Serving sizes and knowing portion control whilst busily making up your meals can often be a little confusing and unclear. We are here to debunk that idea once and for all! All you need to know to ensure you know what sizes of particular food groups you need in each meal are… your hands!
We here at SuperFastDiet use calories as a means to keep track of what we are putting into our body to fuel and fill us up! But, there is a very simple and easy way to practice calorie control of your carbs, veggies, protein, and fats without actually counting. This trick simply guides you as to what you should be consuming each meal as a general rule. It should be recognised though, that some foods are denser in calories than others. For example, 100g of chicken and 100g of steak will be quite different – so bear that in mind!
To sum up, here is how you can super simply know just how much you should be eating:
- Use your palm to determine your protein portion.
- Use your cupped hand to determine your carb portion.
- Use your fist to determine your veggie portion.
- Use your thumb to determine your fat portion.
* Please keep in mind that this is a guide, and can alter depending upon each individual. For a male, simply double each of the portions!
How much protein?
Protein can be found in a large variety of delicious foods. For our meat eaters, our favourites include chicken, and seafood, being generally slightly lower calorie than some other proteins such as beef and lamb, as it can be a fair bit meatier and fatty. And for our vegetarians and vegans, protein-rich foods such as eggs, tofu, or tempeh are great options! Lentils and beans are also great to get a good portion of protein without consuming any meat.
For protein, the amount you should have on your plate each meal should be around the size of your palm, referring to both the diameter and thickness of your palm!
How much carbohydrate?
We LOVE carbs… I mean, who doesn’t really? Generally, we tend to recommend carbs that are deemed ‘smart’. You might also know them as ‘complex’ or ‘unrefined’, not being stripped of the goodness and health benefits that carbohydrates are intended to provide you. These include delicious and fibre-rich foods such as grain-filled bread, oats, quinoa, starchy vegetables, rice, and pasta. In this instance, fruit is also considered a carb!
So, no – carbs absolutely do not equal weight gain and should not be completely avoided. If you eat the right amount and the right type it will NOT hurt you! Make those delicious pastries and white fluffy slices of bread, ‘sometimes’ foods. If you consume the right ones, they can actually help in your weight loss and health goals. Check out a recent blog that covers the whole often debated topic of CARBS and why we shouldn’t be afraid of them!
When it comes to the portion of carbs you should consume when adding them to a meal, it is recommended that you have a cupped hand full.
How much veg?
When it comes to vegetables, here at SuperFastDiet, we tend to say you can be pretty lenient with your serving sizes, as the majority of commonly eaten vegetables are so low calorie, that having that little bit more salad or stir-fried veg won’t do you much, if not, any damage when it comes to your calorie bank!
Some vegetables are though, considered a bit higher calorie, so shouldn’t be looked at in quite the same way. These types of veggies include potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, parsnip, peas, corn and beans, being vegetables that are slightly higher in carbs and nautral sugar. Generally, foods that have a denser carbohydrate and sugar content are higher in calories, so should not be consumed at the same level as less starchy vegetables. These include veggies such as capsicum, mushroom, cucumber, broccoli and cauliflower, to name a few.
So, for most vegetables, the portion that is recommended is a fist full. As we have mentioned though, this doesn’t have to be quite as strict as the other foods. It is great to fill up on more vegetables as they are so much lower in calories! Woohooo!
How much fat?
Consuming ‘good’, healthy fats is so important to keep your cholesterol levels up and for your overall heart health. Some of our favourite fat-filled foods to add to a whole range of meals include avocado, nuts, chia seeds, extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil, full-fat yoghurt or even dark chocolate – yum!
Fats are great, but not in large amounts. So, the portion that is recommended is just the size of your thumb!
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