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The Nordic diet is an eating pattern built on foods traditionally grown, caught or gathered in the Nordic countries: whole grains such as rye, oats and barley, berries, cabbages and root vegetables, legumes, fish and shellfish, and rapeseed oil. The most studied version, the New Nordic Diet, was defined in 2012 by Danish researchers who aimed for a regional diet that is healthy, tasty and environmentally friendly. Small randomized trials found improvements in blood lipids and blood pressure, and a 2022 review rated the certainty of the evidence from low to high depending on the outcome. This guide explains what is the Nordic diet, lists Nordic diet foods with USDA nutrition values, and sums up the research with its limits.
Peptide Labs does not sell a Nordic diet program or Nordic diet foods. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- The New Nordic Diet came from Denmark's OPUS research project and rests on three principles: health, gastronomy and Nordic identity, and sustainability.
- Core foods are berries, cabbages, root vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fish and shellfish, with rapeseed oil in the healthy Nordic diets tested in trials.
- Trials lasting 6 to 26 weeks reported lower LDL cholesterol and blood pressure in some studies, not all.
- A 2022 review rated the evidence for LDL cholesterol and total cardiovascular events as low certainty.
- Pickled herring and rye crispbread can add notable sodium, and NIDDK notes that rye and barley contain gluten.
What is the Nordic diet?
There is no single official Nordic diet, but most research follows one of two closely related versions. The New Nordic Diet was described in 2012 by the OPUS project, a five-year Danish research program. Its overall guidelines are simple: more calories from plant foods and fewer from meat, more foods from the sea and lakes, and more foods from the wild countryside. Each guideline was weighed against three principles: health, gastronomic potential and Nordic identity, and sustainability. A 2013 follow-up paper calculated that the diet meets the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations with small adjustments.
Swedish and Finnish teams tested a second version, usually called the healthy Nordic diet, in the NORDIET and SYSDIET trials. It centers on whole-grain products, berries, fruits and vegetables, rapeseed oil, fish several times a week and low-fat dairy, and keeps salt, added sugar and saturated fat low. Both versions differ from the typical modern Scandinavian diet, which served as the comparison in several trials.
Nordic diet foods
The 2013 OPUS paper lists the foods that characterize the New Nordic Diet:
- Fruits and vegetables, especially berries, cabbages, root vegetables and legumes
- Fresh herbs and potatoes
- Plants and mushrooms from the wild countryside
- Whole grains such as rye bread, oats and barley
- Nuts
- Fish and shellfish, such as herring and mackerel
- Seaweed
- Free-range livestock, including pigs and poultry, and game
Typical vegetables include cabbage, root vegetables such as turnips and rutabaga, and wild or cultivated mushrooms. The trial diets used rapeseed oil; in US stores the closest product is canola oil.
Nordic diet food list with USDA nutrition values
Values come from the USDA SR Legacy database with each food’s FoodData Central ID and percent Daily Value based on FDA Daily Values. The omega-3 column shows EPA plus DHA for fish and ALA for oil; plant foods listed as under 0.1 g contain only small amounts.
| Food (FDC ID) | Calories | Fiber (%DV) | Protein (%DV) | Sodium (%DV) | Omega-3s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rye bread, 1 regular slice (172684) | 83 | 1.9 g (7%) | 2.7 g (5%) | 193 mg (8%) | Under 0.1 g |
| Rye crispbread (rye wafer), 1 triple cracker (172744) | 84 | 5.7 g (20%) | 2.4 g (5%) | 139 mg (6%) | Under 0.1 g |
| Oatmeal, cooked with water, 1 cup (173905) | 166 | 4.0 g (14%) | 5.9 g (12%) | 9 mg (0%) | Under 0.1 g |
| Barley, pearled, cooked, 1 cup (170285) | 193 | 6.0 g (21%) | 3.5 g (7%) | 5 mg (0%) | Under 0.1 g |
| Split peas, boiled, 1/2 cup (172429) | 116 | 8.1 g (29%) | 8.2 g (16%) | 2 mg (0%) | Under 0.1 g |
| Cabbage, raw, 1 cup chopped (169975) | 22 | 2.2 g (8%) | 1.1 g (2%) | 16 mg (1%) | Under 0.1 g |
| Rutabaga, boiled, 1 cup cubes (168455) | 51 | 3.1 g (11%) | 1.6 g (3%) | 8 mg (0%) | Under 0.1 g |
| Potato, boiled in skin, 1 potato (170438) | 118 | 2.4 g (9%) | 2.5 g (5%) | 5 mg (0%) | Under 0.1 g |
| Herring, Atlantic, pickled, 1 oz (175118) | 74 | 0 g (0%) | 4.0 g (8%) | 247 mg (11%) | 0.39 g EPA+DHA |
| Mackerel, Atlantic, cooked, 3 oz (175120) | 223 | 0 g (0%) | 20.3 g (41%) | 71 mg (3%) | 1.02 g EPA+DHA |
| Salmon, Atlantic, wild, cooked, 3 oz (171998) | 155 | 0 g (0%) | 21.6 g (43%) | 48 mg (2%) | 1.56 g EPA+DHA |
| Canola oil, closest entry to rapeseed oil, 1 tbsp (172336) | 124 | 0 g (0%) | 0 g (0%) | 0 mg (0%) | 1.28 g ALA |
A few things stand out. Rye crispbread and split peas carry far more fiber per serving than oatmeal or potatoes; our high fiber foods guide has more examples. Pickled herring supplies omega-3s but also 11% of the sodium Daily Value in a single ounce, per USDA, so our low sodium foods guide is useful if you watch salt. For wild berries, USDA SR Legacy has no bilberry entry and lists lingonberries only in its Alaska Native food data, as “Cranberry, low bush or lingenberry, raw” (FDC 169805), at 21 milligrams of vitamin C per 100 g, 23% of the FDA Daily Value. Cloudberries from the same data (FDC 169802) list 158 milligrams per 100 g, 176% of the Daily Value.
What the research found
The trials are small and short, and several provided all food for free, which makes it easier to stick to a diet than in daily life. With that in mind, here is what the main studies report.
| Study | Who and how long | Main results |
|---|---|---|
| NORDIET, Sweden, 2011 | 88 adults with mildly high cholesterol, 6 weeks, all food provided | LDL cholesterol 21% lower and systolic blood pressure lower than the usual diet |
| SYSDIET, Nordic countries, 2013 | 200 adults with metabolic syndrome features, 18 to 24 weeks | Better LDL to HDL ratio; no change in insulin sensitivity or blood pressure |
| SHOPUS, Denmark, 2014 | 181 adults with a large waist, 26 weeks, free food from a study shop | In the trial, larger falls in blood pressure and body weight than the average Danish diet |
| Meta-analysis, 2019 | 5 trials, 513 people | Lower total and LDL cholesterol and blood pressure; no change in HDL or triglycerides |
| Systematic review, 2022 | 15 cohort studies and 6 trials | Small associations in cohorts; low certainty for LDL and total heart disease events |
In NORDIET, people ate as much as they wanted and body weight also fell, and after the researchers adjusted for that weight change, the blood lipid differences remained but the blood pressure and insulin differences did not. SYSDIET kept calories steady on purpose, and body weight stayed stable. In SHOPUS, weight change was the main outcome; the Nordic group’s weight fell more than the comparison group’s, by about 3 kg on average, with free groceries and cookbooks. That is one supervised trial, not a promise about anyone’s weight.
The 2022 review in Diabetologia, done to inform European diabetes nutrition guidelines, pooled 15 cohort studies with over one million people. Higher Nordic diet scores were associated with slightly lower rates of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, but cohort data show associations, not cause, and results varied widely between studies. In the six trials, LDL cholesterol fell modestly. The authors rated the certainty for LDL cholesterol and total cardiovascular events as low, mainly because of imprecision and inconsistency.
How it compares with Mediterranean and MIND eating
All three styles push plant foods, whole grains, legumes and fish and keep added sugar low. The Nordic version swaps olive oil for rapeseed oil and leans on cold-climate staples such as rye, oats and barley, cabbages and root vegetables, and berries. Our Mediterranean diet guide covers the larger trial base behind that pattern, our MIND diet guide covers the brain-aging research, and our anti-inflammatory foods guide looks at inflammation markers across eating styles.
Who should take care
- Fish and mercury: herring, salmon and Atlantic mackerel are in the lowest-mercury group of the FDA and EPA advice about eating fish; king mackerel is on the list of choices to avoid.
- Gluten: NIDDK notes that gluten occurs naturally in wheat, barley and rye, so people with celiac disease need other grains and should plan with a clinician or dietitian.
- Allergies: fish, shellfish and tree nuts are major food allergens under US law.
- Wild foods: a CDC report on death cap poisonings urged caution about eating foraged wild mushrooms; never eat wild mushrooms without an expert identification.
- Salt: pickled and smoked fish and some crispbreads add sodium, so check the Nutrition Facts label.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Nordic diet in simple terms?
It is a regional eating pattern based on whole grains such as rye and oats, berries, cabbages, root vegetables, legumes, fish and rapeseed oil, with less meat and fewer sweets.
What is the New Nordic Diet?
It is the version defined in 2012 by Denmark’s OPUS project: more plant foods, more food from the sea and lakes, and more food from the wild countryside, with sustainability built in.
What foods are on a Nordic diet food list?
Berries, cabbages, root vegetables, legumes, potatoes, herbs, whole grains, nuts, fish and shellfish, seaweed, free-range meat and game, plus rapeseed oil for cooking.
Is the Nordic diet healthy?
Small trials found better blood lipids and blood pressure in some studies, and reviews rate parts of the evidence as low certainty. It was designed to meet the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations.
Is the Nordic diet better than the Mediterranean diet?
No head-to-head trials settle that. The Mediterranean pattern has a larger research base; the two share plant foods, whole grains and fish.
Can I follow a Nordic diet in the US?
Yes. Rye bread, oats, barley, cabbage, root vegetables, frozen berries, canned or frozen fish and canola oil are widely sold.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Related guides: MIND Diet: What It Is, Food List and What the Research Found, Mediterranean Diet: What It Is, Food List and What the Research Shows, Rye Bread: USDA Nutrition per Slice, Research and How It Compares.