Are you finding it hard to eat right? It’s simple, really. All you need to do is strike a balance—consume the needed nutrients in the right quantities. Consider this your handy guide to what every meal should look like.
Portion size is the amount of food that is put on a plate, while the recommended serving size is the amount of food that you are supposed to eat.
A serving is a measured amount of food or drink, for instance, one cup of rice or eight ounces of milk. Food can come in a single portion but be composed of multiple servings—think of it as having a plate of food enough to feed three people.
Reserve half of your plate for Glow foods (rich in vitamins and minerals), a quarter for Grow (food rich in protein), and the last portion for Go (food rich in carbohydrates). Water is also important, so have a glass to go with your meal.
Plating a balanced meal doesn’t get any simpler than this! All you have to do is use the hand symbol equivalents for serving size:
1 Fist (1 cup) = rice, pasta, fruits, vegetables
2 Palm (3 ounces) = meat, fish, poultry
3 Handful (1 ounce) = nuts, raisins
4 Two handfuls (1 ounce) = chips, popcorn, pretzels
5 Thumb (1 ounce) = peanut butter, hard cheese
6 Thumb tip (1 teaspoon) = cooking oil, mayonnaise, butter, sugarÂ
Article originally published in the January/February 2016 issue of Yummy magazine. Minor edits have been made by Yummy.ph editors.
