Blue Zones Life:
Easy, Awesome Meals

path-2@2x Breakfasts

Balsamic Goji Berry Oats

Centenarians from the blue zones typically eat a mainly plant-based diet. They favor beans, greens, yams and sweet potatoes, whole grains, fruits, nuts, and seeds. This recipe combines a few centenarians staples. "Poppy seeds and hempseeds add texture and healthy fats to this unusual but…

Pumpkin Pancakes

While pumpkins may be synonymous with fall, centenarians in the longest-lived places in the world eat squash year-round. Pumpkin pancakes pull together the warmth of cinnamon and sweetness of honey for a cozy combination.

Cameron Diaz’s Favorite Longevity Recipe

According to Cameron this is her go-to for a quick meal full of essential nutrients: “It is the most deliciously satisfying, most probiotic-filled bowl that’s also full of delicious, healthy fats.”

Top 10 Best Blue Zones Breakfast Ideas

Only about a third of American adults regularly eat breakfast, and over 50 percent skip breakfast at least once a week. Mornings can be hectic, but science has proven the importance of breakfast time and time again. There’s an old saying: “Breakfast like a king;…

Potato Leek Soup

A French classic that tastes decadent without any cream, this soup is luscious and comforting. It’s also simple to whip up and is loved by everyone. Serve it with a green salad and good bread to make it a full meal. Even though this is…

Big-Batch Adventist Vegetable Soup

In the Blue Zones area of Loma Linda, Seventh-Day Adventists gather for community meals after church or host family dinners on the Sabbath. By surrounding themselves with like-minded friends and family, they support each other's healthy behaviors and create strong relationships. This potato and vegetable…

Creamy Corn Chowder

Corn chowder is universally appealing, especially among children, because of its sweet taste and creamy texture. Here you will find that creaminess without the heaviness of traditional recipes. Makes about 10 cups Ready in 50 minutes

One-Hour, Crowd-Feeding Chili

The longest-lived people in the world eat about a cup of beans per day. This easy, one-hour chili is packed full of kidney beans and is a mild rendition, but can be spiced up with your favorite hot sauce or with the addition of jalapeños.…

Miso Soup with Vegetables

[sg_popup id="1" event="onload"][/sg_popup]Though miso soup is usually considered an appetizer for lunch or dinner in American Japanese restaurants, this miso soup recipe is inspired by Okinawan centenarian Kamada Nakazato who preferred to eat it for breakfast, spiked with vegetables she picked from her garden. In…

path-2@2x Entrees

“Chuna” Salad Sandwich

Don’t want bread for your sandwich? Make your ‘wich any which way! Ditch the bread and wrap the fixings in a big lettuce, collard or kale leaf, or pile it on a bed of greens for a refreshing, lighter lunch! (Just be sure to add…

Spiced Chickpeas & Sweet Potatoes with Brown Rice

Forget boring meat and potatoes - tonight it's all about beans and sweet potatoes! Sweet potato is one of the foundational foods for centenarians in Okinawa and it is a great fuel food with its combination of simple and complex carbohydrates. When combined with kale…

Creamy Polenta with Pizza Fixings & Veggies

[sg_popup id="1" event="onload"][/sg_popup]We love using polenta cornmeal as a delicious alternative to traditional pizza dough. Its bright yellow color makes it a beautiful canvas for toppings galore. Stacked with gorgeous vegetables and sprinkled with nutritional yeast and walnuts, this polenta cornmeal with pizza flavors is hearty,…

Our Favorite Veggie Sandwich

Makes 1 sandwich Put that Ikarian-Style Sourdough bread to good use and turn your salad into a sandwich you can take to work or pack up for a family picnic. Get creative and pile up seasonal vegetables or switch up the hummus for a white bean spread…

Roasted Tomato & Artichoke Pesto Pasta

[sg_popup id="1" event="onload"][/sg_popup]This colorful pesto pasta from the Blue Zones® Meal Planner is full of veggies and flavor—without any oil or cholesterol that you'd find in traditional pesto. The quick, throw-it-together sauce is made creamy and nutty with walnuts, refreshing with basil, and lightly garlicky with - yep!…

Quick and Easy Pad Thai

This Pad Thai from the Blue Zones® Meal Planner may taste like restaurant fare, but it’s quicker, cheaper and lighter than what you’ll find on any menu. Extra firm tofu brings clean protein to this dish, and frozen broccoli packs it with additional micronutrients. Unlike…

Tex-Mex Bowl with Avocado and Chunky Salsa

The Whole Foods Diet book describes the optimum diet for health and longevity, which includes the Essential Eight foods - many of which are included in this delicious, classic tex-mex bowl recipe. It meets all the "whole foodie" basics: fresh greens, whole grains, plant-based protein, extra…

Curried Beans

Complex in its flavor profile, this recipe incorporates sweetness from the apple, savoriness from the onion and curry, and an earthiness from the beans. Every flavor is well-complemented by the next to build a full bite and a full stomach.

10 Spectacular Sandwiches From Around the World

  Sandwiches are a universal language. Almost every culture in the world has figured out a way to wrap up their favorite foods to take them on the go. Some are traditional, some are modern takes on classics — all of them are delicious. Flatbread…

12 Mouthwatering Mediterranean Meals

The Mediterranean diet is common across many cultures and includes lots of vegetables and olive oil, some fish, smaller amounts of dairy and meat products, and moderate amounts of alcohol. While similar to the standard Mediterranean diet, what sets the Ikarian and Sardinian versions apart,…

Turn 1 Can of Beans into 27 Easy, Creative Meals

The best longevity supplement in the world is a simple cup of beans. Every culture has its own variety and method of preparation, and the longest-lived people in the world — from Japan to Costa Rica — eat about a cup per day. Beans are…

Get the Newsletter

Sign up for the BLUE ZONES® free weekly email where we bring you exclusive interviews, cutting-edge longevity news, and fresh tips for living better, longer.