Beanstock

A new education series celebrating Nebraska’s locally grown proteins

As a part of the Nebraska Department of Education’s Farm to School program, Beanstock celebrates beans and educates students about plant-based proteins and specialty crops with engaging, informative and inspiring lessons and activities for middle and high school students.

What is Beanstock?

Among all the things to love about beans — they’re delicious, affordable and packed with protein — they’re also really important to our state’s economy. Nebraska is one of the top producers of beans in the entire country.

Educators and out-of-school-time staff across the state can access free, flexible online lessons and activities about local plant-based proteins, especially beans, and specialty crops with presentations, quizzes and activities that tap into their interesting history, flavors and impact. Beyond the classroom, students will have opportunities to enjoy beans at lunch through school-focused recipes and to compete in a state-wide recipe competition coming in the fall of 2026.

Free Plant-based Protein Lessons

Wayne State education students have written various plant-based protein lessons, facilitated by their instructor, Carol Erwin, for educators across the state to freely use for grades 6-12. Each lesson fulfills Nebraska Department of Education curriculum standards.

• Unit 1: From Planting to Plating: Nebraska’s Bean Agriculture Story
  • Written by Avery Olnes
• Unit 2: Disguising Beans with Baking: Cooking with Plant Proteins
  • Written by Alyssa Penn
• Unit 3: Cultivating Nebraska: Unveiling the Power of Dry Beans
  • Written by Blair Korth
• Unit 4: Introduction to Nebraska Beans and Their Varieties
  • Written by Skylar Long
• Unit 5: From Farm to Fork: Exploring Nebraska’s Dry Bean Legacy
  • Written by Britney Kreikemeier
• Unit 6: From Beans to Protein: A Mathematical Journey
  • Written by Payje Rayback
• Unit 7: Canned vs Dried
  • Written by Katie Meister
• Unit 8: Nebraska Bean Profile
  • Written by Erin Reynoldson
• Unit 9: Introducing and Cooking with Soybeans
  • Written by Kaydee Diefenbaugh

Beanstock Recipes

Enjoy a wide variety of recipes featuring Nebraska-grown plant-based proteins. For your convenience, the collection is divided into three categories. Simply click on a category to open the drop down menu and see all the recipes.  Each recipe includes a home-size version suited for small groups using standard kitchen equipment, as well as a National School Lunch Program (NSLP) version.

NSLP versions, designed for commercial kitchens with larger, specialized equipment, are being released on a rolling basis. New versions will be added as they become available and will include ingredient lists and instructions for 50 and 100 servings.

*2025 Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) Innovate Your Plate Recipe Contest Entry

BeanGo Activity

Try out the BeanGo activity below, a fun twist on the classic game, Bingo, celebrating plant-based proteins!

Beanstock Press Release

Check out the press release from March 24, 2025  to announce the launch of the Beanstock campaign and curriculum series.

NDE is aware of the recent release of the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs). We are currently awaiting additional guidance from USDA regarding the transition timeline for updating resources that include the MyPlate logo, key messages and/or references to MyPlate tip sheets. NDE will revise materials as needed once that guidance is available; however, we anticipate that most updates will occur after the end of SY 2025–26. In the meantime, we encourage continued use of existing resources and recipes, which support overall healthy eating patterns.

To learn more about implementing Beanstock, contact: Jessie Coffey at jessie.coffey@nebraska.gov