I was reading recently some information on nutrition to stay abreast of current issues in the health/fitness industries and to keep up with my CEC requirements. One article was mainly about calories. When I worked in the restaurant industry, all servings were measured and weighed during prep time. Amazing how fast and accurate someone can learn to get the right amount of ingredients in a fast paced environment. This post is to help reduce the stress most people have about portion size.
I know that a lot of people wonder what is a portion size? And when they see what a portion size is, they think that is not enough. I've been there. However, one does not have to walk with measuring spoons, measuring cups, and a food scale. Who would want to? Where is the freedom there? You already have the perfect measuring tool with you: your hand.
Yes, your hand is a great tool. I understand, some people have bigger hands and some people have smaller hands. Your hands are right for you, not someone else. Think of this as a personalized measuring tool. Here are the rules of "thumb" (pardon the pun):
Use your palm to determine how much protein you need for your meal. The diameter and the thickness of your fish, steak, or chicken breast needs to be roughly the size of your palm. It has been recommended that men have 6 - 8 portions per day. This would be roughly 2 servings per meal. For women, it is recommended four to six servings per day. This would be roughly 1 serving per meal. Don't forget, you are also going to be eating veggies, carbohydrates and fats too.
This is a good way to measure veggies. This is for the colorful, non starchy vegetables. Like with the protein, men can have two servings per meal and women can have one per meal.
This is for carbohydrate dense foods like grains, fruits, and starches. For men, again, this would be two servings per meal. Women are one serving per meal.
Remember, these are healthy fats not just any fat. This is a good way to measure a portion nut butters (peanut butter), oils, butters, nuts/seeds, and cheese for example. This is the thickness and length of your thumb. For men, you guessed it, two servings per meal and women are one serving per meal.
Keep in mind, this is not exact. This will work for most people without having to guess or estimate how much to consume. How you adjust this to meet your needs depends on how full you are after a meal, how active you are, what your training goals are, are you able to maintain your energy levels to meet your workout needs, and if you are seeing any results.
Please leave a comment. Let me know what you think of this post and if it works for you.
