As prices at the grocery store keep going up, food banks have become a much-needed resource for many people in the US. Here we are sharing over 10 of our recipes that can be made with ingredients from a food bank!
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Food Banks or Food Pantries are normally nonprofit organizations that give away food to those who are in need. The community in that town or city will donate different kinds of food, drinks, and sometimes even home essentials. It might be hard to find a place to go so make sure to check Feed America or Findhelp.org!
Overall, these recipes have simple ingredients that are typical items at food banks. It is not guaranteed that you will get all of the items you need but all of the ingredients are more on the cheaper side.
What food items can you get from a food bank?
The items will vary from each food bank/food pantry. You could have one trip that can supply you with a lot of food but the next time, you will get less than half. Some places will let you pick what you want and others will decide for you. Here are food items that you might find at your local food bank:
- Canned Goods: There is a good chance you will get something in can form. Vegetables, Beans, Soup, and fruit. You can also get canned meat like tuna and chicken!
- Spreads: Peanut Butter and Jelly are widespread items. The brand and kinds of spreads will vary.
- Boxed Meals: Items like Mac and Cheese, Cereals, Mashed Potatoes, and more.
- Dried Beans and Rice: There is a chance that you can get bags of dried beans or/and rice.
- Fresh Vegetables and Fruit: Some locations will have fresh produce like potatoes, carrots, apples, bananas, and more. They will normally have to be used sooner rather than later.
- Baking Items: Sometimes they will give you items like quick oats, nuts, oil, and more.
- Bread: There is a chance you will get some sort of bread item. If it is close to the expiration date, it can be put into the freezer to prolong the bread.
- Pasta and Sauce
If you are looking for Canned Chicken recipes, check out our post of 20 different recipes here!
Tuna Noodle Casserole
Tuna Noddle Casserole is a classic dinner for our family! Many of the ingredients are popular items at food banks like canned tuna, veggies like carrots, peas, onions, and flour.
Peanut Butter and Banana Yogurt Pops Recipe
If you want to use up some bananas from the food bank before they go bad, this is the perfect recipe for you! It only has 4 ingredients that are common things at different food banks! Peanut Butter, Bananas, Yogurt (we used Greek Yogurt), and honey (optional if you don’t have it!)
Easy Chicken Rice Soup Recipe
If you are looking for a hearty soup, this is perfect for you! Canned Chicken, Rice, and carrots are typical items that you can get at most food banks!
Grown-Up Tuna Melts Recipe
Grown-Up Tuna Melts is one of the easiest meals on our list! Canned tuna is normally a popular meat that is donated to food banks. This recipe calls for sourdough bread but any other loaves of bread would work!
5-Ingredient Fried Rice with Egg Recipe
This 5-ingredient Fried Rice is a perfect recipe that will use up any leftover rice!
Homemade Instant Oatmeal
This recipe is perfect if you need a fast breakfast! It has only four ingredients – Quick Oats, Brown Sugar, Ground Cinnamon, and Salt!
How to Make Homemade Peanut Butter (in only 5 minutes)
Jars of peanut butter are a normal food item to get at the food banks but if you want more of a natural peanut butter and they gave you a jar of peanuts, this recipe is for you!
Any Cereal Chicken Tenders
Chicken Tenders are one of the top favorites in our household and when we need breading for them, we look at what cereal we have! You wouldn’t have to use overly sweet cereal but something like Cheerios, Total, or anything that doesn’t have a fruit or chocolate taste!
Easy Homemade Applesauce Recipe
This is the best recipe to make if you get a lot of apples at the food bank!
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup Recipe
This Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup is a perfect winter dinner! It calls for diced ham. It can be a popular item at the food bank during the holidays.
Savory Rice Casserole with Chicken Recipe
This Rice Casserole with Chicken recipe calls for chicken breasts but you can add canned chicken if you get that from the food bank (Skip the cooking the raw chicken part)
Veggie Loaded Chili Recipe
This Veggie Loaded Chili recipe is perfect if you get many different veggies at the food bank. It also calls for canned beans and tomatoes, which they often give away.
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