80/20 Rule Diet: What It Is & How To Follow For Weight Loss 2023

It’s a new year, so you might be looking for different ways to get healthier and possibly lose some weight. But unfortunately, the word diet is typically synonymous with giving up indulgent treats like cookies, cakes, pies, and even alcohol. But what if this didn’t have to be the case?

The 80/20 rule diet is a healthy eating plan in which you don’t have to give up all your favorite guilty pleasures. It is more of a lifestyle change than a diet, allowing you to consume all of your favorite foods in moderation while simultaneously getting healthier.  

The 80/20 rule diet is a healthy, non-depriving eating plan that doesn’t feel like you are on a diet at all. Eating 80/20 is more of a lifestyle change than abstaining and adhering to a diet plan. 

It’s also easy to understand and follow compared to other diet plans. It’s a new concept as it allows you to indulge now and then while still maintaining an overall nutritious diet. To learn more about this new trend, keep reading. 

Therefore 80 percent of the time, you are supposed to eat whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and whole grains. Then, 20 percent of the time, you are allowed to consume your cravings or treats in moderation. 

The creator, Teresa Cutter, has also published a book that is an excellent addition to the diet in which she has created over 130 recipes that correlate with the 80/20 rule diet principles.  

For example, consuming breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a week would give you 21 total meals. Based on the 80/20 rule diet, you can have four cheat meals that contain one serving of “bad for you” food. 

For example, the bad food for you may include a slice of pizza, a cheeseburger, some fries, or a glass of wine. Of note, this diet does not allow you to binge on all of these items at once, but rather a serving of one at a time.  

The upside to this diet is that you aren’t depriving^[1] yourself. Instead of restricting yourself like other diets tend to lean towards, you are giving into your body’s cravings. The key is you are having just one serving at the appropriate time, not overindulging. 

Instead of telling yourself something is off limits, you can say to yourself, I can eat that tomorrow or the next day, which is a better plan for longevity than other diets.   

Health Benefits Of The 80/20 Rule Diet

Most experts agree that restrictive diets are not a sustainable and long-term solution for healthy weight loss. Therefore, the 80/20 approach is a wonderful option as it does not rely solely on a person’s willpower. 

Instead, it allows people to treat themselves in moderation which is good for your psyche. It also helps you enjoy your treats even more as you are not having them as often. This type of well-balanced and healthy meal plan centered around lots of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains is a great way to fill your body with essential nutrients, fiber, and water. 

Additionally, weight loss will likely follow suit when you load up on high-fiber and low-calorie foods such as fruits and vegetables.  

Another benefit to the 80/20 diet is that it removes a lot of anxiety that comes with dieting. People do not need to feel restricted or nervous that they can never have their favorite foods again. Allowing indulgences every once in a while also removes the desire to binge on foods. 

Lastly, it eliminates a lot of guilt that can come from restrictive diets. Instead, the treats are carved into the diet and encouraged. Therefore, there is no need to feel guilty after consuming a well-deserved treat and eating cleanly 80 percent of the time. 

Potential Side Effects

There are three potential downsides to the 80/20 rule diet: expense, time, and lack of structure. 

Expense

First, the diet consists mainly of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. These items are encouraged to be consumed fresh. Therefore, these items can be more expensive when compared to commercially boxed or canned alternatives.  

Time-Consuming Meal Prep

The meal preparation necessary with the 80/20 rule can also b time-consuming. Consuming fresh ingredients three times a day plus snacks will take ample time and preparation with meal planning. 

This can be a shock and a barrier if you are not used to making a meal plan and shopping/preparing. However, plenty of meal preparation tools on the market today can help you save time and money, as some programs make meal preparations with minimal food waste in mind.  

Lack Of Structure

For some people, the 80/20 diet rule may not have enough structure. For example, if you are currently eating a very high-fat and high-sugar diet, you might be tempted to overeat on your 20 percent days. 

On the days when you are allowed to have a treat, it should only include one serving, and if you instead have three or four servings, this is not compliant with the 80/20 rule diet. 

If you need something more personalized and structured, you should contact a registered dietitian instead and have them create a customized meal plan.  

To date, there is no research on the 80/20 rule diet. However, studies^[2] have shown that eating the types of foods encouraged on it, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains are an excellent way to ward off disease and support healthy aging.

Foods To Eat & Avoid

With the 80/20 diet rule, you should follow a healthy, whole food, clean approach 80 percent of the time and indulge in a craving 20% of the time. Foods that should be included 80 percent of the time include:

Vegetables

• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Asparagus
• Microgreens
• Kale
• Pumpkin
• Cucumber
• Celery
• Zucchini
• Squash

Fruits

• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Oranges
• Apples
• Watermelon
• Honeydew
• Cantaloupe 
• Grapefruit

Whole Grains

• Whole wheat bread
• Whole wheat pasta
• Brown rice
• Wild rice
• Quinoa
• Oats
• Barley
• Bulgur
• Millet
• Popcorn
• Farro

Lean Protein

• Chicken
• Tilapia
• Salmon
• Turkey
• Greek yogurt
• Beans, peas, lentils
• Tofu
• Cottage cheese

Foods That Can Be Included In The 20 Percent Of The Time List May Be

• Alcohol
• Fast food
• Baked goods
• Sugared beverages
• Candy

Of note, this list is just a sample list. There are no specific foods you need to consume or avoid on this diet. Instead, focusing on whole foods rich in nutrients would be best. Therefore, this list is not exhaustive but rather a guideline of what is allowed on the 80/20 rule diet. 

Sample 80/20 Rule Diet Plan For Weight Loss

Here is a 7-day 80/20 rule diet plan for weight loss as a sample. Cheat meals and snacks are italicized and in bold.

Day 1

• Breakfast: scrambled eggs with bell peppers and spinach
• Snack: Cottage cheese and tomatoes
• Lunch: Grilled chicken salad
• Snack: Organic plain popcorn
• Dinner: Cheeseburger, sweet potatoes, and asparagus

Day 2

• Breakfast: Greek yogurt with berries
• Snack: Carrots & Snap Peas with Hummus
• Lunch: Wrap with hummus, turkey, tomatoes, and avocados. 
• Snack: One serving of dark chocolate
• Dinner: Sweet potato with black beans, shredded chicken, and spinach

Day 3

• Breakfast: Pancakes with chopped apples and sliced walnuts
• Snack: Orange and a handful of nuts
• Lunch: Tuna on whole wheat bread with tomatoes and lettuce
• Fruit “ice cream” – peel a banana, freeze it, blend in a food processor, top with nuts or berries, and serve
• Dinner: grilled tilapia, broccoli, and wild rice

Day 4

• Breakfast: scrambled eggs with bell peppers and spinach
• Snack: Cottage cheese and tomatoes
• Lunch: grilled chicken wrap with lettuce, tomatoes, and bell peppers
• Snack: One serving of potato chips
• Dinner: Grilled swordfish, kale, and quinoa salad

Day 5

• Breakfast: Greek yogurt with berries
• Snack: Carrots & bell peppers with hummus
• Lunch: Wrap with hummus, turkey, tomatoes, and avocados 
• Snack: Green apple with raw cashews or almonds
• Dinner: One slice of pizza with a spinach salad

Day 6

• Breakfast: Oatmeal with chopped berries and sliced walnuts
• Snack: Apples and a handful of nuts
• Lunch: Eggs with whole wheat toast and a smoothie
• Snack: One serving of ice cream
• Dinner: grilled shrimp, broccoli, asparagus, and black rice

Day 7

• Breakfast: Oatmeal with chopped berries and sliced walnuts
• Snack: Apples and a handful of nuts
• Lunch: One serving of chicken nuggets and a smoothie
• Snack: Celery with peanut butter or almond butter
• Dinner: grilled shrimp, broccoli, asparagus, and black rice

When it comes to the 80/20 rule diet, how can you calculate a meal plan? In this diet plan, there are 21 meals — three meals per day for seven days — therefore, take the number of total meals by 80 percent to determine how many meals can be a treat. 

Four of the 21 meals can be a treat in this equation, shown in bold and italics. There are also 14 snacks in total. Thus, three of these are treats and can be seen above in bold and italics.

The Bottom Line

If you are looking for a diet that will give you overall great eating habits and yet let you partake in some treats along the way, the 80/20 diet may be an excellent choice.  

The 80/20 diet allows you not to be completely restrictive, yet it allows you some room for indulgence. This is something not all diets offer. 

And even though there is no scientific evidence for this diet, diets^[3] that recommend high fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grain consumption are typically excellent at preventing disease, losing weight, and warding off general aging.  

Be aware that this diet may have some additional expenses as it mainly focuses on fresh ingredients. That means you will spend some extra time on meal preparation as well.  

However, a bonus to this diet is that it doesn’t require measuring or counting calories or even any restrictions. So if you are looking for a healthy lifestyle change that doesn’t involve deprivation, check out the 80/20 diet rule and exercise program.

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