What's all this Hype about the Nordic Diet?
Diets have ceased to be regarded as an extreme measure somebody would take to lose weight or to improve serious health issues. Instead, they have become part of a healthy lifestyle and a rewarding effort in terms of increased physical energy, brain performance and hopefully, life expectancy. With a growing number of options available, choosing your diet might turn into a difficult endeavour. To make it easier, this summary aims to help you decide if the Nordic Diet is the one for you.
The Nordic diet has been compared over and over again with the Mediterranean Diet, even if the two regions differ greatly, starting with the weather and continuing with all the rest of the differences. However, the same main reason stands as an argument for following one of these two.
READ ALSO: Which top 5 foods to eat before a morning workout
We should observe the eating behaviour of healthy people and then apply it to our own lives. Europe’s North couldn’t pass unnoticed by the seekers of the Holy Grail which would provide a perfect shape of the body and a sharp mind. Northern countries have a very low rate of obesity and the people are (on average) healthy and live long. The Nordic and the Mediterranean diets also share similarities in terms of their focus on vegetables and fish.
Inspired by the eating habits of people in countries like Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland or Denmark, the Nordic Diet was purified by nutritionists from the traditional, but not so desirable choices of people in these countries. So unfortunately, going Nordic in terms of food doesn’t include having unlimited amount of the famous and delicious Swedish meatballs.
Your diet will gravitate towards:
- Berries: blueberries, strawberries
- Cabbage, broccoli, kale
- Root veggies: carrots, potatoes, turnips
- Mushrooms
- Beans, peas
- Lettuce, nettles, fiddleheads (a type of fern), spinach
Besides fruits and vegetables, you can eat whole grain cereals which will provide you with healthy carbohydrates and fish or seafood which will cover your need for healthy fats. As for flavouring your meals, Nordic Diet chooses canola oil, a monosaturated fat, full of omega-3.
What else you can eat:
- Whole grain products: rye, barley, oats
- Brown rice, whole grain pasta, whole grain bread
- Fish (fatty): salmon, herring, mackerel
- Dairy (low fat): skyr, kefir, yogurt, milk, cheese
- Meat (low fat): beef
- Eggs
- Nuts, seeds (unsalted)
What is strictly forbidden:
- Processed foods
- Meat (high fat)
- Products with additives
- Seasonings or sauces
- Sweetened beverages
In order to keep the Nordic Diet you can let your imagination create combinations of the products from the desirable list, based on what is available in your local market. However you should introduce some fruits and some vegetables to your meals every day.
Don’t be afraid to eat as much as you like. The best thing about this diet is that if you choose the right food you don’t need to get hungry!
Ok, but why choose the Nordic Diet?
The promoters of the Nordic Diet maintain that this choice will positively impact your well-being, while the disadvantages of it can be easily neglected. Here you can find their main arguments:
- The Nordic Diet is budget-friendly. Though it might affect your pockets, if you choose, for example, to eat pricey seafood. But you do not need to, the choice is yours. Vegetables are usually affordable, seasonal ones even more so, while for the other products you can even go for canned fish;
- Even if it allows the consumption of meet and especially fish, this diet can be easily adapted to a vegetarian or even vegan lifestyle;
- Choosing this diet as a lifestyle deepens your bond with nature and helps you be more aware about the environment. The main point of eating like in Scandinavia is to replace artificial, processed food with natural, organic products;
- According to a study made by the World Health Organization, the Nordic Diet will diminish the risk of cancer, diabetes or cardiovascular diseases. In terms of heart health, the canola oil (which functions as an overall symbol of the diet) helps to reduce cholesterol and decrease the chances to have a stroke;
- The Nordic Diet helps with weight loss or with keeping control over your weight. Even if you don’t reduce the quantity of food, the effect will sooner or later be visible only by avoiding the products from the forbidden list.
On the other side, the Nordic Diet is not a good choice if you are looking for quick weight loss or health benefits which will be instantly visible. With certain valuable advantages, the Nordic option is more of a lifestyle than a real diet and will highly increase the time you would spend in order to fulfil your need to eat. Still, it might be the change you are looking for in order to give your life a more rhythmic and natural dimension.
Nordic diet - Why eating like a Viking suddenly became popular?
The Nordic diet has been compared over and over again with the Mediterranean Diet, even if the two regions differ greatly, starting with the weather and continuing with all the rest of the differences. However, the same main reason stands as an argument for following one of these two.
READ ALSO: Which top 5 foods to eat before a morning workout
We should observe the eating behaviour of healthy people and then apply it to our own lives. Europe’s North couldn’t pass unnoticed by the seekers of the Holy Grail which would provide a perfect shape of the body and a sharp mind. Northern countries have a very low rate of obesity and the people are (on average) healthy and live long. The Nordic and the Mediterranean diets also share similarities in terms of their focus on vegetables and fish.
Inspired by the eating habits of people in countries like Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland or Denmark, the Nordic Diet was purified by nutritionists from the traditional, but not so desirable choices of people in these countries. So unfortunately, going Nordic in terms of food doesn’t include having unlimited amount of the famous and delicious Swedish meatballs.
What does it mean to keep the Nordic Diet?
The diet heavily encourages the consumption of vegetables and fruits. Veggies, especially seasonal ones, are eaten the most while all the other products are functioning as a support in order to have a balanced alimentation.Your diet will gravitate towards:
- Berries: blueberries, strawberries
- Cabbage, broccoli, kale
- Root veggies: carrots, potatoes, turnips
- Mushrooms
- Beans, peas
- Lettuce, nettles, fiddleheads (a type of fern), spinach
Besides fruits and vegetables, you can eat whole grain cereals which will provide you with healthy carbohydrates and fish or seafood which will cover your need for healthy fats. As for flavouring your meals, Nordic Diet chooses canola oil, a monosaturated fat, full of omega-3.
What else you can eat:
- Whole grain products: rye, barley, oats
- Brown rice, whole grain pasta, whole grain bread
- Fish (fatty): salmon, herring, mackerel
- Dairy (low fat): skyr, kefir, yogurt, milk, cheese
- Meat (low fat): beef
- Eggs
- Nuts, seeds (unsalted)
What is strictly forbidden:
- Processed foods
- Meat (high fat)
- Products with additives
- Seasonings or sauces
- Sweetened beverages
In order to keep the Nordic Diet you can let your imagination create combinations of the products from the desirable list, based on what is available in your local market. However you should introduce some fruits and some vegetables to your meals every day.
Don’t be afraid to eat as much as you like. The best thing about this diet is that if you choose the right food you don’t need to get hungry!
Ok, but why choose the Nordic Diet?
The promoters of the Nordic Diet maintain that this choice will positively impact your well-being, while the disadvantages of it can be easily neglected. Here you can find their main arguments:
- The Nordic Diet is budget-friendly. Though it might affect your pockets, if you choose, for example, to eat pricey seafood. But you do not need to, the choice is yours. Vegetables are usually affordable, seasonal ones even more so, while for the other products you can even go for canned fish;
- Even if it allows the consumption of meet and especially fish, this diet can be easily adapted to a vegetarian or even vegan lifestyle;
- Choosing this diet as a lifestyle deepens your bond with nature and helps you be more aware about the environment. The main point of eating like in Scandinavia is to replace artificial, processed food with natural, organic products;
- According to a study made by the World Health Organization, the Nordic Diet will diminish the risk of cancer, diabetes or cardiovascular diseases. In terms of heart health, the canola oil (which functions as an overall symbol of the diet) helps to reduce cholesterol and decrease the chances to have a stroke;
- The Nordic Diet helps with weight loss or with keeping control over your weight. Even if you don’t reduce the quantity of food, the effect will sooner or later be visible only by avoiding the products from the forbidden list.
On the other side, the Nordic Diet is not a good choice if you are looking for quick weight loss or health benefits which will be instantly visible. With certain valuable advantages, the Nordic option is more of a lifestyle than a real diet and will highly increase the time you would spend in order to fulfil your need to eat. Still, it might be the change you are looking for in order to give your life a more rhythmic and natural dimension.
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A student of life and probably for life. She likes putting theory into practice and to challenge norms. Currently on a mission to understand human behavior and interaction. Always on the lookout for the next challenge.