What is a Portion Size?
The amount of food you eat at any given time is referred to as a portion size. Depending on your food choices (or recommendations from your Registered Dietitian), your portion size may differ from a serving size (the amount used to calculate the Nutrition Facts of a packaged product).
A Handy Guide to Portion Sizes
To help you estimate appropriate portions, your hands are the perfect tools – make use of these handy measures for healthy meal and snack planning:
Both Hands
Good for measuring 1 portion of:
- Brightly coloured vegetables (e.g., spinach, broccoli, peppers, green/yellow beans, zucchini, etc.)
Good for measuring 1 portion of:
- Brightly coloured vegetables (e.g., spinach, broccoli, peppers, green/yellow beans, zucchini, etc.)
Fist (1 Cup)
Good for measuring 1 portion of:
- Whole fruit
- Cold cereal
- Yogurt
- Milk and soy beverage
- Legumes (e.g., peas, beans, lentils, chickpeas)
1/2 Fist (½ Cup)
Good for measuring 1 portion of:
- Fresh, frozen or canned vegetables
- Fresh, frozen or canned fruit
- Grains (e.g., pasta, rice, quinoa, barley)
Cupped Hand (¼ Cup)
Good for measuring
1 portion of:
- Dried fruit
- Nuts and seeds
Good for measuring 1 portion of:
- Brightly coloured vegetables (e.g., spinach, broccoli, peppers, green/yellow beans, zucchini, etc.)
Good for measuring 1 portion of:
- Whole fruit
- Cold cereal
- Yogurt
- Milk and soy beverage
- Legumes (e.g., peas, beans, lentils, chickpeas)
Good for measuring 1 portion of:
- Fresh, frozen or canned vegetables
- Fresh, frozen or canned fruit
- Grains (e.g., pasta, rice, quinoa, barley)
Good for measuring
1 portion of:
- Dried fruit
- Nuts and seeds
Palm (2½ ounces)
Good for measuring
1 portion of:
- Fish
- Meat and poultry
Flat Hand
Good for measuring
1 portion of:
- 1 slice of bread
- ½ bagel, pita or tortilla
Thumb (1 Tablespoon)
Good for measuring 1 portion of:
- Cheese (2 thumbs)
- Peanut butter (2 thumbs)
- Oil (1 thumb or 1 thumb tip)
- Margarine & butter (1 thumb or 1 thumb tip)
- Mayonnaise & sauces (1 thumb or 1 thumb tip)
Thumb Tip (1 Teaspoon)
Good for measuring 1 portion of:
- Cheese (2 thumbs)
- Peanut butter (2 thumbs)
- Oil (1 thumb or 1 thumb tip)
- Margarine & butter (1 thumb or 1 thumb tip)
- Mayonnaise & sauces (1 thumb or 1 thumb tip)
Good for measuring
1 portion of:
- Fish
- Meat and poultry
Good for measuring
1 portion of:
- 1 slice of bread
- ½ bagel, pita or tortilla
Good for measuring 1 portion of:
- Cheese (2 thumbs)
- Peanut butter (2 thumbs)
- Oil (1 thumb or 1 thumb tip)
- Margarine & butter (1 thumb or 1 thumb tip)
- Mayonnaise & sauces (1 thumb or 1 thumb tip)
Friendly Tip:
To calibrate your handy measures, compare each with the amount you get from a measuring cup or spoon.
The Plate Method
You can also use a plate to help estimate healthy portion sizes.†
Aim for:
½ plate = vegetables
(i.e., garden salad, Greek salad, steamed or grilled vegetables, etc.)
¼ plate = meat & other protein
(i.e., lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs, tofu, vegetable protein, chickpeas*, beans*, lentils*, etc.)
¼ plate = grains & starches
(i.e., brown rice, whole wheat pasta, quinoa, barley, sweet potatoes, etc.)
Round off your meal with a piece of fruit
* Chickpeas, beans and lentils also contain carbohydrates.
†Adapted from Diabetes Canada, 2018.
TIP: If your food is typically served in a bowl, these same portion principles apply.
- ½ bowl = vegetables
- ¼ bowl = meat & other protein
- ¼ bowl = grains & starches
- Round off your meal with a piece of fruit
Adapted from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012.
