Prize winner with four tips: How to get more legumes into your cooking
Økologisk NuIn 2021, Denmark introduced new dietary guidelines that focused more on greens, more legumes, and less meat. It was intended not only to benefit our health but also our climate and nature. Professional kitchens can help inspire meat-loving Danes to prepare greener dishes, but for the kitchen professionals themselves, it can also be a transformation, as it requires new knowledge and routines to reduce meat quantities and incorporate more vegetables and legumes into dishes. Although it sounds like a big step, it can be done relatively easily, assures Rikke Grønning, a chef, restructuring consultant, owner of the organic takeaway restaurant Good Food to Go, and recent winner of the Eco Award 2026 awarded by the Organic Association. "Start with a kick-off meeting where you ensure everyone is on board with the new agenda that more legumes should be included in the food," began Rikke Grønning, when she and her colleague Inger Kjærgaard shared their tips for this year's Eco Market Day, held in Almind near Kolding in June. Lower the pulse The next step is to calm down. Making food more plant-based doesn't require a revolution: "Do what you usually do and work from what you like to make and are good at. Take your menu plan and see which dishes you can add more legumes to." As an example, Rikke Grønning showed the menu plan from the Regional Hospital in Randers and listed: "They can actually be added to everything here: the ham salad, baguettes, remoulade, and root vegetable soup. Start with what you already do. Take your favorite recipes and add some legumes gradually. Practice. Then you won't have to make a major upheaval for your target audience. Remember, no two kitchens are the same – you know your target audience best," she said, then emphasized: "When we change something, it should at least be as good as the original – but preferably a little better." If you need ideas, you can seek inspiration from world cuisines, especially Middle Eastern countries, which have a long tradition of using plant-based proteins in cooking. The website 'metodik & smag' also offers many good recipes with legumes that are easy to try. "But that's not enough – we also need to look at our old recipes. Before World War I, we ate a lot of legumes – it was on the same level as potatoes, rice, and pasta today. So, of course, we can eat legumes, but there is naturally some professional knowledge involved, and there was a period when our understanding of legumes was somewhat damaged, so we need to regain some expertise," she explained. Make a plan Once you've decided to include more legumes in your food, it's important to make a plan for how to do it. This ensures it actually happens and doesn't just get shelved for another time. It also helps you be better prepared if something unexpected occurs, such as illness or unforeseen tasks. "Kitchens are extremely busy, so you need to make a plan for when to start, who will come in, who will taste the food, and so on. Make a plan and write it down. It doesn't have to be elaborate boards – it can just be yellow Post-it notes." And then, it's just a matter of testing recipes. Test, test, and test until it works perfectly, emphasized Rikke Grønning. "It's about getting to know your legumes; how can they add value to the food? For example, I no longer want to make mashed potatoes without legumes because they do something good for the dish by keeping the mash airy for longer. The key is to sprinkle these legumes into all your dishes, making it easier to fit them into what you already do," she explained, giving an example from an ongoing collaboration she and her advisory partner Inger Kjærgaard have with a nursing home: They specifically work on enriching the food by, for example, adding pea flour to cakes to increase fiber content. The article was written as part of the project 'From Field to Meal,' supported by the Plant Fund.
I 2021, Denmark's new dietary guidelines were introduced, emphasizing more greens, more legumes, and less meat. It was not only meant to be beneficial for our health but also for our climate and nature.
Professional kitchens can help inspire meat-loving Danes to prepare greener dishes, but for the kitchen professionals themselves, it can also be a transformation, as it requires new knowledge and routines to reduce meat quantities and incorporate more vegetables and legumes into the dishes.
Although it sounds like a big step, it can be done relatively easily, assures Rikke Grønning, who is a chef, restructuring consultant, runs the organic takeaway restaurant Good Food to Go, and has just won the Eco Award 2026 awarded by the Organic Association.
”Start with a kick-off meeting where you ensure everyone is on board with the new agenda that more legumes should be included in the food,” began Rikke Grønning, when she and her colleague Inger Kjærgaard shared their tips for this year's Eco Market Day, held in Almind near Kolding in June.
Calm the pulse
The next step is to calm the pulse. It doesn't require a revolution to make food more plant-based:
”Do what you usually do, and work from what you like to make and are good at. Take your menu plan and see which dishes you can add more legumes to.”
As an example, Rikke Grønning showed the menu plan from the Regional Hospital in Randers and listed:
”They can actually include it in everything here: the ham salad, baguettes, remoulade, and root vegetable soup. Start with what you already do. Take your favorite recipes and add a little legumes gradually. Practice. Then you won't have to make a major upheaval for your target audience. Remember that no two kitchens are the same – you know your target audience best,” she said, and then emphasized:
”When we change something, it should at least be as good as the original – but preferably a little better.”
If you need ideas, you can seek inspiration from world cuisines, especially Middle Eastern countries, which have a long tradition of using plant-based proteins in cooking. The website 'metodik & smag' also has many good recipes with legumes that are easy to try.
”But that's not enough – we also need to look at our own old recipes. Before World War I, we ate a lot of legumes – it was at the same level as today when we eat potatoes, rice, and pasta. So of course, we can eat legumes, but there is naturally some professional knowledge involved, and there was a period when our knowledge about legumes was somewhat damaged, so we need to regain some expertise,” she explained.
Make a plan
Once you've decided to include more legumes in your food, it's important to make a plan for how to do it. This way, you ensure it actually happens and doesn't just get shelved for another time. It also helps you be better prepared if you are hit by something unexpected like illness or unforeseen tasks.
”Kitchens are extremely busy, so you need to make a plan for when to start, who comes in, who tastes the food, and so on. Make a plan and write it down. It doesn't have to be elaborate boards – it can just be yellow post-it notes.”
And then it's just about testing recipes. Test, test, and test until it feels right, emphasized Rikke Grønning.
”It's about getting to know your legumes; how can they add value to the food? For example, I no longer want to make mashed potatoes without legumes because they do something good for the dish by keeping the mash airy for longer. The key is to sprinkle these legumes into all your dishes, so it's easier to fit them into what you already do,” explained Rikke Grønning, giving an example from an ongoing collaboration she and her advisory partner Inger Kjærgaard have with a nursing home: Here, they specifically work on enriching the food by, for example, adding pea flour to cakes to increase fiber content.
The article was written as part of the project 'From Field to Meal' supported by the Plant Fund.