The nutrient density of present-day and traditional diets and their health aspects: the Sami- and lumberjack families living in rural areas of Northern Sweden.

In a rural area of Northern Sweden, the food consumption of 22 Swedish Sami families and 32 lumberjack families was recorded. Repeated 24-hour recalls were obtained from September 1990 to April 1991. The traditional Sami diet was calculated from interviews with old Sami people living today and from information from the literature. The nutrient density was well above recommended levels for most nutrients except for folate and fiber, in the Sami and lumberjack diets. Sami diet was just below NNR for calcium density and the lumberjacks' diet for selenium density. The present-day diets of Sami families contain less protein than in the past. In lumberjack families today, the intake of energy and fat is less than in the past while protein content has been kept constant over time. Different aspects of these dietary changes and possible health effects are discussed and compared with food consumption in Iceland and Finland in the past.