Nordic Nutrition

What visions come to mind when you think of the Nordic countries? Maybe neat and tidy red homes. Northern Lights. Beautiful fjords and bountiful waterfalls. Amazingly fresh food. Cold, crisp weather and clean air! I discovered all of that and more on a recent trip to visit Norway and Iceland to learn more about the Nordic Diet and lifestyle. This very healthy way of eating includes more fruits, vegetables, and seasonal and organic foods when possible, more whole grains, more food from seas, lakes, and the wild. There is a focus on higher-quality meat and less of it along with less processed, less sugary foods. They also tend to do more cooking at home vs eating out. Think whole grains, berries, canola oil, fatty fish, beans and peas, root veggies and tubers, nuts and seeds.

Did you know that in 2020 Norway had the highest life expectancy in Europe at 83.3 years? Some of that is due to a well organized healthcare system with a focus on prevention and public health. But we also cannot discount their heavy reliance on fresh fish from their clean waters and food that is locally harvested. Around the Bergen area, you will find many orchards and road-side stands selling the orchards' apples, pears, and cherries. Since the main limiting factor for apple production is temperature, Norwegian growers focus on local apple cultivars that are well suited to their own domestic market. Meaning, when you buy an apple or pear in Norway, odds are it's been grown locally. It's also interesting to note the appropriate size of their produce, at least in comparison to the US's extra large apples and pears. 

Iceland often ranks near the top of lists as one of the healthiest nations in the world as well. They can thank a fish-heavy diet full of heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids and plenty of locally grown products as well, including their own tomatoes which grow only in greenhouses, given the very short growing season. Skyr yogurt, also produced from Icelandic cows, ranks as one of the highest protein/creamiest yogurts you can find. They are a very physically active, nature-loving people and they have a lot of space to recreate with less than 400,000 people on the entire island. Hiking routes abound among waterfalls where the water is so fresh you can drink from it directly, local sheep graze (from which they harvest a lot of grass-fed lamb) and the fresh arctic air is so pure in some places that they barely register on the Air Quality Index. 

The Nordic Diet and lifestyle have proven to be conducive to supporting health and longevity. It's just a bonus that all that locally grown and harvested food also tastes amazing!