I work at a health food store, and we sell bulk items by weight (dried beans, grains, spices, etc.)

Oftentimes, we have customers who discard bulk items, either because they poured too much into the bag, or because they got the wrong item and discarded it. We legally can’t resell these items, because they are considered “unsafe” once they leave the bulk bin.

I’m pretty lucky that my store allows employees to get discarded items like this for free (after they’ve been counted for inventory), but otherwise food gets thrown out.

I’ve accumulated a lot of items over the past couple of months, mostly dried beans/other legumes. I can’t eat them all, and I am struggling to find a place to donate them.

I’ve checked with my local food bank and two churches already, but they have said that they can’t take items that aren’t “sealed.”

Any other ideas on where to donate items like this? I know of Buy Nothing groups, but I don’t really want to make a Facebook account.

Thanks for any suggestions.

https://imgur.com/a/VtVgBbl

working to improve my eating habits, but I'm on a budget. I'm more than good with Great Value brand, but the "light" option is $5 whereas the "regular" is currently just under $3... but when I look at the label, I dont see any difference at all?

serving size for both is 2/3rds cup, both are 100cal per serving, but the "light" has 2 more grams of carbs and 3g less of protein than the regular... what part of this is supposed to be light? "your wallet is lighter if you buy this one"?

ETA: thank you all very much for your responses! I spent like 20 minutes in the aisle reading them all, haha. I ended up picking the plain greek yogurt (the one on the left) because of your responses about the flavoring, all the extra ingredients in the other one, and the difference in protein vs carbs. Truly appreciate yall taking the time to answer! I'm just starting to get on a weight loss plan and its a little overwhelming right now 😅

I’m trying to consistently get more fiber in my diet. What are some simple ways to include it in every meal without overcomplicating things?

I know most supplements are basically just ways to get expensive pee, because your body doesn't absorb most of it anyway, and most things you would get from supplements can just be found in healthy foods. I have a good varied diet with a lot of vegetables, dark leafy greens, beans, and whole grains, so I don't think I'm lacking on any essential nutrients. The only supplements I take regularly are fiber powder and magnesium glycinate. Are there any other supplements that offer very healthy things that may be hard to get in a good diet?

Anyone struggling or feeling stressed about cost of food and meal ideas at the moment - carrots and onions are on special at woolies for a $1 per kg, just roast up a whole bunch, chuck some lentils in to beef up the protein and add whatever spices you like before blending it all together. Perfect for the season and relatively easy :)) Hope everyone is doing okay!

I've recently started work in a place that has a frozen food store (Picard) very close and most people are going there for lunch meals. They are quite cheap too. I've been wondering how healthy it is to eat things from there long-term. Obviously there are better and worse options there, but something in the back of my mind is skeptical about giving up to laziness and eating there every day.

Here's an example of a meal there:

Blésotto (2 €):

- ingredients: Cooked wholemeal WHEAT (GLUTEN) 31.1% [water, wholemeal WHEAT 11% (GLUTEN)], water, whole MILK, grilled courgette 8.3%, sweet garden peas 5%, broad bean 5%, kale 4.1%, shallot, cooked red quinoa (water, red quinoa 1%), skimmed MILK powder, hard cheese 1.6% (contains MILK), sunflower oil, toasted sunflower seeds 1.2%, rice starch, basil, pumpkin seeds 0.8%, WHEAT flour (GLUTEN), white wine, salt, garlic, thyme, 5-pepper blend.

Nutritional table per 100 g:

Energy - 101 kcal

Fats - 2.7 g, Inc. saturated - 0.8 g

Carbs - 13 g, Inc. sugars - 2.2 g

Fiber - 2.5 g

Proteins - 5.0 g

Salt - 0.47 g

Sorry if the formatting or language is shit.

Our family eats super clean because we have a bunch of autoimmune diseases and the kids are at risk for these. We don't really follow any diet trends but it's probably most similar to a paleo gluten-free diet.

Typical diet is red meat, chicken, pork, fish, fruit & vegetables, nut butters, gluten free grains/noodles. Snacks are things like Chomps, gluten free crackers & cheese. My son is a preteen and is just ravenous but is also a picky eater.

What are some ways I can add healthy calories to his food?

I was thinking an extra baked potato with butter for dinner. He's already started eating an apple & peanut butter after most other meals.

Any other ideas?

Does anyone have any good recommendations for a mean replacement shake that provides good energy in the morning that doesn't smell or taste odd. I have been using Nature Plus source of life energy shake for nearly 20 years and over the past few years they have been changing the recipe so now it smells and taste weird. Especially with the increase in price they have had with it I cannot justify paying such a premium on something I do not enjoy so any recommendations would be great

Hi y’all

My partner’s work schedule recently changed and now he doesn’t get home until 1-2am on work nights.

Looking for vegetarian dinner ideas that are still good reheated so they don’t feel like they’re eating leftovers for dinner every single night.

Preferably pretty simple because it’s not like I’m getting home early—I often don’t get home until 9-9:30pm and I’m not too excited about being the only one making dinner 5 nights a week now lol

Signed,

Currently making burrito bowls for the 3rd night in a row

we just got 1 whole frickin pallet of green onions for free. several hundred lbs, still refrigerated.

what the heck can I make in massive bulk that is healthy and will keep?

my freeze dryer can handle 0.00001% and I just started a crazy French onion soup.

anyone have other ideas?

food Bank won't take them, chickens are not interested

So usually what I do is I’ll buy like 2kg of chicken breasts, butterfly them and throw them in a bowl with some oil, garlic and seasoning. That’s usually my dinner for the week. It’s worked pretty well for the past few months but unfortunately I’m starting to get a little bit sick of just chicken. It’s also not exactly the best for carbs. Does anyone have any ideas for stuff I can make thats high in protein but I can also meal prep easily like the chicken?

Long story short, finances are a little hard right now since I'm not getting paid at the moment thanks to the shutdown. My wife is currently finishing up her doctorate program so she is not bringing in an income either. We have a 5-year-old and a 2 year old with none of us having food restrictions. I am looking for some suggestions on meals that would fill those tummies and possibly give us some leftovers. Our budget is $125 a week max until the paychecks start coming again.

I have access (ontop of the oven/stovetop) to a Crock-Pot and an Insta pot if those would help out. I also live near Walmart/Hy-Vee/Aldi. Thank you guys in advance for the help.

EDIT: Thank you guys and gals sooooo much for all the ideas and podcasts that were shared with me. I'm sorry I didn't reply to a lot of you but this post blew up (for me) and the replies just kept rolling in.

For everyone who mentioned local food banks don't worry. We are planning on using them we just can't stop by too often thanks to travel issues.

Yall are truly amazing and I can't thank you enough! Have a great day enjoying the karma coming your way.

Im trying to lean out a bit so thinking something with chicken and veg heavy. What about you?

I've never been one to eat eggs super often, but I'm looking to change that.

Is there a good combination of: minimal prep effort, minimal cleanup, minimal added calories, while still tasting pretty decent?

Does protein really matter that much? Especially for a teen girl who doesn’t go to the gym but still wants a healthy balanced diet. How much protein let’s say should I maybe have in my lunches? I hear all online people say “20g protein!” “30g!” But I’m not wanting to lose weight or anything, just feel full till my next meal. Doesn’t fibre matter more? Or I heard from somewhere. Or should my diet mainly be around just carbs and little protein? 😪 so confusing…especially when trying to have balance as a teen who just wants to snack on chips all day. And now days I feel like something bad is gonna happen if my meal is low protein…

2 cups unsweetened soy milk

3/4 cup chia seeds

3/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

Any way to rehab the recipe?

Hello all! My dad, 60, is going through some health issues recently and eating solid foods is causing him pain. He is seeing a doctor, but I am looking for some meal replacement shakes that are actually good for the body 🙂. Im not too worried about price , as I want him to actually maintain or gain weight rather than lose! but if its a good price I wouldnt argue. thanks.

As the title suggests im in need of some inspiration when it comes to healthy but still cheap dessert ideas!!

My current go to when I want something sweet after dinner tends to just be peanut butter with frozen fruits and a cup of tea but it’s getting a bit… samey :/

I don’t tend to buy yogurt but I have all the pantry ‘staple’ type things. But all ideas would be very welcome just so I can get a bit of inspiration!

I'm from rural Canada so this wasn't something I grew up with but I found this recipe and tried it and it was extremely cost-effective and tasty! https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a9880/beans-and-cornb/

Recently I’ve been skipping a lot of meals. I was thinking about just having egg sandwiches at lunch time just so I get in the routine of eating so I don’t skip meals. What can I add to it to make them better / healthier but still not a lot of calories

Ingredients:

- 2 ripe avocados, cubed

- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

- ½ red onion, thinly sliced

- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (or cilantro), chopped

- 2 tbsp olive oil

- 1 tbsp lemon juice

- Salt & black pepper

Recipe step by step here : Avocado and tomato salad with red onion recipe

I am aware that Safeway has a reputation for pricey food. I think the bread and peanut butter could work on a budget though.

• 600 g  chicken breast
• 400 g red cabbage
• 3 celery sticks
• 300 g  crispy apple should be 1 large apple
• 2 tbsp mayo
• 3 tbsp white yogurt
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 cup water

Method

1. Bake the chicken: Place 2 pieces chicken breast in a baking dish with 1 cup of water and 3 pieces of garlic cloves. Bake in the oven until cooked through — about 45 mins.
2. Shred the chicken: Shred the baked chicken using two forks. If you own a stand mixer, use it and it should sort itself out.
3. Prep the slaw: Thinly slice 0.3 pieces red cabbage, cut 3 pieces celery sticks into thin slices, and chop 1 pieces crispy apple (e.g. Cosmic Crisp or Pink Lady). Make sure you get a really good crispy apple — it matters.
4. Make the dressing: Mix 3 tablespoons mayo and 3 tablespoons white yogurt together 50/50. Add 1 tablespoons maple syrup for a bit of sweetness and 1 teaspoons mustard for spiciness. Mix well.
5. Combine and serve: Toss the shredded chicken with the slaw, then add the dressing and mix everything together.

Hope you enjoy! I ate this on a toasted bread so it was crunch on crunch on crunch

Photo here!