Dietary and nutrient intake of a Sami population living in traditional reindeer herding areas in north Norway: comparisons with a group of Norwegians.

The Samis are an ethnic minority living in the Northern region of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. Traditionally the Samis made their living from reindeer herding with some fishing and agriculture. Earlier studies have shown that their diet consisted of large amounts of reindeer meat, some fish and wild berries with low intakes of other fruits, vegetables and dairy products. Due to the introduction of technical improvements like snowmobiles and terrain vehicles which makes moving with the herd less necessary, their lifestyle has changed. There is little documentation how this has affected their dietary habits. In this study, the dietary pattern and nutrient intake of a group of Samis (n = 75) living in traditional reindeer herding areas of North Norway were investigated and compared with that of a group of Norwegians (n = 65). Dietary information was obtained through an interview by a nutritionist using the dietary history method. The findings indicate that nutrient content of the Sami diet is adequate except for folic acid. Calcium and iron intake was slightly below recommended levels for Sami females. There seems to be some difference between the diet of the Samis and Norwegians. The Samis consume more meat, fat, table sugar and coffee and less fruits and vegetables. The dietary pattern of the Samis seems, however, to be changing toward a more typically Norwegian diet.