Whether you like it or loathe it, the trend for veganism and plant-based meals has really taken off over the past 12 months.

As with all trends, it is bound to reach saturation point soon and will be overtaken by the Next Big Thing.

Quietly simmering away alongside veganism has been the rise in ‘flexitarian’ diets. These are mostly plant based, with the occasional bit of meat, fish, egg, or dairy – a sort of best-of-both-worlds diet.

According to food trend forecasts from Waitrose and Whole Foods, these flexitarian and plant-based options are set to continue their popularity next year, with celery juice, tahini and seaweeds all set to be big news.

Seaweeds have always had a devoted fan base. Their distinctive taste adds depth and saltiness to soups and casseroles and makes a great sprinkle topping for salads. Rich in iodine, zinc, selenium and fibre, seaweeds are especially good for weight loss and healthy metabolism – a useful food for any New Year weight loss resolutions!

I fell for the vibrant green crunchy stems of samphire this summer in Norfolk. While not strictly a seaweed (samphire is classed as a succulent halophyte: a plant that grows in salt water) it grows all over the salt marshes and is sold in bundles at garden gates for a couple of pounds. Delicious raw or quickly blanched, it’s an easy sea vegetable to include in meals.

Tahini is mostly used to make houmous and it can be hard to know what to do with the rest of the jar! It is a great source of calcium and worth experimenting with; add it to salad dressings with honey and lemon juice, or spread on griddled aubergine with a dash of soy sauce.

Other foods to watch in 2020 include fruit based sugar substitutes such as pomegranate syrup and coconut syrup; different kinds of noodles, and unusual types of flour – think cauliflower flour and banana flour rather than self-raising!

Whatever foods you choose to buy in 2020 I hope they nourish your health as much as your taste buds. As this is my last column for The Press I’d like to thank you for reading and wish you a happy and healthful Christmas and New Year.

Sally Duffin is a Registered Nutritionist (MBANT). Find her online at nutritioninyork.co.uk or join the Facebook group ‘Nutrition in York’