Can you slim down by eating like a Viking? The New Nordic diet full of twigs, fresh fish – and wine – is touted as the next big trend in weight loss
- The New Nordic diet swaps olive oil for canola, and focuses on whole grains and root vegetables
- Vogue writer Kate Christensen lost 4lbs on the diet in two weeks
The New Nordic diet, a nutritional plan created by two chefs in Denmark that focuses on whole grains, foraged plants, fresh fish and meat, is being heralded as the next big trend in healthy eating.
Vogue writer Kate Christensen, who lost 4lbs in two weeks on the diet, says it is similar to the ‘widely hailed Mediterranean diet, which draws on the traditional cuisines of Greece, Spain, and Italy’, but explains that it is more 'a way of thinking about eating' – after all, the New Nordic diet allows wine with dinner.
'Unlike the Mediterranean diet, which allows white bread, pasta, and polenta, the New Nordic shuns refined grains and processed foods. And instead of olive oil, the Nordics eat cold-pressed rapeseed oil, also known as canola, which has less saturated fat and more heart-healthy omega-3s than its Mediterranean cousin,' she added.
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Wild idea: The New Nordic, which emphasizes fresh fish such as herring (left) and wild meats such as moose (right) is being heralded as the next big trend in healthy eating
Natural selection: Root vegetables are also part of the plan, which calls for vegetarian dinners twice a week
Chefs René Redzepi and Claus Meyer pioneered the New Nordic movement at their Copenhagen restaurant Noma, starting in 2004, incorporating moss, twigs, seaweed and edible bark into their entrees, which also included elk, herring, rye and nettles.
Ms Christensen used a cookbook from Noma and another by Danish food writer Trine Hahnemann to follow the plan, which involved consuming foraged plants, wild or pastured meats and aquatic foods, such as fish, shellfish and seaweed. A hunter friend donated several pounds of frozen moose to the cause.
According to guidelines adopted by the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2005, an ideal week of dinners includes three meat, two seafood, and two vegetarian dishes, plus unlimited root vegetables, leafy greens, nuts and berries, legumes, orchard fruits, and whole grains such as rye, spelt, oats, and barley.
The New Nordic diet is similar to last year's craze, the Paleo diet, which advocates eating like a caveman. However, Paleo bans grains and alcohol and allows for more meat than its Viking counterpart.
'Three weeks into it, this Nordic diet was going swimmingly. It had made me more conscious of health, not just food. Not only was I drinking more water than usual, I had upped my exercise to two Pilates classes a week, frequent five-mile runs, and the occasional hard-core cardio-workout video. I was sleeping better and enjoying a sense of satiety without too many cravings,' she writes.
She tried it: Vogue writer Kate Christensen (pictured) lost 4lbs on the New Nordic diet
Origin story: Chefs René Redzepi and Claus Meyer pioneered the New Nordic movement at their Copenhagen restaurant Noma, starting in 2004
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'I cooked almost every meal at home: steel-cut oats with blueberries and maple syrup for breakfast, potato-leek soup for lunch, roasted root vegetables and steamed kale with currants and hazelnuts for vegetarian dinner. I made Hahnemann’s mussel-and-cod stew with vegetables and white wine on seafood days, and moose stew and roast free-range chicken on meat days.'
However, when she realized she wasn't losing weight, she consulted Traci Mann, Ph.D., director of the Health and Eating Lab at the University of Minnesota, who advised her that any effective diet limits portions.
THE NEW NORDIC DIET
- Swap olive oil for canola oil
- A week of dinners includes three meat, two seafood and two vegetarian meals
- Eat foraged plants, wild or pastured red and white meats and aquatic foods
- Consume plenty of root vegetables, leafy greens, nuts and berries
- Avoid refined grains and processed foods, and eat whole grains such as rye, spelt, oats and barley
When she began to eat more slowly and consume smaller portions of these Nordic feasts, she was able to lose four pounds in two weeks.
Earlier this year, Dr Thomas Meinart Larsen led a study at Copenhagen University that asked 181 overweight adults to follow one of two different diets for six months.
Of this group, 68 people were assigned to an 'average Danish diet', comprised of the dishes currently most eaten in Denmark, including many imported foods, and 113 were put on the New Nordic Diet, with recipes created by Noma's Mr Meyer that featured ingredients made up of local and seasonal whole foods.
All of the participants were encouraged to eat until they were fully satisfied, paying some attention to portion size, but never counting calories.
Results showed those in the Nordic diet group lost around 10lbs on average compared with a loss of 3lbs for the Danish diet group.
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