Question for all the foodies and frugals here

[maddezmom]

My local Interfaith org is doing a food bank drive. I have 3 paper grocery sacks to fill up. It has to be dry goods, canned, etc....something with a shelf life.

I want to have a good mix between protein, veg, etc with the best bang for my buck.

So far I've got:
canned tomatoes(sauce, diced and whole), green beans, corn, tuna, ham, chicken
peanut butter and jelly
dried beans(pinto, green, black and garbanzo)
brown rice and white rice
grits and oatmeal
elbow macaroni, spaghetti
velveeta cheese(I know it's processed but it lasts forever if you don't open it)

I still have a bag to fill and am looking for some recommendations. I was thinking of maybe some canned fruit or muffin mix (if I can find some where you only need water or oil). But I'm at a loss and wonder if more beans or canned goods, etc. would be better than sweets?

[Denninmi]

1. Well, I have some thoughts for you.

It kind of depends on the route you want to go.

For the most bang for the buck, most food for the amount spent, you would do better going with more beans, rice, pasta, etc., the real basics.

However, not everyone has the ability to do a lot of cooking from scratch with bare essentials, maybe since you already have a good mix of those, you might get some things that are healthy and ready to eat or easy to prepare, such as soup, packaged dinner mixes, that sort of thing.

Finally, the last thought, since you do have a lot of basics, maybe it would be nice to augment that with a few "treats" -- things that will help break up the monotony, such as some chocolate or other candy, chips or other treats. It won't go as far for the money, but some people will appreciate something out of the ordinary.

[maddezmom]

3. thanks....I like your thinking

I think some soup mixes would be great and maybe even some bullion cubes to help enhance the basics. I honestly never even thought of chocolate or candy, but I like that idea and will add some to the bag.

Thanks.

[livetohike]

2. Powdered milk, canned evaporated milk, pie fillings

That last one is something I like to donate. Everyone loves pie .

[maddezmom]

4. love the powder milk idea

especially after Denninmi comments above about treats....I'll add some Hershey's syrup.

And the pie filling are a great idea as well ...I'll also add some bisquick.

[PoliticAverse]

5. sugar, white flour, baking powder. Lentils. n/t

[maddezmom]

8. great ideas

I'm going to have to check on the flour and sugar for some reason I think they aren't wanted due to bugs, etc here but will check. And I can't believe I forgot lentils.

The baking soda got me thinking...probably add some dried herbs and spices to the mix as well.

[yellerpup]

6. Bisquick (or equivalent)

pancake syrup, catsup, cornflakes, and I've found that tea or coffee is also appreciated.

[maddezmom]

10. I'm going to add some syrup and catsup

both things I never use so don't think about but coffee and tea...why didn't I think of those? Great ideas, thanks. Now, I'm starting to rethink all my bags.

[yellerpup]

21. And salt!

Because it's so easy to take some things for granted... When we did a food drive they said to put in the muffin-mixes, etc., because they already have the fat (be it shortening or whatever) cut in and that most people had no idea how to cook from scratch. Also, I tucked in some "just add-water" hot chocolate mix for the kids.

That's great work you're doing, BTW!

[cbayer]

7. Soups?

I particularly like those in the cardboards containers from Trader Joes (and other places).

Noodle bowls are good, too, and kids love them.

Crackers to go with that cheese.

Tuna, salmon, canned chicken.

Bisquick, syrup.

[maddezmom]

12. more great ideas

I didn't think about soup or prepackaged stuff because I never do but it's helpful to read why folks do.

[Warpy]

9. Fruit. It was the main thing I missed when I was eating

a subsistence diet of beans, grains and cheap root veggies and winter squashes.

Canned fruit lasts forever on the shelf and applesauce can be spread on bread and go a long way with kids.

You might also include a couple of jars of jelly for that peanut butter and a bag of flour. Maybe a honey bear.

[maddezmom]

11. I've got the jelly but I'm glad you commented on canned fruit

I'm a savory person, so sweets are always last on my list of things. But I'm going to add some applesauce and some others. Thanks.

I think honey is also a great idea and has so many uses.

[fizzgig]

13. maybe some basic prep stuff

i saw you mention bullion, but spices/seasonings, oil, aluminum foil, just the basic stuff people need to make food. maybe get some baby food, too.

[EFerrari]

14. Sometimes big grocery stores have dried

chiles, bay leaves, ground cumin in the ethnic aisle where all the Latino stuff is for about a buck. You can stick those things into a pot of canned beans and have something that doesn't taste like canned beans. Or you can stick them into a pan of rice.

ETA: DU is sunfishing on me, sorry.

[The empressof all]

15. Babyfood

My foodbank can never get enough. Tubs of baby wipes and toilet paper are also always welcomed.

White Vinegar is great for cooking and for cleaning. I usually donate that as well.

[Coyote_Bandit]

16. A couple of suggestions

Canned beans
Some different salsas
Some spices and seasonings
Dried or dehydrated veggies used for seasoning - onion, garlic, peppers, etc.
Canned broth or boullion
Nuts
Drink Mixes or coffee or tea


I'm sure there are more.....

[tru]

19. canned baked beans

My thoughts also. A lot of people will look at the dried beans, say what the heck do I do with this, and yes unbelievably toss it out. You would think that if people were resorting to a food bank they'd be thrifty about food, but I'm told that is not the case.

[Coyote_Bandit]

20. Thrifty and frugal isn't the only issue with dried beans

Some folks who rely on the food bank do not have slow cookers - or pressure cookers - to prepare them.
Many of these folks also work and are not at home for a sufficient length of time to prepare dried beans. And then some of these folks have small households and only want/need to prepare a small batch at a time.

While I personally prefer dried beans I find that I actually use canned beans more. I think that is probably very common in small and single person households.

[tru]

24. dried beans

Just soak them. Any amount.

[Coyote_Bandit]

26. Soaking isn't the issue

It's that hour to hour and a half in the saucepan after soaking - as compared to just a couple of minutes to open a can of beans. The time required to cook dried beans can deter some for using them. That prep time is a luxury in some homes.

That said, soaking can be an issue as well. If beans are left to soak too long they begin to ferment which affects flavor and makes them more diffricult to digest.

[maddezmom]

29. all good points

After reading your post and some others upthread I realized canned was best considering time constraints, etc. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

[azurnoir]

17. more on this

instead of just sweets how about sunflower seeds and or dried fruit mixes some packaged are available for about a buck @ my grocery store, also cooking oil its relatively spendy for those on a very limited budget but the rest of your ideas are great

eta ovaltine its heavily vitamin fortified and would make dry milk much more palatable

[no_hypocrisy]

18. Add beans of all sorts, dried is better but canned also OK.

[badhair77]

22. There have been some very good suggestions here.

My food bank specifically asks for mixes or convenience foods that demand no more than water to prepare. Some people do not have an egg or extra milk to add. They also said they place odd donations (like jarred artichoke hearts) in the "free room." It's every man for himself there.

The one thing they could not buy with "official food bank money" was health and beauty products like tampons and pads. And when you need those items, you really need them.

[pinto]

23. V8 has a new product line, V-Fusion (iirc).

Blend of veggies and a mix of fruit juices. Pack a nutritional punch. Come in a variety of blends. Easy to carry single serving 6 packs. And they're lightly carbonated, so may be more kid friendly than plain V8.

[maddezmom]

25. ~Thanks everyone for all the great ideas and suggestions~

I ended up taking the dried beans out(because I use them all the time and like someone said upthread, they take time) and adding an assortment of canned ones including bakes ones. Also picked up some canned chili.

Got a bunch of mac/cheese, dried soup mixes, noodle mixes and canned soup.

And syrup, catsup, mustard, salt, cooking oil, pepper, dried garlic, onion flakes, chili powder, etc.

Also added some jars of baby food, baby cereal, powdered milk, ovaltine, cocoa mix and an assortment of V-8's.

Added some canned fruit, jello mix, dried fruit, some different muffin mixes, bisquick, cereal bars and nuts.

I think it's a good mix and thank everyone for their help and ideas.

[pinto]

28. 2 thumbsup...

[Rhiannon12866]

27. When I shopped for our "adopt-a-family," I included

Canned vegs and fruits (including oranges), canned soup and real juice.