By Melanie Pinola, Lifehacker – November 27, 2012 at 11:30AM
Portion control is one of the keys to maintaining a healthy weight. Instead of counting calories or using measuring cups, quickly estimate portion sizes for your proteins, veggies, carbs, and fat by looking at your hands, as these visual guides illustrate.
Using your hand to estimate your portions is familiar territory we’ve discussed before. While other guides have shown us how to measure an inch, teaspoon, or ounce with your hand, these portion control guides from Livestrong are much easier to remember and simpler to follow. You only need to know four hand equivalents for the portions of a complete meal:
-Your palm determines your protein portions.
-Your fist determines your veggie portions.
-Your cupped hand determines your carb portions.
-Your thumb determines your fat portions.
There are two guides, one for men and one for women (click to expand or right-click to save):
While everyone’s hands are different sizes, Livestrong points out that because your hand size is relative to your body size, it’s a great personalized food measurement tool.
Check out the full article for more details on the recommended food portions and flexible meal planning.
A Quick and Easy Way to Estimate Portion Size | Livestrong