Tracking2 min read
How to judge portion sizes without a food scale
Use your hand as a built-in measuring tool for protein, carbs, vegetables and fats, wherever you're eating.
Weighing food is accurate, but few people want to do it at every meal, and it's impossible at a restaurant or a friend's house. The good news is you carry a measuring tool everywhere: your hand. It's roughly in proportion to your body, so it scales with you.
The hand method
- Protein: one palm (the size and thickness of your palm, without fingers). A piece of chicken, fish, tofu or a couple of eggs.
- Vegetables: one fist. A fist-sized pile of broccoli, salad or roasted veg.
- Carbs: one cupped hand. A cupped handful of rice, pasta, oats, beans or fruit.
- Fats: one thumb. A thumb-sized amount of oil, butter, nut butter, cheese or nuts.
Building a plate
A balanced starting point for a main meal is one to two palms of protein, one to two fists of vegetables, one to two cupped hands of carbs and one to two thumbs of fat. Larger or more active people tend to need the higher end, and smaller or less active people the lower end.
Other handy comparisons
- A deck of cards: about 85–100 g of cooked meat or fish
- A tennis ball: about one cup of pasta, rice or fruit
- A golf ball: about two tablespoons of nut butter or hummus
- A dice: about one portion of butter or oil
Watch the sneaky ones
Oils, dressings, nuts and cheese are where portion guesses go wrong most, because small amounts carry lots of calories. A 'splash' of olive oil can easily be three tablespoons. If you track anything carefully, make it these.
Let your camera help
When you log a meal in Mealful from a photo, it judges portion sizes from what's in the frame, and you can adjust any number before saving. Including a fork or your hand in the shot gives it something to compare against.
This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition or specific dietary needs, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian.
