, but it includes:
gallon milk
3 lbs. boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
veal flanks for ossobucco (bone with a hole)
3 lbs ground beef
4 cans of my favorite tuna
4 6-packs of raisins
2 large cans Hormel chicken breast
4 cans applesauce
dozen individual size applesauce
6 cans peas
5 cans green beans
2 lbs white rice
2 lbs beans
can of corn
sweet potatoes
white potatoes
peanut butter
24 cups of Yoplait blueberry yogurt
24 soft drinks, assorted, none name brand...gave them all away.
Dozens of bars of goey stuff which I gave away. If they throw in a chocolate bar, I will eat that!
Yes, this is heavy on canned food. However, there is a lot of protein in cans if a person had to depend solely on these boxes. The only fresh green food from anywhere was the salad which was two days eating. I chose none of this list above
And, yes, food from a food bank can be fattening....if you eat it. I did choose the pies and the bag with three cookies. However, I often get boxes of bars that are so sweet and fattening. I give those boxes away to someone who has a son with lots of friends.
I chose all the list below from another food bank. Rules are: choose from meats and mark with 1, 2, 3 etc, according to your preference. I will list choices and mark what I chose. Based on my household size, I could check 15 items, plus the one meat choice.
Then, there is a list of foods and hygiene products. I will list all and mark what I chose. I can get 15 of these. An x marks my choice. Then, I decided to make it bold.
Meat (number indicates my preference)
x ground pork 1
ground beef patties 2
wieners 3
ground turkey 4
margarine
x cereal
jelly
instant oatmeal
x coffee
x hot chocolate
salt
pepper
rice
tea bags
evaporated milk
catsup
mustard
x peanut butter
brown gravy mix
stuffing
taco seasoning
x crackers...tube of saltines
corn meal
mac n cheese
Vienna sausage
soup
chili
ramen noodle
pasta with meat
x tuna
spaghetti noodles
x spaghetti sauce
x tomatoes
canned beans
x sweet peas
salsa
garlic stuffed olives
dried pinto beans
x green beans
mixed vegetables
boxed potatoes
corn
carrots
x fruit
pudding
jello
vanilla wafers
kool aid
x cake mix
frosting
popcorn
cheezits
razors
shampoo
x soap
bandaids
x toothpaste
tooth brush
deodorant
adult diapers
ajax cleanser
toilet tissue or paper towels
Kleenex
laundry detergent or dish detergent
**milk as I went out the door, explained below
The directions say to circle three of this long list in case your choice is gone. I circled rice, pasta with meat, corn. None of my choices were gone, so I did not get these three items.
**A man carried out my grocery bag of food and gave me the choice of whole or 2% milk. I cannot drink this, but exbf can and I can cook with it. Usually, there is brand name bread that includes buns of all sorts, whole wheat bread, and bagels. Instead, they had milk today.
Sometimes, there is sugar at this place. They put it in bags that probably hold two cups. Same with rice. The hot chocolate was only 5 packages, more than I need to satisfy a chocolate craving. If there were dried beans I like, I would get those. They don't have a lot that caters to a sweet tooth today, and that's fine. Some days, there are packages of cookies. Usually, the cookies are the $1 kind with sugary filling...yuck, give them away. If there are good chocolate chip cookies, I keep them.
Sorry if it bothers you that people go to these. The last one does not depend on central food banks or government funds at all. One of the others does not, either. If I am given a box with no choice of foods, I give some items to someone who needs it or can use it. That is what we are told to do. So, if you think I give lots to exbf, I am doing as instructed, just cooking it for him first.
Other notes: The milk I just got had an expiration of 3-11-18, seventeen days from now or something like that. Some times I get things that are not regularly on most people's shopping list--water chestnuts, stuffed olives, Kalamata olives, pickled bell peppers, expensive cheeses, etc. Now, I do buy Kalamata olives, but never stuffed olives unless I am having a party. I cannot think what else. I have also gotten cans of crab meat and large and small cans of salmon. Nothing is ever out of date!
As you may have guessed, I get food stamps, too, a whole $22 worth. I still have to buy chicken and the a2 milk, which is expensive. If I want any fresh vegetables or fruit, I buy that. I also buy brown rice, not cheap.
This is just a sampling of what is given. Questions? Comments? Do food banks in your area give good things like these do?
That was very interesting and I'm glad to see that you get to choose your preferred items. I've always wondered how the food banks work. What do you think of 45's plan to send people a box of food instead of food stamps?
ReplyDeleteLorraine,
DeleteI don't get to choose all the time. Sometimes, a box is shoved in the car and I sort out what I do not want. I think it is a horrible idea. Lots of food will be not be consumed by the recipients. I never eat the peas as I am allergic. I refuse to eat canned potatoes. Some brands of some items are not good. Bad idea.
Food banks are meant to help people who have small incomes so never feel guilty/embarrased. Around here, they are sorely lacking in fresh foods/meats but plenty of canned goods/pasta like you said. Some of my clients have food stamps- more on the card if they have high rent/utilities in ratio to their incomes. SSI here is now $750 a month max for a single person and apartments are expensive. A dilapidated trailer can get $600 a month in rent and very few houses are section 8. I think the box of food idea is just another way to bring the unfortunate down!
ReplyDeleteNan,
DeleteThere is lots of judgment around here. Same with income here and lack of good, affordable housing Housing vouchers give people choices in housing that Section 8 did not. I do not like the idea of the boxes.
I found the info you provided very interesting. I have no idea how food banks work here but I have been researching where they are located for my 'just in case' scenario if hubby dies. I don't drive so would have to have transportation plus with my diabetic diet many foods would not work for me.
ReplyDeleteIn the early 70s I worked for the State of Florida cooperative extension service. At that time instead of food stamps low income people were given what was called donated foods. They consisted of things like pasta, oatmeal, raisins, peanut butter, flour, sugar, dried beans, butter, cheese, etc. It was my job to develop recipes from current women's magazines using those foods. We would offer samples and recipes at the pickup locations. I got lots of feedback and lots of ideas of how these foods were used. Back then, the recipients were grateful for the food but that would not be the case now. The mindset of entitlement has changed. In the mid 80s I worked for the state of CT educating those receiving food stamps in how to make healthy & economical choices. That either isn't done or cannot be done as it would impinge on people's right to make their own choices. Don't know how I feel about it.
Glad you have several choices of food banks that offer good choices even if much is canned.
Bellen, that's what concerns me about the proposed boxes of food to be delivered. What if people have health issues like diabetes (can't have sugar) or high blood pressure (can't have salt) or allergies (to peanuts, dairy, soy, fish)? Fresh fruits and veggies seem to be more important than ever in the fight against preventable diseases and they are so expensive. We need our farms and our farmers back.
DeleteBellen,
DeleteThere is nothing wrong with the foods you listed, but a steady diet of that would leave to health issues. Of course, so would eating all canned food. I no longer eat canned spaghetti sauce. I spend my money on jars of spaghetti.
You would find that public transportation would make the trip to the food bank not worth the expense. Or, maybe not.
The agency where you apply for food stamps had a woman who was set up with recipes and willing to discuss healthy cooking. I asked her what she was doing, and she told me, adding that I did not need the information. I took it anyway. The ideas were so basic that it seemed people should know it. Periodically, there is someone trying to talk to the recipients, but you know a phone is more interesting.
From what I understand, 45's centralization plan applies to the Federal Food Aid plans. (SNAP) His plan cannot infringe on local food banks' operations. For instance, the bulk of our local food bank's support comes from proceeds from the thrift shop they run, and local donations. I shop at this thrift shop, and support various community fundraising activities for this establishment. A second one is run by a church nearby. (Unfortunately, said church is also homophobic, so I don't step foot in, or put a cent towards anything that has its name on it.) In any case, 45's plan would not have a bearing on these types of places, barring removing any federal aid they may be receiving.
ReplyDeleteMeg B.,
DeleteThe program is meant to replace Federal aid to food banks. There are government programs that provide food to food banks. Churches or whatever can buy canned food for something like seventeen cents a pound and take it to the church or organization for distribution. If the Federal food banks for a whole area are not available, then the food is not there for cheap. Of course, the one church raises all there money for the food. I do donate to church and thrift stores that use the money for the food bank. I supply one woman all the inserts for coupons. She then shops the stores with ads and coupons. They have fundraising events for the foodbank. Federal aid is what he wants to cut.
Right, it would remove only the federal aid to these establishments, in the interest of centralization. The greater portion of the funding, (as I understand it) for our local food bank, is through the thrift shop proceeds, and private donations. In fact, one store here, (a Kroger family store) fills the food bank's truck twice/day during the week. This includes meat, dairy, fresh produce AND personal care items--something you can't get with your EBT card. The supermarket only put out on clearance for customers that which will fit in one small section of the store.
DeleteAs I understand 45's plan, the major part of it is that SNAP, that is food stamps, would be replaced with home deliveries of food boxes, rather than letting people purchase their own items with the benefits. In any case, while I think the federal government is responsible for those helping its citizens who are in need, I daresay the local entities do a better job feeding the hungry than the federal government ever could. It's easy to dehumanize recipients with centralization, isn't it?
Thanks. Yes, dehumanizing is true. Besides, I cannot get the apples I like or green things in a box.
DeleteNo, you probably couldn't. But the mission of food programs is to assure basic needs are fulfilled, not likes or wants. Even on a local level we can't do that very often. Heck, I don't even take my own kids' likes and wants into consideration on most nights when I fix dinner.
DeleteClamco,
ReplyDeleteIf the food from food banks is the total or most of the food one consumes, it is indeed dangerous. I use maybe a can each week. One recipe uses three cans--black beans, corn, tomatoes, my brown rice, ground pork and taco seasoning. hmmm, thought there was another can. Oh, I use two cans of tomatoes. Even the taco seasoning was given to me. The only thing I buy for this dish is the brown rice. I make this about once or maybe twice each month. I would never eat many cans of food because of the BPA. I have fresh fruit and vegetables every day. However, if am ill, I cannot get to store or just don't get what I need even if it is the house. I am not as careful as I should be with diet, but try to eat canned food with reduced sodium which is always abundant at food banks. I give away lots of food but people say they will use it. If they give it to someone else to eat, it is good someone can eat it.
Thank you for sharing, I think people would be more generous with food banks if they actually knew how they worked. In my town we have a separate charity that gets people to volunteer to glean/pick peoples fruit trees and veggie patches if they have too much produce or are unable to do it for themselves. 1/3 goes to food banks and shelters, 1/3 to the homeowner(lots of seniors choose to do this as they don't want to get up high into the apple/cherry tree) and 1/3 to the picker. That way our valley food banks have a lot more fresh produce than they would have had normally.
ReplyDeleteMuch of the produce comes from two places. Sweet potato farmers give the discards from their field to food banks. Most of the time this is overly large, tiny, or oddly shaped. Occasionally, it should be discarded as it is moldy. However, I think this is because it was stored too long or wrong after it was donated. One food bank has in the summer small lots of donated produce. I think this is from home farmers, not large farms. I have gotten a dozen different vegetables, just small quantities of each.
DeleteThen, stores donate produce. It can be good or bad, depending on the vegetable or fruit.
There is a larger organization in a much larger city that has gleaned food. It can range from perfect to rotten or wilted greens beyond being edible. Some is barely blemished if not perfect. I think the storage system is the problem. Plus, the volunteers dump boxes of apples not caring they are bruised since they are for poor people. Plus, some are doing community service.
Some home gardeners actually grow for the food banks here. Thanks for the explanation...older ones not liking to climb trees.
I am happy to read this as I donate to our local food bank. I rarely talk to anyone who relies on it, so it is nice to see that people really appreciate and benefit from the service. I am skeptical about a lot of charities/non-profit, but one thing I can get behind is helping in the fight against hunger. Thank you for posting, it was nice to see how the food bank helps you.
ReplyDeleteAlex,
DeleteI donated to food banks before I went to them. I do appreciate what I get. Some food banks are superior to others. One gives dented food cans, probably bought from the dented food store. It is insulting! Some of the dents are huge and the whole can is distorted. Some have rude workers who clearly look down on people. Most are great and have some healthy food. I think people with larger families would have more tastes in order to enjoy more of the foods than I do since there is only me. It helps me, but I still struggle to buy food.
Nobody should ever have to struggle to buy food in this country, be it a family of 1, or 12. That said, I have no compunction about buying drastically marked down, crazily dented cans of food for my brood. Once it's on the table, they're none the wiser to the packaging.
DeleteMeg,
DeleteThe point about the horribly dented cans that will no longer stand on their own is that some people insult the poor with them. After all, poor people should be happy to get what they get. That is the attitude of one food bank that gives away green things that have a horrible smell...if you are hungry you will eat food that is rotting. When I was shopping for food for a Christmas basket, I told my children not to get the cheapest cans of food, to get the food they would eat.
You get to choose your food, so you have a say. Some of those cans of food looked dangerous. But, someone decided we did not get to choose. THAT is the problem. You have choice; they don't.
I have never been to a food bank. I didn't know one could get things other than non-perishables.
ReplyDeleteurspo,
DeleteSome days, I get nothing but cans and boxes. Some always have produce and dairy products. It just depends on where I go. In your profession you could probably visit and view. And, there are some food banks in larger cities that use volunteers who just stand by the boxes of items and tell clients how many out of the box they can have. It is sort of like an assembly line where the recipients take what is in the boxes and put in their own bag.