What Is the Nordic Diet? Research, Weight Loss, Food List, and More

When it comes to geographic regions known for healthy habits, the Nordic countries — Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden — aren’t as well-known as say, the Mediterranean. But the eating patterns of the people who live in these regions have a lot of scientifically backed health benefits. Unlike the typical Western diet, Nordic diets tend to include plant-based foods, go heavy on seafood, and be sustainable. So it isn’t surprising that the diet based on these healthy eating patterns was ranked No. 10 in best diets overall this year in U.S. News & World Report, where it earned high marks for its tasty, healthy foods and its environmental friendliness. It also tied for the No. 5 spot in best diets for healthy eating.

“The Nordic diet really is a lifestyle because it’s about more than just what you eat. It’s also about how you eat, how you shop, how you’re mindful of the environment and how you reduce your waste,” says Samantha Cassetty, RD, a registered dietitian based in New York City and the coauthor of Sugar Shock.

What Is the Nordic Diet?

The Nordic diet, or Scandinavian diet, emphasizes whole, plant-based foods. “There’s tons of evidence suggesting that emphasizing those whole foods, particularly fiber-rich plant foods, is going to be beneficial for your gut and your risk of heart disease,” Cassetty says. “There’s mountains of evidence that suggests that eating foods closest to their natural forms is better.”

Research suggests the Nordic diet may have the following health benefits:

• Reduce Inflammation Low-grade inflammation may be linked with chronic diseases, and a study pubished in June 2019 in Nutrients found that the Nordic diet may have anti-inflammatory effects, though more research is needed.

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• Reduce the Risk of a Heart Attack A study published in June 2018 in BMC Medicine found that the Nordic diet might be associated with a lower risk of a heart attack.

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• Lower the Risk of Death From Disease A study of middle-aged and older men published in the European Journal of Nutrition in February 2020 found that men who followed the Nordic diet had a lower risk of death from diseases, particularly heart disease and cancer.

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• Improve Cholesterol and Blood Pressure Levels A review published in September 2019 in the International Journal of Nutrition Sciences found the Nordic diet reduced levels of total cholesterol and unhealthy types of cholesterol and helped lower blood pressure.

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• Improve Blood Sugar Levels The study in the International Journal of Nutrition Sciences also found the Nordic diet improved blood glucose control compared with people eating a Western diet.
• Improve Sleep A study of overweight and obese women published in Eating and Weight Disorders—Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia, and Obesity in November 2021 found that those who followed the Nordic diet slept better.

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The diet’s emphasis on whole, unprocessed foods and lean proteins are all strongly tied to weight loss. “If you swap fish for beef, veal, or cheese, you could wind up gaining health and also potentially losing weight from this diet,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, creator of BetterThanDieting.com and author of Read It Before You Eat It: Taking You From Label to Table. “And if you emphasize fruits, veggies, and whole grains more than something higher in calories and lower in nutritional value, you could lose weight because you feel more satiated.”

Here are some of the specific foods the diet encourages, and some it suggests you limit or avoid.

Foods to Eat

• Fruits, such as apples, pears, and local berries
• Vegetables, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, leafy greens, root vegetables, carrots, and peas
• Legumes
• Whole grains such as rye, oats, and barley
• Low-fat and fat-free dairy
• Fish such as salmon, herring, and mackerel
• Canola oil
• Moderate or low levels of alcohol

Foods to Limit

• Saturated fat
• Red meat
• Processed meat
• Added sugars
• Salt

Here is what a week’s worth of meals on the Nordic diet might look like:

Day 1

Breakfast: Oatmeal with blueberries

Lunch: Barley and Brussels sprouts grain bowl

Dinner: Shrimp with pasta and a side salad

Day 2

Breakfast: Avocado and egg on whole-grain toast

Lunch: Tuna sandwich on whole-wheat bread with berries

Dinner: Salmon with roasted vegetables and a spinach salad

Day 3

Breakfast: Whole-wheat pancakes with Icelandic yogurt and fruit

Lunch: Beef and barley soup

Dinner: Stir-fry chicken and vegetables over brown rice

Day 4

Breakfast: Whole-grain bagel with gravlax and cream cheese

Lunch: Beet salad with almonds, lemon, and parsley

Dinner: Baked fish with potatoes and mixed vegetables

Day 5

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and spinach with whole-grain toast

Lunch: Turkey sandwich on rye with an apple

Dinner: Peppers stuffed with beans and mushrooms

Day 6

Breakfast: Berry and almond butter smoothie

Lunch: Smoked salmon sandwich on whole-grain bread with cherry tomatoes

Dinner: Roasted lamb with sweet potatoes and peas

Day 7

Breakfast: Yogurt with berries and almonds

Lunch: Quinoa with shrimp and vegetables

Dinner: Halibut with roasted cherry tomatoes and barley

With loads of health benefits and a focus on reducing your environmental impact by choosing local foods, there’s a lot to like about the Nordic diet. But if you don’t live in a Nordic country, you’ll probably want to make a few adjustments. Otherwise, you might spend a lot of money on costly, unfamiliar foods that have traveled a long way to reach your table.

“If you try to follow it exactly, it could wind up being more expensive, but it doesn’t have to be,” Taub-Dix says. “Take the basics of this diet and see how you can apply it to your own region, community, life, and eating style for yourself and your family."

If you’re accustomed to eating a lot of processed and prepared foods, the focus on cooking in the Nordic diet could be a barrier. “Cooking is emphasized on the Nordic diet, and if you don’t have the skills or the time, that can be a downside. You might have to ease your way into it and figure out how to make it work for you,” Cassetty said.

The Nordic diet, or Scandinavian diet, is part of a healthy lifestyle that includes lots of plant-based foods, fish, and canola oil with a focus on environmental sustainability. This way of eating brings loads of health benefits, and our experts recommend following the diet’s philosophy and substituting healthy foods that are abundant where you live. If you’re not accustomed to preparing food at home, you might want to gradually transition to the Nordic diet to streamline the learning curve.