Summary of "How do we get people to eat more beans? by VegPower Live Stream"

The VegPower Live Stream video titled "How do we get people to eat more Beans?" presents a comprehensive campaign and discussion focused on increasing bean consumption in the UK. Key points include lifestyle, health, cultural, and business strategies to promote Beans as a sustainable, affordable, and nutritious food choice.

Key Lifestyle and Health Tips:

Beans as a Superfood: Beans (including legumes, peas, pulses) are nutrient-dense, rich in fiber, and emit significantly fewer greenhouse gases than meat.
Fiber Intake: Only 4% of people in the UK currently get enough fiber; Beans are an excellent, cheap source.
Health & Planet Benefits: Beans fix nitrogen in soil, require less fertilizer, and support sustainable diets.
Taste & Convenience: Taste and ease of cooking are major motivators; overcoming perceptions that Beans are bland or difficult to prepare is crucial.
Children & Early Exposure: Introducing Beans early in children’s diets (not hiding them) can build lifelong habits.

Campaign Goals and Strategies:

Target Audience: Focus on 18-35 year olds, especially young families, to double national bean consumption over three years.
Digital & Social Media Campaign: Launching a large-scale digital campaign with chefs, influencers, and businesses promoting Beans.
Schools Program: Veg Power will engage 750 schools (half in low-income areas) with fun, colorful educational materials encouraging kids to try, explore, and love Beans over three years.
University Partnerships: Working with University of Kent to address student food insecurity and embed Beans into campus food culture.
Place-Based Pilots: Targeted campaigns in locations like Birmingham involving local food businesses.
Business Engagement: Encouraging food businesses to include more Beans on menus and in products through a commitments framework.
Focus on Low-Income Groups: Targeted outreach recognizing Beans as a cost-effective food during the cost-of-living crisis.

Consumer Insights & Challenges:

Current Consumption: Very low average intake (~28-32 grams per week per person), mostly baked Beans; consumption has declined since the 1980s.
Adoption Curve:
- Early adopters: foodies and chefs.
- Middle group: habitual cooks who rarely vary meals and eat Beans infrequently.
- Goal: Normalize Beans in everyday cooking by integrating them into familiar recipes (e.g., lasagna, shepherd’s pie, spaghetti bolognese).
Barriers: Perceived taste issues, inconvenience, children’s preferences, and Beans relegated to the back of the cupboard.
Motivators: Taste, convenience, and family acceptance outweigh health and environmental benefits in driving behavior change.

Branding and Marketing Insights:

Rebranding Beans: Moving away from the “miserable tin” image toward colorful, bold packaging and storytelling that highlights Beans’ “magic” and versatility.
Personality & Storytelling: Beans have cultural and mythical significance (e.g., Jack and the Beanstalk) that can be leveraged to create engaging narratives.
Premium Products: Brands like Bold Bean Co. focus on taste, texture, and tenderness to change perceptions and attract new consumers.
Recipe Innovation: Emphasis on simple, quick, and tasty recipes (often involving cheese or other familiar flavors) to build confidence in cooking with Beans.
Avoiding “Hiding” Beans: Instead of stealthily adding Beans to dishes, campaigns promote celebrating Beans as a star ingredient.

Industry and Panel Perspectives:

Tesco: Committed to increasing bean sales as part of broader health and sustainability goals; two-thirds of customers already buy Beans.
Chartwells (School Catering): Beans appear on menus at least twice a week; working with suppliers to innovate recipes (e.g., 50/50 bean and beef burgers).
Bold Bean Co.: Using social media and cookbooks to inspire new ways to enjoy Beans.
Campaign Creatives: Emphasize fun, flavor, affordability, and even humor (e.g., addressing flatulence openly) to make Beans more appealing.
Confidence Building: Key challenge is giving consumers permission and confidence to cook with Beans regularly.

Calls to Action:

Get Involved: Sign up on the Veg Power website to join the “bean force” and be part of the movement.
Social Media Engagement: Use the hashtag #OnBoardWithBeans to share and promote bean-related content.
Business Participation: Food businesses encouraged to commit to increasing bean offerings and promotion.
November 5th Launch: The campaign officially kicks off with a Bean Summit and the start of the schools program.

Notable Locations, Organizations, and Speakers:

Organizations: Food Foundation, Veg Power, Beans is How, Tesco, Chartwells, Bold Bean Co., University of Kent, National Lottery Community Fund.
Speakers: Joe Rling (Food Foundation), Una Turbo (Tesco), Samantha (Chartwells)