If you have ever left a restaurant feeling over-full and sluggish, you know the uncomfortable effects of portion distortion.
The size of common dishes like hamburgers, muffins, and spaghetti and meatballs are much larger than they used to be, according to the National Institutes of Health. This means that one restaurant entree might be the right size for several people, but eaten by just one diner. We are now accustomed to eating much more food in one sitting than is best for us.
You might have grown up hearing, “Eat all the food on your plate.” But sometimes, there is too much food on your plate, and eating all of it will do more harm than good.
The larger portion you eat, the more calories you consume. Portion distortion can cause weight gain, even when someone is eating a well-rounded diet.
Using a food scale or bringing measuring cups with you everywhere would let you measure your portion sizes, but it’s wildly impractical, not to mention, awkward! There’s a simpler way to estimate proper portion sizes: Just use your hand.
In this video, I demonstrate how hand measuring can lead you to building a healthy plate. Scroll down to see a written guide for hand measuring, too!
High-protein foods, like lean meats, fish, poultry, and beans: For women, one serving is the size of your palm. For men, the serving size is two palms. Because men tend to be bigger than women, they require higher protein intake to fulfill their body’s caloric and energy requirements.
High-carbohydrate foods, like brown rice, beans, and potatoes: One cupped-hand portion is appropriate for women, and two cupped-hand portions are appropriate for men.
Vegetables: A fist-sized portion is one serving for women, and two fist-sized portions are one serving for men. However, you don’t need to worry about measuring your vegetable portions. Vegetables contain so much fiber, they keep you full for a long time, and you are almost certain to feel very full before you overeat vegetables.
Fruits: Men should eat two cups of fruit per day, and women should aim for one and a half to two cups.
Fats like oils and nut butters: One thumb-size amount is an appropriate portion for women, and two thumb-size amounts are an appropriate portion for men.
The magic of the hand trick is that it applies to everyone: Someone who is very tall and thus has more body mass is going to need more food than someone who is physically smaller, and their hand size will reflect that.
That said, what’s right for one person isn’t always right for another. It’s something I encounter every day, and why customized nutrition coaching is so effective. Now that you know how to measure portion sizes, if you want to learn how many portions of each food group are optimal for your diet, schedule your consultation session today!
