Can you take a break from healthy eating?

While a healthy eating plan is crucial for health, bending the rules on occasion probably won’t hurt most people. One strategy to try is the 90-10 rule—eating healthy foods 90% of the time and splurging on unhealthy foods 10% of the time. For example, if someone eats three meals a day for a week, for a total of 21 meals, the person would be able to splurge on 10% (about two) of the meals. Dietitians warn that applying the 90-10 rule to every meal can lead to trouble, such as weight gain.