A handy tool for just about anyone concerned with food portions is the ability use your own hand as a guide for estimating, or to use a standard plate as a method of portion control. Using the below techniques, test your own estimation skills for accuracy when you are at home and can measure after you estimate to better your skills.  These skills will be beneficial to clients utilizing both extreme and less accuracy alike.

Hand Portion Sizes

Estimating  by hand is better than not measuring at all, especially when clients are new to macro counting or who don’t have strict timelines to adhere to in reaching their goals. Clients who require high accuracy for their goals should be familiar with this, should they be stuck in a situation without their scale and also because eventually, their nutrition plan may not need to be so precise.

The easiest way to estimate portion size is by using our own hands as guides. Standard approximations are shown below.

 

Closed fist = approx. 1 cup

Entire size of thumb = approx. 1 ounce

Tip of thumb = approx. 1 tablespoon

Tip of index finger = approx. 1 teaspoon

Cupped palm = approx. 1-2 ounces

Flat size of palm = approx. 3 ounces

Learning to use our hand in this way makes for easy estimating and logging of meals while eating out or in social situations. Clients can quickly snap a photo of their meal next to their hand, and do their estimating and logging later so as to not disrupt their social experience while still working towards their goals.

Self Testing

All clients should be encouraged to practice estimating. When the clients have the opportunity to weigh and measure their food, they should test themselves by consciously estimating the serving size and considering how it may appear in relation to the size of their own hand, before placing it on the scale to confirm how accurate or inaccurate their estimate is. With time, this kind of self-testing leads to more accurate estimates as confirmed by the scale, which will translate to more confidence when clients find themselves in situations without a scale.

Plate Method

Clients utilizing less accurate strategies may opt to aim for healthy portioned plates instead of accurate measuring. When a standard 7”-8” dinner plate is divided and built with ¼ protein, ½ low glycemic veggies like greens, beans, cauliflower, tomatoes etc., and ¼ starchy high glycemic veggies like potatoes, yams or rice, with a small dab of healthy fats, it is considered a healthy balance.

While being less accurate than other forms of measure, plate building can help clients reach their goals through encouraging them to make more intentional food choices with every meal.  This is also a handy still to have during social events and/or holidays – when one’s attention is better spent on their company.