For secrets to living a long, healthy life, many people turn to the habits of people in the Blue Zones. These are areas in Italy, Greece, Japan, Costa Rica, the United States and more, where people regularly live into their 90s and 100s.
Bestselling author Dan Buettner has made it his life’s work to shine a light on these communities and understand their lifestyles, uncovering the habits that help them live longer than most of us.
In a recent social media post, he shared the meal that “the longest-lived family in the world” eats every day.
The Melis family, from Sardinia, Italy, holds a world record for longevity. They took the Guinness World Record title for the highest combined age for nine living siblings in 2012.
“Nine siblings, collective age: 861 years. Oldest sibling is 109. Every day of their life, they had the exact same lunch,” Buettner said in the video.
The 1 meal the longest living family eats everyday
“The longest-lived family in the world eats this meal every single day,” Buettner wrote in the Instagram post. The meal consists of:
- Three-bean minestrone (garbanzo, pinto, and white bean)
- Sourdough bread
- A glass of red wine (2-3 ounces)
While many factors besides what you eat will play a role in how long you live, this meal exemplifies what Buettner calls the Blue Zones diet, which emphasizes whole foods and plants.
3-bean minestrone soup
Buettner said the family eats a chunky minestrone made with a variety of garden vegetables grown nearby, and it always contains three types of beans: garbanzo, pinto and white bean.
“People who live the longest, healthiest lives tend to eat half a cup to a cup of beans daily. Plus, the soup is rich in vegetables, which are top longevity foods,” Samantha Cassetty, a registered dietitian based in New York City and the co-author of “Sugar Shock,” tells TODAY.com.
“It’s also noteworthy that the soup uses three types of beans and multiple vegetables. Research suggests that eating 30 unique plant foods…
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