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HANDY GUIDE

Perfect portion size for weight loss revealed… and all you need is your hand

Do you know how much dry pasta you should really be cooking?

IF you're struggling to lose weight but you're eating healthily, you may want to look at your portion control.

Most of us don't really think about how much we're eating - we're so busy concentrating on what we stick in our mouths, we don't consider how much we chow down on.

Fruit doesn't get a free pass - a short and sweet handful will do
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Fruit doesn't get a free pass - a short and sweet handful will doCredit: Dan Jones

While you can generally eat endless amounts of dark leafy greens, eating slightly too much chicken or potato regularly can lead to weight gain.

Which is why the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) has come up with a helpful portion guide.

We're all individual and our hunger and activity levels are all going to be slightly different.

While we all need the same kinds of nutrients, how much we need will differ from person to person.

A handy guide helps you work out the right portion size for every food group
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A handy guide helps you work out the right portion size for every food groupCredit: Dan Jones

If you're a 5'4'' woman living with a 6'2'' guy, you both need the same kinds of food but try to eat the same amount of each and one of you is going to balloon or become malnourished.

The proportion guide is based on a 2,000 kcal diet for average healthy adults.

Every day you should eat:

5+ portions: fruit and veg

3-4 portions: starchy carbs

2-3 portions: beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat

2-3 portions: dairy and alternatives

This is what a full day of eating should look like for most of us
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This is what a full day of eating should look like for most of us

Portion sizes:

2 handfuls of dried pasta shapes or rice (75g)

Carb your enthusiasm to just two handfuls of pasta
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Carb your enthusiasm to just two handfuls of pastaCredit: Dan Jones

A bunch of spaghetti the size of a £1 coin, measured using your finger and thumb (75g)

Only have as much spaghetti as you can fit into the 'O' shape when you join your forefinger and thumb
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Only have as much spaghetti as you can fit into the 'O' shape when you join your forefinger and thumbCredit: Dan Jones

The amount of cooked pasta or rice that would fit in two hands cupped together (180g)

Put a lid on your curry staple, cup your hands to find you rice portion
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Put a lid on your curry staple, cup your hands to find you rice portionCredit: Dan Jones

A baked potato about the size of your fist (220g)

A baked potato should be no larger than your fist, new guidelines say
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A baked potato should be no larger than your fist, new guidelines sayCredit: Dan Jones

About 3 handfuls of breakfast cereal (40g)

Don't overdo it with your breakfast cereal either
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Don't overdo it with your breakfast cereal eitherCredit: Dan Jones

A piece of grilled chicken breast about half the size of your hand (120g)

Your serving of chicken must fit in the palm of your hand
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Your serving of chicken must fit in the palm of your handCredit: Dan Jones

A piece of cheddar cheese about the size of two thumbs together (30g)

Use your thumbs to work out how much cheese you should help yourself to
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Use your thumbs to work out how much cheese you should help yourself toCredit: Dan Jones

About 1 tablespoon of peanut butter (20g)

Use a spoon to measure out your daily portion of PB - not a knife...or your fingers!
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Use a spoon to measure out your daily portion of PB - not a knife...or your fingers!Credit: Getty - Contributor

About 3 teaspoons of soft cheese (30g)

Three teaspoons of cream cheese is enough
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Three teaspoons of cream cheese is enough

The BNF says: "If you’re tall or very active you may need more and could have larger portions. If you’re a small person or are trying to lose weight, you may need smaller portions.

"If you use the hand measures we give then portion sizes will vary with the size of your hands and so, generally, bigger people will automatically get bigger portions and smaller people will get smaller ones."

The chances are, if you're cooking too much food, you're probably eating too much as well.

So next time you're preparing dinner, forget weighing stuff out or going by the pot size.

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You can use your hands to measure out how much of which ingredients to use - and it still works even if you're preparing multiple meals.

Simply multiply your hand sizes by the number of meals or mouths you're trying to feed.

If you're cooking for a family of four, cook eight handfuls of dried pasta or rice, for example.

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