At Food Standards Scotland (FSS), we’re pleased to support The Food Foundation’s Bang in Some Beans campaign, which encourages people to add beans into everyday meals.
Laura Wilson, Head of Public Health Nutrition at FSS, highlights why this small shift matters:
“Incorporating beans into familiar dishes is an easy step that can make a meaningful difference to our overall diet. Beans offer valuable nutritional benefits and adding them to meals that are already family favourites is an easy win.
“For me, this means adding some tinned lentils into a lasagne or butter beans into soups."
The campaign aligns with a core principle of FSS’s Eat Well Your Way initiative which focuses on small changes that people can maintain in the long term. Beans, lentils and pulses can be added to meals people already enjoy, helping to boost fibre and protein while keeping things simple, affordable and satisfying. Using tinned beans makes it even more convenient, as they’re pre‑cooked, low cost and easy to keep on hand for quick meals.
Here are a few easy ways to try it at home:
- Add kidney beans or black beans to chilli or tacos
- Stir lentils or cannellini beans into casseroles and stews
- Mix beans into pasta sauces for extra protein and fibre
- Put chickpeas or mixed beans into salads or curries for a hearty boost
Beans are a great choice for the planet too. They use fewer natural resources to grow than many other protein foods, so adding them to meals can help lower the environmental impact of our diets while keeping dishes tasty and budget friendly.
In addition to supporting consumers, the campaign also highlights the important role industry can play in making healthier choices easier. Restaurants, caterers and retailers can contribute by including more bean-based dishes on menus, reformulating existing meals to include beans, or clearly signposting options that feature beans. These steps help to normalise beans as an appealing everyday ingredient.