In a lot of countries, festivities will be even more centred around the family and home-cooking than usual. The holiday season has always been an opportunity to indulge ourselves a bit, but this year where health has been firmly in the forefront, we also feel the need for light, wholesome food, but without missing out on tasty treats.

Free-from, even at Christmas

The demand for vegetarian and vegan options is also growing and legumes, already a traditional winter food in several cultures, will be among the main ingredients at a table where tradition and innovation come together. How? By focusing on quality, as Antonio Lofrese, CEO of the company of the same name in Puglia specialising in organic and conventional vegetables explains to us, "100% Italian production and supply chain and a preference for organic products and the rediscovery of ancient legumes are our mainstays. Our organic dried legumes arrive from hundreds of farms who have committed to a supply chain project, totalling 5000 hectares and a production of 8000 tonnes".

A choice that might even become a habit in a 2021 where healthy food will be top, "We have launched a new range for more discerning customers", Lofrese continues. "It ranges from Legumiziosi, a mix of quick-cooking legumes and cereals for a nutritionally complete meal in just 10 minutes to vegetable couscous for delicious ethnic dishes, to Cottipronti, simply cooked, organic and from an Italian supply chain. We will also be launching a line of high quality complete balanced meals in 2021".

Dried fruit and superfood in the spotlight

What can be better than combining healthy food and a party atmosphere with nuts and dried, exotic fruit?

And even when you get to dessert, you don't necessarily have to give up on the healthy choices on offer. Perhaps focusing on home cooked recipes that contain super foods, as the food blogger and TUTTOFOOD Ambassador Natalia Osorio tells us from Spain, "Among my absolute musts are red fruits, rich in antioxidants, fibre and anthocyanins. They go perfectly with a light panna cotta, for example, finished off with a healthy granola for those who don’t want to give up cereals. Another perfect addition to a healthy semifreddo are chia seeds, while kefir is indispensable for those who want to substitute traditional dairy products."