This Ancient Warrior Diet Builds More Muscle Than Protein Shakes
Here's your sign to eat as the Vikings do.
From keto to intermittent fasting, most popular diets today focus on one goal: weight loss. But if your priority is building muscle rather than shedding pounds, cutting calories won’t get you there. In fact, most research suggests that if you want to gain muscle you have to eat more quality calories and protein or at least maintain the calories you're already eating. But if you do insist on starting a diet with summer just around the corner, focus on one that encourages gains like the Viking diet.
"The Viking diet represents a Scandinavian variation of the Mediterranean diet," says Scott Baptie, a nutritionist and author of Food for Fitness. "This diet values the strong, earthy flavors typical to northern regions, which makes it an excellent option for people who want a health-conscious eating plan that promotes sustainability."
What Is the Viking Diet?
Like the Nordic diet, the Viking diet emphasizes simple foods that are raw and in season. Although most people confuse the terms given the Vikings were people from the Nordic countries, the diets are slightly different. The Nordic diet highlights locally sourced foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and fish, while the Viking diet includes a wider range of times such as lean red meat, whole grains, dairy, and fermented drinks.
"This contemporary interpretation of traditional Nordic eating habits has several health benefits without necessitating weight loss," adds Baptie. "The dietary advantages appear to come mostly from the healthy fats present in fish, flaxseeds, and rapeseed oil together with the diet’s emphasis on unprocessed whole foods."
Benefits of the Viking Diet
"The Viking diet might help maintain energy levels, as whole grains and protein-rich foods help balance blood sugar," says Maciej Chichlowski, Ph.D. and senior director of nutrition research at Shaklee. "Since this diet avoids processed foods and refined sugars, it may also support weight management by reducing the risk of obesity. Athletes and anyone with an active lifestyle might find it useful due to its high-protein content from fish and meat that support muscle recovery. The gut-friendly fermented foods could benefit people looking for an anti-inflammatory diet."
Related: This Awkward Exercise Fires Up Your Posterior Chain and Improves Your Squat Instantly
Common Foods Found in the Viking Diet
The Viking diet emphasizes whole foods that are local and in season such as the foods below:
Fatty Fish
Getty Images/Olga Mazyarkina
Rich in protein and low in calories, fish is filled with omega-3 fats, which serve as an anti-inflammatory and balance omega-6 fats. People generally get 15 times more omega-6 than omega-3, according to Litsfeldt. “The ideal amount would be close to a 1:1 ratio of omega-6 and omega-3,” explains Trine Hahnemann, author of The Nordic Diet. “It might be bad to eat something that contains inflammatory fat, but we still need some. It's used when the body defends itself from intruders.”
Whole Grains
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Spelt, rye, oats and barley are some of the main grains grown in colder climates. Incorporating fiber-rich grains into any diet helps with digestion and packs in the protein. Studies have shown that rye can help fight cancer, in particular prostate and colon cancer. Rye breads are the core of the Nordic diet, according to Hahnemann. “We eat slices of rye bread for lunch or breakfast every day,” she says. “Nordic diets even use rye flakes in porridge, and whole grains are boiled and used in soup instead of rice for dinner, as well as in pizza and tart crust.”
Root Vegetables
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Low in calories, root vegetables are at their seasonal best in the fall or winter. Carrots, beets, parsnips, parsley root, and Jerusalem artichokes and all that grow beneath are rooted in the Scandi-diet, according to Hahnemann. Of course, nutrient-rich green veggies like nettles, ramps, garlic, Swiss chard, asparagus, peas, spinach, and leeks are just as prevalent in Nordic meals. “Vegetables are so important in our diet,” says Hahnemann. “Because of the climate, we have to eat less meat and instead eat locally grown vegetables.”
Lean Meats
Getty Images/Joff Lee
Vikings were avid hunters so it's not exactly shocking their diets included a decent amount of meat. While fish was commonplace, so were various kinds of red meat. Although the types of meat would vary by region, it wasn't uncommon for daily diets to include pork, beef, and elk.
