The lead-up to Christmas can involve a lot of shopping lists and trips to the supermarket, especially if you’re the one hosting the festivities this year. But if you’re in a position to do so, donating to your local food bank can go a long way to help those who are trying to navigate the cost of living crisis and may need to access food aid before Christmas.

Between April 2022 and March 2023, food banks in the Trussell Trust network saw the highest-ever levels of need, even more than during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Over this period, the number of people who used a food bank for the first time was 760,000.

So, if you’re looking to donate to a food bank this winter, the Trussell Trust has put together a list of items it’s looking for, as well as some guidance on the items that shouldn’t be included in a donation.

Items to include in a food donation

Cereal or porridge oats: donating cereal or oats can help ensure that someone can start the day right.

Soup: a bowl of soup is one way to bring a little warmth to someone this winter.

Pasta sauce: pasta is one of the most commonly donated items to food banks in the Trussell Trust network so donating a jar of a simple pasta sauce can help create a full meal for someone.

Microwave rice: it’s cheaper to cook than a bag of rice and can go with a range of dishes.

Lentils, beans and pulses: these are great for bulking up meals and ensuring people get some of their essential vitamins and minerals.

Tinned meat: as it doesn’t need to be cooked, it’s another money-saving item.

Tinned vegetables: these can also go towards ensuring a nutritional diet and can be added to sauces or used as a side dish.

Tea and coffee: more items that can add some warmth to someone’s day this season.

Tinned fruit: tinned fruit provides some of the vitamins needed to keep us healthy, and it’s a great substitute for fresh fruit which is beyond the reach of too many wallets nowadays.

UHT milk: fresh milk can’t be stored by most food banks, but UHT milk has a long shelf life and can be stored in food banks and houses without a working fridge.

Items not to include in a food donation

According to the Trussell Trust, the most important thing to remember when donating to a food bank is that items are in date and unopened. If an item is past its use-by-date, it can’t be given out.

Fresh cakes: because they tend to have short use-by dates, most food banks can’t store them. If you want to give a sweet treat, try a tin of custard instead.

Fresh fish: most food banks don’t have fridges so can’t store items like fresh fish. Tinned salmon or tuna would be a much better option.

Bread and baked goods: bread is a staple in most households but given its short shelf life, it’s not suitable to donate. If you want to donate festive items such as mince pies, check the use-by dates and if it’s less than a week then it’s best not to donate them.

Chocolate liqueurs: food banks don’t distribute any food or drinks with alcohol in them. It’s easy to forget that some chocolates contain alcohol, so best to miss out on chocolate liqueurs altogether.

Frozen pizza: most food donated is collected at collection points in supermarkets, then transported to food bank warehouses so a pizza would be defrosted long before it could ever make a meal for someone.

Anything that is out of date: to ensure that no one gets sick, food banks can only distribute food that is in date. Also, it’s important that the parcels are dignified, therefore don’t donate anything that you wouldn’t think about sharing with a loved one.

To find out more about the Trussell Trust and its work, please visit trusselltrust.org

Images: The Trussell Trust