Kitchen scales are accurate and stay in the kitchen. The portions that derail most people happen elsewhere: at a restaurant, at a buffet, at someone else’s dinner table, at 11pm in front of the fridge.
The hand method exists for those moments. It is less precise than weighing and far more useful, because it is always with you and scales to your body.
The four hand references
- Palm = one portion of protein (chicken breast, fish fillet, tofu block).
- Fist = one portion of vegetables — and most people need two.
- Cupped hand = one portion of carbohydrate (cooked rice, pasta, potato).
- Thumb = one portion of fat (oil, butter, cheese, nut butter).
Eating out
- 1Assume restaurant portions are one and a half to two times a home portion — plan to leave some.
- 2Order a vegetable side you actually like; it is the easiest way to rebalance a plate you did not design.
- 3Ask for sauces and dressings on the side, where a thumb-sized portion is visible rather than poured.
- 4Split a starter or a dessert instead of skipping the social part of the meal entirely.
- 5For buffets, walk the whole line once before taking anything, then serve one plate and sit down.
Calibrating your eye
Spend one week checking your hand estimates against a scale or a measuring cup, then stop. The point is not to weigh forever — it is to find out whether your "cupped hand of rice" is 60 grams or 140.
Most people discover their starch and fat portions are considerably larger than they assumed, and their vegetable portions smaller. Once recalibrated, the estimate stays reliable for months.
Practising portions with PortionPal
- 1
Learn the reference portions
PortionPal shows what a serving of each food group looks like in everyday terms.
- 2
Apply them to your own plate
Use the guidance while serving at home, where portions are under your control.
- 3
Take them out with you
The same references work in a restaurant, where nothing can be measured.
- 4
Recheck occasionally
Portions drift. A quick comparison every few weeks keeps your eye honest.
Free to download on iPhone & iPad
Frequently asked questions
Do hand portions work if I have small hands?
That is the design: hand size correlates roughly with body size, so the portions scale to the person using them.
Is PortionPal a calorie tracker?
No. It is a portion and balanced-plate guide, built for people who want structure without logging every meal.