Lentils Lead the Way in Hospital’s New ‘Carbon Friendly’ Menu

After the success of our public sector focus group on lentils earlier this year at West London College, the conversation around sustainable, nutritious protein sources has moved into the very heart of healthcare catering. This week, Lentils.Org and The Chefs’ Forum introduced Chef Ben Rowland into the kitchens of St Thomas’ Hospital in Lambeth to deliver a hands-on workshop for catering teams, exploring how lentils can be transformed into delicious, satisfying, and carbon-friendly dishes for patients and staff alike.

“We’ve learned today that lentils are a small pulse, with a big impact,” said Rob Cormack, General Manager for Catering Services at Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. “This workshop has been an incredibly valuable experience for our catering teams. At Guy’s and St Thomas’, we serve thousands of meals every day, and it is our responsibility to ensure they are not only nutritious and enjoyable, but also aligned with the Trust’s wider sustainability goals. Exploring the potential of lentils has been eye-opening, not just because of their nutritional profile, but because of what they represent in terms of future-proofing our menus and making them even more carbon friendly.”

When it comes to protein sources, lentils stand out as one of the most nutritious options available to consumers today. A simple half-cup serving of cooked lentils provides the same amount of protein as two eggs, making them a direct competitor to animal-based proteins, in terms of protein content.

“Lentils aren’t just an ingredient, they’re a solution”, said Chef Rowland, “They are remarkably high in dietary fibre. In fact, per half-cup serving, they contain three times the fibre of quinoa and as much as a bowl of bran flakes. This powerful combination of high-quality plant protein and fibre helps to satisfy hunger, regulate appetite, and support weight management. It is great to be here working with such passionate healthcare chefs, who are very much on board to drive change in creating more sustainable, carbon-friendly menus here at St Thomas Hospital.”

In addition to their protein and fibre credentials, lentils offer nutrients often linked to seafood, meat, and poultry, such as iron and zinc. They are also a superb source of potassium and folate, supporting heart health and lowering risks linked to high blood pressure.

Sarah Block, UK & Ireland Country Manager, Lentils.org said:

“Including lentils in hospital menus is a vital step towards creating meals that nourish patients and protect the planet. They offer the same protein as animal sources, with added fibre and essential nutrients, yet come with a fraction of the cost and environmental impact. By embracing lentils, hospitals can deliver food that supports recovery, improves long-term health, and helps the NHS meet its sustainability goals.”

From Muffins to Curries: Culinary Creativity in Action

Chef Ben guided hospital chefs through a day of culinary exploration, demonstrating the versatility of lentils. From savoury lamb and lentil koftes to warming butternut squash and lentil curry, and sweet lentil-infused brownies and muffins, the menu showed that lentils are not only nutritious and sustainable but also popular with crowds.

Chef Nedko Rusef, Catering Chef Manager, Essentia Operations, Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust said:

“Following today’s lentil cookery masterclass, we are delighted to announce that from next week our menu will feature Beef & Lentil Lasagne, Lamb & Lentil Moussaka, and Venison & Lentil Chilli Con Carne as part of our ‘Meat Me Half Way’ campaign. This initiative aims to reduce red meat consumption while enriching dishes with nutritious, carbon-negative lentils. The session was a fantastic opportunity to welcome The Chefs’ Forum and Lentils.org into our kitchens and to showcase how versatile lentils can be – from curries and koftes to muffins and brownies. Most importantly, the training empowered our team to use lentils creatively, supporting patient health and helping us to lower the carbon footprint of every meal served.”

Beyond Nutrition: Lentils and the Environment
The advantages of lentils go well beyond the dinner plate. They are not just carbon neutral, they are carbon negative. That means cultivating lentils actively helps remove more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere than they emit.

Here’s how:
Nitrogen Fixation – Lentils fix their own nitrogen, removing the need for synthetic fertilisers.

Soil Carbon Sequestration – Their root systems capture carbon and deposit it into the soil, while leftover crops enrich soil health.

Minimal Water Use – Lentils need little water, no irrigation, and are drought-resistant.

This makes lentils a crop that both nourishes people and restores ecosystems.

Building Carbon-Friendly Menus for Healthcare Chefs
With healthcare catering under pressure to reduce its environmental footprint, lentils offer a practical, affordable, and scalable solution. Incorporating them into hospital menus aligns perfectly with the NHS’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions, while also addressing urgent nutritional needs in patient care.

At St Thomas’ Hospital, the chefs who took part in the workshop were already envisioning how lentils could become a cornerstone of their new ‘Carbon Friendly’ menu.

A Sustainable Future for Healthcare
Canada is the world’s largest exporter of lentils supply is reliable and scalable, offering the NHS a practical way to build resilience into its food system while meeting sustainability goals. The workshop at St Thomas’ was more than a cookery masterclass; it was a glimpse into the future of sustainable healthcare catering. By harnessing the nutritional density and environmental benefits of lentils, hospitals can move closer to a model where every meal supports both human health and planetary health.