Nadja's 80/20 Diet Plan
- Doug Smith
- May 20
- 4 min read
Updated: 5 hours ago
My 80/20 diet plan is a balanced, sustainable approach to healthy living and long-term weight management. By focusing on nourishing your body with high-protein, high-fiber, low-glycemic, and low-sugar foods 80% of the time - you fuel yourself with the nutrients needed for energy, strength, and optimal health. The remaining 20% allows you the freedom to indulge in your favorite treats without guilt, making this plan flexible and enjoyable. This mindful balance helps you reach your desired weight and maintain it effortlessly, turning healthy eating into a lasting lifestyle — not a temporary fix.
• Protein: Boosts metabolism, burns calories, and builds & repairs muscle. How much protein in a day? I aim for one gram of protein for every pound of body weight.
• Fiber: Keeps you full, supports digestion, and promotes colon health.
• Avoiding High Glycemic Food: Foods such as sugar, white flour and white rice cause a rapid spike in blood sugar, triggering a surge of insulin that promotes fat storage and weight gain,
• Avoiding Ultra- Processed Food
Here’s a sample of what I eat in a day. Stay tuned for more daily menu ideas,
Except for weekends, my breakfast is basically the same.
🥣 Breakfast: I eat within an hour of waking and before exercising
First drink of the day is Goop Glow Morning Healthy Skin powder mixed with 8 oz water.
Two AlgaeCal Calcium (click for automatic 10% discount) bone builder capsules.
Coffee with AlgaeCal Collagen (11g protein, 0g fiber ) for skin, hair, nails & joint support. (click for automatic 10% discount)
I also add a scoop of Creatine to my morning coffee to define my muscles and for muscle strength which we lose as we age.
In my bowl of 1/4 cup rolled oats - add 1/2 cup water and microwave for 2 minutes. Once cooked it makes 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal (3g protein, 2g fiber)
I add these ingredients;
a sprinkle of cinnamon
20g ”Bulk Supplements" Whey Protein Isolate (16g protein, 0g fiber)
1 tbsp Nature’s Way Organic MCT Oil (0g protein, 0g fiber)
1/2 cup 2% milk (6g protein, 0g fiber)
1 cup mixed berries (1g protein, 4g fiber)
2 Tbsp Purely Elizabeth Granola (2 gr protein, 1 gr fiber)
1 tbsp slivered almonds (2g protein, 1g fiber)
Protein: 41g | Fiber: 8g
🍳 Lunch:
Frittata with:
2 large eggs (12g protein, 0g fiber)
1 cup mushrooms (2g protein, 1g fiber)
1 cup spinach (1g protein, 1g fiber)
1/2 cup chopped zucchini (1g protein, 1g fiber)
Protein: 16g | Fiber: 3g
🍪 Mid-Afternoon Snack:
2 Nadja’s Power Oatmeal Cookies (For the recipe, go to RECIPE Page)
Protein: 10g | Fiber: 6g
🐟 Dinner:
Grilled tuna steak (6 oz) (44g protein, 0g fiber)
1 cup cooked quinoa (8g protein, 5g fiber)
8 oz roasted cabbage (2g protein, 4g fiber)
Green salad with oil & vinegar dressing + 1/2 avocado (2g protein, 5g fiber)
Protein: 56 g | Fiber: 14g
🔢 Daily Total:
Protein: 123g / Fiber: 31g
These amounts vary on different days with different menus.
This sample menu is the 80% diet part. The 20% of my diet is usually on weekends and includes treats and meals out or entertaining at home. It's so nice to be able to enjoy beautiful tempting food and not have to deny myself all the time.
Growing up, I was always surrounded by food — my parents owned a grocery store and later a restaurant, and we lived above both. With food always at the center of my life, my relationship with eating became complicated. As a teenager and young adult, I fell into a cycle of yo-yo dieting — gaining and losing the same pounds over and over. My routine was extreme: I would starve myself from Monday to Thursday, then binge from Friday to Sunday.
Thankfully, those days are long behind me. I’ve now maintained a healthy weight of 125 pounds for many years by following an 80/20 approach to eating — a balanced, sustainable lifestyle that’s made all the difference.
I shared my journey and philosophy in my first bestselling cookbook, The Joy of Losing Weight, published in 1992. My second bestselling cookbook, The Outrageously Fat-Wise Cookbook, followed in 1996, offering more of the healthy, satisfying recipes that helped me break free from dieting and embrace a life of balance and well-being.
When I want to drop a few pounds because I have overindulged (hey, I'm only human,) I increase my walking time wearing my weighted vest and add more protein and to my daily menu.
Five days a week, I don't drink alcohol. Instead I have a glass of Recess (in a wine glass) a relaxation beverage with only 20 calories.
On the weekend I enjoy some wine and an occasional martini - dry with blue cheese stuffed olives and a twist of lemon.
The 80/20 diet is so easy to follow, it's not too often that I have that extra weight gain.
✅To find these products and more - go to my Amazon Pantry link
✅ Click here for essential products that fuel my body every day from Amazon