The Blue Zones Project Grocery Store Pledge
Blue Zones are places around the world where people live significantly longer and healthier lives. They were popularized by a 2023 Netflix series, “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones.” More people are learning about the secrets to longevity uncovered by Dan Buettner, a National Geographic Fellow, best-selling author and the founder of Blue Zones Project®. In his travels across the globe, Buettner identified five “Blue Zones” with the highest concentration of healthy people living to 100 years or older: Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica), Ikaria (Greece) and Loma Linda (California, U.S.A.).
After discovering Blue Zones across the globe, a team of researchers identified “the power 9,” or the diet and lifestyle habits, they all shared that contribute to overall health and longevity. Since the average lifespan for Americans is 77.5 years, and more than half suffer from chronic diseases in adulthood, the Blue Zones offer a holistic approach that food retailers can use to engage shoppers in a variety of ways.
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Local Blue Zone Projects®
Blue Zone Projects® are community-led well-being movement initiatives designed to make healthy choices easier through permanent changes to a city’s environment, policies and social networks. Local projects existing throughout the United States incorporate Buettner’s findings to help cities implement policies and programs that will move a community toward optimal health and well-being. Bringing together private and public organizations under a shared vision to build a culture of health and well-being, local Blue Zones Projects seek to collaborate with supermarkets and corner stores, as well as suppliers and food producers.
According to Kris Bio, MS, RDN, the organization and well-being coordinator for Blue Zones Scottsdale (Arizona), “Participating communities have experienced double-digit drops in obesity and tobacco use and have saved millions of dollars in health care costs.”
Grocery Store Pledge
The Blue Zones Project Grocery Store Pledge includes ways to encourage customers to purchase healthier items in the store while preserving profits and attracting new customers. Becoming an approved retailer sends a message to customers, staff and the community that a participating store is committed to doing its part to help the local city become a successful Blue Zone community, creating an environment that supports helping people make healthier choices.
Notes Bio, “Grocery has been a challenging sector to mobilize, but it’s local community members with knowledge, networks and know-how who are the true backbone that make community-wide programs a success.” She adds that local projects are always seeking passionate individuals to strengthen their Grocery & Restaurant Committees.
Merchandising Displays
Highlighting “foods for longevity” is another way to promote healthy eating that may resonate with a broader audience. Although meals consumed across the five Blue Zones include some meat and seafood, they are heavily focused on plant-based ingredients, featuring fruits and vegetables across the globe, including lots of leafy greens, (purple) sweet potatoes (in Japan), whole grains and plant-based proteins — at least a cup of beans a day (including soybeans) — as well as nuts and seeds. Beverages consumed include tea, coffee and red wine, providing an additional surge of antioxidants.
Healthy Global Cuisine
Although the healthiest people across the globe cook and eat most of their meals at home with others, retailers can help shoppers by offering easy-prep recipes with one-stop (or one-click) shopping solutions. Featuring globally inspired prepared meals with healthy foods is another way to build on the momentum of the Blue Zones.
To learn more about the Blue Zones or to get involved with local Blue Zones Projects, visit https://www.bluezones.com.
