Welcome to lesson 4 of Simple Strategies for Nutrition Beginners!

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Hand Measurements - One Cupped Palm

Last week we asked you to pay attention to the amount of water you’re drinking and to be aware of your hunger levels.  This week you’re going to learn about proper portion sizes.
 

Simple Strategy:  
Carbohydrate Portion Sizes

Today’s lesson is about carbohydrates. Carbohydrates like breads, rice, pasta, and potatoes are not bad. What is bad is that often we are eating too big of portion sizes. That can easily create too many calories. 

We like the hand measurement system. There’s no calorie counting involved.  Simply use your hand as a guide for your serving sizes.  

Carbohydrate serving sizes are measured with a cupped palm.  This is approximately half a cup or 20-30 grams of carbohydrates. 
 

General guidelines for a carbohydrate on your plate:

 

          Men = 2-3 cupped palms

          (~40-600 grams of carbohydrates)

 

          Women = 1-2 cupped palms

          (~20-40 grams of carbohydrates)

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Here’s how to adjust up or down

depending on your lifestyle.
 

Gentlemen

2-3 cupped palms of carbohydrates in each meal

 

If you have a physically active job, or get a workout in that day, then
you’d have 3 cupped palms of carbohydrates in each meal.

If you have a sedentary lifestyle, adjust your carbohydrate 
servings to 2 cupped palms in each meal.

 

Ladies

1-2 cupped palms of carbohydrates in each meal

 

If you have a physically active job, or get a workout in that day, then you’d have 2 cupped palms of carbohydrates in each meal.

 

If you have a sedentary lifestyle, adjust your carbohydrate serving to 
no more than 1 cupped palm in each meal.

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Some foods that you could use the 
cupped palm measurement system are:
 

Approximately 1 cupped palm portion

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Rice or Quinoa                                             ½ cup cooked

Potatoes                                                       3-4 oz. cooked

Bread                                                                 1 slice

Bun                                                                    ½ bun

Pasta                                                            ¾-1 cup cooked

Oatmeal                                                       ½ cup uncooked

Fruit                                                                    ½ cup

Combination items.  Let’s keep this simple!

Ladies                Gentlemen

Hot dish or Casserole                                1 cup                      2 cups

Potato Salad                                                ½ cup                     1 cup

Chili                                                              1 cup                      2 cups

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Your third simple strategy to practice this week is to try and include

1-3 cupped palm portion sizes of carbohydrates in each meal.

 

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