In certain mountain villages in Sardinia or on the Japanese island of Okinawa, coming across very elderly residents who still go to the vegetable garden is not exceptional. Their common point is not only due to genetics. It often begins upon waking up, on a humble, salty plate, rich in plants. This first meal is increasingly intriguing scientists.
For years, American explorer Dan Buettner has studied these famous Blue Zones where people live long periods of time in good health. In Sardinia, Okinawa, Costa Rica and Greece, he and nutritionists like Ilenia Grieco have analyzed the breakfast of centenarians. What they found shakes up our butter and jam toast.
Why the centenarians’ breakfast is so talked about
Dan Buettner’s observations show a recurring pattern: a
savory breakfasttaken calmly, then gentle physical activity, often a simple walk or gardening. The day continues with only two more meals, lunch and dinner. In between, no biscuits or cereal bars, but water, tea, sometimes coffee.
For nutritionist Ilenia Grieco, everything depends on this first meal. In La Cucina Italiana, she recalls that “Breakfast has a fundamental impact on the day: if done well, it allows you to start with the right energy and concentration, avoiding attacks of hunger before lunch, which is why it is fundamental not to skip it, just as centenarians often do. Everything else must be contextualized and personalized, because it is very rare, if not impossible, as Buettner argues, to have the chance to live in the same contexts as the Blue Zones, and each of us has our own tastes, which must somehow be respected“. Clearly, a good breakfast structures the day, but must also fit our realities and our desires.
What do centenarians eat in the morning in Sardinia and Okinawa
In Sardinia, in the region of Ogliastra, or on the Greek island of Ikaria, the morning often begins with wholemeal or sourdough bread and goat’s or sheep’s cheese, sometimes an egg. Goat’s milk is preferred, because the casein it contains irritates the intestine less than that of cow’s milk from intensive breeding.
In Okinawa, the centenarians’ breakfast is more like a small full meal: purple sweet potato, bowl of rice, vegetables, tofu, small portion of grilled fish, seaweed in a light miso soup, all with green tea. The plate is colorful, not very sweet, very rich in fiber and antioxidants, with a moderate glycemic load.
Composing the ideal breakfast for centenarians in France
In practice, Ilenia Grieco advises combining complex carbohydrates (fresh bread, oatmeal), a source of protein (goat’s or sheep’s cheese, natural yogurt, eggs, hummus) and quality fats (nuts, olives, extra-virgin olive oil) every morning. All, if possible, followed by a short walk.