Having a long life has a lot of perks that comes with it – the sweetest bonus is that you get to enjoy life longer compared to others.

According to Florence Baldwin, Britain’s oldest woman who has just turned 113, she gives the credit to a daily fried egg sandwich intake.

Although research can tell you what shortens your life span, like smoking and being overweight, they have struggled to identify those things that contribute to living longer. Genetics certainly play a role in longevity. But no one knows for sure the exact cause of having a longer life. It may be due to a lack of stress in early life or healthy lifestyle along with regular exercise and proper diet.

Speaking of diet, what do we need to take in so we can have longer lifespan? Take a look at the list below which includes ten different food choices revealed by centenarians when asked about the secret to their longevity.

1) Herring and orange juice

This is the secret of 115-year-old Hendrikje van Andel-Schipper.

* Herring is a good source of omega 3 fatty acids known to be beneficial to your heart and cardiovascular system.
* Her glass of orange juice a day provides vitamin C and a whole load of antioxidants.

2) Vegetables

Green veggies are the staple of a good diet and offer a lot of key vitamins and minerals like iron, carotene and dietary fiber. A variety of these healthy foods cut the risk of cancer and heart disease, and is a regular part of the menu for 120-year-old Mariam Amash.

3) Custard cakes

This suggestion might seem out of place on a list like this, but 114-year-old Mitoyo Kawate swears by this sweet treat.

Experts do concede that as a part of a balanced diet, a few treats now and then aren’t generally troublesome and can make a stricter diet in other places easier to maintain.

4) Alcohol

113-year-old Lucy d’Abreu drinks in moderation.

Alcohol in moderation has been shown to bring down the risk of heart disease. However, alcohol consumption has also been connected to increased cancer risk and too much drinking is known to bring a variety of health complications.

5) Sausage in bread

This was the suggestion of rural Ukranian Hryhoriy Nestor.

Though conventional wisdom would balk at processed meat doing so hasn’t hurt this active elder. Processed foods should only be part of a balanced diet which includes lots of veggies and plenty of regular exercise.

6) Bread, dripping, salt

Perhaps living to over 100 came in spite of this highly unhealthy diet choice. Still Yorkshire woman Ada Mason swears this food is the secret to having celebrated 111 birthdays.

7) Porridge

Scotswoman Annie Knight, 111 years old, starts her mornings by eating this traditional Scottish breakfast, giving her body a regular dose of fiber. Adding milk makes porridge full of other nutrients like calcium too.

Boiled rice and chicken

This is a great source of starch and low fat protein, as well as supplying fiber, vitamins and minerals. At age 114, Yukichi Chuganji, who doesn’t like vegetables, continues to enjoy this meal regularly instead.

9) Cottage cheese

This is a good source of calcium, essential nutrients, important to your bones, teeth and body health. This is the favorite of the world’s oldest woman, Sakhan Dosova, who has just attained her 130th birthday.

10) Donkey milk

116-year-old Maria Esther de Capovilla, swears this milk, which she regularly drank as a youngster, is the reason she’s lived so long.