Table 2 Mean dietary intakes and Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 (NNR₂₀₂₃) score from the dietary record and food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and mean cardiometabolic risk markers between baseline and 3-month follow-up among participants with complete data from both time points, stratified by intervention and control group

Intervention (n = 35)

Control (n = 45)

Between groups

Baseline

3-month

Baseline

3-month

at baseline

mean

(SD)

Mean

(SD)

mean

(SD)

mean

(SD)

p-value^*

NNR-score (0–30 points) (dietary record)

10.9

(3.6)

10.6

(2.9)

10.8

(3.5)

12.1

(3.6)

0.91

Dietary variables (dietary record)

 Fruit and vegetables (g/day)

288

(162)

284

(162)

252

(157)

306

(190)

0.33

 Legumes/pulses (g/day)

15

(32)

15

(32)

8

(16)

11

(22)

0.20

 Total fish and seafood (g/day)

47

(40)

58

(51)

47

(41)

41

(34)

0.98

 Red and processed meat (g/day)

86

(58)

92

(58)

98

(66)

95

(64)

0.41

 Sugar-sweetened beverages (g/day)

46

(116)

29

(58)

48

(75)

23

(59)

0.94

 Fiber (g/day)

22

(9)

20

(7)

23

(12)

22

(10)

0.94

 Whole grains (g/day)

39

(39)

33

(32)

34

(25)

35

(20)

0.51

 Carbohydrates (g/day)

177

(58)

160

(51)

177

(61)

170

(48)

0.99

 Saturated fat (g/day)

32

(12)

27

(10)

32

(14)

30

(9)

0.91

 Unsaturated fat (g/day)

41

(13)

41

(20)

41

(17)

42

(13)

0.93

 Sodium (mg/day)

2908

(854)

2700

(793)

3055

(1004)

3125

(1005)

0.49

 Sucrose (g/day)

14.0

(11.6)

11.0

(8.7)

15.0

(8.9)

11.2

(8.8)

0.62

 Total energy (kcal/day)

1922

(496)

1744

(505)

1928

(455)

1827

(312)

0.95

NNR-score (0–30 points) (FFQ)

13.4

(3.4)

13.9

(3.4)

13.6

(3.3)

14.0

(3.6)

0.88

Dietary variables (FFQ)

 Fruit and vegetables (g/day)

353

(236)

368

(195)

372

(249)

420

(305)

0.69

 Legumes/pulses (g/day)

40

(41)

48

(48)

34

(36)

53

(61)

0.51

 Total fish and seafood (g/day)

51

(30)

52

(31)

45

(28)

44

(26)

0.27

 Red and processed meat (g/day)

80

(42)

75

(39)

93

(78)

84

(56)

0.32

 Sugar-sweetened beverages (g/day)

13

(67)

22

(78)

4

(30)

13

(66)

0.39

 Fiber (g/day)

28

(14)

29

(12)

28

(10)

32

(13)

0.88

 Whole grains (g/day)

65

(31)

65

(32)

63

(36)

68

(35)

0.80

 Carbohydrates (g/day)

208

(80)

206

(75)

207

(69)

223

(74)

0.95

 Saturated fat (g/day)

32

(11)

31

(11)

32

(13)

35

(15)

0.86

 Unsaturated fat (g/day)

50

(21)

48

(18)

47

(17)

52

(25)

0.44

 Sodium (mg/day)

2684

(886)

2683

(808)

2655

(820)

2821

(802)

0.87

 Sucrose (g/day)

32

(16)

31

(14)

30

(13)

34

(17)

0.55

Intervention (n = 51)

Control (n = 54)

Cardiometabolic risk markers

 BMI (kg/m²)

29.8

(5.2)

29.5

(5.2)

29.7

(4.2)

29.4

(4.2)

0.94

 Waist circumference (cm)^a

105.4

(13.8)

103.2

(14.0)

105.7

(12.2)

104.2

(11.7)

0.90

 Body fat (%)^b

32.0

(9.4)

31.7

(9.3)

32.1

(8.9)

32.4

(8.6)

0.96

 HbA1c (mmol/mol)^c

49.4

(10.1)

48.2

(9.8)

50.3

(10.1)

50.4

(12.7)

0.66

 Triglycerides (mmol/L)^d

1.5

(0.9)

1.3

(0.7)

1.6

(0.8)

1.7

(1.0)

0.49

 Total cholesterol (mmol/L)^d

4.0

(0.9)

4.0

(0.8)

4.2

(1.2)

4.3

(1.3)

0.43

 LDL-cholesterol (mmol/L)^d,e

2.2

(0.7)

2.1

(0.6)

2.3

(1.0)

2.3

(1.0)

0.48

 HDL-cholesterol (mmol/L)^d

1.3

(0.4)

1.3

(0.4)

1.2

(0.3)

1.2

(0.4)

0.10

 Non-HDL-cholesterol^d

2.7

(0.9)

2.7

(0.8)

3.0

(1.2)

3.1

(1.3)

0.19

 Blood pressure (mmHg)^f

  Systolic

135

(15)

132

(16)

135

(15)

131

(13)

0.90

  Diastolic

85

(10)

84

(11)

83

(13)

80

(10)

0.28