Protein source · 01
Pulses and legumes
Familiar, direct sources of protein with a long place in human diets. The UK question is not only how to eat more pulses, but why production here remains limited.
Beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas
Pulses are the most established plant-protein route in this guide: crops such as beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas can be eaten whole or used as ingredients. Their nutritional and environmental profile depends on the crop, growing conditions, processing and what food they replace.
For a UK reader, availability has two sides. Pulses are widely traded and easy to use, but domestic production and supply chains are not the same for every crop. Rotations, varieties, harvest conditions and buyer demand all shape what farmers choose to grow.
A fair comparison looks at protein delivered, not just tonnes harvested. It also asks whether the crop fits the local rotation, how it is processed and whether people will actually eat it.
This is an editorial overview, not a product-specific life-cycle assessment. See our editorial standards for how claims and sources are handled.