Dr. Joan Sabate views breakfast as a daily opportunity to consume some of the key nutrient-dense food groups that support longevity. His strategy is also dirt cheap.
Sabate, a healthy eating expert so respected in nutrition circles that he was tasked with developing the federal dietary recommendations that now apply across the U.S., says enjoying a healthy breakfast doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive. He lives in America’s only “Blue Zone” for longevity, where healthy eating is made easy by a mix of religious customs and local regulations that support consistent eating and exercise routines.
At home with his wife of 45 years, Sabate has developed a trick to effortlessly make nutrient-dense breakfast smoothies. His “fruit shake,” as he calls it, consists of a few leftovers as well as protein and healthy fats that keep him going for hours.
“What we have is basically a simple meal,” Sabate, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Loma Linda University School of Public Health in California, told Business Insider. “It’s not refined – we don’t eat highly processed foods.”
A blender full of fruit and nuts is his recipe for longevity
Fruit and walnuts. That’s pretty much it. courtesy of Joan Sabate
Sabate’s fruit shake recipe varies depending on the season and what’s available at his local market in the Los Angeles suburbs, but it always includes two main ingredients – leftover fruit (especially the overripe kind that’s about to go bad) and two heaping handfuls of nuts.
He usually chooses walnuts, which are a favorite of many longevity experts because they’re rich in fatty acids that are good for the brain and heart. He also likes to add a little freshly squeezed orange juice to get the mix just right.
Freshly squeezed orange juice as well as bananas, walnuts, leftover apples, strawberries and blueberries were on the menu at Sabate’s home this summer. Courtesy of Joan Sabate
“It’s a quick way to eat a lot of fruit and maybe two servings of nuts,” he said. The rest of the day, he rounds out his diet with vegetables, whole grains and legumes like beans, another Blue Zone staple.
Sabate knows the science supports his strategy. He has spent decades conducting clinical research demonstrating how nuts can improve human heart health. He is also studying how nuts can help alleviate other chronic conditions, including inflammation and cognitive decline, that often accompany aging.
He also recognizes that fruits are sources of nutrients that support healthy aging. Studies suggest that regular consumption of berries can even help combat cognitive decline. The benefits of these foods go beyond what is written on the nutrition facts panel on the back of the package and do not fit neatly into the three basic macronutrient categories of carbohydrates, protein and fat.
“We don’t eat macronutrients,” he said. “We eat foods, and those foods contain many other nutrients.”
Nuts contain a lot of healthy monounsaturated fat and also a good portion of protein.
“They also contain minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals,” he said.
Nuts are nature’s protein powder
Sabate’s wife likes to add crunchy cocoa nibs to the smoothie in the morning. He eats it with a spoon, otherwise it is too thick to drink from a glass. Courtesy of Joan Sabate
To keep things interesting, Sabate’s wife likes to garnish her smoothies with a sprinkle of crunchy cacao nibs for added texture and flavor.
He sometimes adds a dollop of yogurt to get more calcium, but he never tries to boost his smoothies with protein powders, supplements or vitamin blends. He believes he can meet his needs by eating whole foods rich in protein, fiber and other health-promoting properties.
“We don’t use soy protein or other foods that are already in powder form,” he said. “Only nuts, as nature intended, and fruit.”
