The 80/20 Approach - an easy way to change your eating habits for the better for good
Today is Pancake Day, and chances are, many who set out to eat healthier on January 1st have already slipped back into old habits. In fact, healthy eating consistently ranks among the top five New Year's resolutions. Yet, all too often, life gets in the way, and those good intentions fade as routines take over.
But what if healthy eating wasn’t just a fleeting January commitment? What if it became a sustainable, long-term approach instead of a ‘one-hit wonder’?
That’s where the 80/20 approach comes in—it’s a simple yet powerful way to maintain balance without feeling restricted. According to this approach, you follow a wholesome, healthy diet 80% of the time, and for the remaining 20%, you can eat whatever you like.
There are different variations as to how this approach can be applied. Some people like to practice their 80% Monday to Friday and leave the weekend for the remaining 20%, while others prefer to apply it daily. Most of my clients have found that applying this principle daily works best for them. They feel it is far easier to handle birthdays, work lunches, dinners with friends, dates, etc. Practicing daily may also help with changing eating habits more effectively.
Now, you might ask yourself, how do I calculate the 80/20? There are no set rules for this. You might choose to count a mid-morning latte and an afternoon treat as your 20%, or you may prefer to have a pizza for dinner. An entire meal counts for more than 20%, but this can easily be balanced out by adding a healthy component.
With a pizza treat, this could be a fresh salad, sautéed greens, or vegetables as a starter or side. Having some plain seeds or nuts with your coffee, cake, or dark chocolate also adds a healthy twist. These small additions provide extra protein, fiber, minerals, and vitamins and can help you get used to making healthier meal choices.
This leaves the question: what should the 80% look like? Keeping it as simple as the 80/20 principle itself, a healthy meal includes lean proteins such as fish, chicken, turkey, or grass-fed beef, as well as plant-based proteins like beans and pulses. Fresh, seasonal fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs and healthy fats are also key components. Ideally, these come in their most natural and unprocessed form.
Where possible, try to buy locally grown produce—the origin of your food can usually be found on the label. When shopping at your local farmers' market, you can ask the vendor directly. During the winter months, many local farmers also source part of their produce from abroad.
If you eat meat, fish, or dairy, try to choose local and organic where possible. Moderation is key, so consider making plant-based foods the hero of your plate while keeping meat or fish as a side.
Buying unprocessed whole foods naturally leads to cooking from scratch. This may mean spending more time preparing meals, but it also gives you full control over what goes into them. Takeaways and processed foods like ready meals, salad dressings, creams, and spreads can be high in unhealthy fats, salt, and sugar. More often than not, they are also loaded with preservatives, flavorings, and colorings and made with low-quality ingredients that lack nutrients—all things your gut microbes will not be too happy about!
As for the 20%, many of my clients like to keep those treats high-quality, too, and love making their own. You might feel the same, because if your body, like mine is a temple- only the best is good enough.
To get you started, look out this week's treat recipe and try making those delicious chestnut pancakes with cashew cream.
I hope this post helsp you to really start enjoying healthy eating with balance -not Perfection
Diana x
Foto : Hayley Maxwell _ unsplash
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