Raise the pulse together - Join the campus food revolution

The team that brought us “beans in toast” is running a campaign to promote more nutritious and sustainable food choices on the University of Reading campuses. The “Raising the Pulse” project’s campaign runs from 11 November to 1 December and includes pulse-based menus in campus dining facilities, cooking demonstrations from the Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food, and an interactive treasure hunt.

The primary aim of the campaign is to encourage students, staff, and visitors to incorporate more nutrient-rich climate-friendly pulses into their diets. This includes the versatile and nutrient-rich faba bean (also known as broad bean), which grows well in the UK, cutting down on the food miles that are currently clocked up with imports of, for example, soya. Researchers will also collect feedback from participants, which will aid development of future activities at Reading and help to promote similar campaigns in other institutions.

The “Raising the Pulse” project’s mission is to address both human and planetary health by encouraging increased consumption of pulses and pulse-enriched foods. Pulses, particularly faba beans, are rich in protein, fibre, and essential micronutrients, while also being environmentally friendly, with a lower carbon footprint than many other sources of protein.

Join the campus food revolution

During the campaign, the University will host a series of events and activities, including:

1. Pulse-Based Menus in Campus Dining

Every day from 11 November to 1 December 2024, campus dining facilities (Eat at the Square, Park Eat, St Patrick’s, Wantage and The Dairy) will offer the specially designed menus that feature a wide range of pulse-based meals, including the new “Raising the Pulse” bread made with faba bean flour. These dishes will showcase the versatility of pulses as part of a balanced diet. Look out for the “Raising the Pulse” (RtP) logo, next to the foods that are pulse-based or pulse-enriched. 

2. Interactive cooking demonstrations

The “Raising the Pulse” team will host live cooking demonstrations with the Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food on 21 and 22 November starting at 11:45, 12:30 and 13:30 at Eat at the Square. This activity is delivered in collaboration with the British Nutrition Foundation, Menus of Change, Bold Bean Co, and other project partners. Attendees will learn to cook tasty, healthy and sustainable pulse-based recipes that make pulse-based meals affordable and easy to prepare. Everyone can sample the featured dishes and receive cooking tips and nutritional insights on incorporating pulses into everyday meals. There will also be some freebies to take away.

3. Promotional support from campus Co-op

Throughout the campaign, the campus Co-op store will promote a selection of sustainable, pulse-based products, including butter beans, chickpeas, red kidney beans, and baked beans, making it easy for everyone to integrate these items into their everyday shopping and cooking.

4. Interactive Treasure Hunt

On 19 and 20 November, students, staff and visitors are invited to participate in an interactive treasure hunt around Whiteknights campus. Explore campus locations, discover pulse-based products, recipes, and nutrition tips, and learn more about the benefits of pulses. Complete the hunt and be entered in a draw to win one of 15 free meals at the Whiteknights campus dining facilities.

5. Recipes for easy-to-cook pulse-based meals

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, and the University of Reading team, will be made freely available to pick up at various food-related locations across the campus (e.g., Eat at the Square, the live cooking demonstrations, the Co-op).

This campaign is part of the wider “Raising the Pulse” project, funded by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), through the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). 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.

The “Raising the Pulse” campus campaign seeks to raise awareness of the benefits of pulse consumption, engage the University of Reading community, and support lasting behavioural changes. Through this initiative, the University aims to strengthen its sustainability commitment and contribute to a nationwide shift toward more nutritious diets that benefit both individuals and the environment. With the diverse campaign activities and collected feedback, the project hopes to inspire similar campaigns across the UK and beyond.

For further information on the campaign, please contact:

Dr Elena Millan (elena.millan@reading.ac.uk) and Prof Julie Lovegrove (j.a.lovegrove@reading.ac.uk).