Get a hand on your portion control with This easy way to track your food intake
Whether you are trying to lose weight, or put on some sexy, shapely muscles, it’s important to know what your portion sizes should be.
Managing portion sizes correctly can help you stay properly fueled without over eating. However, many women struggle with figuring out what the appropriate serving size is.
While classic food logging can be a very useful tool, it can quickly become annoying and time-consuming. So, I’d like to show you an alternative that will be a quicker, more convenient method to help you stay on track.
USE YOUR HANDS!
Using your hands to measure out food portions can make the process much easier and help you to make healthier choices without needing measuring cups or scales.
Here are some easy-to-remember visuals for portioning out your proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. This will ensure you get the right balance of nutrients in every meal.
Protein (1 portion ~ 25g):
Palm: Your palm's size and thickness of any protein-rich food.
Carbs (1 portion ~ 15g):
Cupped Hands: One cupped hand for grains, rice, or pasta or two handfuls for beans/legumes.
Flat Hand: Flat hand (including fingers) for a slice of bread or tortilla.
Fist: Make a fist for one carb portion of fruits or starchy veggies (potatoes, corn).
Fats (1 portion ~ 15g):
1 Tablespoon: 1 tablespoon of oil
Thumb: Thumb-sized butter knob
Two Thumbs: Two thumbs of nut butter, hard cheeses or tahini.
Three Thumbs: Three thumbs of nuts
Avoiding pitfalls
When you log or track your food, there are some common mistakes that are very easy to make. Here are three strategies to help you avoid the most common ones.
Simplify Your Life By Focusing On Eating Real, Whole Foods
Try to eat whole foods as much as you can. Processed foods often contain a mix of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, and this can make it tricky to focus on the main nutrient. A chocolate bar is a great example of this — it has both carbohydrates and fats. But a piece of fruit is mostly carbs. This will make it easier for you to count it as one portion.
Watch Out For The Calorically Dense Foods
Be careful with foods that are high in fat, like nuts and olive oil because it's easy to eat more calories than you might realize – unintentionally of course. While nuts and olive oil are full of the good, healthy fats, you’ve got to pay attention to portion sizes – even when you’re using oil for cooking – to stay on track.
Liquid Calories Are Still Calories
Don't forget about the liquid calories in your soda, sweet tea, Starbucks beverages and cocktails. These can be big sources of extra calories (and nutrients). For example, a sugary coffee drink might have as many calories as a small meal. Instead, opt for water, herbal tea, or black coffee when possible.
To learn more nutrition basics — like how to properly plate your meal or how to still enjoy dinner and dessert while out on date night – CLICK HERE to check out my “Eating For Radiant Living” on-demand course where I’ll teach you that and so much more!