My neighborhood has a little free food pantry that I fill weekly. Problem is, I’ve been finding it difficult to provide a well-rounded variety of foods. Fresh fruit and veg are not allowed.
Any ideas for items I can stock? I try to keep each item under $2 to get the most bang for my buck.
My go-tos are:
*Rice.
*Oats.
*Beans, dried and canned (these usually go slowly)
*Baking mixes, flour, sugar, yeast.
*Canned veggies.
*Condensed soup.
*Oil.
*Evaporated milk.
*Condiments.
*Canned chicken, tuna, and salmon.
*Applesauce.
*Spices.
Thanks ahead of time for any ideas. Can’t seem to get the formatting working on mobile but you get the gist.
Who are the main consumers of the food pantry? That will tell you a lot about what kinds of foods will or won’t work. If a person has a kitchen, for example, it’s a different situation than being on the street.
The vast majority are people living in low-income housing or halfway houses after rehab. There’s only one unhoused individual that I know of who uses it.
A lot of single parents and young adults, some elderly folks.
Spaghetti is pretty popular, maybe pasta and pre-made / canned pasta sauces would be welcome additions? I wouldn’t overthink the nutrition, focusing on what is desirable / pleasurable is more relevant esp. with how fortified foods are these days. Maybe canned chili, boxed mac-and-cheese, hamburger helper, and other easy and tasty meals would work? Honestly I would just ask the people there what they like to eat and then stock that, if possible 😅
Good idea!