How to Follow the Blue Zones Diet, Which Was Developed to Help You Live Past 100

Photograph: Getty Images; Collage: Armando Zaragoza

Few diets have an origin story involving a globe-trotting explorer and the hearty centenarians encountered on his travels, but such is the case with the Blue Zone diet. It was created after National Geographic Fellow and explorer Dan Buettner observed undeniable commonalities in the eating patterns of the world's longest-living populations despite these communities being spread throughout the globe.

Buettner named the regions he identified as having extraordinarily high rates of nonagenarians and centenarians "The Blue Zones" and set out to determine why the people who resided within them seemed to enjoy longer lifespans and healthspans. One result of this research was the Blue Zone diet, which offers dietary guidelines based on the foods most often consumed or not consumed in the Blue Zones.

The Blue Zones diet differs from traditional or fad diets in that it doesn't involve calorie counting, macro tallying, or purchasing engineered foods, supplements, or powders. Instead, it offers simple lifestyle guidance that centers on traditional ways of living and doesn't involve unsustainable sacrifice. "When you look at people in the Blue Zones, who live up to 10 years longer without chronic disease, their journey is joyous," Buettner previously told GQ.

What is the Blue Zones diet?

In studying the populations of the Blue Zones—which include Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; and Loma Linda, California—Buettner found that although dietary specifics varied from region to region, they shared one common trait: The majority of foods consumed were plant-based, whole foods. This intel was supported by a meta-analysis, conducted by Buettner and overseen by Walter Willett, MD, at Harvard University, of 154 dietary surveys or studies collected over 80 years across all five Blue Zones. It revealed that 90 to 95% of the diets were plant-based whole foods.

This means that people in the Blue Zones mainly eat vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, beans, and nuts and do not eat much meat, dairy, processed foods, or foods and drinks that contain added sugar. Most of this food is locally grown and cooked at home.

What can I eat on the Blue Zones diet?

A general guiding light for those wanting to adhere to a Blue Zone diet is to focus food choices on whole foods or those comprised of a single ingredient. These foods can be raw, cooked, ground, or fermented but are not heavily processed—think raw apples versus Oreos.

While the Blue Zone diet includes many vegetables and fruits, Buettner offers some startling intel: it is about 65% carbohydrates. "I know when people read 'carbohydrates,' red lights flash in their brains," he says. "But you have to remember that both jelly beans and pinto beans are carbohydrates. We're talking about the pinto bean variety—complex carbohydrates, the healthiest thing in our diet."

Below, Buettner shares more about the foods most commonly consumed in the Blue Zones.

Vegetables

It's 2024, so you're not likely surprised to learn that people in the Blue Zones eat a wide variety and volume of in-season garden vegetables. According to Buettner, the Blue Zone diet is particularly heavy in greens, such as fennel tops, dandelion greens, and different varieties of wild spinach. "In Ikaria, for example, they have about 80 varieties of greens that they harvest off the side of the road in many cases, and some of them have about ten times the antioxidants of red wine," he says.

The Blue Zone diet is also heavy on tubers, such as purple sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes, and regular potatoes. "Seventy percent of the caloric intake of Okinawan women—until about 1970—came from purple sweet potatoes," says Buettner. "They're a superfood. The pigment in purple sweet potatoes contains the same antioxidants as blueberries in even higher concentrations, and they contain folate, complex carbohydrates, and even protein." Plus, he adds, they're shelf stable and "super easy to make taste delicious."

Grains

Buettner says in the Blue Zones, people eat whole grains, corn, wheat, and white rice. Yes, white. He says white rice is prevalent in the Blue Zones of Costa Rica and Okinawa and in regions where people live much longer than we do, such as Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan. "I'm very aware that if you just eat a bowl of white rice, it'll send your blood sugar and your insulin soaring, but when you add protein, fiber, and complex carbohydrates to it, the glycemic load of that whole meal is muted," he says.

Beans and legumes

The Blue Zone diet is also big on beans, which are an exceptional source of protein, fiber, and nutrients. They're also filling. Buettner says the longest-living people in the world eat about a cup of beans per day, on average. This includes everything from lentils to garbanzo beans to soybeans to black beans. Need help with how to make beans exciting? Buettner's got you covered.)

Nuts

In the Blue Zones, people rely on nuts for snacking. "People who eat a handful of nuts daily live longer than non-nut eaters," says Buettner. Nuts are packed with protein, vitamins, minerals, and heart-healthy unsaturated fats. They may even help lower your cholesterol levels. Concerning longevity, you can get "bonus points" for choosing walnuts over other nuts.

Tofu

While tofu isn't found in all Blue Zones, Buettner considers it a central part of the Blue Zone diet. "In Okinawa, they eat about eight times more tofu than we do [in the United States]," he says. Tofu is an excellent source of heart-healthy protein.

Turmeric

Buettner considers turmeric a longevity food, and he says the spice is used constantly in the Blue Zones—in teas, for example, or to flavor rice. "There's a wealth of scientific research that supports the health benefits of turmeric," he says. "It's a super powerful anti-inflammatory, and it's also been shown to kill several types of cancer in vitro."

Olive oil

Buettner says that most Blue Zones cook with olive oil, except Okinawa, where canola oil is primarily used. Research links such olive oil consumption with lower rates of all-cause mortality.

Tea

While water is the primary Blue Zone beverage, tea is also prominently featured in the diet. "Chamomile is a powerful anti-inflammatory tea, and you'll see that in Sardinia and Ikaria," says Buettner. "In Ikaria, you'll see rosemary, oregano, and dandelion teas, which are anti-inflammatory and contain mid-to-high amounts of antioxidants. They're also diuretics, which help keep your blood pressure in check."

Coffee

Coffee is also big in the Blue Zones. Buettner has previously called it "one of the few indulgences you can enjoy with impunity." He notes that it's been associated with lower rates of Parkinson's Disease and Type 2 Diabetes. In the Blue Zones, it's almost always consumed black—no added milk, sugar, or pumpkin spice syrup.

Fruit

Local fruit is consumed in all five Blue Zones, and according to Buettner's research, people who consumed about a quarter pound of fruit daily (e.g., an apple) were 60% less likely to die in the next four years than those who didn't. In his opinion, it doesn't matter what fruit you consume. "Some would argue that berries are healthier than bananas, but the best fruit to eat is the fruit that you'll actually eat," says Buettner. He does caveat, however, that fruit is most often consumed as dessert in the Blue Zones.

Bread

While it's not technically considered a whole food, some bread in the Blue Zone diet is made either from whole grains—such as wheat, rye, or barley—or from sourdough, which Buettner says can make the rest of your meal healthier. "If you have real sourdough bread like they bake in Sardinia, it actually lowers the meal's glycemic load," he says. "They're eating that with almost every single meal." In the Blue Zone of Costa Rica, 100% corn tortillas are substituted for bread as a dietary staple.

What foods should I eat in moderation on the Blue Zones diet?

Meat

While the Blue Zone diet can include meat, Buettner says it should be more of a special-occasion food than an everyday dish. "In the Blue Zones, meat is consumed about five times a month, traditionally speaking, usually in a portion no bigger than the size of a deck of cards," he says.

Fish

The Blue Zone diet includes only occasional servings of fish. "Maybe twice a week," says Buettner. "It's a lot less than you might think." As is true of the meat consumed, this fish is usually fresh-caught versus farmed.

Dairy

Dairy doesn't make much of an appearance in the Blue Zones either, and cow dairy is especially rare, says Buettner. "You do see feta cheese, which is made from goat's milk, or pecorino cheese, made from sheep's milk," he says. "But, the cheese generally tends to be much stronger, and they're eating much less of it—a piece the size of a marshmallow versus half a pound melted over a pizza."

Eggs

The Blue Zone diet is also low on eggs, with Buettner allowing two to three per week. In the Blue Zones, eggs are usually consumed as a side dish. Few are used in baking, as there isn't a ton of baking, at least in terms of cookies and cakes, done in general in the Blue Zones. In Loma Linda, people often use egg substitutes such as aquafaba, or the liquid byproduct of cooking or canning garbanzo beans, when they do bake.

Dessert

To that end, the Blue Zone diet does not include many desserts beyond the occasional piece of fruit. "Desserts per se are usually celebratory foods eaten at festivals, weddings, or birthdays," says Buettner.

Red wine

Red wine, on the other hand, is consumed daily in most Blue Zones. "I'm aware of all the recent research on [the health risks] of red wine, but people in the Blue Zones who are making it to 90 and 100 are drinking wine in small amounts every day," he says. The critical caveat is that this is a small amount each day—one glass versus half a bottle.

What foods should I avoid when following a Blue Zones diet?

Processed foods

Traditionally, people in the Blue Zones eat very few heavily processed foods or foods that have been significantly altered from their original state. Examples include chips, bakery goods, fast foods, and sugary drinks.

Added sugar

People in the Blue Zones avoid processed foods and foods that contain added sugar. "The average American consumes about 22 to 24 teaspoons of added sugar every day," says Buettner. In the Blue Zones, it's about seven." What sugar is found in their diets tends to come from fruit or is added in small amounts to tea or coffee.

What are the benefits of a Blue Zones diet?

The health benefits of the Blue Zone diet are similar to those of another popular whole-food, plant-based diet known as the Mediterranean diet, including:

Increased longevity

The most famous benefit of the Blue Zone diet is increased longevity—after all, it was designed after the diets of the world's longest-lived people. Scientific evidence supports this claim: Whole foods and plant-based diets, such as those found in the Blue Zone diet, have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of mortality from all causes.

Buettner says that data collected from the Loma Linda Adventist population shows that some diets within the Blue Zones confer greater longevity benefits than others. For this large study, the Adventist demographic was broken down into four categories: meat-eaters; lacto-ovo vegetarians, who skip meat and fish but eat cheese and eggs; pescatarians, who eat up to a serving of fish per day but are otherwise vegan; and then vegans, who eat no meat, fish, dairy, or eggs. The study, says Buettner, found that the meat-eating group had the highest mortality rate, followed by the lacto-ovo vegetarians. "And then the pescatarians and the vegans were about tied," he says. This data suggests that in order to reap the greatest longevity benefits from a Blue Zone diet, it's best to regularly avoid meat and dairy.

Reduced risk for chronic disease

The longevity benefits of the Blue Zone diet can largely be attributed to a lowered risk of chronic disease and illness. Whole foods and plant-based diets, such as the Blue Zone diet, have been shown to reduce rates of heart disease, cancer, and Type 2 Diabetes. "In Sardinia, until about the year 2000, only 2% of people were suffering from Type 2 Diabetes," Buettner says.

Reduced risk of obesity and increased weight loss

According to Buettner, historically, there's been almost no obesity in the Blue Zones, and The Blue Zone diet offers weight loss and maintenance benefits—especially if you lean into the vegan version. "[Some research shows] that a vegan weighs about 30 pounds less than their meat-eating counterparts, which offers a very simple recipe for losing weight—eat a whole-foods, plant-based diet," says Buettner. "You're not only going to live longer, you're going to be svelter for the journey."

Reduced inflammation

With few exceptions, most foods found in the Blue Zone diet are anti-inflammatory, says Buettner, which contributes to their ability to lower the risk of chronic disease.

Lowered expenses

Buettner says that the Blue Zones diet consists of relatively inexpensive foods. "The diet will save you money," he says.

What lifestyle habits are part of the Blue Zones diet?

Of course, diet alone doesn't account for the long lifespans of those residing in the Blue Zones. Other lifestyle choices enable their good health, including:

Regular, organic movement

In the Blue Zones, people don't necessarily pump iron at the gym. Instead, their exercise comes from everyday activities such as walking, gardening, and cooking. "They're moving naturally, for about 20 minutes, every 20 minutes or so," he says. "This is the route to longevity—regular, low-intensity physical activity that you enjoy, deployed for decades."

Sense of purpose

For the longest-living people in the world, Buettner says life is underpinned by purpose. "In Okinawa, this sense of Ikigai pervades the culture. With the Adventists, it's God or religion," he says. "Whatever it is, they are all imbued with purpose." Research shows that having such a sense of purpose significantly lowers the risk of all-cause mortality.

Community

According to Buettner, Blue Zones inhabitants are big on community. "They eat meals with their family," he says. "They take time with their neighbors." In Okinawa, he says, there's a concept called a moai, which refers to a committed circle of friends. These moais offer the support of an extended family. "I argue that the best thing you can do is curate that immediate social circle," he says. "The longevity benefits are enormous." He also notes that those within a Blue Zones community tend to share healthy values around diet and other lifestyle choices, which makes everyone involved healthier. "Health behaviors are measurably contagious," says Buettner.

Environment

Although they are scattered worldwide, Blue Zone environments share some common characteristics. For one, they are walkable. "In most of the Blue Zones, almost none of the centenarians owned cars," says Buettner. "They walked everywhere." Blue Zones inhabitants also tend to live close to nature and are able to grow their own food.

Sleep

According to Buettner, people in the Blue Zones tend to go to bed relatively soon after sunset and wake up around sunrise, which means they get about eight or nine hours of sleep per night.

Positive attitudes around aging

In the Blue Zones, Buettner says people don't tend to fear getting older or endeavor to avoid it at all costs. This attitude is to their benefit. "People who have a positive attitude towards older people have about 40% lower mortality rates than people who are afraid of aging," he says.

How can I adopt a Blue Zones Diet?

For those living in the Blue Zones, this diet has traditionally been easy to follow because the foods included were the cheapest and most accessible. Things are different in the U.S., says Buettner, where the cheapest and most accessible foods tend to be highly processed. Still, it's not a complicated diet, with the main tenet overall being that when in doubt, stick to whole, plant-based foods.

Buettner does, however, offer a caveat. For it to be effective, the Blue Zone diet can't actually be adopted as a diet but rather as a way of life. "You can't just try it for three months and expect it to make a difference," he says. "The only way it works—the only way any diet works—is by figuring out how to do it for the long run," he says. "The key to that is tasting enough dishes until you find half a dozen that you love, know how to make, and that your family will eat. And then you're well on your way to 100."

After all, cooking at home is important; historically, people in the Blue Zones rarely ate out. For inspiration, he suggests referencing his books The Blue Zones Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Live to 100 and The Blue Zones American Kitchen. "The genius of the Blue Zone diet is that the recipes have evolved over the centuries to get better and better," he says.

As much of our eating is mindless, Buettner says it can also be helpful to control your environment by eliminating non-Blue Zone diet foods from your home and keeping the fruits, vegetables, and healthy snacks you love on hand. That way, you're more likely to mindlessly consume carrots or walnuts than chips and cookies.

He also insists that, in time, you won't miss the foods you've eliminated from your diet. "After a couple of weeks of not napalming your taste buds with processed foods, sugars, sodium, flavor enhancers, and emulsifiers, all of a sudden, these more nuanced flavors come through, and they're far more satisfying than the thud of most processed foods," says Buettner.

One final tip for implementing the Blue Zone diet is to practice "eating breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper." This is, essentially, the Blue Zones version of intermittent fasting. "They de facto eat their calories in about an eight to 10-hour window," says Buettner. "The ideal for weight control and longevity is having a huge 10 a.m. brunch and then a 4 p.m. lunch-dinner, and then not eating at all."

Originally Appeared on GQ