If you're searching for the key to a long, healthy life, it might not lie in expensive supplements or trendy diets, but in a simple, hearty bowl of soup.
The Melis family from Sardinia, Italy, once held the Guinness World Record for the world's oldest living siblings.
Back in 2012, the nine brothers and sisters had a combined age of 818 years, earning them global recognition and a spotlight on their secret to longevity.
Their not-so-secret recipe was Sardinia Minestrone. A dish so central to their daily lives that it was eaten every single day.
The family’s oldest sister, Consolata, had just celebrated her 105th birthday when they broke the record. The youngest sibling, Mafalda, was 78 at the time. Consolata would go on to live to 108, her sister Claudina to 103, and her brother Antonio to 97.
Claudia Melis, then 99, kept her advice refreshingly simple: “You just keep working and you eat minestrone, beans, and potatoes," per The Guardian.
Her brother Alfonso, aged 89 in 2012, shared: “We eat genuine food, meaning lots of minestrone and little meat, and we are always working.
"Every free moment I have, I am down at my vineyard or at the allotment where I grow beans, aubergines, peppers, and potatoes," he added.
Their routine wasn’t a health trend, it was a way of life. The Melis family and their daily diet were even featured in the 2023 Netflix documentary Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones, which spotlighted Sardinia as one of five global regions known for longevity.
Blue Zones expert and author Dan Buettner revealed their lunch, which was a three-bean minestrone (garbanzo, pinto, and white bean), sourdough bread, and a glass of red wine (2-3 ounces), Today reported.
Pinto and garbanzo beans are packed with protein and fiber, while white beans bring in micronutrients like folate, magnesium, and vitamin B6.
It seems like science supports the Melis family's diet as dietitian Samantha Cassetty told the outlet: “People who live the longest, healthiest lives tend to eat half a cup to a cup of beans daily. Plus, the soup is rich in vegetables, which are top longevity foods."
She added: “It’s also noteworthy that the soup uses three types of beans and multiple vegetables. Research suggests that eating 30 unique plant foods per week can improve your gut diversity, a marker of a healthy gut.”
A healthy gut helps regulate everything from blood pressure to mood, weight, and nutrient absorption - key players in living a longer, healthier life.
Eating the same thing every day can sometimes raise eyebrows among nutrition experts, but this one gets a pass.
“I’d be concerned if someone was eating the same thing every day if it lacked plant diversity or was low in plant foods, but this meal is 100% plant-based and has a lot of variety within the meal,” Cassetty explained. “Also, you can mix up the veggies in the soup using what’s in season, so that will add more plant variety to your diet.”
There’s another upside too less stress. “One thing people struggle with is making decisions about what to eat. This can be a real challenge when juggling family, work and other priorities,” she said.
“Eating the same meal for lunch daily reduces decision fatigue, which can lower your stress levels. So, having the same meal on repeat can be an appropriate stress-busting routine, and reducing stress has health benefits and is a tenet of the Blue Zones philosophy," she concluded.
While moving to Sardinia might not be in the cards, cooking like a Sardinian might be the next best thing.