World-renowned longevity expert Dan Buettner has delivered a blunt message to his millions of followers to stop snacking between meals.
The 64-year-old National Geographic Fellow and best-selling author, who has spent decades travelling the globe to study the world’s longest-living populations, said the secret to longevity isn’t found in expensive supplements or protein bars, but rather in how and when you eat.
Sharing a recent video with his 795,000 Instagram followers, Buettner didn’t mince his words.
‘A thing to remember if you want to lose weight and live longer through diet, is to simply stop snacking,’ he said.
‘Marketers will tell you all the time that you need this extra little boost, the Omega 3s, or nutrients, or fibre, or protein. You don’t.’
Instead, his research into the five so-called ‘Blue Zones’ – regions of the world where people routinely live well past 100 – has revealed a far simpler rhythm.
‘The pattern we see very clearly in the Blue Zones is you have a big breakfast, a medium sized lunch, and a small dinner, and then you let your digestive system rest for 14 hours, and also let it rest between meals,’ he explained.
The Blue Zones, which include Sardinia in Italy, Okinawa in Japan and Ikaria in Greece, are home to some of the healthiest, longest-living people on Earth. And one habit they all share, Dan says, is structured eating without constant snacking.
World-renowned longevity expert Dan Buettner (pictured) has delivered a blunt message to his millions of followers to stop snacking between meals
‘If you want to lose weight and live longer through diet… simply stop snacking,’ he said. ‘Marketers will tell you all the time that you need this extra little boost, the Omega 3s, or nutrients, or fibre, or protein. You don’t’
‘One of the simplest, most practical rules for weight loss and longevity [is to] stop snacking.
You don’t need constant ‘boosts’ of protein, fibre, or supplements… Less grazing, more rhythm. Simple.’
The advice sparked an avalanche of reactions in the comments, with many followers applauding the no-nonsense approach.
‘Great advice for those interested in regulating their blood sugar as well!’ one wrote.
‘A big salad for lunch really helps the afternoon snack cravings,’ another added.
Others echoed Buettner’s emphasis on digestive health, with one follower noting that good digestive rest is important for maintaining a healthy gut.
‘I had 3 centenarians in my grandparent’s line and that is exactly what they did,’ one person commented.
‘Our ancestors used to say: Eat breakfast like a king, a lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper,’ another agreed.
Dan has also revealed the snack foods he bans from his home altogether – starting with processed meats. ‘We know they’re associated with cancer,’ he said
The second item on his blacklist is sugar-laden drinks that deliver a rapid spike in blood sugar without any nutritional benefit, as well as packaged sweets
However, not everyone was fully convinced, with one follower pushing back that healthy snacking can be okay but only if it doesn’t decrease the size of future meals.
‘Protein, fat, fibre at every meal and I have no need to snack,’ one wrote when discussing how they balance their meals properly to avoid cravings.
Dan’s warning about snacking also ties neatly into his broader philosophy around food and longevity, which he has shared repeatedly with his audience.
In a previous video, he revealed the four foods he believes should never be allowed through the front door, starting with processed meats.
‘Number one is, is processed meats like bacon and sausages and lunch meats… we know they’re associated with cancer,’ he said.
He has also spoken out against sugar-laden drinks, salty snacks and packaged sweets, which are the very items most people reach for during a 3pm slump.
Dan believes longevity begins with a humble bowl of Sardinian minestrone soup, which is currently his daily breakfast of vegetable soup, beans, olive oil and topped with avocado for lasting energy
‘These are things you should never let pass through the front door,’ he warned.
Rather than promoting strict willpower or deprivation, Dan says the healthiest people in the world rely on environment over discipline, a principle seen time and time again in Blue Zone cultures.
It’s a philosophy he lives by himself, admitting that he hasn’t eaten meat in 10 years, opting instead for plant-forward meals inspired by long-living populations.
He credits the shift with improving his energy, weight and overall health.
‘Every day I start my day with a Sardinian minestrone, which is a vegetable soup of beans that I top with a little bit of olive oil and an avocado,’ he said.
By lunchtime, he avoids rigid food rules altogether, instead letting himself eat as much fruit as he wants, and more of the food that appeals to him that day because then he’ll keep eating it.
For Dan, longevity isn’t about chasing the latest diet trend, it’s about returning to a rhythm humans have followed for centuries.
And if that means ditching the snack drawer for good, it might just be the easiest life-extending habit of all.
