How to Use Your Hands for Portion Control While You're On the Go

One of the most challenging parts about eating healthy is portion control while you're out. Rather than counting calories, you should limit how much food you eat in general. Meet your weight goals on the go by following these suggested food serving portions.

1. Your Use Hands to Measure Food Servings

Your hands are a handy way to gauge how much food you should be eating. Smaller people need less food, and they tend to have smaller hands. The opposite is true for larger people. So, let your hands be a free guide for portion control.

Follow these serving sizes based on the corresponding body part:

• 1 Portion of Protein = 1 Palm: Your chicken breast, cut of meat, or tofu squares should rest comfortably in the palm of your hand.
• 1 Portion of Vegetables - 1 Fist: Your serving of greens, potatoes, and beans should be the size of your closed fist.
• 1 Portion of Carbs = 1 Cupped Hand: Your whole grains, fruits, and legumes should fill your cupped hand.
• 1 Portion of Fats = 1 Thumb: Your nuts, wild-caught fish, or fruit oils should measure to the size of your thumb.

2. Eat According to Your Activity Levels

We eat food to gain energy so we can attain peak performance. Don't slow your body down by stocking up on foods that make you feel sluggish. Optimize your plate to meet your need best.

Low Activity

Cut pounds and lose excess fat with minimal exercise by eating a balanced meal:

• 2 Palms of Protein: Consider lean protein sources, like tempeh, salmon, or turkey.
• 2 Fists of Veggies: Eat various colored foods, including carrots, artichokes, and onions.
• 1 Cupped Hand of Carbs: Stick with resistant starches, like quinoa, sweet potatoes, and squash.
• 1 Thumb of Fats: Top things off with grass-fed butter, almond butter, or extra virgin olive oil.

Boost your health and lose weight with light activity levels by increasing your carb intake:

• 1 Palm of Protein: Pack it up with lentils, quail, or steak tips.
• 2 Fists of Veggies: Keep rotating your choices with kale, mushrooms, and purple potatoes.
• 3 Cupped Hands of Carbs: Eat barley, oats, or wild rice.
• 1 Thumb of Fats: Feel fuller with avocados, coconut, and chia seeds. 

Moderate Activity

Increase your activity levels while losing weight and burning fat with this low-carb plan: 

• 2 Palms of Protein: Alternate your protein sources by including tuna, chickpeas, or whole wheat pasta.
• 2 Fists of Veggies: Mix it up with a stir-fry rich in edamame, red cabbage, and bamboo shoots.
• No Carbs
• 3 Thumbs of Fat: Maintain digestive health with cashews, sesame seeds, and avocado oil.

Support your health with moderate activity levels and a balanced meal of:

• 2 Palms of Protein: Rotate your meal to get a variety of beef, chicken, and soybeans.
• 2 Fists of Veggies: Increase your fiber intake with beets, celery, and garlic.
• 2 Cupped Hands of Carbs: Carb up with complex starches, including bulgur, Swiss chard, and oatmeal.
• 2 Thumbs of Fats: Boost absorption with MCT oil, Brazil nuts, and cod.

High Activity

Maintain your body weight with high activity levels. Manage your waistline with these low-carb selections:

• 2 Palms of Protein: Eat various protein sources, like goat, pork, or black beans.
• 2 Fists of Veggies: Make a small tossed salad with bell peppers, radishes, and collard greens.
• No Carbs
• 6 Thumbs of Fats: Increase your fat intake with kill oil, dark chocolate, and eggs.

Increase your muscle, lose bodyweight, and tone your body by interspersing moderate to rigorous exercises in your workout routines. Sculpt your body and maintain lasting energy with this high-carb protocol:

• 2 Palms of Protein: Stay trim with lean protein sources, like shrimp, kidney beans, and yogurt.
• No Veggies
• 6 Cupped Hands of Carbs: Sustain energy levels with brown rice, broccoli, and pumpkin.
• 2 Thumbs of Fats: Fight off hunger pings with coconut oil, almonds, and ghee.

3. Customize Your Hand Food Servings

Our bodies' needs are as dynamic as our workout schedules. We need to change our eating patterns to accommodate our bodies. Here are a couple of tips for tweaking your portion control regimen to meet your goals.

If you are hungry after eating your hand-portioned servings, your body might require more food. You will notice the need for more food if you aren't meeting your muscle goals and are left unsatisfied after meals.

For those needing some extra calories:

• Add 1 Cupped Hand of Carbs and/or
• Add 1 Thumb of Fat

In some instances, you can become full before you complete your servings. Don't force these unneeded calories into your system. Instead, try cutting down on your portions.

If meals leave you full before finishing, try removing:

• Add 1 Cupped Hand of Carbs and/or
• Add 1 Thumb of Fat

 Do not exceed or remove more than 2-3 extra hand servings daily. Always try to vary your food sources, including the items you remove from your meal plan. Track your progress and make changes accordingly!