We have all heard that Americans eat too much! We get served a ton of food when we go out to eat. There is a lot of tradition with food. We get together and indulge, and that's great. We celebrate holidays together. Family traditions involve different types of food, often some of our favorites.
We do not have to stay away from food or feel guilty for eating "bad" foods.
It is okay to eat foods that you love. You have our permission! If you feel like it is "unhealthy" then don't eat all of it. You can eat cookies, cake, ice cream, and/or doughnuts (my personal favorite). We just need to learn that it is okay. It is not the end of the world. We can recover without punishing ourselves!
Portion Sizes Simplified
We are going to break this down into 4 groups; Protein-dense foods, Vegetables; Carb-dense foods, and Fat-dense foods. All you will need for this is your own hand (if for some reason you don't have a hand, try to have someone else help you measure). These are presented as total daily intake, so you can divide them however you would like.
Protein Measurement: Use your own palm!
Men should try for 6-8 palms of protein dense food
Women should try for 4-6 palms of protein dense food
Vegetable Measurement: Use your own fist!
Men should try for 6-8 fists of vegetables
Women should try for 4-6 fists of vegetables
Carbohydrate Measurement: Use your own cupped hand!
Men should try for 6-8 cups of carbohydrate
Women should try for 6-8 cups of carbohydrate
Fat Measurement: Use your own thumb!
Men should try for 6-8 thumbs of fat
Women should try for 4-6 thumbs of fat
We would like to point out that men and women vary in size. On average, women are smaller then men so that is why the recommendation is for smaller amounts. If you are tall, active, strong, big, it is okay to go with the men serving suggestions too.
By following these guidelines, you can do pretty good. If you go over or under, it's not the end of the world. These are just guideline and not laws. We just want you to have some tools to help you when you need them.
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