A Guide to the Blue Zone Diet

There are five areas in the world, deemed Blue Zones by Dan Buettner, where the populations have an extremely high percentage of nonagenarians and centenarians—people who live to be over 90 and 100, respectively. They follow what's called the Blue Zone Diet, which is a primarily plant-based diet coupled with lifestyle changes to promote potential longevity.

People in Blue Zones also have low rates of chronic diseases, like diabetes and heart disease. Here’s a closer look at these zones, including how Blue Zone residents eat and takeaway tips for how to adopt their longevity habits, regardless of where you reside.

How the Blue Zone Diet Works

The goal of this diet is to emphasize food choices and choose naturally nutrient-dense whole foods and not processed ones. Specifically, the Blue Zone diet is an eating pattern that focuses mostly on plant foods and limits meat, dairy, eggs, and sugar.

People following the diet also stick with limited drinks, like water and tea. However, the Blue Zone diet isn't rooted in actions like calorie counting, protein tracking, reading labels, or taking vitamins.

The Blue Zone diet comes from observing people's diets in five places worldwide. Those who live in Blue Zones reside in one of the following areas:

• Okinawa, Japan
• Sardinia, Italy
• Nicoya, Costa Rica
• Ikaria, Greece
• Loma Linda, California

Okinawa Diet

People living in Okinawa are known to eat a lot of sweet potatoes, rice, and other vegetables. The remaining part of their diet may consist of:

• Fish, meat, and poultry
• Legumes
• Other grains and additional foods

Sardinia Diet

A Sardinian diet mostly includes:

• Sheep and goat milk
• Vegetables
• Whole grains—particularly barley

Individuals in the Sardinia Blue Zone may also eat other foods such as meat, fish, poultry, and legumes. They might consume fruit and foods with added sugar or fats in even smaller amounts.

Nicoya Diet

Residents of Nicoya eat squash, beans, whole grains—mainly corn—and dairy as their main staples. Beyond those foods, they enjoy fruits, vegetables, and some foods with added sugars. Foods like eggs, meat, fish, and poultry make up the least of their diet.

Ikaria Diet

Individuals living in Ikaria, Greece follow the Mediterranean diet. That means their food choices most often involve fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, and olive oil.

Loma Linda Diet

People who live in Loma Linda, Calif. eat very little meat and poultry or nuts and seeds. Instead, their diet emphasizes:

• Dairy
• Fruits
  
• Legumes and soy
• Vegetables
• Whole grains

Lifestyle Aspects of Blue Zone Diets

Each Blue Zone also has specific lifestyle characteristics that its residents focus on. Examples include:

• Okinawa: Being strongly dedicated to social networks and gardening
• Sardinia: Putting family and elders first and walking five miles or more daily
• Nicoya: Having a sense of purpose
• Ikaria: Napping and mimicking mountain living
• Loma Linda: Giving back through volunteer efforts and spending time with those who have similar values and habits
  

What to Eat on a Blue Zone Diet

Blue Zone residents eat a wide variety of vegetables, in addition to pulses—beans, lentils, peas, and chickpeas—fruit, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. At least half a cup of cooked beans and two ounces of nuts are consumed daily throughout the Blue Zones.

In most Blue Zones, people eat up to three small servings of fish each week. However, they are typically middle-of-the-food-chain species—like sardines, anchovies, and cod—without high-mercury exposure or other harmful chemicals. Blue Zone societies don’t overfish their waters and focus on food sustainability.

With few exceptions, people in Blue Zones consume just four beverages: water, coffee, tea, and wine. Tea is sipped daily in all five Blue Zones; in most, one to three small glasses of red wine is consumed daily.

Foods to Eat Sparingly

People in four of the five Blue Zones consume some meat, but they do so sparingly. Meat is eaten on average five times per month, in portions of about two ounces or less.

Rather than occupying the center of the plate, meat is a small side. It's considered a celebratory food or a way to flavor primarily plant-based dishes.

In four Blue Zones, cow's milk products are not included in large amounts. People in Ikaria and Sardinia consume goat and sheep milk products.

People in all of the Blue Zones eat eggs about two to four times per week, usually one at a time, and incorporate them into a dish rather than as the primary protein source.

What to Avoid

There are four types of foods that Blue Zone citizens avoid:

• Packaged sweets due to their additives, empty calories, and preservatives
• Processed meats because they're linked to cancer and heart disease
• Salty snacks due to preservative and salt content
• Sugar-sweetened beverages since they're considered empty calories
  

Meal Plan Ideas

Here are some other things to consider for your meal plan:

• Drinks: Exchange regular or diet soda for water or unsweetened tea. Upgrade from carb-heavy beer or sugary mixed drinks to antioxidant-rich red wine enjoyed as part of a healthy meal.
• Dairy and eggs: Consider plant-based dairy-free alternatives, like plant "milk" or "yogurt," and nut-based "cheeses." Think of eggs as an accent to a meal, or consider omitting them.
  
• Meat: Replace meat with beans in a Mexican bowl, chili, soup, or stew.
• Seafood: Use a resource like the Environmental Working Group’s seafood guide if you eat seafood. The free chart they provide rates seafood options using a green, yellow, and red system based on mercury content and sustainability. Stick with green choices for the greatest benefits, in three-ounce portions, up to three times a week.
• Snacks and sweets: Trade a processed snack for a small handful of nuts paired with fresh fruit. Select some favorite can’t-live-without sweet treats, and enjoy them mindfully on occasion.
• Whole foods: Eat more whole, unprocessed foods to avoid added or hidden sugars.

Blue Zone residents don’t overeat in general. For example, Okinawans follow the 80% rule, which they call hara hachi bu. This means they stop eating when they feel 80% full.

People living in Blue Zones also primarily eat home-cooked meals, with breakfast as the largest meal and dinner being the smallest. To practice this, you might opt for a larger breakfast—like a scramble made with veggies, beans, and avocado—with a side of fresh fruit. You may then have a lighter dinner, like a salad dressed with an extra virgin olive oil vinaigrette and a cup of lentil soup.

Benefits of a Blue Zone Diet

Adopting a Blue Zone diet has a few benefits beyond longevity. They include the following:

• Increased life satisfaction and vitality
• Lower chronic disease rates
• Quality relationships with your community, family, and friends

Is a Blue Zone Diet Safe?

A Blue Zone diet is safe. It's very similar to other diets aimed at reducing chronic disease and improving overall health. It’s also science-backed, and it supports healthy, sustainable weight management in addition to optimal wellness.

If you want to adopt the Blue Zones way of eating without feeling overwhelmed, focus on one goal at a time and gradually work toward the other changes. Even simple shifts to your usual eating routine can become significant health rewards over time. This can allow you the potential to gain the benefits of Blue Zone diets without being in those areas.

A Quick Review

People living in one of the five Blue Zones have been known to have long, healthy lives because of the diets they adopt. These diets include focusing on more plant-based eating and limiting meat, sugar, dairy, and eggs. Adopting a Blue Zone eating lifestyle may help you reap some health benefits that individuals living in those areas experience—like longevity and lower risks of chronic health conditions.