From Veg Battles to Bean Boosts: What it Really Takes to Shift a Nation’s Eating Habits With Rebecca Stevens
Wed Jan 28 2026
For decades, public health campaigns have tried to get both children and adults to eat more vegetables, often with little success. Traditional messaging like “five-a-day” has struggled to inspire behaviour change, leaving dietitians, parents, and educators searching for approaches that actually resonate.
Veg Power has taken a different path. Through playful, story-led campaigns, creative advertising, and cross-sector partnerships, they’ve transformed the way the nation thinks about healthy eating. By pretending veg are evil, making children the heroes, and building national campaigns that reach classrooms, homes, and retailers, Veg Power has shown that healthy eating can be fun, culturally relevant, and genuinely behaviour-changing.
In this episode, we delve into what makes Veg Power’s campaigns so effective. From the bold creativity behind Eat Them to Defeat Them to the nationwide push to get beans back into everyday meals with Bang in Some Beans, we share insights, strategies, and collaborative approaches that are changing the way the UK eats.
Joining me today is Rebecca Stevens from Veg Power, who is committed to helping the nation eat better through creative healthy eating campaigns. Rebecca offers insight into what truly shifts behaviour, how we can make healthy eating fun again, and where nutrition professionals can play a meaningful part in that change.
Rebecca Stevens is a registered Associate Nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition and holds an MSc in Human Nutrition from St Mary’s University. Before returning to university, she spent over a decade working in healthcare PR. In her Communications & Campaigns role at Veg Power, Rebecca enjoys bringing together her expertise in nutrition and communications and is always on a mission to expand her family’s vegetable repertoire.
Show Notes
Veg Power Newsletter Sign Up: newsletter-signup - Veg Power
Veg Power LinkedIn: Veg Power CIC: Posts | LinkedIn
Veg Power Instagram: Simply Veg @ Veg Power (@vegpoweruk) • Instagram photos and videos
Bang in Some Beans Campaign: Boosting Beans - Veg Power
Eat Them to Defeat Them Campaign: Home - Eat Them To Defeat Them
National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2019 - 2023: National Diet and Nutrition Survey - GOV.UK
More
For decades, public health campaigns have tried to get both children and adults to eat more vegetables, often with little success. Traditional messaging like “five-a-day” has struggled to inspire behaviour change, leaving dietitians, parents, and educators searching for approaches that actually resonate. Veg Power has taken a different path. Through playful, story-led campaigns, creative advertising, and cross-sector partnerships, they’ve transformed the way the nation thinks about healthy eating. By pretending veg are evil, making children the heroes, and building national campaigns that reach classrooms, homes, and retailers, Veg Power has shown that healthy eating can be fun, culturally relevant, and genuinely behaviour-changing. In this episode, we delve into what makes Veg Power’s campaigns so effective. From the bold creativity behind Eat Them to Defeat Them to the nationwide push to get beans back into everyday meals with Bang in Some Beans, we share insights, strategies, and collaborative approaches that are changing the way the UK eats. Joining me today is Rebecca Stevens from Veg Power, who is committed to helping the nation eat better through creative healthy eating campaigns. Rebecca offers insight into what truly shifts behaviour, how we can make healthy eating fun again, and where nutrition professionals can play a meaningful part in that change. Rebecca Stevens is a registered Associate Nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition and holds an MSc in Human Nutrition from St Mary’s University. Before returning to university, she spent over a decade working in healthcare PR. In her Communications & Campaigns role at Veg Power, Rebecca enjoys bringing together her expertise in nutrition and communications and is always on a mission to expand her family’s vegetable repertoire. Show Notes Veg Power Newsletter Sign Up: newsletter-signup - Veg Power Veg Power LinkedIn: Veg Power CIC: Posts | LinkedIn Veg Power Instagram: Simply Veg @ Veg Power (@vegpoweruk) • Instagram photos and videos Bang in Some Beans Campaign: Boosting Beans - Veg Power Eat Them to Defeat Them Campaign: Home - Eat Them To Defeat Them National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2019 - 2023: National Diet and Nutrition Survey - GOV.UK