Beans for a Healthier Lunch Tray & Planet

The cafeteria can be the largest classroom on campus, where students have the opportunity to learn about healthy and sustainable food choices and their impact on the environment. In recent years K-12 students have expressed a growing interest in eating delicious climate-friendly meals, encouraging many school food programs to add plant-forward options to their menu cycles (Food Service Director). With 33 million students participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) annually, school food programs play a major role in the well-being of our future generations and the planet by adopting sustainable procurement practices and serving meals that feature eco-friendly ingredients. This Earth Month, we’re celebrating how a small yet mighty ingredient can drive lasting changes in the school kitchen, cafeteria, and beyond: beans!

In 2022, we joined the Beans is How Bean Coalition as a Founding Partner. Beans is How is a campaign mobilized by the SDG2 Advocacy Hub to support a more sustainable and resilient planet by “doubling the global consumption of beans, (as well as peas, lentils and other pulses and legumes) by 2028.” According to Beans is How, beans release 90% less harmful greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere than some animal proteins. In addition to being climate-friendly, the legume family is an excellent source of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Luckily for school food programs, beans and legumes are often affordable and can be readily purchased either as dry, canned or jarred goods.

Under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) meal patterns, beans and legumes offer a unique advantage as they can be credited as either a meat/meat alternative meal component or as a vegetable component of NSLP and School Breakfast Program meals. In addition to being a sustainable and nutrient-rich ingredient, beans play a central role in many global cuisines, presenting the opportunity for school food professionals to prepare them as delicious, culturally-relevant meals for students. Furthermore, beans and legumes are budget friendly and an inexpensive alternative to the protein category. Read on to learn about four of our favorite kid-approved school food recipes from The Lunch Box that feature beans and legumes:

Fueling the Future

At the Chef Ann Foundation, we believe sustainable, whole-ingredient scratch cooking is at the core of supporting the health of our future generations and planet. Plant forward ingredients, like beans, are an important part of school meals as they are rich in nutrients, fiber, and protein to support growing students. These ingredients also support the health of our planet as they often use fewer resources, such as water and energy, to produce than animal proteins.

We’re excited to support Beans is How and encourage more school food programs to incorporate delicious bean recipes into their menu cycles. We hope this Earth Month inspires you to explore how beans can be used in delicious, culturally-relevant meals that positively impact students and the environment. Together, we can drive impactful changes with flavorful, plantet-friendly school meals!

To learn more about Beans is How and their Bean Coalition, visit their website here.