Hand-Portion Macro Calculator
Estimate protein, carbs and fat targets in easy hand portions — palms, cupped hands, fists and thumbs — from your meal count.
How it works
Per meal: protein = palm, carbs = cupped hand, fat = thumb · Daily = per-meal portions × meals
Hand portions scale food to your own body without any scale or app: a palm of protein, a cupped hand of carbs and a thumb of fats per meal. This calculator translates that guide into gram and calorie estimates based on your hand size, goal and meal count, so you can sanity-check the approach against a macro target. It is intentionally approximate — the value is that your hand is always with you.
Worked example
Average hands, maintenance, 3 meals: 2 palms protein (168 g), 2 cupped hands carbs (168 g) and 1 thumb fat (27 g) per day — roughly 1,587 kcal from those portions before drinks and extras.
Frequently asked questions
How do hand portions map to food?
A palm-sized serving of meat or fish is your protein, a cupped-handful of rice, pasta or fruit is your carbs, and a thumb-sized amount of oil, butter, nuts or cheese is your fats. A fist is a good measure for vegetables, which you can eat freely.
Why use hands instead of a scale?
Your hands scale with your body, are always available and require no weighing or logging. It is far less precise than a food scale but accurate enough for consistent, sustainable portioning.
Should men and women use the same portions?
The method self-adjusts because hands differ in size. This calculator lets you pick smaller, average or larger hands rather than assuming, so the gram estimates track your own measurements.
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Calorie figures are rough averages that vary by recipe, brand, portion and preparation — use them for planning, not precision. Educational only, not medical or nutrition advice.