Dan Buettner is a National Geographic Explorer and multiple New York Times bestselling author who has spent the last 20 years studying the lifestyles, diets and environments of the world’s blue zones – five regions where people live the longest, healthiest lives. His Netflix series Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones was nominated for six Emmy Awards and won three. Dan’s newest book, Blue Zones Kitchen: One Pot Meals (out 2 September), offers 100 fast, affordable, plant-based recipes inspired by longevity traditions and designed to make healthy cooking at home both simple and delicious.
- What motivates you to eat meat free?
I’ve spent over 20 years studying the diets of the world’s longest-lived people in the blue zones. What I’ve seen consistently is that people who live the longest and healthiest lives eat mostly whole, plant-based foods with very little or no meat. For me, eating meat free isn’t about restriction – it’s about aligning my choices with what the science and evidence show actually works for longevity and wellbeing. It also makes me feel lighter, sharper and more energised.
- What items are always in your fridge?
You’ll almost always find beans – black beans, lentils, or chickpeas – because they’re the cornerstone of every blue zones diet. I keep a variety of fresh vegetables, leafy greens and herbs so I can throw together quick meals. There’s usually sourdough bread, some nuts and seeds, and a good bottle of olive oil too.
- It’s Meat Free Monday and you’ve got a friend coming round – what are you going to cook for them?
I’d make a minestrone stew – the recipe I got from the longest-living family in the world. In Sardinia, I had the good fortune of meeting the Melis family, who hold the Guinness World Record as the oldest family in history. They were nine siblings whose collective age reached 851 years (the oldest lived to 109). Every day for lunch, they ate the same thing: sourdough bread, a glass of Blue Zones Cannonau wine and a very special minestrone.
- What was the last thing you ate?
A bowl of oatmeal topped with nuts, berries and a drizzle of honey. It’s simple, filling, and has been a breakfast staple not just for me but also for many centenarians I’ve studied.
- If you had to choose only one country’s cuisine to eat forever, which would you choose?
That’s a tough one, but I’d probably go with Mediterranean cuisine – Greek or Sardinian in particular. It’s naturally plant-based, packed with flavour, and has centuries of tradition built around it. Plus, the olive oil, wine, bread, beans and vegetables never get old.
- Sweet or savoury?
Savoury. I’d rather have a good bowl of beans, a slice of rustic bread and some vegetables than a dessert. Though I’ll admit, dark chocolate sometimes sneaks in.
- Pizza or pasta?
Pasta. A simple wholegrain pasta with vegetables, olive oil and herbs hits all the right notes for me.
- Tofu or beans?
Beans, without question. They’re the cornerstone of longevity and the most important dietary predictor of living longer. Every blue zone has them at the heart of the diet.
- Mild or spicy?
Spicy. A little heat brings food to life and can even boost your metabolism. Plus, in many blue zone kitchens, chillies and peppers add flavour without piling on extra salt or fat.
- What advice would you give to people wanting to give meat free a try?
I always suggest starting with a good plant-based cookbook, something like Blue Zones Kitchen: One Pot Meals or any that focus on simple, whole food recipes. Find five or six dishes you really enjoy and make them part of your weekly rotation. When you’ve got a handful of go-to meals that you love, eating meat free stops feeling like a challenge and just becomes part of your lifestyle. Over time, those meals will anchor your diet, and you’ll naturally discover more along the way.
Dan Buettner’s cookbook Blue Zone Kitchens: One Pot Meals is available from 2 September. Click here to find out more and purchase a copy, and try his recipes for Blue Zone Burgers, Moroccan Tagine and Mushroom Grain Bowl With Creamy Dressing shared on the Meat Free Monday website courtesy of Dan Buettner and National Geographic.