ProVeg UK are incredibly excited to be working with Veg Power and the Bang in Some Beans campaign.
- Fibre gap: 86% of primary school-aged children need to eat more fibre yet only 46% of parents recognise their child needs more of it
- Schools’ programme designed to help with adoption of new school food standards by engaging parents and children
- Celebrities, experts and partners will extend the reach of the campaign to parents and increase bean and fibre intake at home
Veg Power, the not-for-profit on a mission to increase the UK’s consumption of vegetables, fruit, and beans, has announced new partnerships with ProVeg UK. This collaboration will enhance the ‘Bang in Some Beans‘ fibre-focused schools’ programme ‘Discover Beans’ designed to help support the adoption of the new school food standards by engaging parents and children. Set to launch in primary and special schools nationwide this autumn, the schools’ programme is part of a wider initiative to double the UK’s beans consumption and put them at the heart of British diets, run in partnership with The Food Foundation and Beans is How, funded by The National Lottery Community Fund.
The partnership with ProVeg will not only help extend the reach of the creative, fun and highly-engaging campaign, typical of Veg Power’s work, but enhance its core components as a toolkit that schools and caterers can use at any time from 28th September. As part of this commitment, ProVeg will provide caterers and parents with access to an extensive collection of bean-based recipes, to help with the creation of nutritious and flavoursome dishes.
By harnessing the current fibre trend, the Bang in Some Beans ‘Discover Beans’ schools’ programme positions beans and pulses as a convenient, cost-effective, and versatile way to add more fibre to diets, helping to close the fibre gap, while being budget-friendly for cash-strapped families. Despite the vital role fibre plays in digestive, heart, gut, and immune health, 86% of primary school children are currently falling short of their daily requirements.1 Crucially, only 46% of parents are aware that their children need more fibre, underscoring a significant need for improved public education and awareness.2
Recruitment is currently open for the schools’ programme and Veg Power is calling on caterers to implement the initiative across their school networks and adapt the campaign to suit their specific menu cycles. As with all Veg Power initiatives, the programme is built to accommodate the needs of busy teachers and schools, offering a comprehensive toolkit of materials and resources. These include a digital flyer for parents, a short ambassador video, and a launch assembly presentation. Additionally, schools will have access to lesson plans focused on fibre’s benefits and a bean-themed treasure hunt for lunchtimes.
Dan Parker, Chief Executive, Veg Power, said, “We’re delighted that ProVeg and Leiths have joined forces with us to support this year’s Bang In Some Beans fibre-focused schools’ programme. Their involvement as part of our work to mobilise the entire food system to champion the humble bean as a hero of the modern diet, will complement our existing activities while helping to extend the reach of our campaign so we can get more families across the UK banging in some beans! By encouraging regular bean-eating habits, not only will we meet our target of doubling the UK’s bean consumption but it will also help to tackle the public health issue of low fibre consumption.”
“ProVeg UK is proud to be one of many fantastic organisations supporting Veg Power and ‘Bang In Some Beans’. Celebrating the power of beans to support healthy people and a healthy planet, we’re incredibly excited to bring our delicious and nutritious plant-powered school recipes to the programme, packed with whole foods and much-needed fibre. With years of experience working with school caterers to put more plants on school plates, ProVeg knows how important it is to provide appealing options that are cost effective, practical, and most importantly, packed with flavour! By elevating beans and plant proteins on school menus, we have an abundant opportunity to shape the future of food.” – Sophia Millar, ProVeg UK Co-Executive Director
Find out more about the campaign here.
References
- National Diet & Nutrition Survey (NDNS) 2019-2023, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-diet-and-nutrition-survey-2019-to-2023/national-diet-and-nutrition-survey-2019-to-2023-report
- Veg Power (2026) survey of 3,000 primary school aged parents
