Weighing food is useful for a while, and unnecessary forever. What lasts is being able to look at a plate — at a restaurant, at your mother's table, at a hotel breakfast — and know roughly what's on it.
Your hand scales with your body, which is why it works: a palm of protein, a cupped hand of carbohydrate, a fist of vegetables, and a thumb of fat. One of each is a meal for most women; add a second palm of protein if you're lifting hard or eating only three times a day.
Snack slots are smaller by design: a protein anchor plus one whole food. That's it. A snack that looks like a small meal is where a lot of well-planned days quietly go over.
Restaurant plates are usually two adult portions. Deciding what half looks like before you start eating is easier than deciding when the plate is nearly empty.
- Palm — protein — chicken, fish, tofu, beef, eggs
- Cupped hand — carbohydrate — rice, potato, oats, fruit
- Fist — vegetables — the more colour, the better
- Thumb — fat — oil, butter, nuts, avocado, cheese