What Is The Scandinavian Diet And Why Is Everyone Talking About It?

You already know that the basics of a healthy diet are quite simple: there should be a lot of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein on the plate, and it is better to exclude semi-finished products and processed products.

You already know that the basics of a healthy diet are quite simple: there should be a lot of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein on the plate, and it is better to exclude semi-finished products and processed products.

You also know that the best diets are more of a way of life that improves your quality of life over time. The most famous is the Mediterranean diet, which consists mainly of products of plant origin, as well as "lean protein", such as fish and chicken. Recently, it has a competitor: the Scandinavian diet.

What is the Scandinavian diet?

The foundation of the diet is plant-based food, with an emphasis on fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, herring), berries, root vegetables (potatoes or carrots, for example), nuts, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains. The Scandinavian diet also excludes processed foods (such as chips, candy) and meat products with a high fat content (such as sausages or bacon). It is based on the cuisine of Scandinavian countries, for example, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland.

The diet is based on the dietary pyramid of the Baltic countries, says Lauren Antonucci, a certified nutritionist, director of the Nutrition Energy Center in New York. In 2004, professional nutritionists and chefs coined the term "new Scandinavian diet" in an attempt to popularize the Scandinavian style of eating.

It's similar to the super-healthy Mediterranean diet, with one major difference: while the Mediterranean diet emphasizes olive oil, the Scandinavian diet mainly uses canola oil, aka canola oil.

 

Canola oil helps reduce the level of "bad" LDL cholesterol and the risk of heart attack and stroke. Compared to olive oil, canola oil appears to be better at lowering bad cholesterol and improving heart health.

Advantages of the Scandinavian diet

The Scandinavian style of eating is incredibly useful for heart health. In one of the expanded reports of the World Health Organization, it is said that both the European and the Scandinavian diet reduce the risk of developing cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

This diet promotes weight loss. According to a study by the University of Eastern Finland, this diet helps reduce the expression of genes associated with inflammation (which is believed to be the cause of many chronic diseases and plays a role in weight gain).

Whole grains help regulate weight and maintain slimness. While processed foods are incredibly attractive, they lead to overeating and weight gain.

Another advantage is that the Scandinavian diet is ecological. The more plant-based food we eat, the better it is for the environment, as fewer natural resources are used to produce food, and greenhouse gas emissions are significantly reduced.

Food according to the Scandinavian diet

 

You don't need to change your diet or deprive yourself of food to follow the Scandinavian diet. Start stocking your fridge with staple foods. Stock up on seasonal fruits (especially berries), root vegetables (carrots, turnips, potatoes, beets, parsnips), broccoli, spinach, cabbage, legumes, chard, pearl barley, whole rye and wheat, canola oil, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds and low-fat dairy products.

Try to cook any of these products. For example, oatmeal with walnuts and apples, yogurt with strawberries or salmon with lentils and Chinese cabbage.

If you are a meat lover, you can start with one plant-based dish. Over time, you can increase the amount of plant food. Don't want to completely give up your favorite food? Try bison meat, a surprisingly lean red meat common in the cuisine of Scandinavian countries.