Hand Portion Guide
Portions sized by your own hand, no scale needed.
Portion guide using your own hand
Hand size scales with body size, so this is a self-calibrating reference. No food scale needed.
A balanced plate
- ½ plate of vegetables (2 fists)
- ¼ plate lean protein (1 palm)
- ¼ plate cooked grains or starchy carb (1 cupped hand)
- 1 thumb of oil or fat for cooking and dressing
From the Precision Nutrition hand-portion system. Easier than weighing food and travels with you. Bigger people get bigger hands and bigger portions, which is the point. Active days bump grain and protein servings up; rest days lean toward more vegetables.
About
A reference card for portion sizes that uses your hand instead of measuring cups. Palm = protein. Cupped hand = carbs. Thumb = fats. Fist = vegetables. The system scales with body size automatically because hand size does too.
How to use
- Use your own hand as the reference.
- Match the food to a hand part.
- Build a balanced plate.
FAQ
Does this really work as well as a food scale?+
Close enough for most non-elite goals. The Precision Nutrition team built this from working with thousands of clients. The big benefit is you actually use it; food scales sit in drawers.