Measuring food with scales, cups, and apps is essential when you’re new to dieting.
But boy, does it get tedious fast.
Fortunately, once you’ve learned the basics of portion control, you can ditch the rigid tools for something simpler: the hand portion method.
Using hand measurements for food is surprisingly effective—it’s accurate, consistent, and completely portable.
Plus, it naturally scales to your size: people with larger hands typically consume larger portions, while those with smaller hands eat less.
If you want to calculate serving sizes using your hand, this article will show you how. In this straightforward hand portion size guide, you’ll learn how to measure portion sizes using your hands, so you never have to rely on traditional measuring tools again.
How to Estimate Serving Sizes by Hand
1. One Palm-Sized Portion of Protein
Your palm is ideal for measuring food by hand, especially when it comes to protein.
A portion of protein like chicken, fish, or tofu that matches the width and thickness of your palm (excluding fingers) gives you about 3 ounces, providing 20-to-30 grams of protein.
2. One Cupped Hand of Carbs
Use your cupped hand for portion controlling carbs such as pasta, potatoes, and grains. This roughly equals ½-to-⅔ cup of cooked carbs, or around 100-to-130 grams.
3. One Fist-Sized Portion of Veggies
Measure non-starchy veggies like broccoli, spinach, or bell peppers using your fist. One fist equals about one cup or 100 grams.
4. One Thumb-Sized Portion of Fat
Fats add up quickly, so using your hand for portion tracking helps keep your calorie intake in check. A thumb-sized portion equals roughly one tablespoon, making it ideal for measuring oils, nuts, nut butters, or cheese.
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Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you live in the UK, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Puerto Rico, or Guam, your order ships free when it’s over $199.
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Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you’re outside the USA, your order ships free when it’s over $299.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money. But! We're also hustling to improve our international logistics and will be passing our savings along to our international customers.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
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