Fifteen thousand packages of dry soup mix made with lentils and oats will be in Christmas hampers distributed by the Saskatoon and Regina Food banks.

The science behind the soup mix is based on a research project led by Dr. Michael Nickerson, the acting head of the Department of Food and Bioproduct Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources at the University of Saskatchewan.

In the original project, researchers investigated the protein quality of pulse and cereal crops and how to process them into food aid products for use in Ethiopia.

Earlier this year, Dr. Nickerson and the Saskatchewan Food Development Centre worked together on a project to use that research to develop a healthy soup mix using Saskatchewan grown crops. 

Dr. Nickerson says the increasing cost of food and shelter, as well as high inflation and low social assistance rates have contributed to the rise in food bank usage across Saskatchewan.

Each package of Farm2Kitchen soup mix can feed a family of four.

Dr. Nickerson hopes to get additional support to fund a much larger run of production for food banks across the country.