The Big Food Banks thread

[winkie]

When I was a child, 'Mars' bars were introduced. My mother used to buy one Mars bar a week and it would get cut into 7* slices and stored in the hall cupboard. I was allowed one piece of the Mars bar each day, either mid morning or mid afternoon - I had to decide - and once eaten that was 'it', until tomorrow.

I still find it strange when I see colleagues eat a whole Mars bar at coffee break and I couldn't do so myself. I blame my parents for that

*you could probably only manage 5 slices now.

I could never eat a whole mars bar as a child.....I do think they are now half the size they used to be, or is it I am double the size, but as I don't have a sweet tooth I never buy them.

Treats were treats in those days......days when parents said no and meant it, sometimes I think parents say yes because by saying yes it is taking the easy way out, saying no and sticking to it is harder.....the worse thing is to say no to a child the child playing up and the parents giving in and agreeing to the child's demands for the easy life...

[@contradevian]

Criminals get referred by Police too:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-23667515

Mr Curtis said vouchers were given out by health visitors, social workers, police and others who "come across people involved in domestic violence, victims of crime and people stealing essential items of food".

He said police referred a very small minority of people helped in food banks.

Of the 5,833 people processed in Stoke-on-Trent's northern custody facility since March, seven have been given vouchers.

[justthisbloke]

I grow parsley (both crinkly and flat) in my rockery in me rented garden :-)

Cheers

Frankly I'm astonished to see frozen mussels bought from a supermarket recommended when you can find them on any sea shore - no more than a mere days bike ride away for anyone in the UK.

Hell, if I want to read about reckless expenditure I go to mumsnet not hpc!

[Tonkers]

When I was a child, 'Mars' bars were introduced. My mother used to buy one Mars bar a week and it would get cut into 7* slices and stored in the hall cupboard. I was allowed one piece of the Mars bar each day, either mid morning or mid afternoon - I had to decide - and once eaten that was 'it', until tomorrow.

I still find it strange when I see colleagues eat a whole Mars bar at coffee break and I couldn't do so myself. I blame my parents for that

*you could probably only manage 5 slices now.

Ah, we used to slice and freeze

The last time I attempted a whole Mars was about 1985 and I threw it straight back up - actually hardly have eaten chocolate since then (only to be social when forced)

[LiveinHope]

Frankly I'm astonished to see frozen mussels bought from a supermarket recommended when you can find them on any sea shore - no more than a mere days bike ride away for anyone in the UK.

Hell, if I want to read about reckless expenditure I go to mumsnet not hpc!

Agree. I eat a lot of wild food and mussels when i can, but frozen mussels are worth buying as obtaining good wild mussels depends very much upon the time of year - have they just spawned - and the cleanliness of your beach, and the size of the local mussels - do they get a chance to grow to a decent edible size. Those are all reasons why I also don't buy live mussels from the supermarkets because you never know the condition of the mussels in the shells. Mussels are one of the few foods that I buy out of season as I am quite partial to shellfish of all descriptions.

If there was a beach near me I would collect my ow as that is the best and most satisfying way when they are in good condition, but there isn't a clean (remote), accessible beach within 20 miles where the mussels grow to a decent size and I live just 3 miles from the coast

[Billy soy]

Why aren't we seeing more thin people? In fact the poorer the neighbourhood the fatter the residents, which makes "summer of hunger" headlines all a bit hysterical.

Cheap food, is generally HFC, salt and fat laden food.

[winkie]

[Onion Boy]

Every time I read things like this, part of me dies.

That's expensive. That's a very expensive way to eat and live.

Onions are 90p/kilo. 1.60 gets you a pack of peppers. 81p for a pack of tomatoes. 30p for a tetra pak of chopped tomatoes, 21p for a tin of kidney beans, 40p tin of chick peas. Rice 40p/kilo, pasta 45p/500g.

Even before other veg, that gives the basis for a healthy, delicious, filling diet at a fraction of the price of that takeaway. Good food is cheap, the crap costs. I have a healthy diet that runs me just fine (late 20s male, cycle long distance and gym 4x a week) rarely spending more than 12 quid a week on food (less than £2 a day)

I'm already dead, mate.

In any case, as a father of four who love equally both Scottish/British and French/Mediterranean home cooked meals, I'm perfectly aware of these things.

You clearly don't get stuff.

;-)

[Onion Boy]

I am kind of hoping you'll do a breakdown of your meals @ £2 per day, please.

When am I allowed to edit posts or, if I'm being silly and I can, how do I?

[yellerkat]

When am I allowed to edit posts or, if I'm being silly and I can, how do I?

When you've reached 100 posts; or you may request an early upgrade from our wise and noble moderaters HERE.

ED: Then you'll see an edit button towards the bottom right of your post.

Edited August 12, 2013 by yellerkat

[CrashedOutAndBurned]

Why aren't we seeing more thin people? In fact the poorer the neighbourhood the fatter the residents, which makes "summer of hunger" headlines all a bit hysterical.

Eat loads of dirt-cheap starchy carbs and refined sugars (white bread, chips, crisps, etc.) and you'll balloon.

There seems to be a trend by the supermarkets to back food banks. What better way to bump up customer spends than have them all buy a little extra for the 'food bank'?

Of course, it'd be much better if Tesco, ASDA and the rest just died and we had proper markets in every locale. Much, much cheaper way to get food and healthier than the almost entirely processed fare of the supermarkets..

Edited August 12, 2013 by CrashedOutAndBurned

[Onion Boy]

When you've reached 100 posts; or you may request an early upgrade from our wise and noble moderaters HERE.

ED: Then you'll see an edit button towards the bottom right of your post.

Thanks!

Show off

[bristolhunter]

I am kind of hoping you'll do a breakdown of your meals @ £2 per day, please.

When am I allowed to edit posts or, if I'm being silly and I can, how do I?

What exactly do you think I don't get?

I've previously posted sample meals and recipes, look through my post history. I honestly struggle to see how some people spend so much on food, unless they're regularly getting takeout (it's worth noting, the average weekly shop per person is £23 according to ONS, which works out at about £3.20 a day per person, so the curve isn't all that high, it's just that the people above it have no idea how most people live - including Labour MPs who went on a string a few months back around "no one can possible live with only £18 a week for food, but no one!!!11!!1!" and doing embarassing youtubes about how they couldn't budget)

[winkie]

Pasta Fazool.

[Onion Boy]

What exactly do you think I don't get?

I've previously posted sample meals and recipes, look through my post history. I honestly struggle to see how some people spend so much on food, unless they're regularly getting takeout (it's worth noting, the average weekly shop per person is £23 according to ONS, which works out at about £3.20 a day per person, so the curve isn't all that high, it's just that the people above it have no idea how most people live - including Labour MPs who went on a string a few months back around "no one can possible live with only £18 a week for food, but no one!!!11!!1!" and doing embarassing youtubes about how they couldn't budget)

That the lumpen proletariat aka "the middle classes downwards" are best case one trick ponies or, at worst, thick as a 16.5 ton confluence of baby wipes and solidified fat.

That, despite your winning the frugality competition against Wayne Slob, you think that a £1.86 pack of meats is "very expensive".

That I live nothing like a slob (okay, I sit learning shite online every night).

That there's a middle ground between frugality and gluttony (and also between RDA and "die today").

I'm a simple man in hankerings and happiness. I have a habit of disregarding perfect written prose as a pre-requisite to posting on here or any other forum. Basically, don't mistake my linguistic laziness for lack of vocabulary or intelligence.

Don't even mention the word "class". Unless you're a one, you're a slave like me.

[Saving For a Space Ship]

Do you think you could expand on that theory a little...

Bill Hicks ....smart fruit - 2.20 mins in

Edited August 13, 2013 by Saving For a Space Ship

[numpty]

Not like this.

OMG I will give MacD's a miss until I get hypnosis to help take away the memory of that video clip

Superb post... Truly superb

[Errol]

Food bank Britain: life below the line - http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/aug/16/food-bank-britain-jay-rayner

[Errol]

Clear sign of recovery lol:

Red Cross launches emergency food aid plan for UK’s hungry

The Red Cross will this winter start collecting and distributing food aid to the needy in Britain for the first time since the Second World War

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/exclusive-red-cross-launches-emergency-food-aid-plan-for-uks-hungry-8872496.html

[Damik]

Eat loads of dirt-cheap starchy carbs and refined sugars (white bread, chips, crisps, etc.) and you'll balloon.

nope; just eat less of carbs and exercise more

it is actually great that carbs and refined sugars are so cheap so we do not see people droping dead anymore in Asia and Africa

I do not see a point to eat 100x more of healthy vegies for 100x more money for the same energy as carbs; it seems silly to me

It is people fault they eat too much carbs and fat; not anybody else

[chronyx]

nope; just eat less of carbs and exercise more

it is actually great that carbs and refined sugars are so cheap so we do not see people droping dead anymore in Asia and Africa

I do not see a point to eat 100x more of healthy vegies for 100x more money for the same energy as carbs; it seems silly to me

It is people fault they eat too much carbs and fat; not anybody else

They're still malnourished, just fat and malnourished.

Calories do not mean nutrients.

[Damik]

They're still malnourished, just fat and malnourished.

Calories do not mean nutrients.

obviously you can top up your diet with cheap apples, bananas, onions, beans, pea, carrots, etc ...

there is nothing wrong with cheap carbs and fat and there is nothing wrong with cheap vegies/fruits

----------------------------------------------------

so the left wing propaganda that:

- food is expensive

- KFC is selling you cheap crap to kill you

- Tesco is selling you cheap crap to kill you

- we need to be taxed more to provide people at the bottom with high quality expensive food

is just the left wing propaganda for sheep

----------------------------------------------------

there is nothing wrong to eat every day at KFC if:

- you eat so much you are not fat

- you top it up with cheap fruits and vegies

- you exercise at least 100 minutes per week

Edited October 11, 2013 by Damik

[chronyx]

obviously you can top up your diet with cheap apples, bananas, onions, beans, pea, carrots, etc ...

there is nothing wrong with cheap carbs and fat and there is nothing wrong with cheap vegies/fruits

----------------------------------------------------

so the left wing propaganda that:

- food is expensive

- KFC is selling you cheap crap to kill you

- Tesco is selling you cheap crap to kill you

- we need to be taxed more to provide people at the bottom with high quality expensive food

is just the left wing propaganda for sheep

----------------------------------------------------

there is nothing wrong to eat every day at KFC if:

- you eat so much you are not fat

- you top it up with cheap fruits and vegies

- you exercise at least 100 minutes per week

Apart from that for the cost of buying that slop, you could buy the cheaper cuts of meat that are actually more nutritious and contain healthy fats, collagen, less of the muscle meat protein we tend to eat far too much of.

But then, I don't eat at KFC or any fast food joint. It's not food puritanism, I just genuinely prefer my own cooking and find that stuff utterly repulsive.

[Damik]

Apart from that for the cost of buying that slop, you could buy the cheaper cuts of meat that are actually more nutritious and contain healthy fats, collagen, less of the muscle meat protein we tend to eat far too much of.

But then, I don't eat at KFC or any fast food joint. It's not food puritanism, I just genuinely prefer my own cooking and find that stuff utterly repulsive.

agreed. however I do not think there is anything wrong with KFC chicken. it is just a chicken ...

[eightiesgirly]

Most people I know who have had to use food banks are employed. Benefits such as child tax credits and working tax credits having been suspended due to change in circumstance, any change in circumstance. This is sometimes taking as long as nine weeks to sort out the payment, right flippin mess.

The ones I know have ended up trying to feed a family of four on about £20 a week, that's a very difficult 71p per person per DAY for all meals. One very sad case due to illness had as little a £7 a week with the mother really quite ill and two little kids, thankfully her family stepped in to help although they didn't have much themselves.

Pizza, chicken nuggets, cheap pies, frozen chips and sausages, cheap white bread etc fill up kids quickly and cheaply. Fresh fruit and veg no matter how cheap doesn't really figure into it. Three days tinned food helps massively until the benefits are sorted.