Christmas Appeal: Cira Olivier: I'm cooking meals this week from a Foodbank parcel

Some of the food inside a Tauranga Community Foodbank parcel for a couple. Photo / Cira Olivier

While we know food parcels help people more than some of us could imagine, there is likely to be a misconception over what's actually included.

The Bay of Plenty Times' six-week Christmas Appeal for the Tauranga Community Foodbank ends next week.

This week I'll be cooking a week of meals from a foodbank parcel. It was Foodbank team's idea, with the goal being both to destigmatise the kinds of food that come in a parcel and get a fresh take on what meals can be created.

Despite my reporting on the appeal for the second year in a row, I was almost overwhelmed with the food I got.

I walked through the warehouse with volunteer Dot Moree, who showed me the process of putting a parcel together.

It's a well-oiled system, starting with a trolley and a box at one end of the warehouse and snaking past the shelves sectioned off for different types of food.

Items are put into the boxes according to the number of people they need to feed.

A food parcel for a couple. Photo / Cira Olivier

My parcel was for my partner and me, and I opted out for things that usually go to clients - like treats, lollies and toiletries - as I knew they were things they could only get from donations.

I cannot eat dairy or gluten, and while I don't eat red meat, my partner has no dietary requirements.

This was well catered for and I was given two separate meat alternatives, fresh and tinned fruit and vegetables, breakfast foods and snacks.

Whether you're a vegan, coeliac or had another dietary requirement, the team worked to cater to everyone's needs.

We couldn't believe how much food we got, and I can only imagine how appreciative those who are on their last legs would be when getting this.

They're designed to allow for a variety of simple meals to be made and people could take recipe cards for inspiration.

This week, I'm putting my marginal cooking skills to the test to see what meals I can make out of the generous amount of food.

I'll let you know how I get on.

What's in a parcel

Food parcels are individually created to support the number of people in a family.

Margarine, onions, peanut butter or jam, potatoes, eggs, cleaning product, personal care, bread, chickpeas, milk, baked beans, spaghetti, tinned tomatoes, sweet corn, tinned fish, tinned fruit, soup, carton milk, sugar, cereal, drinks, pasta, biscuits or crackers, treats, muesli bars, chips, sausages, chicken, pies, cakes, toilet rolls and soap.

Every parcel also contained mince, frozen vegetables, fresh fruit and vegetables.

Clients can also choose to add baking supplies, tea, coffee, sanitary supplies, nappies, pet food and other items if they're available.

Wish list

Items the food bank is running low on and always needs.

• Tinned fish and soup
• Long-life milk
• Baking supplies like cocoa and icing sugar
• Cereals, rice bubbles and cornflakes
• Spreads, jam and peanut butter
• Large-size nappies, over 13kg
• Coffee and Milo
• Tampons

Any items are welcome, even if they're not on the list.

The food bank has also asked for all unwanted paper and recyclable shopping bags.

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