The Blue Zones Kitchen One Pot Meals: 100 Recipes to Live to 100

by Dan Buettner

This mouthwatering cookbook features 100 quick and easy one-pot and one-pan plant-based recipes inspired by the blue zones, many made in 30 minutes or less.The #1 New York Times best-selling author and Emmy-winning host of Netflix's Live to 100 helps busy home cooks boost their longevity with researched-based healthy ingredients.After more than 20 years spent uncovering the secrets of the blue zones—the happiest and healthiest places around the world—Dan Buettner puts the lessons he's learned into practice with 100 research-backed recipes designed to boost your longevity.Inside you'll find easier-than-ever plant-based breakfasts, dinners, snacks, and sides inspired by the ingredients of the blue zones and made with flavors Americans love best, protein-packed Tex-Mex Breakfast SkilletThe perfect crunchy Crispy Roasted ChickpeasGood-for-the-soul Creamy White Bean and Tomato SoupA twist on a a Deluxe Blue Zones MinestroneVeggie-loaded Spanakopita PastaCrowd-pleasing Southern Style Sheet Pan BBQ Tofu with Sweet Corn and Green BeansAn easy Slow Cooker BourguignonNo-Bake Peanut Butter and Honey Cookie BitesWritten with busy households in mind, these one pot, one pan, or one baking sheet recipes enable you to eat like the world's longest-lived people without spending hours in the kitchen.Perfect for busy families, health-minded home cooks, culinary enthusiasts, and anyone interested in eating the Blue Zones way, this is a cookbook that will change your diet—and your life.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Health, Adult, Vegetarian

406 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 2, 2025

About the author

National Geographic Explorer Dan Buettner has traveled the globe to uncover the best strategies for longevity.

Reviews

[Sharon Orlopp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge Dan Buettner fan and a believer in the Blue Zones concept. Blue Zones are where individuals live to be 100 years old at a 10x rate higher than the average population. Buettner has spent years researching why certain Blue Zones have more centenarians. It comes down to eating habits, daily movement, and social interactions.

Prior to reading The Blue Zones Kitchen's One Pot Meals: 100 Recipes to Live to 100, I have read:
The Blue Zones Secrets for Living Longer: Lessons From the Healthiest Places on Earth
The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the World's Healthiest People
The Blue Zones Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Live to 100

I make many one pot soups with a wide variety of vegetables and occasionally, some meat or poultry. What I really liked about The Blue Zones Kitchen's One Pot Meals: 100 Recipes to Live to 100 is the wide variety of meals. Many are not made in a crock pot. Buettner is committed to taste as the number one ingredient. Buettner learned that Americans want eight or fewer steps in a recipe and that it only takes 10 - 30 minutes to cook. He created an enticing cookbook that is easy to follow and it has phenomenal photos.

Looking forward to trying many of his recipes, particularly the Middle Eastern Roasted Cauliflower. I have made Roasted Cauliflower many times, but I have not made it with cinnamon, cloves, paprika, turmeric, and allspice. It sounds amazing!

[Miss✧Pickypants ᓚᘏᗢ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This mostly vegan cookbook of one-pot recipes is based upon Blue Zone diets, which are the areas of the world where the verifiably longest-lived people are from. Recipes are well-written and tend to have no more than 8-steps. They have been adapted so that they use ingredients that are easily found in local supermarkets. There are photos for most of the recipes but not all.

If you are familiar with vegan cooking then chances are you will recognise a majority of the dishes. Will you live to 100 following this diet? Who knows. Certainly plant-based diets using whole foods are healthy, but diet is just one factor (granted a big one) that plays a role in overall health. Activity levels, environmental factors and genetics also play a part. Fans of the author and anyone looking to add healthy plant-based, one-pot dishes in their diet will appreciate this book most.

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

Along with great recipes, this book dives deep into cultural traditions unknown to most on how to lead a long and healthy life. I absolutely LOVED knowing more about blue zones (incredible concept); understanding them should be a universal wake-up call for everyone.

The book shares vital information on how current diets are negatively impacting our lifestyle and how basically “the standard American diet us killing us” (pg 8) so… yeah I’ll def be checking out some of the recipes here!

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Blue Zones One Pot is a purely vegan cookbook. Surprisingly, this is my least favorite of the three Blue Zone cookbooks which is disappointing as I love and prefer to do one pot recipes. I liked these four recipes:
* Southern-style sheet pan bbq tofu with sweet corn and green beans
* Sunday Supper Lasagna
* Portobello Fajitas
* Broccoli and Lemon Risotto

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've enjoyed other cookbooks in the Blue Zone series, but this one fell flat for me. None of the recipes caught my interest enough to want to try them.

[Harlow]

I follow the Eat to Live (Nutritarian) protocol. Those lifestyle choices are why I’m metabolically healthy in America (there is one Blue Zone in California).

Love “Taste is the most important ingredient.”

Not much new here for me, I like that it’s vegan, ethnic. Recipes can be easily modified if you’re no oil (Dr. Fuhrman, Dr. Esselstyn, Dr. Ornish), no avocado (Dr. Ornish), no coconut, no maple syrup (maybe substitute date syrup, especially if you follow Dr. Greger).

I plan to make Butternut Squash & Pineapple al Pastor (page 284). Looks delicious!

Race you to 100!

[Lillian Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

My two favorite thoughts from this cookbook:

1) “I could argue that fermented tofu, or kohlrabi, or corn, or kidney beans are the healthiest foods in the world. I might even be able to convince you to eat them for a few weeks or months. But if you don't like them, you're going to stop eating them after a while, with no real impact on your longevity. That's why I say taste is the most important ingredient in any longevity diet.” - Dan Buettner
2) “This year, instead of wasting your time and resources on diets and such, take the Blue Zones One Pot Challenge: Pick out a dozen recipes from this book that you think you and your family will enjoy and cook them. I guarantee you'll find a handful-or more— of recipes you actually love to eat. Once you find those recipes you love, my job is finished. Taste will take over, you'll keep coming back to them, and longevity can ensue.” - Dan Buettner

I liked that he knows:
1) You will not use every recipe in this book.
2) You already have meat in your diet. Instead of telling you not to eat meat period he wants you to find enjoyable recipes that will automatically find their way into your recipe rotation because they taste so good.

After reading his invitation to find a dozen recipes to try I read through the whole book aiming to do just that. I now have 24 tabs sticking out the top of my book! Wish me luck! 🫡

[Ann D’Aleandro · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping to find some easy and healthy recipes from the Blue Zones. I understand much of the recipes had to be adapted to American grocery store items, and that is appreciated because Okinawan and Sardinian diets would be hard, if not impossible to do; but to recommend no meat, no dairy, no bread but homemade sourdough, no sugar, only whole wheat pasta, and no fish is just not going to happen. I understand a plant based diet with fermented foods, and homemade everything is what we should shoot for, but I didn’t come away with recipes that I would like or I could eat. I have a garlic allergy, and no peppers and all this would be a hard sell to my husband. Interesting foods - macrobiotic diet.

[Dianna]

I've enjoyed browsing through this cookbook and reading the front matter. I might not have read through the front matter if I hadn't been searching for the answer to a question . . . why in the world is it titled One Pot Meals when most of the meals are not made in one pot? I was expecting simple soups, stews, curries, etc., that could be made in one pot, or perhaps some that could be adapted for the slow or pressure cooker. But this book has pancakes, roasted vegetables, burgers, kebabs, chia pudding, and ice cream. There are very few recipes that I would actually consider one-pot, or that are even made in pots at all!

But some of the recipes do look good, and I'm looking forward to cooking a few. Once I get past the title.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I like to explore healthier eating cookbooks, and count one vegan cookbook as a go-to for my (not-vegan) family, this one just didn’t interest me that much. It’s a tough sell to eliminate meat, fish, dairy, sugar, and most wheat from all the recipes. I’m also not quite sure it’s accurate to say that cultures in “blue zones” do. Nutritional yeast is great on popcorn, or adding to soup, but you’re never going to convince me to make mac and cheese with it. Walnuts are not for making chili. Also, smoothies are great, but if you want banana bread, make some yourself instead of trying to drink a “banana bread”smoothie. If it’s a now-and-then treat, it’s probably not going to kill you.

[Kelley Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Blue Zones is fascinating. I have read several of Dan’s works. The cookbook caught my eye as it said one pot meals. I enjoyed the beginning of the book where he talks about how food really can change your health. How the people in these areas stick to plant based diets and live in most cases 10 years longer than expected. In doing so their quality of life is also elevated. I found some recipes I’ll try. I liked that the ingredient list isn’t items that are not easily accessible.

[Stacy Fernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of delicious recipes, seriously want to cook through this whole book. Love the simple, wholesome ingredients and the message behind the book.

Can't wait to try Butternut Squash & Pineapple al Pastor, slow cooker onion jam, coconut raita, not your mom's whipped potatoes, creamy carrot and tahini soup, easy fennel salad, mushroom and black bean birria, creamy chocolate coconut pudding, & Adventist coconut chia pudding.

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The recipes make some yummy food, and I truly believe in the power of plants, whole food ingredients, and community, but some of the ingredients needed are too hard to find and process is too complicated. I prefer simpler recipes with easy-to-find ingredients. After all, isn’t that what the do in the Blue Zones - use what they have growing in their communities?

[Leona · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Blue Zones Kitchen series latest cookbook delivers 100 healthy recipes that aren’t too complex, presented in their usual format of notes and photographs for each recipe. There is a commitment to good health and longevity that is admirable. Definitely worth a look.

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book and learning lots about Blue Zones. One thing I did notice is that some of thr ingredients are very hard to find in my small town in the Midwest. Overall, an educational book of goodness!

[Chrissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up at the library, not knowing it was a plant based cookbook. The pictures are absolutely gorgeous, but there is very little in here that I would cook. Some of the ingredients I would have no idea where to even find.

[Kelly Stanton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a lot of great recipe options that can be both vegetarian or made with meat, making it appeal to all home chefs. The variety of recipes is wonderful, the images inviting and the ease step-by-step directions fantastic. Definitely a great cookbook for your shelves.

[Ellenh · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those books I borrowed from the library that I just had to buy. A couple of recipes to try are the roasted veg with cider horseradish, and Potato & corn chowder. What I'd really like is to find a restaurant that cooks these healthy recipes because I want to eat better and cook less & less.

[Danielle Booey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always interesting to peruse a Blue Zones cookbook. Got some inspiration for oatmeal toppings and a new red pepper hummus type dip. Also interested in the recipe for muesli and the delicious looking miso tofu and dumpling soup.

New Year new recipes!

[Dee Tighe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting plant recipes with 8 ingredients or less.

[Denny Troncoso · Rating 3 out of 5]

some good recipes.

[Jackie]

Just keeping track of the books I get / read. This one wasn't at all what I thought it was, right back to the library it goes.

[Dawn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love the whole idea of the Blue Zones, but I've never really liked the recipe books. Still, I get them from the library and peruse them anyway.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good book, although the first Blue Zone Cookbook will always be my favorite. Rounded up from 4.5.

[Keely]

I think these are vegetarian meals, but I was able to get a few recipes!

[AdeReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haven’t cooked from it yet but after reading it, I’m excited to give it a go!

[Christine Alford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great recipes, love the minestrone recipe!

[Popkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can‘t wait to make some of these recipes!!