One of my favorite apps to use with myself and my clients is MyFitnessPal.  It’s a free and easy way to track the number of Calories, macronutrients, and some micronutrients you ingest every day.  The hard part is entering in the proper serving size of each food.  When I’m trying to lean out for the summer or add some more muscle to my frame, I need a certain amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fats every day.  Most of the time I prep my meals at home with a food scale, but that’s not always possible, especially if I go out to eat at a restaurant and the portion sizes are far larger than they should be.

Since it’s not practical to carry a food scale everywhere, I found a convenient way to estimate portion sizes.  Below is a handy guide I put together that you can use to stay on track with your food logs no matter where you are.  Next to each portion size I included a typical food that would use that measurement as a serving size.

 

1 teaspoon (butter) is the size of fingertip

1 tablespoon (peanut butter) is the size of thumb tip

2 tablespoons (salad dressing) is the size of ping pong ball

1/4 cup (raisons or dried fruit) is the size of medium egg

1/2 cup (oats, rice, cooked vegetables) is the size of billiard ball or scoop of ice cream

1 cup (leafy greens, milk) is the size of closed fist or baseball

1 ounce (cheese) is the size of pair of dice

3-4 ounces (meat, poultry) is the size of a deck of cards or palm of your hand

3-4 ounces (grilled or baked fish) is the size of a checkbook

6 ounces (steak) is the size of a hockey puck