Do you know those days when everything feels chaotic and rushed, you haven\u2019t had time to prepare a proper meal, and you know you\u2019ll probably end up eating at a restaurant, ordering takeaway, or grabbing something from a supermarket?<\/p>\n
And you don\u2019t have a food scale.<\/p>\n
Then comes the familiar thought:<\/p>\n
\u201cI have no idea how much of each food I should eat…\u201d<\/p>\n
But the truth is, you don\u2019t always need a scale to know how much food your body needs.<\/p>\n
What you need is an understanding of meal structure<\/b>, not obsessive calorie counting.<\/p>\n
The balance of macronutrients<\/i> is what makes the difference between:<\/p>\n
– constantly feeling hungry and having stable energy<\/p>\n
– losing only water weight and losing body fat<\/p>\n
– feeling tired all the time and maintaining healthy muscle tone<\/p>\n
– restricting yourself all week and overeating at the weekend versus following a sustainable way of eating.<\/p>\n
The focus shouldn\u2019t be on calories\u2014it should be on macronutrients.<\/p>\n
Protein<\/strong> \u2013 should be included in every meal.<\/p>\n Otherwise, it\u2019s almost impossible to consume enough protein throughout the day.<\/p>\n Protein is essential for metabolic processes, stable energy levels, hormonal balance, satiety, and preserving muscle mass.<\/p>\n Recommended daily protein intake varies depending on your body weight, lean muscle mass, and activity level.<\/p>\n As a general guideline, aim for a minimum of 1.6 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.<\/p>\n For this example, we\u2019ll use 25\u201330 g of protein per meal.<\/p>\n What does that look like?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fibre<\/b> \u2013 from vegetables and whole-food carbohydrate sources.<\/p>\n Think of fibre as your digestive system\u2019s best friend.<\/p>\n Vegetables add volume to meals, while fibre helps keep you full and supports healthy digestion.<\/p>\n Include at least one clenched fist-sized portion of vegetables with every meal.<\/p>\n Throughout the week, try to eat at least 5\u20138 different types of vegetables.<\/p>\n I know\u2014it\u2019s not always easy.<\/p>\n But it is possible.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Carbohydrates<\/b> \u2013 are not the enemy, but both the source and timing matter.<\/p>\n The best time to eat them is before and after exercise or physical activity, when they provide energy and support recovery.<\/p>\n On days when you don\u2019t train, eat them earlier in the day.<\/p>\n Portion size: one cupped hand (for example oats, rice, sweet potato, bread, or pasta).<\/p>\n The same principle applies to fruit.<\/p>\n One serving per day is perfectly sufficient.<\/p>\n Fats<\/b> \u2013 choose mostly unsaturated fats.<\/p>\n The best sources include olive oil, nuts, seeds, and avocado.<\/p>\n Fat is also naturally present in fish, but fish is primarily a protein source. Here, we’re focusing on foods that mainly provide healthy fats.<\/p>\n Include them especially in meals without carbohydrates, together with a protein source.<\/p>\n For example: cottage cheese with a spoonful of peanut butter.<\/p>\n And try to avoid adding extra fats immediately before or after training, as they may slow digestion and recovery.<\/p>\n Portion size per meal: about the size of your thumb (1 tablespoon of oil or 15\u201325 g of nuts).<\/p>\n How can you build a meal without a food scale? Use the hand-portion method:<\/p>\n Example 1 \u2013 Breakfast at Home<\/strong><\/p>\n 3 eggs (protein) + half a cucumber and a handful of cherry tomatoes + half a tortilla.<\/p>\n Example 2 \u2013 Snack<\/strong><\/p>\n 250 g of skyr + a handful of almonds.<\/p>\n Example 3 \u2013 Lunch at a Restaurant<\/strong><\/p>\n Grilled chicken (palm-sized portion) + roasted vegetables (one clenched fist) + boiled potatoes or rice (one cupped hand).<\/p>\n Example 4 \u2013 Dinner<\/strong><\/p>\n Tuna (protein) + mixed salad (fibre) + olive oil (thumb-sized portion).<\/p>\n In most situations, you don\u2019t need a food scale.<\/p>\n What matters is understanding the type and quality of food you\u2019re eating\u2014focusing on structure rather than numbers.<\/p>\n And making a consistent effort every day and every week to provide your body with the nutrients it truly needs.<\/p>\n Because structure creates habits.<\/p>\n And habits create results.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Do you know those days when everything feels chaotic and rushed, you haven\u2019t had time to prepare a proper meal, and you know you\u2019ll probably end up eating at a restaurant, ordering takeaway, or grabbing something from a supermarket? And you don\u2019t have a food scale. Then comes the familiar thought: \u201cI have no idea […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":686,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-training-nutrition-daily-routines"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
\n
Practical Examples<\/b><\/h3>\n