The 90-30-50 Diet Method: How It Works and What to Know

Nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated. The 90-30-50 diet takes a simple, balanced approach by focusing on three daily targets: 90 grams of protein, 30 grams of fiber, and 50 grams of healthy fats.

Popularized by registered dietitian and TikTok influencer Courtney Kassis, this diet approach skips the usual restrictions in favor of a no-nonsense approach. You prioritize the nutrients your body needs to feel full, stay energized, and support overall health. It’s a shift away from restriction and toward sustainable habits built on real, satisfying food.

With clear, achievable goals, the 90-30-50 method offers a practical path to more balanced eating (and less hunger). 

Discover how this straightforward approach can support your health goals and reshape your daily routine.

Key Takeaways:

• The 90-30-50 method emphasizes nutrient goals, not restrictions: By aiming for 90g of protein, 30g of fiber, and 50g of healthy fats daily, this diet encourages balance, satisfaction, and sustainability over calorie counting or food group elimination.
• Hitting protein, fiber, and fat targets supports weight loss naturally: These nutrients help reduce cravings, enhance fullness, regulate blood sugar, and increase metabolism — making healthy eating feel easier and more effective.
• Protein is central to preserving lean muscle during weight loss: Upping protein intake while dieting helps maintain muscle mass and supports better long-term health outcomes.
• Fiber and healthy fats improve digestion, energy, and mood: A high-fiber diet supports gut health and regularity, while quality fats reduce inflammation and stabilize energy levels.
• Consistency matters more than perfection: You don’t need to hit every target perfectly every day — focusing on overall patterns and using tools like MyFitnessPal or Lifesum can help you stay on track without stress.

What is the 90-30-50 Diet? 

The 90-30-50 diet method focuses on hitting three daily targets of 90 grams of protein, 30 grams of fiber, and 50 grams of healthy fats. 

Each nutrient plays a key role. Protein helps build and maintain muscle, keeps your metabolism humming, and curbs hunger. You’ll find it in foods like chicken, eggs, tofu, beans, and Greek yogurt. Fiber supports digestion, balances blood sugar, and feeds your gut health. Load up on fruits, veggies, whole grains, and legumes to get there. And healthy fats? They’re essential for hormone balance, brain health, and staying satisfied between meals—think avocado, nuts, olive oil, and salmon.

What makes this approach different from other diet plans is its emphasis on getting enough of these essential nutrients instead of restricting entire food groups or obsessing over calories. Simplicity is its strong suit. 

Being consistent is what matters the most for this diet (or any diet). Getting close to these targets most days will serve you better than hitting them exactly once a week and then giving up. Your body responds to patterns, not perfect days. Focus on building sustainable habits around these three pillars rather than stressing about precise measurements.

90 Grams of Protein

Protein is the star of this eating structure because it supports nearly every function in your body. Eating higher levels of protein when losing weight has been found to prevent muscle loss and lead to better health outcomes, according to an Obesity journal article. Keeping your muscles as you lose weight has a positive impact on almost every aspect of your health, so upping the protein intake during this time is the way to go. 

30 Grams of Fiber

Fiber is super important for weight management and overall health. There’s a well-established connection between higher fiber intakes and lower rates of obesity, according to Food Science and Human Wellness. In fact, a clinical trial found that participants who ate high-fiber diets lost an additional seven pounds compared to those with regular fiber diets, as published on Frontiers in Nutrition. That’s because fiber helps you feel full and keeps your digestive system working smoothly.

50 Grams of Healthy Fats

Healthy fats are important for daily bodily functions and to keep you feeling satisfied after meals. Consuming high-quality fats helps reduce inflammation, improve blood cholesterol levels, reduce blood pressure, and support gut health, according to research from UCLA Health. These fats come from sources like avocados, nuts, extra virgin olive oil, and fatty fish rather than the saturated fats found in processed foods.

How the Diet Promotes Weight Loss

The 90-30-50 method works for weight loss because it addresses the underlying factors that can make losing weight so difficult. Instead of relying on willpower or restriction, this approach gives your body the nutrients it needs to work as best as it can. By hitting these three targets, you’ll find yourself dealing with fewer cravings and with a more positive mood throughout the day. 

These are some of the ways the 90-30-50 method helps you lose weight:

• Enhanced satiety and fullness: Protein was found to be the food type that keeps you full the longest out of 38 food groups analyzed in a study published by the Nutrients journal. This means you’ll naturally eat less overall when you prioritize getting enough protein throughout the day without feeling deprived or hungry.
• Regulated blood sugar: The combination of protein, fiber, and healthy fats helps slow the absorption of glucose into your bloodstream. This prevents the blood sugar spikes and crashes that can trigger cravings for sugary or high-calorie foods.
• Improved digestion and gut health: Eating enough fiber makes your gut bacteria happy, which was found to be incredibly important for proper digestion in a Nutrients journal study. A healthy gut microbiome can help you better manage your weight and reduce inflammation throughout the body.
• Faster metabolism: Your body burns more calories when digesting protein compared to carbs and fats. The more protein you eat, the more calories you’ll naturally burn throughout the day, as long as you don’t exceed the safe upper limit of 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight.
• Reduced inflammation: Healthy fats help fight chronic inflammation, which can interfere with weight loss. When inflammation decreases, your body has a better shot at regulating the hormones that control hunger and metabolism. These effects help promote healthy eating habits, which will only reduce inflammation even further.

Benefits of the 90-30-50 Diet

Following the 90-30-50 approach comes with many benefits besides a lower number on the scale. Some other positive health outcomes can include:

• Better energy levels: Consuming a balanced mix of macronutrients prevents the energy crashes that come from blood sugar spikes and dips. You’ll have more consistent energy throughout the day without counting every calorie.
• Improved digestion: The healthy bacteria in your gut love nothing more than to see you consume more fiber. You’ll be rewarded with regular bowel movements as the bacteria work overtime. At the same time, protein and healthy fats slow digestion enough to prevent digestive discomfort.
• Reduced cravings: Cravings for processed foods and sugary snacks go away almost completely once you’ve developed a habit of eating balanced meals. You’ll find yourself satisfied with real food rather than always looking for something sweet after every meal.

Potential Risks and Considerations

While the 90-30-50 diet has many benefits, it’s important to approach any dietary change carefully. This method emphasizes three specific macronutrients. But a balanced diet also includes other vitamins and minerals along with your macros. Getting caught up in numbers without considering the source and quality of your food can cause you to miss important nutrients that your body needs.

For example, hitting your protein goal exclusively through protein powders and chicken breasts might be an easy way to get those 90 grams, but that will leave you short on important vitamins and minerals found in a wide range of foods. 

It’s also important to start this approach slowly, especially if your current diet is much lower in protein or fiber. Suddenly jumping to 90 grams of protein and 30 grams of fiber can cause digestive discomfort, including gas and bloating. 

How to Track Macros

You don’t have to obsess over tracking your macros every day. But having some awareness of your intake helps you understand whether you’re hitting your targets. Luckily, there are many apps and tools like macro calculators that make the process even easier:

• MyFitnessPal: This comprehensive app has an incredibly large food database and allows you to set custom macro targets to make it easy to see how close you are to your 90-30-50 goals each day.
• BodyFast: While primarily focused on intermittent fasting, this app also includes macro tracking features that integrate well with flexible eating schedules.
• Nutrium: This gives you detailed nutrient analysis beyond just macros, helping you confirm that you’re getting enough vitamins and minerals along with your protein, fiber, and fats.
• Lifesum: Its user-friendly interface with visual representations of your macro intake will make it easy to see your progress at a glance.

All of these tracking tools available through Wellhub, so you have plenty of options to find what works best for you.

Sample Meal Plans

Building meals around the 90-30-50 targets is much easier once you understand which foods contribute most effectively to each category. Try some of these meal options that fit into the 90-30-50 diet:

Breakfast Options

Having a balanced breakfast with all three macronutrients sets you up for sustained energy throughout the day. Try starting your day with:

• Greek yogurt parfait: Layer one cup of Greek yogurt with mixed berries, chopped almonds, chia seeds, and a drizzle of honey. This is also an excellent post-workout snack thanks to its protein and healthy carbs.
• Avocado toast with eggs: Top whole grain toast with half a mashed avocado and two poached eggs.

Lunch Ideas

Your lunch should refuel your energy rather than give you the dreaded afternoon slump. These recipes should do the trick:

• Quinoa power bowl: Mix cooked quinoa with grilled chicken, black beans, avocado, and vegetables, drizzled with an olive oil-based dressing.
• Turkey and hummus wrap: Use a high-fiber tortilla filled with turkey breast, hummus, salad mix, and plenty of vegetables.

Dinner Recipes

Your dinners should be satisfying without being too heavy. These meals will give you enough power to recover during your sleep without overwhelming your digestive system:

• Baked cod with roasted veggies: Serve flaky white fish with roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes, drizzled with olive oil.
• Lentil and vegetable curry: Mix cooked red lentils with coconut milk and plenty of vegetables over a small portion of brown rice.

Boost Your Daily Wellbeing with Good Nutrition

The 90-30-50 diet offers a more balanced approach to nutrition. It’s not about restriction—it’s about fueling your body in a way that supports your goals. Consistency and small shifts matter more than chasing perfection.

With a Wellhub membership, you can tap into tools like MyFitnessPal, BodyFast, Nutrium, and Lifesum to make tracking macros simple and sustainable.

You might already have access to Wellhub through your employee benefits. Check here to see if you're eligible and start building better habits today. If not, start a petition to bring Wellhub to your workplace and make nutrition support more accessible.

References:

• He, Yang, et al. (Jan. 2022) Effects of Dietary Fiber on Human Health. Food Science and Human Wellness, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fshw.2021.07.001.
• Ioniță-Mîndrican, Corina-Bianca, et al. (26 June 2022) Therapeutic Benefits and Dietary Restrictions of Fiber Intake: A State of the Art Review. Nutrients, vol. 14, no. 13, p. 2641. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14132641.
• Kelly, Rebecca K, et al. (17 Apr. 2023) Increased Dietary Fiber Is Associated with Weight Loss among Full Plate Living Program Participants. Frontiers in Nutrition, vol. 10. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10150096/, https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2023.1110748.
• Moon, Jaecheol, and Gwanpyo Koh. (30 Sept. 2020) Clinical Evidence and Mechanisms of High-Protein Diet-Induced Weight Loss. Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome, vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 166–173. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7539343/.
• Ogilvie, Anna R., et al. (11 May 2022) Higher Protein Intake during Caloric Restriction Improves Diet Quality and Attenuates Loss of Lean Body Mass. Obesity, vol. 30, no. 7, pp. 1411–1419. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.23428.
• UCLA Health. (15 June 2022) Eating Healthy Fats Has Many Benefits. www.uclahealth.org/news/article/eating-healthy-fats-has-many-benefits.