Nutrition

They’re rich in Vitamin A and some B’s like thiamine and riboflavin (B1 and B2) both of which help the body to release energy from food.

Shopping Guide

Try to get your broad beans as fresh as possible, the pods should be firm and crisp minding soft spots caused by pockets of air.

Storage

To store in their pods, keep in a perforated bag (or a bag that’s slightly open to allow airflow) for up to 5 days. Broad beans freeze well, too – just prep as below, then blanch in boiling water for 2-3 mins and spread out on a tray to freeze for a couple of hours, then keep in a freezer bag or container for up to 6 months.

Preparation

They are easy and quick to cook, and work just as well in pasta, risotto and soups as they do in salads or as a side dish in their own right. If using fresh, popping them out of their pods can be a fun job for kids! And frozen is super simple to microwave or boil in minutes. If you or your kids aren’t enjoying them, it may be worth the effort to “double pod” them by also taking off the outer skin on each bean, as this can leave them sweeter and brighter coloured, which tends to go down better. Do this after cooking to make them much easier to slip out of the skins.

Kids in the Kitchen

For a younger child, why not get them podding? Kids love this hands-on process. Show them how to open up the pods and take out the beans. If they want to keep going, you could even give them back to them after gently cooking and cooling them to “double pod” by slipping out of the outer, duller skins, to get to the bright bean inside!

For an older child, it could be a great opportunity to make their own side dish and teach how to boil carefully over a stove. Once the beans are podded, show them how to safely bring a pan of water to the boil and boil the beans for just a couple of mins. Double pod if you want to, then see if they want to make a dressing or sauce or tear some fresh herbs like mint to serve the beans with as a simple side for supper.

Find more ideas for involving kids in the kitchen here.

Sensory

Broad beans are perfect for exploring with touch and sight. Grab some broad bean pods, and describe them. What do they look like? What colours do you see? Does it look smooth or hard or bumpy or furry? Touch the pods and see if they felt like you thought they would. Open up the pods and pop out the beans. What do they look like? What colours do you see? Explore them through touch and see what they feel like. You could even put them in boiling water for 2-3 mins and let them cool down, then pop them out of the outer layer (double podding) – kids love the hands on process of this – and see how the colour changes!

Find more sensory ideas, tips and videos here. If you get stuck and need a little help with describing words, we have a selection for you here, too!

Serving

Next time you make a meal with broad beans, try to get your kids involved in small ways wherever you can – maybe they can be in charge of the beans (poddding and prepping or microwaving, stirring through butter or sauce, etc) and when serving it up, why not let your child help you plate it and see if they can come up with a funny name for the dish.

Find the best ways of involving your own child and their skills and interests on our Roles for Kids page.

Activities

Why not try painting a picture of them both in their pod and out of it? Or use colouring pencils or pens if they are happier with those.

Kids more interested in science? Why not try the classic school experiment of growing your own broad bean plant in a jar? Grab a clear jar and stuff in a few paper towels. Get a pack of broad beans seeds from a garden centre or online and pop a few studded around the jar on the outside of the kitchen roll, so you can see them as you turn the jar. Sprinkle the paper towel with a little water so it’s slightly damp. Keep in a sunny spot and check on it every day, adding a little extra water if it’s drying out, and after a few days you should see it the beans start to sprout! Once you have a decent-size seedling with some leaves starting to show, you can plant in compost in a pot and leave on a sunny windowsill, keeping the earth damp. You now have your own broad bean plant!

You can find more at-home science fun with veg with our videos from Stefan Gates’ here.

Find loads more free veg-themed crafts here and games here.