--- title: Why Nick Offerman Changed His Ron Swanson Diet description: Well, he still enjoys his bacon and eggs... 'but maybe a slightly smaller portion' canonical: https://time.com/3914672/nick-offerman-parks-and-rec/ author: Arpita Aneja article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-06-09T20:13:02.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-01T09:08:24.282Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Why Nick Offerman Changed His Ron Swanson Diet og:description: Well, he still enjoys his bacon and eggs, 'but maybe a slightly smaller portion' og:url: https://time.com/3914672/nick-offerman-parks-and-rec/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt239d5e3a82b04c67/698853bc06f2c13cff33a8f1/gettyimages-464375752.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1920 og:image:height: 1080 og:image:alt: Parks and Recreation - Season 7 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why Nick Offerman Changed His Ron Swanson Diet twitter:description: Well, he still enjoys his bacon and eggs, 'but maybe a slightly smaller portion' twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt239d5e3a82b04c67/698853bc06f2c13cff33a8f1/gettyimages-464375752.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Why Nick Offerman Changed His Ron Swanson Diet > Sponsored content. 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It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=3361a382-3d99-4b74-ba47-a3b05d1a1701&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Nick Offerman: "I Still Enjoy My Bacon and Eggs" [Watch (HLS stream): Nick Offerman: "I Still Enjoy My Bacon and Eggs"](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Z19veCnY.m3u8) (1:47)  _Published 2015-06-09. Nick Offerman talks about life after Parks and Recreation ended._ by [Arpita Aneja](https://time.com/author/arpita-aneja/), [Eliza Berman](https://time.com/author/eliza-berman/) and [Adam Perez](https://time.com/author/adam-perez/) Jun 9, 2015 8:13 PM UTC Nick Offerman talks about life after Parks and Recreation ended. by [Arpita Aneja](https://time.com/author/arpita-aneja/), [Eliza Berman](https://time.com/author/eliza-berman/) and [Adam Perez](https://time.com/author/adam-perez/) Jun 9, 2015 8:13 PM UTC Not only did Nick Offerman shave the mustache that signified his role as Ronald Ulysses Swanson on NBC’s _Parks and Recreation_, but he also decided to cut down on the bacon and eggs when the show ended this year. As his new book [_Gumption_](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0525954678/?tag=timecom-20) hits shelves, Offerman looks back on his time with the show, and what opportunities lie ahead for the de-mustachioed actor. ## Transcript How has life been, since Ron Swanson left my house? I was born ready, I'm Ron [ BLEEP ] Swanson. It's only when I get a moment of rest that, that I stop and look out a lake and I think oh your You're avoiding the fact that you no longer have a mustache. Get on with it, I can't hold this smile forever. I look ridiculous. Ok, hang on. I feel as grateful now as I did the entire time, because Mike Shearer and Amy Poler chose to end the series with such integrity. They made the choice [ INAUDIBLE ] To end it when we wanted to in the way that they wanted to write it. Give me all the bacon and eggs you have. Since Parks and Rec ended, I have to try and find roles that are very different from Ron Swanson. So, I'm clean- shaven. I'm losing some weight. For breakfast this morning, I had bacon and eggs but that's all I have. No potatoes, no toast. [ LAUGH ] So I still enjoy my bacon and eggs, but maybe a slightly smaller portion. I once worked with a guy for three years and never learned his name. Best friend I ever had. I'm getting these correspondences where somebody who is deathly ill or Having a terrible problem. They'll say, my family and I just watched your show and that was medicine in our house. I find that really moving, you know. We do what we do to try and deliver some kind of medicine. So when we get tangible proof Proof that it's pretty nice. [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3914672/nick-offerman-parks-and-rec/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3914672/nick-offerman-parks-and-rec/"},"headline":"Why Nick Offerman Changed His Ron Swanson Diet","datePublished":"2015-06-09T20:13:02.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-01T09:08:24.282Z","description":"Well, he still enjoys his bacon and eggs... 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