Kelly Rowland may sing about “Dirty Laundry,” but when it comes to her diet, she prefers to eat clean. In addition to working out five to six times a week, the Grammy Award-winning songstress swears by the 80/20 rule: she feeds her toned physique, sleek abs and glowing skin nutrient-rich, whole foods 80% of the time and indulges in what she really wants to eat (usually the not-no-healthy foods, like sweets) 20% of the time. This way of eating isn’t really dieting, but more like a lifestyle change.
If the results of Kelly’s labor have motivated you to eat healthier, here are three tips to help incorporate her 80/20 rule into your own lifestyle.
Taste the rainbow.
Yes, just like the Skittles tagline, except instead of candy, your plate should be full of colorful fruits and vegetables. Upgrade fruits and vegetables from side dish status to the main entrée. Red peppers…green kale…purple eggplant – how many colors can you combine in a single meal? It will be fun to find out! Try to buy organic fruits and vegetables when possible.
Plan your meals.
Being unprepared makes it easy for your 80/20 rule to turn into 30/70 ruin, so set yourself up for success by creating a meal plan. Start by planning out your meals – including healthy snacks – for one week. Eventually, you may be able to plan and shop for meals for an entire month. What does a typical 80% day look like for Kelly Rowland? Here’s a sample meal plan for a day in the life she shared with Women’s Fitness magazine:
Breakfast: Oatmeal or egg whites with spinach. Then, to drink, spinach, kale, apple and ginger fresh juice
Snack: Apple with almonds
Lunch: Spelt pasta with homemade tomato and meat sauce
Snack: Kale and hummus
Dinner: Fish, and a salad made up of rocket, cucumber, kale and celery
Know your peak 20% moments and plan accordingly.
Do you like to go out on the weekends, or tend to “fall off” your health game during the holidays? The 80/20 rule is not about eating perfectly healthy and organic 100% of the time. That 20% is your wiggle room. If weekends are your time to relax, focus on eating 80% healthy during the week. If you have dinner plans after work, consider skipping snacking on junk food during the work day.
