What is the Nordic Diet & What are the Benefits?

The extremely popular Mediterranean Diet has been replaced by the new and improved Nordic Diet. It’s the diet everyone is talking about and no one is explaining. So we did our research and we have the results.

Here are the dirty details on the Nordic diet — what it is, what foods to eat/avoid, and the benefits of being on it.

What It Is?

The Nordic diet was developed in 2004 by a group of nutritionists, scientists, and chefs in Nordic countries. Their goal was to decrease obesity rates and unsustainable farming practices in their regions.

The result was this diet, which focuses on eating locally sourced foods in the Nordic countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland). It contains less sugar and fat, but more than twice the fiber. It also consists of eating seasonal and local produce. So, good for you AND good for the environment.

What to Eat & What to Avoid

Eat fruit, berries, veggies of all kinds, legumes (peas & beans especially), whole grains, potatoes & roots, nuts & seeds, fish (especially fatty fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids), herbs, spices, and canola oil.

Sometimes eat yogurt, cheese, game meats, free-range eggs, and red meats (rarely!).

Don’t eat fast food, food additives, highly processed foods, sugary beverages, and processed meats.

Benefits

However you spin it, this diet is good for you. It’s full of nutrient-rich food and eliminates sugars and unhealthy fats.

Studies are still in process but indicate that the Nordic diet will aid in weight loss, improve your metabolic health, and lower risk of chronic diseases. It may also reduce the risk of heart disease, type-2 diabetes, and chronic inflammation.

It’s also a green diet! It’s less taxing on the land, climate, and atmosphere and reduces demand for unsustainable farming practices.

We’re big fans of anything that’s good for you and for the environment. Try the Nordic diet out and tell us what you think!