Nutrition
How to measure your portions with your hand: the IsraFit plate
Eat better without weighing food or counting calories: how to build your plate and use your hand to measure protein, carbs, vegetables and fats.
You do not need to weigh your food or count every calorie to eat better. With two simple tools, the IsraFit plate and your hand, you can serve yourself well at lunch and dinner. Your hand is always with you and it is proportional to your body.
Short answer: at every meal, fill half the plate with vegetables, a quarter with protein and a quarter with carbs. With your hand: one palm of protein (about 4 ounces cooked), one cupped hand of carbs (half to three quarters of a cup), one fist of vegetables and one thumb of fat. Women use one portion of each and men two.
How do I build my plate?
- Half the plate: vegetables. Salad, broccoli, green beans, peppers… They fill you up, have almost no calories and bring fiber and vitamins.
- A quarter: protein. Chicken, fish, eggs, lean meat or beans. It keeps you full and takes care of your muscles (see how much protein you need a day).
- A quarter: carbohydrates. Rice, root vegetables, sweet potato, oats or whole-grain bread. It is your energy to train.
- A little healthy fat. Avocado, olive oil or nuts, the size of your thumb.
How do I measure portions with my hand?
| Your hand | Measures | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm | Protein | 1 | 2 |
| Cupped hand | Carbohydrates | 1 | 2 |
| Fist | Vegetables | 1 | 2 |
| Thumb | Fats | 1 | 2 |
And this is, more or less, what each part of your hand measures:
| Your hand | Equals | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 palm | 3 to 4 oz of cooked protein (about 85 to 115 g) | A small chicken breast |
| 1 cupped hand | ½ to ¾ cup of carbs | Rice, root vegetables or oats |
| 1 fist | 1 cup of vegetables | Salad or broccoli |
| 1 thumb | 1 tablespoon of fat (about 15 g) | Olive oil or nuts |
For example, a palm of chicken breast is about 4 ounces, cooked. A cupped hand of rice is between half and three quarters of a cup.
Tip: the first week, serve your rice with a measuring cup. That way you learn what your portion looks like, and after that you no longer need it.
How do I adjust it to my goal?
- Want to lose weight? Start by removing one portion of carbs or fat at dinner.
- Want to build muscle? Add one portion of carbs after training.
- Adjust little by little, every 2 weeks, based on your results.
What habits help?
- Prepare ahead: cook protein and rice for 3 days on Sunday.
- Eat slowly: wait a few minutes before a second serving; your body takes a while to feel full.
- The 80/20 rule: if you eat well 80% of the time, the other 20% you can enjoy your favorite food without guilt. What counts is what you do almost every day.
IsraFit's free Food Guide has the best proteins, carbs and fats with their portions, easy snacks, a full example day of meals and a printable shopping list.
Sources
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Healthy Eating Plate. nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu
- USDA. MyPlate. myplate.gov
- Precision Nutrition. Calorie Control Guide (hand portion method). precisionnutrition.com
This article is general information. It does not replace the advice of your doctor or a health professional. If you have an injury, a health condition or are pregnant, check with your doctor before you start. The eating advice is general and is not a clinical nutrition plan: for that, see a licensed dietitian. Our articles are based on the sources we link and show their update date; if you see an error, write to info@isra.fit and we will fix it.