The Educator Magazine U.K. Jan-April 2023. - Magazine - Page 24
consumption in the UK. BeanMeals will
encourage the cooking and eating of
meals made with dried beans to support
an increase in low fat, sugar and salt meals
made with healthy plant-based proteins.
The University of Warwick has developed
two haricot beans which are suitable for
UK growing – Godiva and Capulet.
The National Food Strategy White Paper
committed to research and innovation in
alternative proteins and states that
“British grown beans and pulses are
another great example of low carbon
sustainable proteins that contribute to
healthy diets”. As well as being a great
source of protein and fibre, dried beans
are minimally processed so can support
a reduction in consumption of ultraprocessed foods.
As part of the project, Food for Life
aims to:
• Enhance food knowledge for children
and families
• Enable teachers and senior leadership
teams to increase discussions about
healthy diets with bean-based low FSS
(fat, salt and sugar) and minimally
processed meals
• Encourage the reduction of high FSS and
ultra-processed foods in household
meals, beyond the school environment
Food for Life began a new
project this month with BeanMeals, running in Leicestershire.
their good food and growing learning,
encouraging positive food and health
attitudes for life.
Food for Life is a Soil Association
programme that supports schools to get
pupils eating healthy food and reconnect
them with where their food comes from.
Food for Life strives to support schools in
BeanMeals is a large collaborative project
grant funded by UKRI (UK Research and
Innovation) and led by Oxford University.
The project will last two years, and it aims
to improve the sustainability of supply
chains, focusing on bean growth and
The Food for Life team will bring their
wealth of knowledge and expertise in
creating a ‘whole school approach’ within
a community-based food system. Food for
Life already works with over 200 schools
in Leicestershire and 89 in Leicester City
– and they will work closely with 6 of
these schools to implement BeanMeals in
their school and local area. They will also
be working with Leicestershire Traded
Services - a gold Food for Life Served Here
caterer – to adapt menus to include more
beans on menus – and make them the
star of some dishes.