The Mediterranean diet, based around whole grains, fruits, vegetables, seafood, beans, and nuts, has been studied for years. It’s a diet that has proven to reduce blood pressure and the stiffness of arteries – two things that can cause heart disease. It’s also a diet recommended by NHS doctors to lower your “bad” cholesterol levels.
But in the Nordic countries where Mediterranean food is far less available, experts have put together their own model diet – aptly called The Nordic Diet.
Like the Mediterranean diet, it prioritises whole foods over processed meat.
But it instead uses foods readily available in Nordic countries: seaweeds and kelp, lingonberries, rye, barley and oats, and more.
It was formally invented in the early 2000s as part of a document called The New Nordic Cuisine Manifesto – but adopted by regional governments in the following years.
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Although it is new, there are some studies suggesting the diet can have similar health benefits as the Mediterranean diet.
As outlined by The Conversation, one small review concluded that The Nordic Diet could reduce a major factor causing widespread disease – LDL “bad” cholesterol.
“The Nordic dietary pattern improves blood pressure and also some blood lipid markers and it should be considered as a healthy dietary pattern,” concluded the paper.
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Yet, researchers believe it’s too early to know exactly whether The Nordic Diet has any long-term benefits.
Writing for The Conversation, Duane Mellor from Aston University and an Australian academic called Ekavi Georgousopoulou said: “At the moment, it’s probably too early to say whether following the Nordic diet has long-term benefits for health – and whether it’s more beneficial for our health than the Mediterranean diet.
“But based on the research out there, it does appear the Nordic diet is promising for health.”
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Foods to include daily as part of The Nordic Diet
Here are some of the foods you may want to eat regularly as part of this diet, as explained by the Cleveland Clinic.
- Whole grains, particularly rye, barley and oats
- Fruits, especially berries
- Vegetables, especially root vegetables like beets, turnips, and carrots
- Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, sardines, and mackerel
- Low-fat dairy like Skyr yogurt
- Legumes
- You may also want to consume eggs and game meat such as rabbit and venison in moderation.
