Blue Zone breakfasts are a big deal, but a typical Blue Zone breakfast, including Ikaria, focuses on quality over quantity. Healthy choices and local foods dominate the table, but no matter where you live, it’s easy to adapt the Blue Zone Mediterranean Diet breakfast mindset and choose the right foods to start your day off right.
Here are some simple blue areas delicious and nutritious breakfast options, but above all accessible wherever you are.
On the Greek Blue Zone island of Ikaria, breakfast tends to be light but nutritious, relying on a few ingredients that can make any ordinary breakfast a worthwhile moment. Mediterranean diet breakfasts are generally nutrient-dense and are the perfect meal to kickstart your metabolism and support overall health. And with the right combination of ingredients they can also be really tasty! Below, I break down the 3 essential elements for a good Blue Zone breakfast: tahini, nuts and dried fruit, along with the endless combinations you can use them in!
Breakfast in the Blue Zone and Tahina
Tahini is the dark golden colored cream, obtained from soaked, peeled, toasted and finally crushed sesame seeds which usually replaces olive oil during the more austere fasting days of Lent. But beyond its role as a nutrient-rich Lenten ingredient (rich in protein, vitamin B, calcium, phosphorus and iron), tahini is also one of the most versatile and easy ingredients to use in the kitchen.
I load up on tahini in all kinds of Mediterranean breakfast recipes, like this one roasted apple and tahini smoothieor a very simple (and satisfying!) honey tahini toast. You might want to check out mine YouTube video for that tahini smoothiemashed potato!
Dried fruit as part of the Blue Zone breakfast palette
Walnuts have been an indispensable part of the Greek-Mediterranean diet for millennia. They grow in abundance throughout Greece, and their high fat and protein content makes them accessible and filling, not to mention delicious! As we now know well, dried fruit is immensely nutritious. In Greece they are enjoyed raw or roasted as a snack, a crunchy addition to salads or pilafs, and certainly sprinkled on yogurt or incorporated into any of the many breakfast dishes. They’re delicious on top of oatmeal or mixed into Greek yogurt with a little raw honey. They also make a great addition to a fruit salad. Pistachios, walnuts and almonds are just some of the pistachios I love to use every day and you can find some great pistachios online in my shop!
Dried fruit packs flavor and texture into a Blue Zone breakfast
Dried fruit is a nutritious way to enjoy some natural sweetness for breakfast and I use it all the time. One of my favorite Blue Zones breakfast options is a teaspoon of tahini mixed with a couple tablespoons of Greek yogurt, a little honey, then a sprinkling of chopped nuts and almonds. I also mix dried fruit into my breakfast porridge – it’s great with oatmeal and also with trahana. There are so many options: raisins, dried figs, prunes, apricots, dates… the list goes on and on. Dried fruits, especially raisins, have the potential to regulate cholesterol levels and stabilize blood pressure. Additionally, they reduce the chance of heart disease and stroke.
These fruits are rich in protein, calcium and various micronutrients that contribute to bone health and strengthening. If you’re looking for dried figs, I have a great option in mine Online shop! And if you’re looking for a breakfast treat to grab on the go, you might want to whip up some of mine oatmeal honey cookies with raisins or some of these delicious ones muffins studded with raisins!
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