How can you get more discretionary calories in your diet?

December 18, 2025 •

4 min read

For most physically active adults, the discretionary calorie allowance is at most 15% of their total recommended caloric intake. A primary strategy to expand this 'extra' budget is by prioritizing nutrient-dense foods, which leave more room for treats, and increasing your daily physical activity. By making smarter choices and moving more, you can effectively and healthfully increase your discretionary calories.

Quick Summary

This guide explains how to increase discretionary calories by optimizing core food choices and increasing energy expenditure. It covers methods like nutrient-dense eating, flexible dieting principles, low-calorie food swaps, and the role of regular physical activity in expanding your calorie budget.

Key Points

Eat Nutrient-Dense Foods: Prioritize whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins to meet nutritional needs with fewer calories, leaving more room for discretionary items.
Increase Daily Physical Activity: Boost your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) through consistent movement, like brisk walking or taking the stairs, to increase your total calorie allowance.
Make Smart Food Swaps: Use lower-calorie alternatives for common discretionary items to enjoy similar tastes while saving significant calories.
Utilize Flexible Dieting: Follow the 80/20 rule, prioritizing nutrient-dense foods for 80% of your intake, with the remaining 20% reserved for more flexible choices.
Practice Mindful Eating: Slow down and pay attention while eating to recognize fullness cues and prevent overconsumption of discretionary foods.
Drink More Water: Avoid liquid discretionary calories from sugary drinks and opt for water, which saves calories and aids overall hydration.

Understanding Your Calorie Budget

Your daily calorie budget is divided into two parts: essential calories and discretionary calories. Essential calories come from the nutrient-dense foods required to meet your body's basic needs for vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients. Discretionary calories, often called 'empty calories,' are the remaining calories that can be consumed from foods that provide little to no nutritional value, like added sugars or solid fats. Effectively increasing your discretionary calorie budget involves either freeing up more of your existing calorie allotment or increasing your total daily energy expenditure.

Prioritize Nutrient-Dense Foods

By focusing on consuming the most essential nutrients for the fewest calories, you create more space for discretionary choices. This is the core principle of a healthy and balanced diet. For instance, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains will meet your nutritional requirements without consuming excessive calories. This strategic eating leaves a larger 'buffer' for occasional treats. Replacing high-calorie, nutrient-poor foods with their nutrient-dense counterparts is a practical approach. For example, swapping a sugary drink for water, or a dessert with added sugar for a piece of whole fruit, directly saves calories that can be reallocated elsewhere.

Boost Your Energy Expenditure with Exercise

Another highly effective method to get more discretionary calories is by increasing your physical activity. The more energy your body uses, the higher your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), which directly increases your daily calorie allowance. This does not mean you need to train like a professional athlete. Even small, consistent changes can make a significant difference. Walking briskly, taking the stairs, or doing light yard work all contribute to burning more calories throughout the day. Consistent activity also supports your metabolism and overall health. For example, a 154-pound person can burn approximately 280 calories from a 30-minute brisk walk. Over time, this cumulative effect can substantially increase your daily calorie flexibility.

Make Strategic Low-Calorie Swaps

Not all discretionary foods are created equal, and choosing smarter substitutions can help you stretch your calorie budget further. This strategy focuses on enjoying similar tastes and textures with fewer calories. For example, using a zero-calorie sweetener instead of sugar in your coffee, or opting for air-popped popcorn over oily potato chips can save hundreds of calories. The following table compares common high-calorie items with low-calorie alternatives.


High-Calorie Discretionary Food	Lower-Calorie Alternative	Calorie Savings (per approx. serving)
Sweetened soda (1 can)	Seltzer with fruit juice (1 can)	~140 calories
2 scoops regular ice cream	Frozen yogurt with fresh berries	~100+ calories
1 commercial muffin	Homemade bran muffin with less sugar	~150+ calories
Potato chips (1 small packet)	Air-popped popcorn (1 small bag)	~50+ calories
Salad with creamy dressing	Salad with vinaigrette	~100-200 calories

Implement Flexible Dieting (IIFYM)

The "If It Fits Your Macros" (IIFYM) approach offers a highly flexible method to manage your calorie and discretionary budget. Instead of rigidly restricting foods, it involves hitting specific daily targets for protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Once your macro goals are met, any remaining calories can be used for discretionary items. This method teaches a deeper understanding of food composition and promotes a balanced mindset rather than strict deprivation. It is a sustainable approach because no single food is off-limits, which can prevent binge eating and other unhealthy behaviors often associated with restrictive diets. Tracking your intake can be easily done with a smartphone app. A key guideline is the "80/20 rule," where 80% of calories come from whole, nutrient-dense foods, and 20% are for flexible choices. This balanced strategy ensures you meet nutritional needs while still enjoying your favorite treats.

The Importance of Mindful Eating

Mindful eating is a powerful tool for managing discretionary calories. Eating slowly and savoring your food allows your brain time to recognize fullness, which can prevent overeating. By paying attention to what and why you are eating, you can more easily distinguish between genuine hunger and emotional or habitual eating. This practice helps you stay within your discretionary calorie limit without feeling deprived. It encourages a healthier relationship with food and helps to make conscious choices about when and how to spend your calorie budget. When you do choose a discretionary item, making it a thoughtful experience, rather than a mindless one, can increase the enjoyment and satisfaction derived from it.

Conclusion

To get more discretionary calories, you must take a two-pronged approach: optimizing your nutrient intake to free up existing calories and increasing your physical activity to expand your overall calorie budget. By prioritizing nutrient-dense whole foods, strategically swapping high-calorie items, increasing your energy expenditure through exercise, and adopting principles of flexible dieting and mindful eating, you can create a sustainable, balanced diet. This allows for the occasional indulgence without compromising your health goals, making your dietary approach more enjoyable and long-lasting.

Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Physical Activity and Your Weight: https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/physical-activity/index.html

Frequently Asked Questions

Discretionary calories are the leftover calories in your daily budget after you have met your body's nutritional requirements from essential, nutrient-dense foods. They often come from items with added sugars, solid fats, or alcohol.

You can calculate your discretionary calories by first determining your total daily calorie needs (TDEE). Then, subtract the calories consumed from whole, nutrient-dense foods that meet your essential needs. The remainder is your discretionary allowance.

Yes, increasing your physical activity boosts your total daily energy expenditure, meaning your body burns more calories throughout the day. This effectively increases your overall calorie budget and, by extension, your discretionary allowance.

The 80/20 rule suggests that 80% of your daily calories should come from healthy, nutrient-dense whole foods, while the remaining 20% can be allocated to more flexible or discretionary items. This promotes balance and adherence.

Yes, simple swaps like choosing water over sugary sodas, frozen yogurt instead of ice cream, or homemade muffins over commercial ones can save hundreds of calories, freeing up your discretionary budget.

Macro tracking (IIFYM) is often preferred as it focuses on the quality and balance of nutrients, not just the total energy. By meeting protein, carb, and fat targets first, you ensure nutritional needs are met before spending discretionary calories.

Yes, within moderation. The concept of discretionary calories means you can include 'treat' foods, but a balanced approach is key. The goal is to make smart choices that fit within your budget, focusing on nutritional needs first.