The Mediterranean diet may be the world’s best-known healthy eating pattern, but another European dietary model is attracting attention for its potential health and environmental benefits: the Nordic diet.
A large Swedish cohort study published in The Journal of Nutrition found that people whose diets most closely matched the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 (NNR23) had a 23% lower risk of death from any cause compared with those whose diets showed the lowest adherence.
The study does not prove that following a Nordic diet directly prevents death. It was an observational study, meaning researchers identified an association between dietary patterns and mortality rather than testing the diet in a randomized clinical trial.
Still, the findings add to a growing body of research suggesting that diets centered on whole grains, vegetables, fruits and berries, legumes, fish and healthier fats may support long-term health.
Video: How the Nordic Diet May Support Healthy Aging
What Is the Nordic Diet?
The Nordic diet is a broad eating pattern based on foods traditionally available in countries such as Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland.
The updated Nordic Nutrition Recommendations place an emphasis on both health and environmental sustainability. The recommendations encourage more plant foods, whole grains, legumes and fish while limiting red and processed meat, foods high in added sugars and other less nutritious choices.
Unlike a strict short-term diet, the Nordic approach is better understood as a long-term eating pattern.
Typical foods include:
- Whole-grain rye, oats and barley
- Potatoes and other root vegetables
- Cabbage and other vegetables
- Apples, berries and other fruits
- Beans, peas and lentils
- Salmon, herring, mackerel and other fish
- Low-fat dairy products
- Rapeseed, or canola, oil
- Nuts and seeds
- Limited amounts of red and processed meat
- Fewer foods high in added sugar
Many of these foods are also familiar components of other heart-conscious dietary patterns.
The Study Behind the 23% Finding
Researchers developed a food-based score designed to measure how closely participants followed the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023.
The study included 39,984 women from the Swedish Mammography Cohort and 48,850 men from the Cohort of Swedish Men. The women were between 48 and 83 years old, while the men were between 45 and 79.
Participants provided dietary information, and researchers linked the data with Sweden’s National Death Register. The median follow-up period was 18.8 years, during which 30,142 participants died.
The researchers divided participants according to their adherence to the NNR23 dietary score.
Those with the highest adherence at baseline had a 23% lower risk of all-cause mortality than those in the lowest-adherence group.
The researchers also reported similar patterns when they examined cardiovascular and cancer-related deaths.
Importantly, no participant achieved perfect adherence to the dietary score.
That makes the finding particularly interesting: the comparison was between people with relatively higher and lower adherence to a broad dietary pattern, rather than between people following a perfectly controlled diet and everyone else.
Why Might the Nordic Diet Be Beneficial?
The study was not designed to prove exactly why greater adherence was associated with lower mortality.
However, the foods emphasized by the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations have several nutritional characteristics that are consistent with established healthy-eating principles.
1. More Whole Grains
Whole grains such as oats, rye and barley are important parts of the Nordic dietary pattern.
They provide dietary fiber and a variety of nutrients. Research reviewed during the development of the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations found evidence linking higher whole-grain consumption with better health outcomes, although the strength of evidence varies depending on the specific disease or outcome being studied.
Instead of making white bread or refined grains the foundation of meals, a Nordic-style approach can encourage foods such as:
- Whole-grain rye bread
- Oatmeal
- Barley
- Whole-grain crispbread
- Other minimally processed whole grains
2. More Fish
Fatty fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel provide omega-3 fatty acids along with protein and other nutrients.
The Nordic recommendations include fish as part of a healthy dietary pattern.
For Americans trying to adopt the approach, there is no need to find traditionally Nordic fish. Salmon, sardines, trout and other locally available fish can fit into the same general principle.
3. Plenty of Vegetables
The Nordic approach emphasizes vegetables, including cabbage, carrots, root vegetables and other produce.
Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and kale are particularly nutrient-dense choices.
The important point is not that one vegetable has magical properties.
It is that eating a wide variety of vegetables regularly makes it easier to build a diet rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial compounds.
4. Berries and Fruit
Berries are another recognizable feature of Nordic food traditions.
Lingonberries, bilberries, blackcurrants and other berries are common in Nordic cuisines, while blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries provide similar options elsewhere.
For people in the United States, there is no need to search for rare Scandinavian berries.
Frozen blueberries, raspberries and blackberries can be convenient alternatives.
They can be added to:
- Oatmeal
- Plain yogurt
- Smoothies
- Whole-grain cereals
- Salads
5. More Legumes and Plant Foods
Beans, peas and lentils are valuable sources of plant protein and dietary fiber.
Increasing legumes can also make it easier to reduce reliance on red and processed meat without eliminating animal foods entirely.
This flexibility is one reason the Nordic approach can work as a general eating pattern rather than as a rigid meal plan.
Nordic Diet vs. Mediterranean Diet
The Nordic and Mediterranean diets are not competing philosophies.
In fact, they share many important characteristics.
Both emphasize minimally processed foods, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, fish and healthier sources of fat.
The major difference is largely cultural and regional.
The Mediterranean pattern traditionally features foods such as olive oil, tomatoes, legumes, whole grains, nuts and fish.
The Nordic pattern adapts similar principles to northern European food traditions, with greater emphasis on foods such as rye, oats, barley, root vegetables, berries, cabbage, fish and rapeseed oil.
| Food Category | Mediterranean Pattern | Nordic Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Whole grains | Wheat, barley and other whole grains | Rye, oats and barley |
| Fruits | Citrus, grapes, berries and other fruit | Apples and berries |
| Vegetables | Tomatoes, leafy greens, peppers and others | Cabbage, carrots and root vegetables |
| Fish | Sardines, anchovies and other fish | Herring, salmon and mackerel |
| Main unsaturated fat | Olive oil | Rapeseed/canola oil |
| Legumes | Beans, lentils and chickpeas | Peas, beans and lentils |
| Nuts and seeds | Common | Common |
| Red meat | Limited | Limited |
| Added sugar | Limited | Limited |
The evidence does not suggest that one pattern is universally superior to the other.
Instead, both demonstrate how a healthy dietary pattern can be adapted to local foods and cultural traditions.
How to Try the Nordic Diet at Home
You do not need to completely redesign your kitchen to eat more like the Nordic recommendations.
A few practical changes can make a difference.
Start With Breakfast
Replace a highly processed breakfast with oatmeal topped with berries and nuts.
For extra protein, add plain yogurt or another nutrient-dense option.
Make Whole Grains the Default
Try replacing refined bread with whole-grain rye bread or another whole-grain alternative.
Barley can also be added to soups, salads and grain bowls.
Eat Fish Regularly
Aim to include fish as part of your regular meal rotation.
Salmon, sardines, trout, herring and mackerel are practical choices, depending on availability and personal preference.
Add More Root Vegetables
Carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips and potatoes can all contribute to a varied diet.
Roasting or steaming them can provide an easy alternative to highly processed side dishes.
Don’t Forget Legumes
Beans, peas and lentils are inexpensive ways to add fiber and plant protein.
Try adding lentils to soup, beans to salads or peas to grain-based meals.
Keep Added Sugar and Processed Meat in Check
The Nordic recommendations emphasize reducing foods that provide substantial amounts of added sugar and limiting red and processed meat.
That does not mean that every traditional food must be eliminated.
The emphasis is on the overall pattern.
Is the Nordic Diet Really a Longevity Diet?
This is where the 23% figure needs some context.
The Swedish study found an association between greater adherence to the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations and lower mortality. It did not randomly assign people to follow the Nordic diet and then compare their outcomes with a control group.
That means researchers cannot say that the Nordic diet itself caused the lower mortality rate.
People who eat healthier diets may also differ in other ways. They may exercise more, smoke less, have different socioeconomic circumstances or engage in other behaviors that influence health.
The researchers adjusted their statistical models for a number of factors, including education, income and physical activity, but observational studies can never completely eliminate the possibility of residual confounding.
So the most accurate conclusion is:
Higher adherence to the NNR23 dietary pattern was associated with lower mortality in this Swedish population.
That is an important finding, but it is not the same as proving that the diet extends life by 23%.
A Sustainable Approach to Healthy Eating
One of the distinctive features of the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations is that they were designed around both human health and planetary health.
The recommendations consider not only nutritional quality but also environmental factors associated with food production.
That does not mean every person needs to follow the recommendations perfectly.
Instead, the Nordic model offers a useful framework for thinking about everyday meals:
More whole foods.
More plants.
More whole grains.
More fish and legumes.
Less added sugar.
Less processed meat.
More attention to sustainability.
Those principles can be adapted to almost any country.
The Bottom Line
The Nordic diet is gaining attention not because of a single “miracle” food, but because it combines many elements associated with a healthy dietary pattern.
A major Swedish cohort study found that people with the highest adherence to the 2023 Nordic Nutrition Recommendations had a 23% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared with those with the lowest adherence.
The finding is encouraging, but it should not be interpreted as proof that following a Nordic diet will reduce an individual’s risk of death by exactly 23%.
Instead, the study adds to the evidence supporting a practical approach to eating: emphasize whole grains, vegetables, berries and other fruits, legumes, fish and healthier fats while limiting highly processed foods, added sugar and processed meat.
And you do not have to live in Scandinavia to benefit from the idea.
The simplest way to borrow from the Nordic approach is to eat more whole, minimally processed foods and make healthy choices consistently over time.
Medical Disclaimer
This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or dietary advice. Individual nutritional needs vary depending on age, health conditions, medications and other factors. Consult a qualified physician or registered dietitian before making major dietary changes, particularly if you have a chronic medical condition.
Sources
- Mørch AB, Ibsen DB, Wolk A, Dahm CC. Development of the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 Food-Based Diet Score and Its Association with All-Cause Mortality in Two Swedish Cohorts. The Journal of Nutrition, 2025.
- Nordic Council of Ministers. Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023.
- Aarhus University. Research summary on Nordic dietary guidelines and mortality.