Nutritionists are buzzing about the Nordic diet. As the name suggests, the Nordic diet consists of foods that are traditionally eaten locally in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
Typically, the Nordic diet includes whole grains such as rye, barley, and oats; berries and other fruits; vegetables especially cabbage and root vegetables such as potatoes and carrots; fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring; and legumes (beans and peas).
Many call it the New Nordic Diet, which has become a new food culture developed in 2009–13 with a main emphasis on gastronomy, health and the environment. The New Nordic Diet is based on Nordic ingredients but adapted all over the world.
Unlike the Mediterranean diet, which includes olive oil, it favors rapeseed oil (canola oil), which is high in healthy monounsaturated fats. And it also contains some alpha-linolenic acid, a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid similar to the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish.
Canola oil may help lower bad LDL cholesterol and the risk of heart disease and stroke. It is possible that canola oil may be better at lowering bad cholesterol and improving heart health. The diet emphasizes cutting out processed foods and high-fat meats such as sausage or bacon.
Health benefits of the Nordic diet
Its health benefits are given below:
• A major review by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that both the Mediterranean and Nordic diets reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
• Diet can also contribute to weight loss. A University of Eastern Finland study also found that diet down-regulates the expression of genes associated with inflammation, which is thought to contribute to many chronic health problems and play a role in obesity.
• Processed foods are more palatable, resulting in overeating and weight gain. Since the Nordic diet does not emphasize the consumption of processed foods, it prevents overeating and the resulting weight gain.
• Eating a more plant-based diet is better for the environment because it emits fewer greenhouse gases. About 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions come from livestock production. It has been reported that factory farming for meat production contributes more to global warming than all planes, trains, buses and cars combined.
squeeze –
The Mediterranean diet is by far the best touted in terms of health benefits. Now another diet is making its mark in the culinary world as far as its health benefits are concerned. This is the Nordic diet.
In many ways, it is similar to the Mediterranean diet but relies on rapeseed (canola) oil instead of olive oil. It also differs in its selection of the types of produce that are cultivated locally, depending on the region’s climate, soil and water.
It therefore encompasses both the health and well-being of the individual and environmental sustainability.
