Nordic nutrition guidelines recommend eating more fish for health benefits and climate-friendly diet
Guidelines advise eating more fish and plant-based foods while cutting down on red meat to achieve healthy, climate-friendly diet
For the first time, the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR) have been updated to contain scientific recommendations for a diet that is “not only good for our health but also for the environment.” This sixth edition favors an increasingly plant-based diet, eating more fish and cutting down on red meat.
“The report provides a scientific basis that demonstrates that a healthy diet is usually also sustainable,” said Rune Blomhoff, project leader for the NNR and professor at the University of Oslo. “Several great synergies can be forged between health and the environment in the necessary transition of our food consumption.
The report recommends a predominantly plant-based diet that is rich in vegetables, fruits, berries, pulses, potatoes and whole grains. In addition, the report recommends a high intake of fish and nuts, a moderate intake of low-fat dairy products, a limited intake of red meat and poultry and a minimal intake of processed meats, alcohol and refined foods rich in fat, salt and sugar.
A higher intake of fish from sustainably managed stocks is recommended due to health effects and environmental impacts. It’s recommended to have an intake of 300 to 450 grams per week of fish, of which at least 200 grams per week should be fatty fish.
This is the largest update in the 40-year history of the report and involved input from hundreds of Nordic and international researchers. Over four years, the health effects of 36 nutrients and 15 food groups were studied.
The NNR summarizes today’s most comprehensive scientific knowledge on what constitutes good food both for health and for the planet. The recommendations are based on the best available research knowledge on food intake, health and the environment, showing that in most cases, healthy food is also good for the environment.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization WHO, praised the new edition of the NNR for demonstrating “a powerful link between healthy people and a healthy planet.”
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