The 80/20 rue of eating: the perfect balance between health and enjoyment

How many times have you started a restrictive diet only to abandon it after three days out of sheer frustration? The downfall is usually due to adopting an ‘all or nothing’ approach. This is precisely where the 80/20 diet comes into play. This approach suggests that it’s possible to maintain a healthy weight without giving up your social life or the pleasure of eating. The key isn’t a miracle diet: its applying common sense to what’s on your plate. Would you like to know more? 

What is the 80/20 of eating?

To understand what the 80/20 rule consists of, we should start with the idea that 80% of your intake should be based on nutritious, healthy foods, while the remaining 20% is reserved for flexibility. In other words, if you eat around 35 meals a week (including breakfast, lunch, dinner, mid-morning and afternoon snacks), around 28 of these should be strictly healthy, leaving room for the remaining 7 to include those treats that we all enjoy.  

Why the 80/20 rule has become so popular

The success of applying the 80/20 rule in everyday life is down to its sustainability. Unlike restrictive diets, which often create anxiety and the dreaded rebound effect, this method is realistic. In fact, nutritional psychology supports this approach because it does away with the idea of forbidden foods. By allowing ourselves to enjoy a dinner out with friends or the occasional treat the brain doesn’t feel deprived, which makes the 80/20 diet rule much easier to stick to over the long term. 

Which foods form part of the healthy 80% 

For this system to work, 80% of what you buy should form the foundation of your energy intake. This food group consists of:

• Seasonal fruit and vegetables. Making up half of your plate at each meal.
• Quality proteins. Fish, pulses, eggs, lean meats or tofu.
• Whole grains. Bread, pasta or rice in their wholegrain forms to obtain more fibre.
• Healthy fats. Extra virgin olive oil, avocado or raw nuts.  

The flexible 20%: guilt-free enjoyment

This is the part that makes the rule feel human. The 20% is not an invitation to overindulge, but rather a space for thoughtful enjoyment. It might mean that artisan pizza on a Friday night, a glass of wine at an event, or grandma’s home-made dessert. The key is to enjoy these moments without feeling guilty, embracing them as part of an active social and emotional life, something that’s essential to our mental wellbeing.  

Example of a weekly menu using the 80/20 rule

We’ll help you with a few ideas to help you visualise how this works. From Monday to Thursday we recommend that you aim to base your meals around dishes like hearty salads, pulses with vegetables, grilled salmon… and similar recipes. As we tend to go out more and plan different activities at the weekend, it could be a good time to allow yourself a little more freedom.  A dinner with friends, a sweet afternoon treat or the traditional Sunday meal could fit into that 20% of indulgence, so it’s best to keep the rest of the week as healthy as possible.  

As you can see, the 80/20 doesn’t ask you to be perfect, but to be mindful. In the end, the best diet is the one that doesn’t feel like a diet at all. And as we know from Mediterranean cooking, the act of eating is for your health, but sharing and enjoying the moment also matter. Want to give it a try?