Table 1.

Food items recommended in the study diets

Food group	Healthy Nordic diet	Control diet
Cereal products	≥25% of total energy as whole grain of which ≥50% as rye, barley and oat. Whole-grain pasta and unpolished rice (≥6 g fibre per 100 g) ≥2–3 meals per week. Low salt content (≤1.0%) in breads. Cereals with no added sugar or honey. Bread (≥6 g fibre per 100 g) ≥6 slices per day	≥25% of energy as refined of which ≥90% as wheat
Vegetables, berries, fruit (potatoes not included)	Fruits, vegetables and berries ≥500 g of which berries ≥150–200 g per day, fruit ≥175 g per day and vegetables ≥175 g per day	200–250 g, no bilberries
Dietary fats	Rapeseed oil. Rapeseed and/or sunflower oil and/or soya bean oil-based margarines with no trans fatty acids and ≥2/3 of unsaturated fats (unsalted nuts and seeds can be included in the diet)	Butter or other milk fat-based spread (≥50% of total fat as saturated)
Dairy products	Low-fat liquid dairy ≤1% of fat Cheese ≤17% of fat, ≥2 portions per day. Sweetened yoghurts and other fruit milk products avoided.	No limitations
Fish	≥3 meals per week, 2 fatty fish (>4–5% of fat) meals + 1 low-fat fish meal.	≤1 meal per week
Meat	Preferably white meat, poultry. Low-fat choices. Game.	No limitations
Beverages	Avoidance of sugar-sweetened beverages. Fruit and berry juices <1 glass (1.5 dL) per day	No limitations