What is the New Nordic Diet?

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.