A national campaign has been announced in a bid to close the nation’s fibre gap and drive change in British food culture.
Veg Power, the not-for-profit on a mission to increase the UK’s veg, fruit and bean consumption has teamed up with The Food Foundation to launch Feel the Fibre, designed to help to close the nation’s fibre gap by increasing healthy sources of fibre, including beans and pulses. It is a high energy, food system-wide movement to change British food culture over the long-term, involving chefs, nutritionists, retailers, schools, caterers, media partners and businesses. The campaign includes a ‘Discover Beans’ nationwide schools’ programme involving thousands of children and a significant social media campaign to extend the reach to parents and into homes.
The campaign has been created in light of data that reveals the UK currently has a huge fibre gap with 86 per cent of primary aged-children not meeting their 20g daily fibre target. Eating sufficient fibre is particularly important for school children as it slows down digestion, helping to prevent classroom hunger crashes and maintain focus throughout the afternoon. Interestingly, new data from a Veg Power survey found only 46 per cent of parents recognised that their child needed to eat more fibre. Other findings from the survey that supported the need for this public health campaign included:
- Limited bean intake – 64 per cent of parents say their child rarely eats beans or pulses (less than three times per month) and 50 per cent say their child eats beans and pulses less than once per month.
- High bean resistance – 43 per cent of parents say their child is resistant to any meals which visibly contain beans.
- Desire but lack of knowledge – 66 per cent of parents would like their family to eat more beans and pulses yet 48 per cent were unsure how to include more beans and pulses in their meals.
The campaign will be supported by a range of experts and celebrities who will create fibre-focused social content for parents, including nutritionists, Rhiannon Lambert, Charlotte Stirling-Reed, and Christine Bailey, as well as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
Dan Parker, Chief Executive at Veg Power, commented: “To truly shift British food culture, our goal must be turning beans and pulses into everyday dietary staples rather than a short-lived trend. We have united a diverse coalition of businesses, organisations, and individuals from every corner of the food system to achieve this. Rather than relying on a flashy advertising blitz, our strategy focuses on aligning the entire food system simultaneously – rallying everyone behind beans and pulses while capitalising on the growing consumer focus on fibre.”
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, chef, TV presenter and Bang In Some Beans Ambassador, added: “Fibre is a vital part of healthy eating, but largely missing in so many British diets – particularly with our kids. And beans and pulses are one of the very best ways to get more of it. They’re also extraordinarily good for the planet – building soil fertility, reducing the need for chemical inputs, and offering incredible nutritional value for very little environmental cost. This campaign is about helping families see beans not as an afterthought, but as an everyday hero of the kitchen. That’s such an important message, and it’s wonderful to see it gaining the momentum it deserves.”
