The Food Foundation Podcast

Can the mighty bean change the way we feel? Plant biologist Nadia Radzman, of Cambridge University, has found evidence showing the Fava bean contains chemicals linked to lasting improvements in the moods and emotions of those consuming them. So in the final episode of our Bang in Some Beans podcast series, presenter Melissa Hemsley quizzes a group of women about the impact soy beans have influenced their hormonal health with nutritional therapist and author of The Natural Menopause Method, Karen Newby. And as they report back on a month of upping their bean intake, food writer, Emiko Davies offers them a miso and walnut paste from her latest book, The Japanese Pantry to test. You can find the recipe for Emiko's Walnut Miso here, the recipe for Karen's White Bean Salad with Tahini Dressing here and more delicious bean recipes here.Sign up to our newsletter to ensure you get all our updates. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Mhairi Brown, Head of Food Futures at the Food Farming and Countryside Commission, tells us about a Citizen Advisory Council's reports on regional food systems.The findings will feed into the development of Defra's new Food Strategy, offering new insights into how national government can help regional food systems thrive – and what they can learn from work already happening to transform food.Click here for more information on the Citizen Advisory Council reports, and here for the Food Foundation newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed, gastroenterologist and MasterChef winner who champions gut health and fibre, joins to demystify beans. Short takes cover normalising flatulence, why fibre matters, and how to add beans slowly to avoid bloating. Practical tips include soaking, rinsing and slow-cooking for gentler digestion. There’s also a lively walkthrough of a bean quesadilla and ideas for tasty, easy swaps.

Holly Cooper, Research Lead at the Food Foundation, tells us about new figures from the charity this week showing food insecurity is increasing, and why that makes really strong case for the Good Food Bill to be introduced in the UK. Find out more on Round 18 of our tracking data here and read our latest Fixing Food For Good report hereSign up to our newsletter to get all our news and updates. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did you know beans can boost athletic performance and recovery? England Rugby World Cup winner Sarah Bern explains why and shares insights on elite performance in our latest Bang in Some Beans podcast.We also hear from Jeffrey Boadi, a semi-professional footballer and tennis player who went plant-based eight years ago and author of Plant Fuel: 80 Easy and Energising Recipes Packed with Protein and Fibre, about how protein can power up our game.Presenter Chef Melissa Hemsley follows us to Hove Rugby Club to meet six players from one of the UK’s top under-14 girls’ teams to see what fuels their game, and surprises them with a visit from Sarah Bern herself. Food writer and cook Claire Thomson, aka 5 o'Clock Apron, shares her Black Bean Brownies recipe, which is taste-tested by the competitive athlete family, the Goldenbergs.You can find the recipe for Claire's Black Bean Brownies here and more delicious bean recipes here.Sign up to our newsletter to ensure you get all our updates. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Professor Aled Jones, director of the Global Sustainability Institute and food-system resilience researcher. He maps how global conflicts travel through supply chains to hit availability and prices. He explains scenario work with insurers, links past price spikes to social unrest, and outlines threats from fertiliser, energy and geopolitical shocks. He also sketches resilience solutions from agroecology to cyber protections.

Dan Bradley, Team Bean member and recipe tester with coeliac experience. Emma Bardwell, nutritionist and author of The Fibre Effect. Felicity Cloake, food writer tracing British breakfast history. They debate baked beans’ place in morning meals, share a quick miso beans on pesto toast recipe, explore marketing's role in making beans a fry-up staple, and test celiac-friendly adaptations.

Glory Omoaka, parent and community advocate from Glasgow. Corin Bell, CEO of Alexandra Rose, who runs place-based voucher programmes. Amy Brown, public health professor specialising in infant feeding. They discuss rising formula costs, parents' lived struggles, voucher programmes and local delivery, gaps in policy and support, and calls for joined-up action to protect young children amid mounting food pressures.

Tim Anderson, chef and author, shares a quick recipe for miso, ham and black olive twists using a fava bean paste. Josiah Meldrum, co-founder of Hodmedod's, promotes British-grown pulses and innovative fava products to boost farmer returns and sustainability. They explore fava farming benefits, on-farm milling, flours, ferments and creative snack ideas.

Anna Taylor, Executive Director of the Food Foundation tells us about the launch of the campaign for a Good Food Bill. The Food Foundation, with partners Green Alliance and Sustain, are calling on the government to introduce this new bill to transform the UK's food system and ensure food and nutrition security for current and future generations.For the latest on the campaign click here. You can also keep up to date with our latest news by signing up to our newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.