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The 80/20 rule is simple. Eat nutritious, healthy foods 80% of the time and enjoy foods considered less healthy 20% of the time. It’s a more flexible approach to eating, which encourages a balanced diet and indulging in moderation rather than restrictive dieting.
Whether your goal is losing weight, boosting energy, or preventing disease — changing your diet is no easy task. Committing to making healthy choices every single meal, every single day, can be daunting. But it’s not necessary, according to the 80/20 philosophy.
The 80/20 plan is about consistency. It’s rooted in the idea that what you do most of the time has the greatest impact. It’s more of a real-life approach to healthy eating — because real life involves treating yourself, sometimes with a cherry on top.
If you don’t want to deprive yourself of your favorite treats and like the idea of enjoying junk food or sweets every now and then while maintaining a nutritious diet, the 80/20 plan might be a good option. Here’s how it works and how to determine if it’s the right fit for you.
80/20 rule: Here’s what to eat 80% of the time
Most of the time, you’ll be filling your plate with whole foods. It’s healthiest to load about ¾ of your plate with plant foods, such as vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains and extra virgin olive oil.
That leaves a quarter of your plate for animal foods, which usually represent the protein portion of the plate. (Of course, you can also eat exclusively plant-based if you’d like.) Healthy animal-based options include Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, seafood, poultry and grass-fed beef. Here’s an example of the types of meals you’d eat 80% of the time.
- Breakfast: Fruit and veggie smoothie containing blueberries, spinach, tahini, cinnamon and Greek yogurt.
- Lunch: Salad made with mixed greens,
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