While it’s always a good idea to prioritize fresh and diverse whole foods in your diet, we’re all human. That’s to say that there’s really no such thing as perfect dietary adherence, and pretty much all of us enjoy a so-called cheat meal here and there.
No matter if you’re trying to lose weight or achieve another wellness goal—be it more energy, increased focus, or simply feeling better and lighter in your body—you don’t have to skip these cheat meals completely. In fact, they may positively influence your dietary regimen and mental health in a few key ways. You also shouldn’t feel guilt or shame from these occasional indulgences, and it could be worth reframing the language around cheat meals and cheat days completely.
Ahead, discover what dietitians have to say about cheat meals—including their potential benefits, tips to fit them into your diet plan, and a few dupes for cheat meals and desserts.
First, What Is a Cheat Meal?
Generally speaking, a cheat meal suggests that you’re steering away from foods that are part and parcel of a generally healthy diet—or whatever dietary protocol you’re currently following for the sake of losing weight, training, or striving towards another health or wellness goal.
Cheat meals may include the likes of:
- Fried food
- Fast food
- Highly processed food
- Desserts
- Added sugars
- Foods high in salt, simple carbs, and/or saturated fat
It’s possible (and often tempting) to go overboard with “cheat” foods—and doing so is typically counterproductive to losing or maintaining weight. Overeating them and/or eating them often may also heighten the risk of a range of health issues.
Benefits of Cheat Meals
While you might think that cheat meals will automatically sabotage your diet and goals, the truth is that they aren’t inherently bad. As long as you eat them in moderation, follow a generally healthy diet the rest of the time, and nix the stigma around them, they can actually integrate well within your greater diet.
To start, Sandra Avitia, MS, RD, LDN, a dietitian and certified weight loss coach, introduces the concept of hormesis, in which low doses of a stressor are beneficial whereas high doses are harmful. “I recommend designating a specific day to introduce a low-dose stressor, which can positively invigorate the body,” she shares. In this case, you’d enjoy your cheat meal of choice. “This low-dose stressor interrupts the body’s routine, enabling it to adapt and make necessary adjustments.” Avitia adds that this process facilitates more efficient regulation of leptin: a hormone that regulates appetite and energy balance to help you maintain weight over time. More leptin means stronger cues letting your body know that you’re full, whereas lower leptin levels signal that you’re hungry and require more calories.
In addition, we can’t forget that food is one of the many joys in life. Deprivation should never be on the table, even when you have a specific wellness goal like weight loss in mind. (Of course, it’s a different story if you’re dealing with a specific medical issue with which certain foods could jeopardize your health. In this case, heed your physician’s guidance.)
Food and pleasure also make for a terrific pairing that can benefit your well-being in significant ways. Per a 2020 systematic review published in the journal PLoS One, different studies have shown that higher pleasure in eating may be linked to benefits such as:
- Better nutritional status
- Healthier food choices
- Increased perceived diet-related quality of life
- Reduced symptoms of depression
4 Tips for Navigating Cheat Meals
To ensure that your cheat meals and cheat days work for you and your goals, heed the expert-vetted tips and tricks below.
1. Time Them Wisely
Moderation is the name of the cheat meal game. You may want to designate a specific day on which to enjoy them so you stick to a set plan and not get tempted with a spur-of-the-moment decision you’ll later realize wasn’t worth it. “Additionally, it can be beneficial to plan cheat days around intense physical activity to help burn off the extra calories,” notes Avitia.
Other protocols such as the 80-20 rule—a style of eating with which you eat healthy fare 80 percent of the time and more indulgent or less-than-healthy foods 20 percent of the time—are prized for their flexibility and freedom from restrictive eating patterns. In practice, the 80-20 rule would equate to four cheat meals a week for someone who eats three meals a day. (Not bad, don’t you think?)
2. Establish a Strong Nutritional Foundation
According to Avitia, this step is essential to reinforce the rationale behind adhering to a specific meal plan. Are you aiming for weight loss or to feel more confident in your skin? Are you hoping to avoid feeling bloated or foggy after big meals? How about promoting your healthspan so that you have more energy and time to spend with your loved ones? Essentially, you’ll want to understand the whats, whys, and hows of your overall dietary regimen so you can stick to it for the majority of the time.
If you’re unsure of where to base your dietary approach, Avitia advises keeping things simple and not overthinking the process. “Instead, focus on selecting quality protein sources while minimizing simple carbohydrates,” she shares.
“By adhering to these fundamental principles, individuals can consistently make choices that align with their dietary goals—even on cheat day,” Avitia continues. “With a strong foundation in place, cheat days can become less stressful and more enjoyable, promoting a balanced approach to nutrition.”
3. Silence Any Stigma
Marisa Landetta, RD, a gluten-free and plant-based registered dietitian in Lehi, Utah, who specializes in weight management, prefers even doing away with the concept of cheat meals altogether. In her view, the verbiage contributes to harmful diet culture and can perpetuate negative views about yourself as well as food altogether. “If you believe that eating certain foods makes you ‘bad’ or ‘out of control,’ it may be a sign of an unhealthy relationship with food,” she cautions. “Everyone deserves to eat nourishing meals throughout the day, even when working towards weight loss goals.”
With these points in mind, it’s important to remove any guilt, shame, or stigma around so-called cheat meals. In fact, tapping into positive psychology around “cheat” foods could actually end up staving off weight gain.
In a 2014 study published in the journal Appetite, participants who associated chocolate cake with feelings of guilt (in contrast to those who associated the dessert with celebration):
- Were less successful at losing weight over three months (in those who aimed for weight loss)
- Were less successful at maintaining their weight over 18 months
- Had lower levels of perceived behavioral control
In sum, the researchers concluded that stress and feeling guilty about food are counterproductive.
4. Boost Their Nutritional Value
There are countless ways to “healthify” make your cheat meals—i.e., increase their overall nutritional value without making major sacrifices.
Per Avitia, these cheat meal hacks include but aren’t limited to:
- Baking or air frying certain items (rather than opting for their deep-fried counterparts)
- Adding unlimited veggie toppings to pizza to boost your fiber and micronutrient intake
- Opting for a lettuce wrap to replace a bun for your burger
3 RD-Developed Cheat Meal and Dessert Dupes
1. High-Protein Pizza
This gluten-free pizza recipe by Landetta packs 17 grams of protein per serving and is weight-loss friendly. “It still satisfies your pizza craving, but with less saturated fat and more protein,” she explains.
Yields 2 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten-free flour
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (or 8oz silken tofu for a plant-based option)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- Dash of salt
- 1 tsp each of oregano, parsley, and rosemary
Toppings
- Parmesan cheese and mozzarella
- Tomato sauce (optional: no added sugar variety)
- Fresh vegetables (red onion, mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, spinach)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a bowl, combine gluten-free flour, Greek yogurt (or silken tofu), baking powder, nutritional yeast, salt, and herbs. Stir until a dough forms.
- Roll out the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden.
- Spread tomato sauce, cheese (if using), and toppings of choice.
- Return to the oven for another 8-10 minutes until cheese melts and edges are crispy.
- Slice and serve hot.
2. High-Protein Chocolate Mousse
If chocolate makes your heart sing, consider whipping up Landetta’s protein-rich chocolate mousse recipe. (Bonus: It also offers heart-healthy flavonoids and gut-boosting fiber.) “This rich chocolate dessert satisfies your chocolate needs while providing protein and limiting added sugar,” she shares.
Yields 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 package silken tofu (16 oz)
- 2 Medjool dates (pitted)
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 scoops chocolate protein powder (optional)
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (no added sugar)
- Optional toppings: hemp seeds, coconut flakes, berries
Instructions
- Melt dark chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring every 10-15 seconds to prevent burning.
- Add melted chocolate, tofu, dates, and cocoa powder to a high-speed blender.
- Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Pour the mixture into a container and refrigerate for a few hours until set.
- Top with hemp seeds, coconut flakes, or berries, and enjoy!
3. Avocado Pudding
Here, Avitia offers her avocado pudding recipe, which offers healthy fat and protein. It’s also decadent enough to stand in for less nutritious desserts on your cheat days.
Ingredients
- 2 ripe avocados, pits removed
- 4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 4 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender or a food processor and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides in between. Add more almond milk if needed to help blend.
- Taste test it to see if you prefer more chocolate flavor (add more cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon at a time), more sweetness (add a splash of maple syrup) or more vanilla. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer to an airtight container for storing. Refrigerate.
Cheat Meal FAQs
What is the rule for cheat meals?
There are no hard and fast rules for cheat meals. However, they should be sporadic and fit within the context of a diverse, nutritious diet rich in whole foods and balanced macronutrients.
How often is it okay to have a cheat meal?
The cadence depends on a range of factors including your goals, health issues or concerns, and overall diet quality. Some people may prefer to stick to one cheat day per week or extend this period to the weekend. In the context of the 80-20 rule, a person who eats three meals a day would plan to have four cheat meals per week.
Will I gain weight from a cheat day?
One cheat day a week is unlikely to contribute to weight gain, so long as you stick to an otherwise healthy dietary regimen that promotes weight loss.
Does a cheat day reset your metabolism?
Some research suggests that cheat meals and cheat days may reset your metabolism when you’re under more restrictive eating protocols. However, there’s insufficient evidence to prove that these potential results are sustained or meaningful enough to significantly impact metabolism. (In addition, the Cleveland Clinic notes that most of these studies focus on re-feed days for athletes or people who do intermittent fasting, so they’re not entirely applicable to cheat meals and cheat days.)