Legumes are one of the "superfoods" of our region. They are nutritionally exceptional, gastronomically versatile, and a pillar of Catalan agricultural sustainability. This is why the Catalunya La Pedrera Foundation promotes their production in practical formats (such as pre-cooked legume trays) designed to facilitate home cooking. This demonstrates that convenience does not compromise organoleptic quality, and with the technical support of Alícia, it is guaranteed that each product meets the highest nutritional and gastronomic standards.Legumes are good and ecological, they retain all their nutrients, are 100% natural, and the packaging guarantees their freshness, without the need for additives, sulfites, or artificial antioxidants. Grown without pesticides or fertilizers, they respect the environment and biodiversity, are cooked only with water and sea salt, and are a source of high-quality plant protein. Key to a balanced diet and a food system more respectful of the environment, due to their high fiber content, they are the best fuel for intestinal health and the growth of beneficial bacteria. Furthermore, legumes provide complex carbohydrates that are absorbed gradually; unlike simple sugars, they provide constant energy, avoiding glucose spikes, and maintaining the feeling of satiety.
Food, territory, sustainability and social mission hand in hand with the Catalunya La Pedrera Foundation
MANS Agrosocials and the Alícia Foundation work together on food proposals that integrate social and territorial values from origin to table. The Catalunya La Pedrera Foundation brings together these two entities in this strategic alliance
Health, ecology, trends in prepared meals, territory, impact and social inclusion shape the synergies of the global project driven by the Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera through MANS Agrosocials and the Fundació Alícia. Food is the common thread: a commitment that goes beyond the promotion of healthy habits to also become a driver of territorial development and a tool for social integration for people in situations of vulnerability or at risk of exclusion.
Under the umbrella of the Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera, MANS Agrosocials and the Fundació Alícia develop strategies to generate opportunities and transform lives through projects in the social, educational, cultural, food and environmental spheres. With a vision committed to the territory and its people, the Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera promotes initiatives that combine excellence, innovation and real impact.
MANS Agrosocials is a social project that favors the creation of employment opportunities for young people and people at risk of social exclusion through the production and commercialization of organic vegetables, fruits, legumes and nuts. The Fundació Alícia, a research and innovation center in cuisine, works to ensure that everyone eats better, and provides scientific and technical rigor to make food healthier and more sustainable with social impact.
A strategic alliance
This strategic alliance is born out of a common interest in innovation and the development of gastronomic prototypes of vegetables and legumes, applying culinary creativity.
Beyond the nutritional evidence and the technical knowledge necessary to develop balanced proposals, the project promoted by the Catalunya La Pedrera Foundation clearly aims to favor the labor insertion of those who need it most, while promoting healthy eating habits. Sustainable protein and local varieties, in dialogue with current trends, culture, and the consumer's gastronomic identity, become the basis of this initiative.
It is about turning nutritional needs into consumption habits, and implementing new rhythms and adapting them to our daily lives with local products and through the work of small producers. That is why these two entities explore real, healthy, sustainable, and good solutions, ensuring that they are nutritionally adequate, gastronomically attractive, environmentally responsible, and industrially scalable.
![Image of the preparation of legume boats](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1536 2048"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Innovation and tradition
The Catalunya La Pedrera Foundation is now driving the industrialization and adaptation of culinary prototypes from the workshop with the aim of adjusting these gastronomic proposals to technological processes, guaranteeing their optimal organoleptic quality, and facilitating their market entry. Support in this process, as well as in their introduction into distribution channels to the final consumer, is one of its main areas of action.
The support of the Catalunya La Pedrera Foundation also extends to new development lines focused on vegetables and legumes, both in cold and hot dish formats. Thanks to technology, new prototypes of ready-made dishes can be created that preserve the essence of home cooking, and traditional preparations are recovered in two lines: hot spoon dishes –such as chickpeas with pumpkin– and cold dishes –such as empedrat-style salads–, along with more innovative proposals that combine legumes with new flavors, exotic influences, or locally sourced animal protein.
Technological and sensory research
From Alícia, knowledge of technological research is applied to optimize the sensory profile of packaged legumes. The objective is to avoid the natural darkening of varieties such as chickpeas through respectful pre-treatments and the use of natural ingredients, which guarantees a visually attractive product of maximum quality. All this process also guarantees their seasonality and social impact.
Vegetables, legumes, and dried fruits
Local produce is the essence of a project that places all its emphasis on the garden: vegetables and greens harvested at their optimal point of ripeness from the gardens of local producers who maintain all the freshness and nutrients of the land. Legumes, whether dried or cooked in trays, are the best example of this union. The Cooperative's legumes are exceptional because they are prepared with a technology that maintains their shape and a creamy texture in the mouth, preserving all nutrients and avoiding unnecessary additives. Dried fruits, selected for their quality and Mediterranean origin, are also the ideal complement to a balanced diet, treated with care to maintain their genuine flavor.
The revaluation of the territory, by highlighting the work of small producers, helps to keep agriculture, landscape biodiversity, and Catalan cuisine alive. Furthermore, behind each tray of vegetables, legumes, or dried fruits, there is a real social mission: the creation of jobs for young people and people at risk of exclusion. In 2024, this project offered a job opportunity to a total of 66 people and contributed to consolidating their social and labor integration, in line with the pillars of the Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera, aimed at improving people's opportunities and quality of life.
