{"id":31617,"date":"2025-07-30T04:24:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T04:24:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/31617\/"},"modified":"2025-07-30T04:24:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T04:24:10","slug":"the-best-snack-to-eat-if-you-want-to-live-until-100-and-you-can-find-it-at-coles-and-woolworths-for-less-than-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/31617\/","title":{"rendered":"The best snack to eat if you want to ‘live until 100’ – and you can find it at Coles and Woolworths for less than $2"},"content":{"rendered":"

A researcher who studies 100-year-olds has revealed the unexpected snack food he recommends people should eat to live a long life \u2013 and it’s surprisingly affordable.<\/p>\n

Dan Buettner, a National Geographic fellow and explorer, has spent decades analysing the diets of the world’s longest-living people, often sharing snippets of his findings on his social media channels.<\/p>\n

A recent video <\/a>shared to both Instagram and TikTok<\/a> highlighted the unexpected snack food that Dan says you can enjoy guilt-free to have a long life: popcorn.<\/p>\n

‘The best longevity snack might already be in your pantry,’ teased a caption accompanying the video<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The food in question? Air-popped popcorn.<\/p>\n

‘Let me tell you about the best snack that you can eat to live to 100 – but you can also afford,’ Dan said.<\/p>\n

‘Popcorn. Air-popped popcorn.’<\/p>\n

The American author proceeded to highlight the lesser-known health benefits of the humble snack food.<\/p>\n

\"Longevity <\/p>\n

Longevity specialist Dan\u00a0Buettner championed air-popped popcorn as ‘the best longevity snack [that] might already be in your pantry’<\/p>\n

‘It’s very high in fibre. It’s very high in complex carbohydrates,’ Dan said in the video.<\/p>\n

‘It even has more polyphenols than a lot of vegetables – people don’t realize that.’<\/p>\n

The author of The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living like the World’s Healthiest People added in his latest video that the beauty of popcorn is that it’s also budget-friendly.<\/p>\n

‘Everybody can afford it,’ he said.<\/p>\n

Popping Corn Kernels 400g packs are currently sold at both Coles and Woolworths for $1.75.<\/p>\n

Dan concluded in the 28-second video that popcorn was an ‘easy’ and accessible snack.<\/p>\n

‘It is easy to make. It’s easy to store. And most importantly, it’s delicious,’ Dan said.<\/p>\n

Homemade air-popped popcorn is distinct from store-bought packets, microwave popcorn or movie popcorn, in that it’s made using no added ingredients beyond being cooked in a small amount of hot oil.<\/p>\n

\"Dan <\/p>\n

Dan Buettner’s latest social media video revealing the health secrets of centenarians saw him single out air-popped popcorn as an unlikely longevity food<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The longevity researcher’s latest video highlighted the lesser-known health benefits of popcorn, including that it’s high in fibre and complex carbohydrates<\/p>\n

Although Dan didn’t make specific mention of it in his video, it is fair to presume that he recommends enjoying air-popped popcorn without the addition of any other added ingredients like salt or butter.<\/p>\n

How to make air-popped popcorn\u00a0 <\/p>\n

1. Add 5tbsp of oil to a medium size saucepan with a lid over a medium high heat<\/p>\n

2. Once hot, add \u00bd cup of corn kernels and cover with the lid<\/p>\n

3. Once the popping starts, shake the pot regularly until the popping ceases<\/p>\n

4. Remove from the heat and empty into a large bowl, discarding any un-popped kernels<\/p>\n

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The latest video has notched up over 726,000 views on TikTok, with many commenters chiming in excitedly about the longevity specialist giving popcorn the thumbs-up.<\/p>\n

‘My favourite snack! Pop mine in avocado oil!’ one popcorn lover replied on Instagram.<\/p>\n

‘Glad I’m already doing that as my weekly habit using olive oil!’ added another.<\/p>\n

‘The best! I spray mine with pickle juice and season with garlic powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. Skip the butter & oil,’ one more suggested.<\/p>\n

However, a few commenters were surprised by Dan’s suggestion, with some noting that popcorn \u2013 specifically un-popped kernels \u2013 is often highlighted by dentists as a food to avoid <\/a>on account of its potential to chip or break teeth.<\/p>\n

Dan has become renowned in the health world for his work analysing the diets of elderly people living in the fabled ‘Blue Zones’<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Blue zones – like Sardinia in Italy and Okinawa in Japan – are geographic areas that are home to unusually high numbers of centenarians.<\/p>\n

As such, researchers like Dan believe the key to a long-life can be found in replicating the eating and activity patterns of people in the zones.<\/p>\n

\"Dan \"He <\/p>\n

Dan Buettner has spent decades analyzing the world’s longest-lived people for their diet secrets and written numerous books based on his findings<\/p>\n

Dan himself has championed the theory for decades in his books and the concept has more recently exploded with new books and even a Netflix documentary dedicated to exploring the phenomenon.<\/p>\n

Dan often shares diet recommendations based on his Blue Zone research both online and at speaking engagements.<\/p>\n

Last year at a 2024 conference<\/a>, Dan suggested two other grocery store-available items costing as little as $1 each to be among the staples in a centenarians’ diets.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Namely, black beans and walnuts.<\/p>\n

Dan recommended trying to eat a can of black beans a day to help boost lifespan, while for walnuts – a handful a day could help.<\/p>\n

Both beans and walnuts contain a lot of fibre, which can slash inflammation in the gut reducing the risk of deadly diseases like cancers.<\/p>\n

They are also high in protein, which can slash cravings reducing the risk of someone overeating – which can lead to obesity already linked to a myriad of life-shortening conditions including heart disease and diabetes.<\/p>\n

For walnuts, these are a top source of linoleic and Omega-3 fatty acids – which are also linked to a lower risk of heart disease and a longer life. Other nuts do not contain these nutrients in such high quantities.<\/p>\n