What Is the Nordic Diet and Should You Try It?

Another year, another diet… or so it seems. In recent years, you’ve likely seen the F-Factor diet, the GOLO diet, and the carnivore diet circulating — just to name a few. And if you keep tabs on the latest diet trends, odds are you’ve heard of the Nordic diet, aka the Scandinavian diet. Based on foods that are found in (you guessed it) Nordic countries, the eating plan is often compared to the popular Mediterranean diet in style and benefits. But what does the Nordic diet involve — and is it healthy? Ahead, learn more about the Nordic diet, according to registered dietitians.

What Is the Nordic Diet?

The Nordic diet focuses on seasonal, local, organic, and sustainably-sourced whole foods that are traditionally eaten in the Nordic region, says Valerie Agyeman, R.D., founder of Flourish Heights. This includes five countries: Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland, and Sweden.

The Nordic diet was developed in 2004 by Claus Meyer, a chef and food entrepreneur, according to a 2016 article in the Journal of Aesthetics & Culture. It was based on the idea of popularizing Nordic cuisine (penned “New Nordic cuisine” by Meyer) around the world — which, considering the recent rise in recognition of the Nordic diet, has seemingly worked. (Case in point: The Nordic diet scored ninth place out of 39 in U.S. News & World Report‘s list of best diets for 2021. Previously, it had only made it to the top of the publication’s best plant-based diets lists.) The eating style also aims to address the rising prevalence of obesity in the Nordic region while emphasizing sustainable food production, according to an article by Meyer and his colleagues in Cambridge University Press.

But why the sudden popularity? There are several possible reasons, says registered dietitian Victoria Whittington, R.D. For starters, there’s the usual cycle of fad diets. “There’s always a new diet on the scene, and it’s hard for people to decide which one is right for them,” explains Whittington. This can prompt folks to jump on the bandwagon any time a new diet pops up. Also, “society is shifting its focus to more sustainable practices in many areas of life, and the Nordic diet aligns with that value,” she adds. Specifically, the sustainability aspect stems from the focus on local foods, which are generally environmentally friendly because they don’t have to travel long distances to get to your plate.

Foods to Eat and Avoid On a Nordic Diet

ICYMI above, the Nordic diet includes sustainable, whole foods traditionally eaten in, yup, Nordic countries. And while there’s some variation within the region — for example, folks in Iceland and Norway tend to eat more fish than those in other Nordic countries, according to a 2019 scientific review — the eating patterns are generally the same.

So, what’s on a Nordic diet menu? It emphasizes whole grains (e.g. barley, rye, and oats), fruits, vegetables, legumes (aka beans and peas), fatty fish (think: salmon and herring), low-fat dairy, and canola oil, according to Agyeman. The diet is particularly rich in unsaturated (“good”) fats, such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which primarily come from the fatty fish and canola oil.

In the fruit category, berries reign supreme. The diet favors berries that are local to the Nordic region, such as strawberries, lingonberries (aka mountain cranberries), and bilberries (aka European blueberries), according to a 2019 article in the journal Nutrients. Meanwhile, in the veggie category, cruciferous and root vegetables (e.g. cabbage, carrots, potatoes) are top of mind, according to Harvard Health Publishing.

The Nordic diet also calls for moderate amounts of “eggs, cheese, yogurt, and game meats [such as] rabbit, pheasant, wild duck, venison, [and] bison,” says Whittington. (ICYDK, game meats are wild animals and birds, which tend to be leaner than domestic farm animals such as cows or pigs, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.) The diet includes even smaller amounts of red meats (such as beef or pork) and foods high in saturated fat (e.g. butter), adds Whittington, while processed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, added sugars, and high-salt foods are avoided as much as possible.

Pros of the Nordic Diet

As a fairly new diet, the Nordic diet is still being studied by researchers. And while it hasn’t been analyzed as much as the Mediterranean diet, a similar eating plan that started gaining attention in the 1950s, the research that has been done on the Nordic diet so far is generally promising.

With plant foods at the core of the Nordic diet, this eating style may offer similar benefits to plant-based eating styles such as vegan and vegetarian diets. Eating more plants (and less meat) is associated with a lower risk of chronic conditions, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, according to the American Heart Association.