A NEW campaign is set to bring pulse-based menus to dining facilities on campus at the University of Reading.
Raising the Pulse is an initiative which will bring nutrient-rich, climate friendly food stuffs to menus on campus, as well as bringing activities and cooking demonstrations to students.
The initiative will also be used to collect feedback for researchers to aid future development of similar campaigns.
It aims to address both human and planetary health by encouraging increased consumption of pulses and pulse-enriched foods.
Pulses are a versatile and sustainable food source, many of which grow well in the UK, such as faba or broad bean, which is rich in protein, fibre, and essential micronutrients.
The ability to grow them in more local climates means less reliance on produce such as soya, which is imported, reducing the carbon footprint
From Monday, November 11, to Sunday, December 1, campus dining facilities–such as Eat at the Square, Park Eat, St Patrick’s, Wantage, and The Dairy– will feature a wide range of pulse-based meals, including the new “Raising the Pulse” bread made with faba bean flour.
The team will also host live cooking demonstrations with Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food on 21 and 22 November at Eat at the Square, in collaboration with the British Nutrition Foundation, Menus of Change, Bold Bean Co, and other project partners.
Attendees will learn to cook healthy and sustainable pulse-based recipes that make pulse-based meals affordable and easy to prepare, as well as sample the featured dishes and receive cooking tips on incorporating pulses into everyday meals.
Promotions will be in place on a selection of pulse products in the on-campus branch of the Co-op too, including butter beans, chickpeas, red kidney beans, and baked beans.
Recipes developed by the Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food and the British Nutrition Foundation, in cooperation with the Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition, University of Reading team, will be made freely available to pick up at various food-related locations across the campus.
The campaign is part of the wider “Raising the Pulse” project which is funded by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), through the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
As part of the UKRI Transforming UK food systems initiative, Raising the Pulse aims to transform food systems by increasing the production and consumption of UK-grown pulses.
