The acceptability of the New Nordic Diet by participants in a controlled six-month dietary intervention

•A healthy New Nordic Diet (NND) was developed in order to improve public health.•Acceptance of NND by participants in a clinical intervention study was investigated.•The NND was shown to have high eating acceptance but low practical acceptance.•Low practical acceptance may hinder public acceptance of the NND.

A healthy and palatable ‘New Nordic Diet’ (NND) has been designed with the aim to improve public health in Denmark. In order to explore barriers and possibilities for acceptance of the NND by the wider population this study analyzes acceptance of the NND and a control diet labeled the ‘Average Danish Diet’ (ADD) among participants in a randomized controlled intervention study of the two diets’ health effects. Based on questionnaires presented before (N = 197) and after (N = 147) the intervention, an eating acceptance index expressing eating qualities and a practical acceptance index expressing practical implications of the diet in everyday life were developed. Variations in practical and eating acceptance in relation to key background variables were explored.The NND had high eating acceptance and low practical acceptance when measured after the intervention. The ADD had low eating acceptance but high practical acceptance. NND participants already exhibiting healthy eating habits before the intervention showed the highest eating acceptance of the NND. The ADD had the highest eating acceptance among ADD participants exhibiting less healthy eating habits before the intervention. In spite of high eating acceptance, low practical acceptance may hinder broader public acceptance of the New Nordic Diet.