Figuring Out Portions

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Terytha
Terytha Posts: 2,097 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Every day for lunch I bring 100 grams of chicken and a handful of veggies, usually in the 120-150 gram range. Sometimes it feels like so much food I could never finish it (sometimes can't). Sometimes I'm still starving after lunch.

How in the heck do you figure out how much food to eat in a meal, particularly when pre-planning like I must do for lunch?

My veggies are usually broccoli and/or green beans because I'm picky af and I don't like most veg. When I can afford it, I have asparagus. The 100 grams of chicken is because most packs of chicken are 500 grams so that splits up neatly for work lunches. Sometimes I have salmon or chunks of steak but 100 grams is usually what it works out to.

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  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
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    I have learned that I'm a snacker. I eat breakfast and lunch at work, so I pack both plus 3-4 things for snacks. I have learned through trial and error what foods I will enjoy eating and find filling enough to pack. Somedays it is too much food and I get to eat more dinner or dessert in the evening. Some days it still isn't enough and I"m starving and wind up buying a snack or digging through whatever stash I have in my office. In general, I find that having higher fat, protein, and fiber are more likely to get me through the work day, but I still need at least a little something sweet to keep me from hunting office sweets.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,948 Member
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    Terytha wrote: »
    How in the heck do you figure out how much food to eat in a meal, particularly when pre-planning like I must do for lunch?

    First, determine your TDEE (Total daily energy expenditure) which will in turn inform what your total daily calories should be.

    Next, determine your macros. How much protein, carb and fat you will be consuming.
    Your goal weight in pounds x .8 for protein. Your goal weight in pounds x .35 - .45 for fat.
    Figure out what the grams total in calories (x4 for protein and x9 for fat), whatever calories are left fill in with carbs and aim for 15 grams of fiber per 1000 calories.

    Take that total number and divide by the number of meals you will be eating in a day. Start there and make adjustments as needed.

    Hope that helps. Always seems easy to me until I write it out...

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