SHOULD YOU ENRICH YOUR MENUS WITH THE BLUE ZONE DIET?
People who live in Blue Zone areas have healthy eating habits that promote life longevity. The recent Netflix documentary Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones and the Blue Zones book series have heightened interest in the tactics people use to live longer, healthier lives.
While the exact habits vary between Blue Zone regions, one thing holds true: a plant-based diet that limits ultra-processed foods is a common thread. Blue Zones Kitchen author Dan Buettner, who is also the documentary’s executive producer, has come up with 10 guidelines for longevity through eating healthy.
How can foodservice providers implement the 10 Blue Zone food guidelines into their menus? More importantly, are these guidelines worth implementing? While some ideas may enrich the health and well-being of clients at your facility, others are non-scientific guidelines that you can probably skip. Here’s what you need to know.
How can foodservice providers implement the 10 Blue Zone food guidelines into their menus? More importantly, are these guidelines worth implementing? While some ideas may enrich the health and well-being of clients at your facility, others are non-scientific guidelines that you can probably skip. Here’s what you need to know.
WHAT ARE THE BLUE ZONES?
The idea of Blue Zones grew out of demographic work conducted by researchers in the early 2000s, who were searching for locales with the highest number of centenarians. The first Blue Zone in Sardinia, Italy, was identified in 2004. Since then, other Blue Zones have been recognized in Okinawa, Japan; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Icaria, Greece and Loma Linda, California. It’s common for people in Blue Zone regions to live into their 90s or 100s.
It’s important to note that Blue Zone guidelines (and ideas in the books and Netflix documentary) are not based on rigorous clinical science. Randomized controlled studies of these regions are lacking, so the reported results are mostly theory and observational study, conducted by journalist Dan Buettner and funded by National Geographic.
Even if the science can’t “prove” that the common Blue Zone habits will help us live until 100, the ideas are in line with what health organizations (including Health Canada) promote for wellness, including:
- Physical activity
- Stress reduction
- Plant-based diet
- A robust social life
WHAT IS THE BLUE ZONE DIET?
Blue Zones favour a plant-based diet that’s filled with vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts and grains. Plant-based doesn’t mean completely vegetarian or vegan. Some dairy, fish, eggs and poultry are still part of the diet, but majority of the diet (between 80 to 95 per cent) is plant-based. They are healthy foods to eat.
There are 10 Blue Zone food guidelines outlined by Dan Buettner. Remember, these are not scientifically studied and are simply part of a series of commercial books and websites. So, before jumping into changing foodservice menus to reflect the Blue Zone diet, we need to put these guidelines to the test of real scientific scrutiny and build a healthy eating meal plan. Here we go:
1. Eat mostly plant-based foods for blue zone style.
This is good advice, mirrored by Canada’s Food Guide and steeped in scientific research.4 A balanced plant-based meal includes half a plate of vegetables and fruit, a quarter plate of whole grains and a quarter plate of protein, which can come from animal or plant sources.5
What this means for foodservice menus: Meals should have three components: vegetables, grains and protein.
2. Eat whole foods, not highly processed foods.
This advice is also backed by research. Highly processed foods are high in sugar, salt, preservatives and saturated fat, which can be detrimental to health and longevity.6 Studies link diets rich in highly processed foods with an increased risk of developing heart disease and certain cancers, and an increased risk of dying from any cause.7
What this means for foodservice menus: Plan menus around whole foods like vegetables, fruit, whole grains and lean proteins. Cut back on highly processed options such as hot dogs, breaded fish, French fries, ice cream and pastries.
3. Eat half to one cup of cooked beans per day.
Beans are high in fibre, which helps protect against heart disease and certain cancers.8 But the amount in these guidelines? It’s a random number. The science-based Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating one-and-a-half cups of beans per week, and even that seems lofty since most people don’t eat beans at all.9
What this means for foodservice menus: Introducing more beans is a great idea, but quickly introducing a whole cup of beans per day could cause gas and bloating in your clients. Start slowly to help the digestive system adjust to the higher fibre content. Try a few tablespoons of beans in soup or salad before introducing full cups. Use caution with residents who have irritable bowel syndrome and may not tolerate beans.
4. Drink mostly water. Coffee and tea are OK in moderation.
Drinking water is good advice for healthy hydration, especially when water replaces sweet beverages like pop or juice. Coffee and tea provide beneficial polyphenols that help reduce cancer risk, so they are good options too.
What this means for foodservice menus: Reduce emphasis on juice and introduce more water, which also saves money.
5. Snack on one to two handfuls of nuts per day.
Nuts contain healthy fats, vitamins and fibre, but the quantity stated in this recommendation is not evidence-based. Most studies on nut consumption say that eating a quarter-cup of nuts about four times per week reduces heart disease risk and all-cause mortality.10 Eating more than that amount has not been assessed, so this guideline is randomly attained.
What this means for foodservice menus: After ruling out nut allergies and choking hazards, you can add one-quarter cup of nuts to the menu about four times per week to replace other snacks. It’s not evidence-based or affordable to add handfuls of nuts daily. Seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, etc.) are more affordable than nuts and are a good option, too.
6. Slash sugar to no more than seven teaspoons per day.
Reducing sugar is a smart strategy, but “seven teaspoons” may be unnecessarily strict. The World Health Organization11 and the Heart and Stroke Foundation12 recommend no more than 12 teaspoons of added sugars per day, so that’s a safe range too.
What this means for foodservice menus: Be aware of hidden sugars in condiments as well as obvious sugars in desserts and sugar packets (for coffee and tea). Aim for the day’s meals have no more than 12 teaspoons of added sugars. Natural sugars from fruit and milk do not count as part of the 12 teaspoons.
7. No more than three eggs per week (Optional for blue zone style).
This guideline is a random opinion that’s not evidence based. Studies show that one egg per day (or seven eggs per week) will not increase heart disease risk.13
What this means for foodservice menus: Eggs are a relatively inexpensive protein source, are widely liked, and are a rich source of vitamins. You can keep them on the menu, even one a day.
8. No more than three ounces of fish served three times a week.
This is an odd rewording of the usual guideline, which is to “aim for” three servings of fish each week, not limit to three servings. Fatty fish such as salmon is an important source of omega-3 fats, which help quell inflammation and protect against heart disease and some cancers.14
What this means for foodservice menus: Offer fish, especially fatty fish, at least three times per week. Cut back on highly processed breaded or fried fish.
9. Reduce dairy (Optional for blue zone style).
Rich in calcium, vitamin D and 14 other essential nutrients, dairy is a staple on foodservice menus for good reason. This guideline is not evidence based. In fact, it’s counter to well-supported eating plans such as a DASH diet, which recommend two to three servings of dairy foods per day to lower blood pressure levels.
What this means for foodservice menus: Canada’s Food Guide recommends lower fat dairy products, such as milk, yogurt and lower sodium cheeses, so these can stay on your menu.15 Emphasize fermented dairy foods like yogurt, kefir and aged cheese, which contain gut-healthy probiotics. If dairy is removed, ensure there is an adequate replacement for nutrients like calcium and vitamin D (such as plant-based beverages).
10. Retreat from meat
The guidelines say to reduce meat to less than five times a month. This advice is similar to the Mediterranean and DASH diets, which both recommend less meat and more plant-based meals.
What this means for foodservice menus: Red meat can still be on the menu once a week if you follow Blue Zone Guidelines, or more often if your patients enjoy it. Reduce processed meat (bacon, deli meat, hotdogs), which are linked to colorectal cancer.
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