Why the 80/20 or 90/10 diet doesn’t support long-term results - and what actually does.
If you consume any type of wellness content, particularly wellness content centering on balance, consistency and sustainability, you will surely have come across the 80/20 or 90/10 diet. The idea being that 80 or 90 percent of the time you focus on whole foods, and then the rest of the time you don’t worry about it and indulge in processed “treats.” This is meant to offer flexibility and ease to allow more people to stay committed to a healthy diet. However, I think this method keeps people limited in how well they nourish themself, and in how sustainable their dietary changes are.
This idea holds a core belief that harms people: the belief that fueling yourself with whole foods is difficult, limiting, and not something you can do 100% of the time.
It makes it sound extreme to cut out process foods entirely - and to be fair, that may sound extreme to you, depending on what your eating habits look like right now. But I don’t think the 80/20 (or 90/10, but for simplicity’s sake I will use 80/20 to encompass both) benefits anyone looking to truly develop sustainable healthy dietary habits.
As someone who has completely overhauled the way I nourish myself over the last decade, going from primarily eating processed prepackaged foods to almost exclusively whole plant foods, I know a little something about making dietary changes that actually stick. The way I eat now feels easy and natural, without any sense of deprivation or restriction, which is what I credit for the fact it has been sustainable and lasting. The major flaw in the 80/20 diet is that following it keeps us thinking that “treats” must fall into the 20% category of processed junk. There is this idea of following the rules most of the time, and then indulging.
How is this method actually any different from the practice of restricting yourself to healthy foods during the week and then having “cheat” days on the weekends?
It seems like the same concept, repackaged. I was someone who tried the “be good during the week, make up for it on the weekends” routine. It definitely never helped me make any lasting improvements in the way I ate, because those days where I was “allowed” to eat whatever I wanted felt like freedom - which meant the rest of the week felt like restriction.
The 80/20 mindset prevents us from discovering indulgences that are actually good for us too. Have you ever had no-bake brownies made from dates, nuts and raw cacao? Indulgent and nourishing - you don’t have to separate the two. When you keep the idea that indulgences must come in the form of processed junk, you keep yourself tied to those foods.
No one wants to, or should, give up the idea that food should be delicious and enjoyable.
It’s a learning process to discover how to make whole foods into meals that you crave, look forward to, and enjoy. But that learning process will never happen if we just stay attached to the idea that treats only come in the form of unrecognizable ingredients that do no good for our bodies.
At the same time, transitioning to an entirely whole foods diet from a very processed diet can seem overwhelming and impossible. I know it would have felt that way to me 10 years ago. So what I recommend, and what I have practiced for years and still practice today, is the 100% diet. 100% of the time, I choose what is best for me based on my current circumstances. This takes into account the meals or ingredients available, my ability and inclination to cook, awareness of what my body needs, and knowledge of what will support my current goals. This means my meals today look very different than they did earlier in my wellness journey. Years ago, when I was first starting to focus on eating healthier, store-bought salad dressings were a staple. Today, I can’t remember the last time I bought a dressing from the store, as mixing up a homemade one has become so effortless and natural. As my confidence in the kitchen has grown and my knowledge of what is actually good for me has increased, the way I nourish myself has changed.
But throughout my journey, I have been making the best choice for myself based on my knowledge, abilities and options at the time.
This applies to situations like traveling, family gatherings or eating at restaurants as well - the food will typically not be as nutritious as what I would cook for myself at home, but I will choose what is best for me out of what is available. This mindset is one I have found to be completely sustainable, without any feeling of restriction or deprivation.
The 100% diet doesn’t mean being “perfect” 100% of the time.
It means choosing yourself 100% of the time. Being committed to nourishing yourself the best you can based on your circumstances. Compared to the 80/20 diet, it removes the idea that you are restricting yourself to healthy foods most of the time and allowing yourself junk foods when you deserve a treat. It removes the idea that you have to consume junk in order to indulge. And it also supports you wherever you are - it allows you to make progress no matter where you are starting from, whether your version of choosing what is best for you looks like adding extra veggies to a pre-packaged meal, or making a meal entirely from scratch using only whole foods. Just a simple but sustainable focus on getting more whole foods in your diet and more plants on your plate.
When you consistently focus on doing this, like any other skill, you will naturally get better and better at it. 🌿
