The oldest family in the world ate the same meal for their entire life and even experts swear by it.
Forget eating out at new restaurants, whipping up crazy recipes or trying to expand your palette, the Melis family from Italy apparently found the secret to a long and healthy life - and it’s all down to this one meal.
Who are the Melis family?
The nine siblings were known as the world’s longest-lived family, and in 2012 they were given the Guinness World Record for the highest combined age of 818 years.
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In 2023, the Melis siblings featured in the Netflix documentary series Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones.
The show followed American author Dan Buettner visit five 'blue zone' areas of the world, which included Sardinia in Italy, where the Melis family lived.
A blue zone is an area of the world where people are claimed to live longer than average and Sardinia is one of the most well-known.
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Buettner, an expert in tips to extend your life through healthy means, shone a light on the Melis family lunch that they ate every day.
What's the meal?
So what's the meal the Melis family munched on each day? You may want to reconsider your lunchtime options.
It is plant-based and contains foods full of vitamins. Explaining the meal, Buettner said: "Every day of their life they had the same meal for their lunch.
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"A sourdough bread, a three bean minestrone soup - a chunky minestrone with garden vegetables.
"It always had three beans; a garbanzo, a pinto and a white bean.
"And then they had a small glass of red wine. I'm talking a two to three ounce glass.
"Now this wasn't because 'my diet requires me to do it'.
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"No, they loved it."
Samantha Cassetty Cassetty, a New York City dietitian, told Today.com: "People who live the longest, healthiest lives tend to eat half a cup to a cup of beans daily.
"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.
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"Your gut regulates health functions, like blood pressure and cholesterol, inflammation, mood, weight and nutrient absorption, so you’ll be more likely to live a longer and healthier life if you have a healthy gut."
Why was the Melis soup recipe so healthy?
The pinto beans are packed full of nutrients, protein and fibre with zero cholesterol to be seen. Garbanzo beans are the same.
White beans are known as a ‘nutrional powerhouse’ according to Healthline, as they’re packed with fibre and protein and are a good source of micronutrients including folate, magnesium, and vitamin B6.
Where are the Melis family now?
In more recent years, members of the Melis family have passed away. Consolata Melis died in 2015 aged 108 and was her town’s longest-surviving citizen, The Guardian reported in 2021. She was the eldest in the family of nine. Her sister, Claudina, died in 2016 aged 103, and Maria died at 100 and Antonio died aged 97.
Topics: Food And Drink, Health, World News, Community
Gregory Robinson