Learning from Legumes
Published 18 October 2023
Thanks to their nutritious, affordable, versatile and soil-friendly properties, legumes are rising through the ranks as protein darlings, with everyone from FMCG Goliaths and nutrition experts to savvy start-ups encouraging greater pulse consumption.
Beans’ newfound culinary kudos is due to a few factors. Firstly, pulses of all kinds, from baked and kidney beans to chickpeas and pinto beans, pack a protein punch and are full of vital nutrients, including zinc and B vitamins. Then, there are cost implications: with inflation still sky-high, consumers look for ways to save on their supermarket shops – and putting beans at the centre of meals is pocket-friendly as well as filling.
Beans are also soil-health heroes thanks to their nitrogen-fixing properties: at the end of their life, they release nitrogen into the air, making it available for other crops without the need for chemical fertilisers. Furthermore, their production results in 90% fewer greenhouse gases than beef production (WBCSD, 2023).
So, FMCG giants, including Kraft Heinz and Unilever, chefs and sustainability advocates have created Beans Is How, a campaign to double global bean consumption by 2028. The rationale behind the collective hinges on beans providing a sustainable, inexpensive and nutrient-dense source of protein as a solution to global food supply challenges.
TikTok is central to the bean renaissance: videos on its Beans channel have garnered 34.6 million views – think everything from a cake made with pinto beans (a historical recipe recreated by @bdylanhollis) to a Barbie-inspired bright pink white bean and beetroot dip from @alfiecooks_.
@bdylanhollis This one nearly ended me #baking #vintage #cooking #cake ♬ original sound - B. Dylan Hollis
@alfiecooks_ barbie’s favourite dip 🤔 this is my PINK BEAN + BEET DIP 🩷 for the full recipe in episode 1 of TAKE A DIP SEASON 2, follow the link in my bio and make sure to follow to take another dip with me #pinkdip #butterbeansrecipe #dips #sauces #takeadip #barbiepasta ♬ Golden Hour: Piano Version - Andy Morris
Smaller brands are pulling in new pulse fans with updated fun packaging and eco-messaging. Primary Beans sells dried beans sourced from climate-conscious farmers in bright boxes perfect for displaying on kitchen shelves, while Heyday Canning Co’s (both US) range of regeneratively grown beans is slow-cooked and seasoned ready for the plate. Bold Bean Co’s (UK) organic jarred offering features the tagline Beans to Brag About. It’s also released a bean-based cookbook.
For more on brands helping consumers eat in healthy, convenient and cost-effective ways, read Future Food Values and Upstreaming Everyday Edibles.