Aquactic Food Consumption in the Nordic Region

Aquatic foods are essential for supporting healthy and sustainable diets, yet consumption across the Nordic region remains below the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR). Although the NNR are broadly supported by Nordic authorities, actual consumption often does not meet the recommendations, especially among younger age groups. At the same time, choices around aquatic foods are shaped by a complex interaction of cultural, individual, and product-related factors, which makes lasting dietary change challenging to achieve.

This report addresses these challenges and explores opportunities to increase aquatic food consumption in the Nordic region. It begins by reviewing the NNR and national guidelines, alongside current intake patterns and which species are consumed across Nordic countries. Next, it introduces the Aquatic Food Choice Framework, which identifies three key dimensions shaping aquatic food choices: cultural and contextual, individual, and food-related factors. Building on this framework, the report examines the most influential factors and their impact on consumer behaviour with particular emphasis on Nordic consumers.

The report also reviews EU initiatives aimed at promoting healthier and more sustainable food choices. It provides examples of how Nordic authorities are working to increase the consumption of aquatic foods in line with the NNR. It proposes a set of recommendations to help close the gap between current intake and NNR targets, drawing on insights from the Nordic Council’s report “Policy Tools for Sustainable and Healthy Eating.” These recommendations include strategies for diversifying diets by incorporating less commonly consumed species and promoting sustainable choices.

Nordic nutrition recommendations for the intake of aquatic foods

The Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR) set the target and provide the scientific foundation for dietary guidelines across the Nordic and Baltic countries. The NNR generally recommends eating 300–450 grams of fish per week, measured as cooked or ready-to-eat weight. Of this amount, at least 200 grams should come from fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, or herring. While there are minor deviations, these recommendations are broadly consistent with national guidelines throughout the Nordic region.

Norway: The national guidelines recommend eating 300–450 grams of fish per week, with at least 200 grams coming from fatty varieties such as salmon or mackerel (Norwegian Directorate of Health, n.d.).
Sweden: Adults are advised to eat fish 2–3 times per week and include a variety of species (Swedish National Food Agency, 2025).
Finland: The recommendation is to eat fish at least twice a week, using different species for variety (Finnish Food Authority, 2019).
Denmark: Guidelines suggest a weekly intake of 350 grams of fish, of which 200 grams should be oily fish (Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, 2024).
Iceland: The recommended amount is 300–450 grams of fish per week, including both fatty and lean fish (Icelandic Directorate of Health, 2025).
Greenland: Consumers are encouraged to eat local fish products frequently, ideally several times per week (Paarisa, n.d.).
Faroe Islands: The advice is to follow the Nordic nutrition recommendations, adapted to local cultural traditions (Fólkaheilsuráðið, n.d.).

Intake of aquatic foods in the Nordics

In the Nordic region, aquatic food consumption is dominated by a relatively small number of species. Although reports and studies indicate that 6–10 species are a regular part of the diet in each country, some of these are eaten only in very small quantities (less than 0.5 kg per person per year, ready-to-eat weight). The four species most commonly consumed in each country are:

Norway: Salmon, cod, shrimp, and saithe (Norwegian Directorate of Health, 2023).
Sweden: Salmon, herring, shrimp, and cod (Axelsson & Hornborg, 2025).
Finland: Farmed salmon, farmed rainbow trout, tuna, and shrimp (Natural Resources Institute Finland, 2025).
Denmark: Cod, herring, mackerel, and salmon (Eurofish, n.d.).
Iceland: Haddock, cod, tuna, and salmon (Sveinsdóttir et al., 2011).
Greenland: No official statistics or studies available.
Faroe Islands: No official statistics or studies available.

Salmon is the most consistently reported species, present in all Nordic countries with available data, underscoring its central role in the Nordic diets. Cod is also widely consumed, appearing in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland. Shrimp is noted in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. While there are differences in the most consumed species across countries, many of the listed species are shared throughout the Nordic region, though their relative importance varies.