Beans, beans good for your heart… We’ve all heard it! And it turns out there’s a lot of truth behind it.

Beans are a real superfood when it comes to our diets, not just during Veganuary but all year round. While Veganuary can sound like a big commitment, introducing plant based options into your menu doesn’t have to be difficult. Beans are one of the easiest and most versatile ways to add vegan friendly dishes or stretch out existing meals a little more! There’s also a common misconception that vegan equals expensive, but this is far from the case.

Now why are beans so great?

They are a win for health, budgets and the planet!

– One portion of beans contains 100% more fibre than a chicken breast, and 2.5 times more fibre than two slices of white bread.

– Versatile as you can have baked, broad, black, soya, kidney, pinto or even lentils! And if you fancy a change, there’s always hummus (made from chickpeas!)

– They can count as up to one portion of your daily five.

– They are also quite affordable compared to other plant based meat alternatives.

– The UK already grows around 800,000 tonnes of beans annually but most of these are exported or used as animal feed

Despite these benefits, around two thirds of the UK population (66%) eat less than one portion of beans a week, of course with many of these coming from the classic baked bean!

Care homes don’t need to overhaul menus to take part in Veganuary. Small, practical changes can make a big difference like, offering one or two plant-based meals a week or using dishes residents already like and substituting them. This could be through a vegetarian cottage pie, soups or a chickpea curry.

Looking further than just Veganuary, beans and lentils are a great way to bulk meals, boost fibre and improve nutrition! Adding them to classic staples like a spaghetti bolognese can help meat go further without affecting the taste or residents enjoyment.

The campaign Bang in Some Beans is a great initiative that are trying to double the UK bean consumption by 2028! With only 4% of adults getting enough fibre, it is so important to boost both bean and vegetable intake! Take a look at these two recipes:

Anything Goes Veggie Pie

Approximately 600g of root vegetables. Choose a mixture of ones you have available e.g. carrots, parsnips, beetroot, turnip,
swede or celeriac

Instructions 

1 Pre heat the oven to 180°C fan, 200°C or gas mark 6

2 Peel and chop the root vegetables into 3cm equal sized pieces.

3 Top and tail the leeks, wash thoroughly and slice into 2cm rings. Peel the onions and cut into quarters.

4 Place the vegetables, except the onions, in a large saucepan. Cover with water and a lid. Bring to the boil on a high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer. After 5 mins add the onions. Continue to simmer for a further 7-10 mins until the vegetables are tender when tested with the point of a knife or fork.

5 Drain the vegetables in a colander and return the empty saucepan to the hob.

6 With the hob on a low heat, add the vegetable oil, flour and milk simultaneously and stir with a whisk. Continue whisking gently until the white sauce heats and thickens. Keep stirring constantly as the mixture will be very thin until it suddenly transitions into a smooth white sauce. Check it’s ready by dipping a spoon into the pan; the sauce should coat the back of the spoon.

7 When the white sauce is a good consistency add the herbs and grated cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted and season with black pepper.

8 Add the drained vegetables and chickpeas. Combine gently then transfer to an oven dish.

9 Remove the filo pastry from its packaging. Place one sheet on a chopping board and brush lightly with oil. Scrunch the pastry into a loose twist and place across the pie dish. Repeat the process with the remaining sheets of pastry until the vegetables are covered. While you work keep the unused pastry under a clean damp tea towel so it doesn’t dry out.

10 Brush the top of the finished pie lightly with oil. Put it in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.

Brazilian Chilli-Con-Carne

Instructions

1 Peel and chop the potato into small chunks (approx. 1cm squares) and rinse in the colander. Heat 1 x 15ml spoon of oil in the pan, add the potato, and stir occasionally.

2 Peel and finely chop the onion and peel and crush the garlic.

3 Wash and deseed the pepper and chop into small chunks.

4 When the potato has started to brown, add 1 x 15ml spoon of oil to the pan with the onions and cook for 5 minutes until the onions begin to soften.

5 Add the garlic and peppers to the pan and continue to cook gently.

6 Add the mince to the vegetable mixture and break up to create small pieces. Continue to stir until the mince has turned brown.

7 Add the cumin, oregano, chillies, paprika and cinnamon to the pan and then stir in the tomato puree and red wine vinegar. Cook for a few minutes until the spices have been absorbed into the mixture.

8 Add the tomatoes and mix well.

9 Cut the olives into halves or quarters (depending on size of olives and preference) and add to the pan along with the sultanas.

10 Stir together and simmer (with the lid on the pan) until the potatoes are soft and the sultanas have plumped up. If the mixture gets too dry, add a little water.