Are you still worried about how much to eat at each meal? Is a kitchen scale too troublesome, or are you confused about proper portion sizes? Don’t worry!Your own hands are your convenient, personalized “diet scale” — this is the Palm Method.It is intuitive and simple, requires no tools, helps you estimate reasonable portions anytime and anywhere, and makes diet management easy.
Why is the Palm Method ideal for people with diabetes?
Simple & intuitive: Uses hands, fists, and fingers as references, easy to understand and remember.
Portable: Your “measuring tools” are always with you, usable at home or when eating out.
Personalized: Hand size correlates with body size, so portions better fit individual needs.
Educational: Helps build a correct visual sense of food portions, avoiding overeating or insufficient intake.What is the Palm Method?
- Fist portion — for staples and fruits
Staples (carbs):Rice, noodles, steamed buns, bread, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, and whole grains.Prioritize whole grains and low-GI choices: brown rice, oats, whole-wheat bread, quinoa — more friendly to blood sugar.
Fruits:Choose low-GI fruits: apple, pear, peach, plum, cherry, grape, kiwi, citrus, mango, banana, strawberry, etc.Note: Minimize or avoid fruit juice.
Recommended portions: Staples: about 2 fists per day
Fruits: about 1 fist per day - Palm portion — for protein
Portion size:One piece of fish, poultry, lean meat, or soy product matching the size and thickness of your palm (excluding fingers) — about 50 g raw.
Recommended portions: Men: 2 palms per day (≈100 g)
Women: 1 palm per day (≈50 g)
Best choices:Fish and shrimp, skinless poultry, lean meat, soy products (tofu, soy milk), low-fat dairy.
- Two-handled portion — vegetables (the more, the better)
Portion size:One large double handful of raw vegetables — about 500 g.
Recommended portions:1–2 large handfuls per day (500–1000 g).Vegetables are high in volume, low in calories, rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals — the main force for blood sugar control.
Choose wisely:Dark vegetables should make up more than half (leafy greens, broccoli, purple cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, etc.). - Thumb-tip portion — control fats and oils
Portion size:Cooking oil, butter, or nuts (walnut, almond, peanut) equal to the first segment of your thumb.
Recommended portions: Cooking oil: 1 thumb-tip per day
Nuts: use the same portion; choose unsalted, unsweetened varieties. - Two-finger portion — for lean meat
Portion size:A piece of lean meat as thick as your index finger, and as long and wide as your index and middle fingers together — about 50 g.
Recommended portion:1 serving per day (pork loin, beef, etc.).