Greece, Costa Rica and Japan are among the world’s elusive ‘Blue Zones’ where people are thought to have impressive life expectancies
Knowing what’s ‘healthy’ and what’s not while dining out can feel like an impossible challenge. But one longevity expert claims that three specific cuisines are usually a safe bet – and they may just take you by surprise.
Dan Buettner, 64, has studied the world’s six elusive ‘Blue Zones’, including areas of Greece, Costa Rica and Japan, for around two decades. Here, residents are reportedly 10 times more likely to live to 100 than ‘ordinary’ citizens of the United States.
In a TikTok post last year (@danbuettner), Dan revealed that the longest-living people maintain ‘whole food diets’, which exclude processed products and anything with additives. However, he also asserted that restaurant dishes aren’t so bad in some cases, while drawing attention to his go-to meals.
“I spent 20 years studying the diets of the longest-lived people in the world and 90% of what they eat is whole food, plant-based,” he said to his 152,000 followers. “But how do you get that when you go out to dinner?
“Well, there’s a few things I always look for when I arrive in a new city. Number one, I look for the Chipotle. Why? Because you can get delicious beans and rice for under 10 bucks. It’s convenient.
“Number two, I look for the Thai restaurants. You can always find a great tofu stir-fry, I love the red curry or a green curry. Or number three, I look for the Indian restaurants [which] are masters at the lentils – try the Dahl.”
Lentils in particular have gained special attention for their potential health perks in numerous academic studies. In one 2017 review, scientists said their high potassium content was especially beneficial for the heart while possibly preventing cardiovascular diseases.
“When comparing to pulses, lentils have the highest starch content and insoluble dietary fibre content and high quantities of prebiotic carbohydrates that maintain the gut microbiota, which prevents colon-associated diseases,” the scientists wrote. “Lentils are among the cost-effective legumes, and they have lower quantities of fat, sodium and vitamin K, but a high content of potassium.”
Later, they added: “Due to their nutritional and health-promoting potential, the development of lentil-based functional food products as well as nutraceuticals should be widely promoted.”
Meanwhile, various types of bean have been lauded by other experts too. Most notably, this includes kidney beans which are not only rich in protein but hold a hefty amount of fibre which may aid weight loss and blood sugar regulation.
In light of these views, Dan eats a bean-packed minestrone soup every day for breakfast. Albeit unconventional, Dan asserted in 2021: “Take a cue from the world’s longest-lived men, everyday of their life in most Blue Zone villages they are eating a Sardinian minestrone, which I eat every single day.
“This is three beans and barley, you can buy those too it’s a whole protein, plus about 20 different varieties of fibre which your microbiome will love. And then, of course, make sure to top that breakfast off with some good black coffee. Biggest source of antioxidants in the American diet right here in coffee and, don’t forget, call your mother.”
