Musings from Brian J. Noggle

Choosy Beggars

Here's what you should put in a "perfect" Scouting for Food bag this year:

2 cans of hearty soup, stew or chili supply many nutrients;
2 cans of tuna, chicken, salmon or luncheon meat contain protein and iron, and canned salmon is a source of calcium and omega-3 fatty acids;
1 can of fruit supplies vitamins A and C, folate, potassium, fiber and other healthy substances;
1 can of 100 percent pure fruit juice contains vitamin C and often beta carotene;
1 can of vegetables supplies beta carotene, vitamin C, folate, complex carbohydrates, fiber and potassium;
1 can of tomato or pasta sauce contains lycopene, a healthy substance that is more available to your body in canned and cooked tomatoes than in fresh tomatoes;
1 canned meal offers a variety of ingredients and nutrients;
1 can of beans contains plenty of protein, complex carbohydrates and fiber; and
1 can of evaporated milk makes an excellent source of calcium and protein.

Here's what you're getting out of the Noggle home again this year, same as last year:

Any cans of meat, such as Spam, we received as a joke.
Any stray cans of stuff that I bought on sale as a bachelor (but was too lazy to prepare) which archeological digs have uncovered in our pantry.
The annual can of clam chowder that I buy because I like clam chowder (but was too lazy to prepare). Because Heather doesn't like the the smell, she gets rid of the can by any means necessary.
A can of mandarin oranges. Where do they keep coming from?
A can or two of corn or beans that we have, which we would eat on our own but because we have an extra, we throw it in.
Any cans of french-cut green beans bought by mistake. Probably by me.

I mean, come on, it's charity. I give surplus and cast offs. Whenever someone starts telling me what to give, I think he or she is about one step away from telling me what he or she wants to take and one and a half steps away from just taking it.

- posted by Brian J. @ 11:52 AM