Scandinavian diet

It is nice when restaurateurs, not doctors, become trendsetters on a particular diet. Scandinavian - just such a case.

In 2003, Klaus Meyer and Rene Redzepi opened the Noma restaurant in Copenhagen, which was awarded the title of the best in the world for 3 consecutive years. Inspired by the resounding success of their establishment, restaurateurs held a symposium of Scandinavian cuisine, urging leading chefs and food producers in the region to sign a manifesto on a new Scandinavian diet in order to develop local culinary traditions. After the manifesto was approved at the government level, the Scandinavian diet immediately became popular in the world. Fashion for her is justified not only from the gastronomic, but also from a medical point of view. The menu of the northern peoples of Europe is very healthy. It allows you to maintain shape, strengthens the heart and blood vessels, and prevents the development of diabetes.
A menu rich in seasonal regional products, such as berries, root vegetables, legumes, cabbage, fish, nuts, game, whole grain products, and rapeseed oil, was taken as a sample of the Scandinavian diet. It turned out that such a diet improves fat metabolism, reduces cholesterol and bad lipids in the blood by 10-15%, and also increases the intake of vitamins by 1.5-2 times. Thanks to the northern type of nutrition, it is possible to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 15%, and this is a lot, given the scale of their spread in the world.
By the way, the culinary traditions of Northern Europe and central Russia are similar, so the Scandinavian diet will benefit us.

Products that make up the Scandinavian dietBased on the official nutritional guidelines of the five Nordic countries:
RAPE OIL. It used to be used only for technical purposes, today it is recognized as almost the safest among vegetable oils in terms of saturated acids and one of the most useful in terms of omega-3 content. It is obtained by cold pressing. It has a characteristic bitterness, which, according to the Scandinavian culinary experts, adds piquancy to the dishes.
OIL FISH AND SEAFOOD. This, for example, herring, mackerel, salmon, crayfish. In Northern Europe, fish is often consumed in smoked or salted form, which helps preserve useful ingredients - omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins. The debate over the use of cultivated and wild salmon does not subside, but studies show that if the first and more fatty, then the content The beneficial omega-3 acids are about the same in both.
VEGETABLES AND ROOTS. Cabbage is ideally adapted to the northern climate, which is why it is here that all kinds of its varieties are eaten. Scientists from the Oslo Nutrition Institute say that the cabbage family, like root crops, is especially rich in antioxidants and vitamin K. And the substances found in beets contribute to lowering blood pressure.
CEREALS. First of all, oats, rye, barley. While the rest of the civilized world prefers white flour products, the inhabitants of Northern Europe eat whole grain bread with seeds and nuts, and if they make a sandwich, then open, with one piece of bread. Out of competition - black rye.It has a high content of slowly digested fiber, which is useful for digestion, and for the figure.
Berries. In the Scandinavian basket: blueberries, cranberries, lingonberries, currants, cloudberries. They are rich in vitamins and antioxidants and (just imagine!) Can compete with fish in the content of omega-3 acids per 1 kcal. Berries retain up to 80% of their beneficial properties in frozen or dried form, which facilitates the storage and preparation process. In Scandinavia, they are traditionally placed in desserts, and even in fish and meat dishes - unusual and tasty.
GAME. It includes venison, poultry. Red game meat is considered low-calorie, as it contains little fat. Venison, traditional for northerners, contains even less fat than beef, and is rich in elements such as iron, copper, zinc, selenium.
HERBS. The most common greens in Scandinavian cuisine are close to us in spirit and taste - this is dill. Not a single hot meal can do without it. But there are among the seasonings and exotic, from our point of view, for example, beech and birch leaves.

The article was published on the basis of the magazine "Good advice" 12/2013
Text: Leah Radova. Photo: PR
Material prepared by Julia Dekanova

Watch the video: Nordic Diet (May 2024).