Two-day Meal Plans:
Sweden

Axfoundation’s ambition with the 2-day EAT-Lancet Menu is to turn the most popular everyday recipes into the Planetary Health Diet.

Swedish food habits for higher nutritional value and lower climate impact

Introduction

Axfoundation’s ambition with the 2-day EAT Lancet Menu is to turn the most popular everyday recipes into the Planetary Health Diet. The adjusted recipes should not take more time to prepare, have a similar flavor profile and a comparable cost. 

The initiative to develop the menus originated from EAT, aiming to translate the Planetary Health Diet into practical, everyday meals. At Axfoundation, we used the results from a national study “Swedish food habits for higher nutritional value and lower climate impact” (Torstensson and Johansson, 2021) mapping Sweden’s most common dishes.

Day 1

Breakfast

Oatmeal, apple sauce, crushed hazelnuts, oat milk

Oatmeal is an inexpensive staple food rich in several vitamins and minerals, offering all the health benefits of whole grains – such as a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. The fiber in oats provides a good feeling of fullness. Moreover, oatmeal can be varied endlessly: if you don’t enjoy preparing porridge in the morning, you can make “overnight oats” instead. Combined with fruit, nuts, and berries, oatmeal makes an excellent breakfast.

Ingredients

  • 4 dl (140 g) fiber oats
  • 10 dl water
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pinch cardamom
  • 1 apple, diced
  • ½ dl hazelnuts, chopped
  • 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
  • 160 g apple sauce
  • 20 g honey
  • 6 dl oat milk



Method

  • Mix oats, water, and salt in a pot (preferably do this the day before and let it sit at room temperature).

  • Bring to a boil and let simmer while stirring for about 3 minutes.

  • Top with apple sauce, diced apple, chopped hazelnuts, and sunflower seeds.

  • Drizzle honey on top and serve with oat milk.



lunch

Whole grain pasta with legume Bolognese, grated cheese, and fermented vegetables

Ingredients

  • 400 g whole grain spaghetti
  • 40 g aged cheese
  • 200 g fermented vegetables
  • 400 g legume mince
  • 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 800 g crushed tomatoes
  • 1 vegetable bouillon cube
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper



Method

  • Start by swapping half the spaghetti for whole-grain pasta and half the ground meat for a legume-based mince.

  • Then gradually increase the share of plant-based ingredients and whole grains. This way it’s easier to build a habit that sticks, your taste buds have time to adjust, and you can fine-tune the seasoning along the way.

  • Brown the mince in half of the oil over medium heat for 7-8 minutes until golden all around, transfer to a pot.

  • Then fry the onion, garlic, and celery in the rest of the oil until the vegetables are soft without browning, add the tomato paste and let it fry for another minute.

  • Mix the mince with the vegetables and add crushed tomatoes, oregano, salt, and pepper.

  • Let everything simmer for about 20 minutes, thin with pasta water (about 5 dl) if it becomes too thick.



snack

Fresh apple
or pear

Method

  • Cutting fruit into pieces makes it easier to eat – both for children and adults. Try varying with different types of apples, as they can differ greatly in flavor.

  • Tossing apple slices in cinnamon or other tasty spices also makes eating them more exciting.
dinner

Fish stew with farmed char, mussels, and vegetables, croutons from leftover bread

A hearty fish stew, packed with vegetables and potatoes, makes a wonderful healthy and delicious dinner. If you prefer not to use cream, it’s just as tasty with crushed tomatoes, and you can use whatever vegetables you have at home. Just be sure to add them at the right time so they don’t overcook – it’s nice when the vegetables are still firm. And if you don’t have the energy to cook fresh mussels, you can simply add frozen ones instead. You can also vary the type of fish; rainbow trout or any other sustainably caught or farmed fish works just as well.

Ingredients

  • 4 slices leftover whole grain bread
  • 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1 garlic clove, pressed
  • Salt and pepper
  • 500 g blue mussels
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 dl dry white wine
  • 1 wedge (100 g) celeriac
  • 2 carrots, julienned
  • 200 g firm potatoes, diced
  • 200 g cauliflower, diced
  • 1 dl fish bouillon cube
  • 4 dl water
  • 2 dl cooking cream
  • 300 g char fillet
  • 50 g herbs



Method

  • Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Mix oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.

  • Cut the bread into fine cubes and toss in the garlic oil.

  • Spread the cubes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast in the oven until golden brown.

  • Rinse the mussels. Heat the rapeseed oil in a large pot and sauté the onion and garlic until soft.

  • Add the mussels, pour over the wine, and cover with a lid.

  • Let boil vigorously for 3-4 minutes, shaking them halfway through.

  • Remove the pot from the heat, pick up the mussels and set them aside.

  • Add celeriac, carrot, potatoes, cauliflower, and fish bouillon to the onion mixture and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.

  • Add the cream and let it simmer for another 10 minutes, season with salt and pepper.

  • Dice the fish into 2*2 cm pieces and fold it into the stew.

  • Return the mussels and add the parsley.



Day 2

Breakfast

Oat yogurt with whole grain granola, seeds, and dried fruit. Whole grain crispbread with liver pâté and cucumber.

Making a big batch of healthy granola is a great way to ensure tasty and nutritious breakfasts when time is short. Mix the seeds, nuts, and dried fruits you like best and can find at a good price. Flavor it with cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla, or whatever suits you and your family. Paired with a whole grain crispbread topped with a nutrient-dense spread or fish topping, you’ve got yourself a breakfast – splendid for both body and planet.

Ingredients

Granola

  • 2 dl whole grain rye flakes
  • ½ dl dried fruit, chopped (prunes, apple)
  • ½ dl nuts and seeds
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1 pinch vanilla powder
  • 1 tbsp apple juice concentrate
  • 1.5 tsp honey



    Sandwich

  • 4 slices whole grain crispbread
  • 20 g sandwich margarine
  • 80 g liver pâté
  • Fresh or pickled cucumber



Serve with

  • 8 dl oat yogurt
  • 100 g frozen berries (blueberries, raspberries)





Lunch

Potato and leek soup, whole grain sandwich with cream cheese and vegetables

You can make a delicious vegetable soup from just about anything – leftover bits of vegetables from the fridge, frozen or canned veggies, or whatever is affordable and in season at your local store right now. Pair it with a hearty whole grain sandwich topped with cream cheese and plenty of greens, and you’ve got yourself a terrific lunch!

Ingredients

  • 600 g potatoes, diced
  • 1 (300 g) leek, julienned
  • 2 (200 g) yellow onions, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves (optional)
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 4 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 3 chicken bouillon cubes + 1 l water
  • 2 dl cooking cream
  • Salt (1 tsp) and pepper
  • 4 slices coarse whole grain bread
  • 60 g light cream cheese
  • Julienne vegetables



Method

  • Heat the oil in a large pot and let the vegetables sweat with the thyme until soft.

  • Pour in the bouillon and let it boil for about 10 minutes.

  • Add the cream and let it cook until the potatoes are soft.

  • Serve directly or blend the soup with an immersion blender if you prefer it smooth.

  • Season with salt and pepper.

  • Spread the cream cheese on the bread slices and top with vegetables.



snack

Kale smoothie with apple, honey, lemon, mint, ginger, served with banana

A smoothie together with a piece of fruit keeps you full without putting strain on the planet, while the right ingredients provide everything you need to maintain your energy. Blend frozen berries, fruits, and vegetables with tasty additions like ginger and add some oat yogurt if you want a creamier texture. If you prefer eating it with a spoon in a “smoothie bowl”, make it thicker by blending in some oats and top it with fresh, sliced fruit or berries!

Ingredients

  • 100 g kale, stripped
  • 1 (120 g) grated apple
  • 1 tbsp (30 g) honey
  • 1 tsp (50 g) lemon juice
  • 15 mint leaves
  • 1 cm (15 g) grated ginger
  • 2.5 dl water
  • banana



Method

  • Blend all ingredients until smooth, pour into glasses and serve with a banana.





dinner

Chicken sausage stroganoff with oat rice, raw vegetable salad with red cabbage, carrot, apple, broccoli

Sausage stroganoff with white rice is one of Sweden’s most beloved dishes. However, it’s both a burden on the climate and a challenge for health, with high levels of saturated fat and far too little greens. By swapping polished white rice for oat rice or a similar whole-grain alternative, replacing pork with poultry or vegetarian sausage, and adding a fresh raw vegetable salad, you can keep the familiar flavors at the dinner table while doing both the planet and your health a big favor. If it feels difficult, start by replacing just half and increase gradually. Rome wasn’t built in a day – what matters most is building long-term healthy habits.

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 400 g chicken sausage, roughly julienned
  • 2 (300 g) yellow onions, julienned
  • 3 tbsp (70 g) tomato paste
  • 4 dl (400 g) oat base
  • 1 tsp (10 g) Dijon mustard
  • 4 paprika powder
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube
  • 1 dl water
  • 50 g chopped herbs
  • 350 g oat rice


    Salad

  • 100 g frozen peas
  • 200 g red cabbage, julienned
  • 1 apple (120 g), julienned
  • ½ broccoli head (125 g), julienned
  • 1 carrot (75 g), julienned
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil



Method

  • Heat the oil and brown the sausage and onion.

  • Add the tomato paste and let it brown for another minute.

  • Add the oat base, Dijon mustard, spices, and chicken bouillon.

  • Let it cook for 15 minutes.

  • Mix all the julienned vegetables.

  • Add vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper.

  • Massage the dressing into the vegetables and serve.



summary

Day 1

Breakfast

Oatmeal with apple sauce and crushed hazelnuts​
Fiber oats, apple sauce, hazelnuts, oat milk




Lunch

Whole grain pasta with legume Bolognese, grated cheese, and fermented vegetables
Whole grain spaghetti, legume mince, tomatoes, fermented vegetables






Snack

Fresh fruit​
Apple or pear



Dinner

Fish stew with farmed char, mussels, and vegetables
Blue mussels, onion, celeriac, carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, cooking cream, char

Croutons from leftover bread​
Whole grain bread, rapeseed oil, garlic

Day 2

Breakfast

Oat yogurt with whole grain granola and berries
Whole grain rye flakes, dried fruit, nuts and seeds, rapeseed oil, apple juice concentrate, honey, oat
yogurt, berries


Whole grain crispbread with liver pâté and
cucumber
Whole grain crispbread, margarine, liver pâté,
cucumber


Lunch

Potato and leek soup
Potatoes, leek, yellow onions, garlic, rapeseed oil,
chicken bouillon, cooking cream


Sandwich with cream cheese and vegetables
Whole grain bread, cream cheese, vegetables



Snack

Kale smoothie with apple, honey, lemon, mint,
ginger, served with banana
Kale, apple, honey, lemon juice, leaves, ginger,
banana



Dinner

Chicken sausage stroganoff with oat rice
Chicken sausage, yellow onions, tomato paste, oat
base, chicken bouillon, rapeseed oil,oat rice

Raw vegetable salad with red cabbage, carrot, apple, broccoli
Peas, red cabbage, apple, broccoli head, carrot,
rapeseed oil

analysis
credits

Sweden’s 2-day EAT- Lancet Menu is developed by:​

  • Axfoundation’s development centre Torsåker Farm www.axfoundation.se ​
  • Anna Henning Moberg, Head of Operations, Torsåker Farm, [email protected], +46 (0)73 990 77 79​
  • Veronica Öhrvik, Project Manager, Future Food, [email protected], +46 (0)73 055 38 51​
  • Dr. Line J. Gordon, Professor Sustainability Science, Director Stockholm Resilience Centre, [email protected], +46 (0)73 707 85 29​

Inspired by research by: Rebecca Johansson and Linn Torstensson, Master Thesis in Food Science, Students Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Swedish food habits for higher nutritional value and lower climate impact.​

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