As Blue Zone projects gain interest for well-being as a pervasive environment and Scottsdale focuses efforts on being a Blue Zones-approved city, d’Lite Healthy On The Go recently achieved Blue Zones Project Approved Restaurant status — the first multi-unit restaurant in the state to do so.
“To become ‘Blue Zones Approved,’ restaurants can choose from a list of more than 32 ‘best practices’ and for 66 possible points. Restaurants must adopt enough best practices to earn at least 44 out of 66 total possible points to become ‘Blue Zones Approved,” explains Brooke Knudson, founder of d’Lite Healthy On The Go. “The more ‘best practices’ you adopt, the more you optimize your restaurant environment for better health and increased business.” Her franchise achieved approval across all six of its Valley locations, with some locations being awarded up to 56 points.
Some “best practices” d’Lite implemented include removing saltshakers from tables, providing bike racks, offering healthy children’s meal options, providing healthy fruit and vegetable sides, providing whole grain and plant-based alternatives, and never frying any of its food. “Additionally, d’Lite went above and beyond by creating some of our own ‘best practices’: a permanent Blue Zones Catering menu and a recycling/sustainability initiative,” Knudson says.
d’Lite had to follow Blue Zones Dish Guidelines to create “plant slant” entrées approved by Blue Zones Project®. These guidelines are derived from the diets of the world’s longest-lived people. Although restaurants do not need to change any particular menu item to achieve Blue Zones Project ApprovedTM status, only menu items that adhere to the Healthy Dish Guidelines may be marked as “Blue Zones Inspired.” All dishes that become “Blue Zones Inspired” adhere to 11 criteria, among which are having plant-based foods, a vegetable, whole grain, olive oil instead of butter, less than six teaspoons of sugar, and is never fried.
Knudson notes that d’Lite’s decision to take on this “Blue Zones Restaurant Approval” meant going above and beyond already being what she believes is an objectively healthy and delicious option to the community. “We are introducing a Blue Zones Inspired Catering menu, feature Blue Zones meal promotions, and tote 15 Blue Zones Inspired entrees for customers to choose from.”
Blue Zones Project® Scottsdale
Across the globe lie blue zones areas, where people reach age 100 at an astonishing rate. Citizens of places like Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; and Loma Linda, California, have maintained their healthy lifestyles for generations. Blue Zones Project® aims to adopt the lifestyle principles of these areas to transform cities and towns into Blue Zones Communities®, where people can live longer, better lives.
Scottsdale is trying to become a Blue Zones Community. Achieving that goal requires restaurants, grocery stores, schools, worksites, and city governments to make healthy choices easier through permanent changes to the environment, policy, and social networks.
Scottsdale is the first Blue-Zones approved city. Several other local businesses and organizations were recently recognized for their alignment with the Blue Zones Project, a community-led well-being initiative steeped in research from National Geographic Fellow and author Dan Buettner on the world’s longest-lived populations. The concept focuses on reshaping environments to address social determinants of health, making healthier choices more accessible and helping people live longer, healthier and happier lives.
Restaurants play a key role in the Blue Zones Project as more and more customers are seeking healthy options when eating out. By adopting best practices from around the country, restaurants can meet growing customer demand and increase revenue, all while improving customers’ health. Our Blue Zones Project team is here to help you optimize your restaurant environment for better health and business.
Did You Know: Scottsdale is the first Blue Zones-approved city. Several other local businesses and organizations were recently recognized for their alignment with the Blue Zones Project, a community-led well-being initiative steeped in research from National Geographic Fellow and author Dan Buettner on the world’s longest-lived populations. The concept focuses on reshaping environments to address social determinants of health, making healthier choices more accessible and helping people live longer, healthier and happier lives.
