How To Track Your Portions If You Don’t Want To Count Calories
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How To Track Your Portions If You Don’t Want To Count Calories
Looking to eat the right portions for your health goals, but not interested in calorie counting or macronutrient calculators? Tracking your exact calories and macronutrients can be useful for some goals, but it’s not the be-all and end-all approach.
If you want to learn how to eat a more balanced diet without constantly monitoring your intake, this guide is here to help you.
Can you track portions without counting calories or macros?
Absolutely. Some people simply want an easier way to keep an eye on what they’re eating, and others may find it triggering to count calories or track macronutrients.
However, we do still want to be aware of your rough macronutrient intake if you’re looking to achieve some health goals. You want to make sure you’re getting enough protein to support your muscles and recovery. But you also need to ensure you’re getting the right amount of carbohydrates and fats – not too little and not too much.
So how can you do this without apps and calculators? The easiest way to get started is to use your hands. By using the size of different parts of the hand for different macronutrients, you can gauge your approximate intake and ensure your meals are balanced.
The basics of hand portion sizes
Never heard of using your hand to portion your meals? There are 4 basic portion types to be aware of:
Protein – one portion is the size of your palm. This provides around 20-30g of protein.
Carbohydrates – one portion is the size of your hand when cupped. This provides around 20-35g of carbohydrates.
Fat – one portion is the size of your thumb. This provides around 10-20g of fat.
Vegetables – one portion is the size of your fist. Although veg are technically a source of carbohydrates, we generally look at them more for their fibre, antioxidant, vitamin and mineral content.
The handy (excuse the pun) part about this approach is that your hand size is unique to you. If you have a smaller frame, your portion sizes will be smaller. But if you have a bigger frame, your portion sizes will be bigger.
Tweaking portions based on your goals
Now that you know the basics of how to portion with your hands, what might this look like for your meals? It can depend on your goals, your training schedule, and many other factors. But as an example, here are 3 hand portion examples for specific types of meals.
Pre-workout meal
Before a workout, you likely want a good amount of carbs to fuel you, plus some protein to support muscle growth and recovery. This could be:
1 palm worth of protein
Two cupped hands worth of carbohydrate
½ - 1 fist worth of veggies
Looking for pre-workout food ideas? Make sure you give this a read.
Post-workout meal
After working out, you’re likely to want a meal that is rich in protein and carbs. Most people also limit their fat content in post-workout meals. This could equate to:
2 palms worth of protein
Two cupped hands worth of carbohydrate
1 fist worth of veggies
½ thumb worth of fat
For more workout recovery tips, check this article out.
Low-carb, high fat meal
More women are trialling out a low-carbohydrate approach or even ketosis as a way to manage health concerns such as insulin resistance and PCOS. The good news is you can still use this portion approach as a way to keep your intake on track!
A lower-carbohydrate meal might look like:
2 palms worth of protein
2 fists worth of low-carb veggies
1-2 thumbs worth of fat
Now, is this method fool-proof? There will always be some level of variation, particularly because most foods contain a combination of macronutrients. You also need to consider your individual body needs, lifestyle and goals. But this is a great way to keep an eye on your portion and macro intake in a way that is easy, convenient and can be taken anywhere!
What if you have more specific goals? This is where we can take a deeper dive into how nutrition and portion tracking can support you in my 1:1 coaching.
Looking for nutrition tips and healthy hacks to help you feel better?
Hey there, I’m Rachel!
NUTRITIONIST, PERSONAL TRAINER, WELLNESS COACH
Here I share healthy recipe ideas, training plans, and nutrition & wellness advice you need to know.
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While we make every effort to make sure the information in this website is accurate and informative, the information does not take the place of medical advice.