My Iceland diet

A new project starts here on Ash Wednesday -
my “Iceland diet”

No, this idea didn't come from my crap, the "Nordic Diet" has actually been around for several years.

The “Nordic Diet” is intended to reduce high blood fat and blood sugar levels and reduce excess weight in the long term in order to prevent cardiovascular diseases and diabetes or to improve existing diseases. The “Nordic Diet” can also be used to treat metabolic syndrome (obesity, high blood pressure, lipid metabolism disorder and impaired insulin metabolism). The focus is on the traditional cuisine of the Scandinavian countries - there is a lot of fruit and vegetables and herbs, a lot of fish and relatively little meat, as well as dairy products and rye. It is of course also important to drink a reasonable amount, usually at least 1.5 liters of water, tea and the like. The “Nordic Diet” is characterized by a relatively high amount of fiber, a relatively low salt content and a high quality of dietary fats.

It is important to eat lots of vegetables and fruit - three to four handfuls of vegetables and two handfuls of fruit every day. When it comes to vegetables, you mainly eat root vegetables, cabbage, rhubarb and mushrooms, but also lots of fresh herbs. Fruit in Scandinavian cuisine primarily includes berries, blueberries, crowberries, but also raspberries, blackberries, currants and gooseberries, which came to Iceland with the Danish Langvögts in the 18th century, as well as strawberries, cherries and plums - and of course apples and pears .

To fill you up, you primarily use rye flour or whole grain rye flour - such as the classic Icelandic Rúgbrauð. But potatoes are also included in this diet - in moderation, as well as oat and barley.

Fish dishes should be served at least 3 times a week, especially salmon and cod, but also herring and mackerel, trout and char. Meat should be consumed two or a maximum of three times a week - especially sheep or game.

Dairy products are also part of the menu, milk, cheese - and of course Skyr.

Fat should be used sparingly, but of course it is also vital - rapeseed oil or butter is usually used.

I once put together a "meal plan" for a week - 7 breakfast dishes, 7 salad dishes and 7 warm dishes. Of course you can also combine it to your taste - salad with bread, grilled fish with salad, ...

For clarification:

It's not a crash diet. It's not about losing maximum weight in the shortest possible time, but rather about eating consciously and as healthily as possible. In this case, with classic Icelandic dishes!

So then: Bon appetit!

[Translated from here.]