Led nationally by Veg Power, the initiative encourages families and schools to include more beans and pulses in everyday meals. These foods are high in fibre, a source of protein and an affordable way to support healthy eating. The Walsall initiative is funded by Walsall Council Public Health.

Bang in Some Beans supports the ambitions set out in Feeding Walsall’s Future: The Food Plan 2025-2030, which sets out a shared vision where healthy, nutritious, affordable and appealing food choices are accessible to residents. Promoting good food choices and helping families access healthier options are key priorities of the plan.

“ It is great that more than 4,000 children across Walsall have taken part in Bang in Some Beans, learning about healthy, budget-friendly foods that can easily become part of everyday family meals.

Helping children develop healthy eating habits from an early age is an important part of improving health and wellbeing across the borough. Initiatives like this show how schools can play a key role in helping young people make positive choices that can benefit them throughout their lives. “

Councillor Matt Eason, Portfolio Holder for Culture, Health and Wellbeing
Walsall Council

Parents and carers can help children eat more beans, lentils and pulses by incorporating baked beans into breakfasts, adding lentils to pasta sauces and soups, using kidney beans in chilli dishes, adding chickpeas to wraps and salads, and keeping tins of beans in the cupboard for quick, low-cost meals.

Schools in Walsall that would like to get involved in future Bang in Some Beans or Veg Power’s activities can contact Rachel.nunns@vegpower.org.uk to find out more and sign up.

To find out more about Bang in Some Beans, visit the Veg Power website.

• Bang in Some Beans is a UK-wide initiative led by The Food Foundation in partnership with Veg Power, encouraging people to eat more beans, lentils and pulses as part of a healthy diet. The initiative aims to increase bean consumption across the UK by promoting simple, affordable and nutritious ways to include beans in everyday meals.
• Veg Power is a not-for-profit alliance dedicated to improving children’s diets by making healthy, sustainable eating more desirable. Through collaboration, creative communications, and real -world insight Veg Power inspires children with a lifelong love for vegetables, fruit and beans and empowers families to make healthy eating simple.
• As well as Bang in Some Beans, Veg Power’s campaigns also include Eat Them to Defeat Them, a multi award-winning campaign to change children’s perceptions of veg that has now reached over 2 million different children, attack the Snack to encourage families to make healthier snack choices in partnership with Net Mums and 2026 campaigns involving cabbages, tomatoes and butternut squash.