7 Day Nordic Diet Meal Plan For Women

Are you looking for a diet that can help stabilize energy levels, reduce inflammation, and improve heart health? Then you must try the Nordic diet.

Based on Scandinavian whole foods, it can help regulate blood sugar, reduce inflammation, and support the heart. Loaded with protein, fiber, and healthy fats, it’s perfect for women experiencing the challenges of midlife.

In this article, we explore the 7-day Nordic diet meal plan for women. We cover all meals, core foods, nutrition principles, and helpful meal prep tips.

What Is the Nordic Diet and Why It’s Gaining Popularity

The Nordic diet prioritizes healthy eating, focusing on sourcing and consuming nutrient-dense whole foods. Like the Mediterranean diet, it promotes a diet consisting of fish, whole grains, fruit, and vegetables, while limiting red meat, processed foods, and refined sugars.

It has risen in popularity, encouraging the consumption of sustainable ingredients, which is not only good for the body but also the environment.

Furthermore, it's adaptable to different dietary restrictions including vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free, which is great for almost everyone.

Nordic Diet 7 Day Meal Plan for Women

The Nordic diet’s flexibility means it is easy to create delicious, nutrient-dense meals. Below, we display a Nordic diet 7-day meal plan for women.

Day 1

Breakfast

• Rye crispbread with boiled eggs, tomato slices, avocado, and fresh dill
• Herbal tea or black coffee

Lunch

• Smoked salmon salad with new potatoes, greens, radish, and mustard-dill dressing

Dinner

• Oven-baked cod with roasted root vegetables (carrot, parsnip, beetroot)
• Barley side with herbs

Snack

• A small bowl of Greek yogurt with lingonberries ( can use cranberries or raspberries) and a drizzle of honey

Day 2

Breakfast

• Oatmeal with unsweetened almond milk, blueberries, walnuts, cinnamon, and honey

Lunch

• Open-faced rye sandwich with mackerel, pickled cucumber, and horseradish cream

Dinner

• Nordic vegetable soup (cabbage, carrots, leeks, and split peas) with whole-grain bread

Snack

• Apple slices with almond butter

Day 3

Breakfast

• Greek yogurt with raspberries, sunflower seeds, and rolled oats

Lunch

• Air-fried chicken, barley, and lentil salad with roasted beets, goat cheese, and arugula

Dinner

• Grilled trout with steamed kale and boiled potatoes with fresh dill

Snack

• Veggie sticks (carrot, cucumber, celery) with hummus

Day 4

Breakfast

• Rye toast with avocado, radish slices, and crushed pumpkin seeds

Lunch

• Nordic grain bowl with quinoa, roasted carrots, chickpeas, and lemon-yogurt dressing

Dinner

• Baked chicken thighs with rutabaga mash and a cucumber-dill salad

Snack

• Handful of mixed berries and a few almonds

Day 5

Breakfast

• Buckwheat porridge with pear slices, flaxseeds, and cardamom

Lunch

• Rye bread open sandwich with boiled egg, shrimp, and light mayonnaise

Dinner

• Chicken and Wild mushroom stew with barley and sautéed greens

Snack

• Rye crispbread with cottage cheese and chives

Day 6

Breakfast

• Greek yogurt smoothie with spinach, banana, blueberries, and chia seeds

Lunch

• Cold lentil salad with pickled red onions, roasted root vegetables, and mustard vinaigrette

Dinner

• Grilled salmon with fennel slaw and herbed buckwheat

Snack

• A boiled egg, avocado, and a handful of cherry tomatoes

Day 7

Breakfast

• Whole grain waffle with berry compote and Greek yogurt

Lunch

• Roasted vegetable sandwich on whole rye with hummus and fresh spinach

Dinner

• Baked haddock with rye breadcrumbs, dill potatoes, and sautéed cabbage

Snack

• Apple slices with sunflower seeds and cinnamon

Core Foods and Nutritional Principles

Viewing the Nordic 7-day diet plan listed above, you can see just how adaptable it is, as several ingredients can be changed to meet your needs.

Below, we take a closer look at the core food and nutritional principles of the Nordic diet, which give you the freedom to experiment with your dishes, leading to long-term sustainability.

Whole Grains and Fiber-Rich Carbs

First off, let's talk about grains. Grains serve as a great base for many different meals in the Nordic diet. However, we can’t stress enough how not all grains are created equal.

Whole grains, namely rye, barley, and oats are used in the Nordic diet. These contain complex carbohydrates and fiber which are shown to slow digestion and gradually increase blood sugar, sustaining energy levels.

Berries and Root Vegetables

The Nordic diet prioritizes the use of berries and root vegetables due to their traditional use and regional availability.

Root vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, beets, parsnips, turnips, rutabagas, and radishes are all great sources of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, making them the perfect addition to Nordic meals.

Similarly, berries including lingonberries, cloudberries, blueberries, wild strawberries, elderberries, black, and red currents are consumed as snacks, in desserts, and with meat, adding flavor, antioxidants, and nutrient density to meals.

Healthy Fats and Cold-Water Fish

Cold-water fish are eaten during the Nordic diet due to their healthy fat content and regional availability. These include salmon, mackerel, and herring, which are known for being great sources of protein and omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3, in particular, is shown to be beneficial for treating chronic diseases including, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and depression, and support organ health.

What to Minimize: Sugars, Refined Oils, Processed Meats

Being a diet focused on consuming regionally sourced, sustainable whole foods, means that consuming refined sugars, oils, and red meat is discouraged.

Refined sugars found in processed foods are associated with obesity, metabolic disorders, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and depression.

Similarly, sources suggest refined oils under processing which remove the healthy properties of the oil, while generating undesirable compounds such as trans fatty acids which are linked to cardiovascular disease.

Meanwhile, processed meat has strong links to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

Meal Prep Tips for a Nordic-Style Week

Meal prep is an effective way to ensure you are sticking to your diet. Below, we highlight the best practices for meal prep for a successful Nordic-style week.

Batch Cooking Ideas

The key to great meal prep is batch cooking, where you create meals in large quantities and divide and store them for the following week. Cooking in batches means you get all your cooking done in one go, saving time during the week.

Furthermore, pre-cooked meals readily available allow you to heat a delicious healthy meal after a long day. This reduces the temptation of ordering in, improving adherence to your nutrition plan.

If you are considering the meal prep route, we recommend creating meals with similar ingredients. This will streamline the shopping and prep process.

Building a Nordic Pantry

Building a Nordic pantry is traditionally focused on preservation through pickling, fermentation, and drying of stored foods. This practice is used to stock and preserve seasonal food year-round, for when there is limited produce.

To build your Nordic pantry, aim for efficient, clutter-free storage, and add food fresh, organic, local produce such as root vegetables, berries, herbs, and grains. The key here is to not overthink it but rather focus on simple foods.

For storage, use airtight containers using oxygen absorbers. Also, consider adding bay leaves are also great for warding off insects. When storing, dating your stock is essential. Here you can rotate your foods to ensure there is no waste.

Easy Sauces and Dressings for Flavor

Much like foods in the Nordic diets, sauces are simple, containing fewer additives. Below is a list of sauces that you should try with your 7-day Nordic diet meal plan for women.

Gravlax Sauce (Hovmästarsås)

• Made with: mustard, sugar, vinegar, dill, and oil.
• Served with: cured salmon (gravlax).

Rémoulade

• A Danish version made with mayo, pickles, curry, and herbs.
• Common with: fried fish, roast beef sandwiches.

Dill Sauce

• Made with: yogurt or sour cream, lemon, and lots of fresh dill.
• Great for: fish, potatoes, and vegetables.

Skyr Sauce

• Uses Icelandic skyr (similar to thick yogurt or Greek yogurt) as a base.
• Can be savory (with herbs and garlic) or sweet (with berries or honey).

Whole Grain Mustard Sauce

• Made with: mustard, vinegar, honey, or apple syrup.
• Works well with: pork, root vegetables, or smoked meats.

Lingonberry Sauce

• Tart and slightly sweet, similar to cranberry sauce.
• Perfect with: meatballs, game meats, liver.

Mushroom Cream Sauce

• Made from: wild mushrooms, cream, thyme.
• Served with: potatoes, and roasted meats.

Juniper Berry Sauce

• Slightly piney and tart.
• Ideal with: venison, duck, or other game.

Adapting the Nordic Diet for Midlife Women

Adopting the Nordic diet isn’t just about consuming Nordic ingredients. It’s about the principles and philosophy surrounding the diet.

Principles such as eating regionally sourced whole foods, limiting waste, and avoiding red meat and processed foods apply to almost any health meal plan.

These principles work for women in midlife who may be experiencing the decline of estrogen, the symptoms of menopause, and signs of aging.

Here the Nordic diet’s focus on lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats can help address menopause symptoms, preserve muscle mass, and stabilize blood sugar.

Recap: Nordic Simplicity, Modern Wellness

In a world where complex fad diets come and go with promises of phenomenal weight loss, the Nordic diet stands out as a simple and effective style of eating for fat loss and improving quality of life.

Its age-old principles surrounding regionally sourced whole food, lean meats, sustainability, and limiting waste transfer into the modern area, provide a framework that not only helps improve health but the environment.

Health Gains in Just 7 Days

For women in midlife who are yet to overhaul their diet with whole foods, the Nordic diet will reduce sluggishness and provide an incredible boost to energy levels.

Sure, those initial days may come with cravings and hunger, but after seven days there will be noticeable differences as energy levels stabilize, and mental clarity and digestive health improve.

A Refreshing, Anti-Inflammatory Reset

The benefit of the Nordic diet that isn’t spoken about enough is the feeling of being energized and reduces inflammation, which is due to the limiting of processed food, and infusion of nutrient-dense food into one’s diet.

Processed foods have been shown to cause inflammation, and when they are removed provide relief and reset.

When this is combined with nutrient-dense whole food, loaded with fiber (whole grains), protein (fish, poultry), and antioxidants (berries, fruit), the body will feel lighter and less sluggish, resulting in a refreshing boost to quality of life.

Sustainable Steps for Long-Term Balance

Like any diet, maintaining the Nordic diet beyond seven days will be an adjustment. However, we believe it is far more achievable due to its simplicity.

For long-term balance, we recommend experimenting with different recipes, and including other nutrient-dense whole foods and meals, even if they aren’t on the list of Nordic foods.

If you have a cheat meal or accidentally slip into old habits, practice giving yourself some grace, and understand that change takes time. Then realign yourself with your favorite Nordic diet dish, and continue nourishing your body for better health.

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