In a statement released from Buckingham Palace last Friday, it was revealed that Queen Elizabeth II contributed her long life to “eating baked beans on toast for breakfast for almost 96 years.”
Did you know that beans on toast is a dish fit for a Queen? Yep, Queen Elizabeth loves her beans on toast and has even attributed (joking, of course) that she caught Covid due to going two days without eating her beloved beans!
Though Brits are no longer affected by wartime rationing, they still love their cheap and satisfying beans on toast — a dish that nostalgia has surely propelled to the forefront of the U.K.'s cuisine.
So what are the origins of beans on toast? Heinz claims that an executive invented the dish as a marketing ploy in 1927, but it's likely the dish is still around today because it was so common as a cheap protein during World War II, for breakfast, dinner, or both.
Giving a nod to her and green-fingered King Charles's love of gardening, Camilla continued, "I do still cook for myself when at home. Simple things like fish en papillote with butter and herbs.
Does the Queen ever cook for herself? McGrady says that while Prince Philip was an “amazing chef” and regularly enjoyed cooking on the grill and having family BBQs on the Balmoral estate, and the younger royals like William, Kate, Meghan and Harry, all enjoy cooking, the Queen herself stays out of the kitchen.
The Queen preferred grilled fish or chicken, served simply with vegetables. She generally skipped starches like potatoes, grains, or rice during her evening meal.
Origin of Baked Beans on Toast
British baked beans are traditionally made with navy beans, which are a small white bean. Navy beans are called haricot beans in England and also go by names such as Boston beans and white pea beans.
Despite their American origin, baked beans are not as popular there. In fact, nowhere likes them as much as the UK – British people eat more baked beans than the rest of the world put together. Baked beans get their name because the raw haricot beans are baked in tomato sauce while inside the can.
Beans on toast. It's a British classic, usually part of an English breakfast, and a staple for when you can't think of anything else to eat or are just too lazy to try.
Heinz Baked Beans are a brand of baked beans produced by the H.J. Heinz Company. They have been sold as "Heinz Beanz" in the United Kingdom since 2008.
Often the British will let the toast go cold (in a toast rack) so as to prevent super drippy butter. It is an admittedly difference experience with cold butter on cold toast and melted butter on hot toast. Very mood dependent.
On top of this, beans on toast is full of fibre, containing around 13g per portion. Adults are advised to have 30g per day, but the NHS notes most only have around 20g per day. Eating plenty of fibre, also known as roughage, is linked with a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer.
Mealtimes with the queen
Once queen, Victoria's breakfast usually included porridge, fish, eggs on toast, 'fancy breads', and in later years, finnan haddies, a form of smoked haddock. Of course, she did not necessarily eat everything on offer, but felt it was important to have a choice.
It's no surprise, really—the Queen has been described as a chocoholic, and so, we like to picture her nibbling on a Bendricks' Bittermint post-dinner. Everybody knows the Cadbury bunny—including the Queen, who granted the company a royal warrant in 1955.
Eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and maintaining a healthy weight — as the Queen did — are key to having a long and healthy life .
"Australians love their baked beans. Most homes keep a supply of the canned variety (made by Heinz). They are often eaten for breakfast, or at least as a part of breakfast.
British colonists in New England were the first westerners to adopt the dish from the Native peoples, and were quick to embrace it largely because the dish was reminiscent of pease porridge and because the dish used ingredients native to the New World.
Beans are believed to have become a breakfast standard after Heinz' 1960s ad campaign, Beanz Meanz Heinz, which launched after research showed 1.75m British housewives bought Heinz baked beans every day.
Occasionally however, the discovery of a new concept is displeasing to the USA. Like when they found out about beans on toast. To UK residents, beans on toast is a classic dish, apparently invented as a marketing ploy by Heinz in 1927 but one that's become a staple of British cuisine ever since (which says a lot).
The 'common' full English breakfast is a substantial meal consisting of back bacon, eggs, British sausage, baked beans, bubble and squeak, fried tomato, fried mushrooms, black pudding, with fried and toasted bread on the side.
Chef Darren McGrady's vegetarian stuffed bell peppers may have been Princess Diana's all-time favorite recipe, as she came into the kitchen to request it for lunch at least a few times a week, he told Delish.
Although roast chicken is William's favourite, the royal family have been said to enjoy a variety of cuisines including Italian pasta dishes, pizza and steak.
Apparently, she heads to bed at 10.30pm each evening in order to get a good night's sleep. The bling is stunning, obviously. Regular exercise is also said to help with sleep and Kate leads an active lifestyle, often talking about how she loves to get outdoors – it's thought that she runs or walks every day.