My frist job out of college was working for a Food Bank as a VISTA volunteer (VISTA was the home-bound Peace Corps). I was amazed at the stuff that was donated to the food banks - "weird" foods that many of our clients didn't know what it was or how to use.

Food manufacturers would also donate things that didn't sell well. And the donations would come in the box-car load. I was given a box of rye cereal to try, because as the food bank president said "even my bums don't like it". I did. I had all the rye cereal I wanted....

I've noticed that now food bank drives have suggested donations, which are the more basic foods. Then there's always the donation of cold hard cash - where the bank can buy food on the wholesale market.

So between strange donations from local drives, and food manufacturers, sometimes it's hard to come up with a "balanced" diet for 3-4 days which is typical of a food box from the bank.