Portion control is a key aspect of managing and prevention diabetes.

It is challenging to constantly measure your food intake, and you may not always have measuring spoons or cups available to guide you. The good news is that your hand is a perfect substitute.

• Open Palm: A healthy serving of meat or poultry is 3 ounces, which is roughly the size of your palm.

 

• Closed Fist: Your closed fist is roughly equivalent to one cup.

 

• Thumbs Up: However, if you only need to measure 1/2 cup, place your fingers in the thumb’s up position. The area between your fourth finger and pinky is approximately that amount.

 

• Closed Palm: The amount you can pick up in your closed palm is about 1 ounce.

 

• Thumb: The distance from your knuckle to the tip of your thumb is about one tablespoon.

 

• Index Fingertip: A fingertip’s worth is enough for your toast or to fry an egg, which is roughly equivalent to one teaspoon. (Always use pasture-fed cow butter whenever possible and avoid margarine and other transfat oils.)

More Tips

• A healthy portion of cheese should be equivalent to two fingers’ worth.

 

• A healthy portion of pasta is roughly the size of the front part of your first (four stacked fingers).

 

• A healthy portion of sherbet (or ice cream) is a fist-full.

 

NHCOA’s Salud y Bienestar diabetes prevention and management program is supported by the Walmart Foundation.