Should you cheat on your diet? Or is there wiggle room?

Studies suggest that long-term adherence to restrictive diet programs is poor when there is little allowance for dietary wiggle room. (stock.adobe.com)

Many people cheat on their diets. The idea of eating your favorite treats while otherwise following what you consider an optimal diet is often referred to as “cheat meals.”

Many nutrition experts recommend that people don’t try to be a dietary saint all of the time and to leave some leeway into an otherwise-healthy eating plan.