New Nordic Diet

New Nordic Diet
© Gina Müller / carolineseidler.com

What is the New Nordic Diet?

Northern European cuisine, like that of the Mediterranean, is now known for its health benefits but that hasn't always been the case. What is the New Nordic Diet and does it work?

Traditional food in northern Europe is quite hearty and therefore typical Nordic fare has not been necessarily considered particularly healthy. But around four decades ago, the premature mortality rate, especially in Finland, was relatively high. Coronary disease in particular was a problem, and so investment was channelled into comprehensive health education programmes. Information around dietary changes was part of this. Initially, the Mediterranean diet was promoted, and its benefits were similar to those in southern Europe: people who stick to it see their total and so-called bad or LDL cholesterol drop by up to 20 percent, along with a reduction in high blood pressure. The big drawback, however, was that locals did not embrace the Mediterranean diet as much as was expected. It seemed too difficult to change ingrained eating habits, and the differences in taste preferences and culture were too great. The availability of ingredients used in the Mediterranean diet was also limited. 

More from the region

Food, nutrition and environmental experts therefore developed the 'New Nordic Diet' (NND) in 2009, promoting a tasty, healthy and sustainable diet embedded in Scandinavian cultures. The concept essentially corresponds to the current dietary recommendations of Sweden, Norway and Denmark and takes into account regional eating habits in particular. The focus is on local or regional berries, cabbage, local fish and seafood, local wild and farmed livestock, rapeseed oil as well as oatmeal and rye bread – especially the wholemeal variety. In addition, there are root vegetables, apples and pears as well as potatoes and nuts.

© Gina Müller / carolineseidler.com

From wilderness and water

Even if it may not be immediately apparent, the basics of New Nordic cuisine are quite similar to those of the Mediterranean. The main differences are the fat recommendation (rapeseed oil is used instead of olive oil), the emphasis on whole grains and the focus on wild plants and meat. Compared to the typical Danish diet, there is about a third less meat. The focus on game, however, is positive from a health and sustainability perspective. This is because wild animals convert grass, which is not digestible for humans, into usable meat. Game meat on average is also lower in fat and higher in protein. Furthermore, the fatty acid composition of meat from free-range deer, hares or stags is better than meat from animals kept in stables (more unsaturated fatty acids). This is due to their unrestricted freedom of movement and that they can choose to eat wild herbs and grasses. Omega-3 fatty acids otherwise come – and in significantly higher quantities – from oily fish and rapeseed oil. Berries, on the other hand, are valued for their vitamin C content and their secondary plant compounds, which have an anti-inflammatory effect, as well as for their fibre.

Numerous benefits

There are now more studies on the health effects of the New Nordic Diet. Of course, it is always important to bear in mind that such experiments involve volunteers who have a certain affinity with healthy eating and that the results do not reflect either the dropouts or people who are less interested in health. Nevertheless, for those who adhere to the concept, some benefits can be observed. First, there is the effect on body weight. Overweight people who followed the Nordic diet for six months lost an average of 4.7 kg. Because they were quite satisfied with the amount of food, they also gained less body weight back after the end of the intervention than test participants who followed the usual Danish diet. The concept is therefore also considered a way of breaking the yo-yo dieting effect. Apart from that, the New Nordic Diet has a positive effect on blood pressure and improves the blood lipids (fats). This means less nasty LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol. At the same time, insulin sensitivity improves. This is due to the high proportion of fibre-rich, plant-based foods, such as fruit, berries, vegetables and whole grain products, as well as the favourable fatty acid sources rapeseed oil, nuts and fish. The diet can be beneficial not only for adults, but also for children. In children, the high levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood were associated with better reading ability, higher attention levels in everyday life and overall better performance at school. In sum, the New Nordic Diet has comparable health effects to the Mediterranean diet. Moreover, it seems to have found its place in everyday life due to Scandinavian adaptations.


Marlies Gruber
Discover more
Find out more
Estonia
A gourmet holiday in Estonia
Falstaff recommends 10 carefully selected hotels in Estonia for a gourmet holiday now, as spring in...
By Aivar Hanson
Pandemic pantry with stocked food.  Emergency food prep during Coronavirus Covid-19 for survival. Supplies you need at home if you are quarantined. Prepping for quarantine - glass jars with provision.
Food & Beverage
Foods that last (almost) forever
Long shelf-life is an important criterion for food. For some food products, the expiry date is in...
By Falstaff Editorial Team
Chef rolling up sushi on a bamboo mat.
Food & Beverage
Rolling your own sushi
In part three of our series for Sushi lovers, Kelly Choi, founder of Kelly Loves, gives tips for...
By Robert Prazak
Avocado sushi roll.
Food & Beverage
Get creative with sushi
In part two of our series for Sushi lovers, Kelly Choi, founder of Kelly Loves, explains everything...
By Robert Prazak