Now that we have nearly a month of good habits under our belts- let's take it a step further! Most of us know the methodology CrossFit uses for nutrition: “Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar.” For most people however, those strict guidelines are a little extreme. The goal here is to encourage eating whole, minimally processed foods to fuel to body for not only your workouts, but also for your everyday life!
Once we start focusing on eating fresh veggies and meats, and cutting out a lot of the highly processed foods, there is another step we have to take to truly fuel our bodies the way they need to be fueled: paying attention to portion sizes!
Let’s think about this for a minute. You are out with your family at one of your favorite restaurants. You’ve spent the last few weeks really focusing on cutting out highly processed foods and eating fresher items so you go into this dinner confident that you can make incredibly mindful choices! You order a grilled chicken breast, baked potato, and green beans. Now, think about how this plate looks when it comes out. Most likely, there is a whole chicken, a large potato topped with butter and sour cream, and half the plate overflowing with green beans. Figuring out serving size could be next to impossible, however place your hand beside your plate.
•Compare the size of your palm to the chicken on your plate-your palm determines a single portion of protein
•Compare the potato to your cupped hand-your cupped hand determines a single portion of carbs
•Compare your fist to the green beans-you fist determines a single portion of vegetables
•Compare your thumb to the butter and sour cream-your thumb determines a single portion of fats
Hand portions are amazing because your hands go everywhere with you, plus your hands are usually proportionate to your size! Men should start eating 2 palms of protein, 2 fists of veggies, 2 handfuls of carbs, and 2 thumbs of fat for each meal. While women should start with 1-2 of each portion for every meal. Starting at this point ensures that you will get enough high nutrient foods to properly fuel your body!
Blog by Elizabeth Haughey
