I thought we’d take a little lighter look at food tips today. So here are a few little tips to help you along the way.

We always talk about portions, but how do we measure portions if we don’t have a scale. Well, here ya go.

• One closed fist equals one cup of beverage.
• Two cupped hands equals one cup of cereal, salad, soup, (not suggested pouring technique), or about one ounce of chips and pretzels.
• One cupped hand equals a half cup of pasta, cut fruit, rice, beans or one ounce of nuts.
• The palm of your hand equals 3 ounces of cooked meat, fish or canned tuna.
• Two thumbs held together equals a tablespoon of peanut butter, salad dressing or mayo.
• One thumb equals about one ounce of cheese.

I must admit when I read these I was a little confused, because my guess is Shaq’s hand portions are probably different than mind. So I think we should keep the average hand in mind. Unless it’s a cheat day, Shaq works great.

Want to burn off the weekend treats? Here’s what it takes! Based on a 12 minute mile.

• One large banana equals 13 minutes
• One 12 ounce beer equals 16 minutes
• A Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino equals 31 minutes
• One Snickers bar equals 30 minutes
• One cup cooked pasta with tomato sauce 31 minutes
• Two bean and cheese burritos 40 minutes
• One cinnamon raisin bagel, with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter 41 minutes
• Two slices of pizza 58 minutes
• Two pancakes with a tablespoon of butter and 1/4 cup of maple syrup 70 minutes
• A cheeseburger with large fries 117 minutes.

With that in mind a woman running 25-30 miles a week needs about 17-19 calories per pound of body weight. Close to 2500 calories a day for the 140 pound woman.

That same woman needs 70-80 grams of protein daily, 1000-1300 mg of calcium and 12-18 grams of iron

The 170 pound male runner at 25-30 miles per week needs about 19-21 calories per pound of body weight or about 3200 calories a day. He needs 90-110 grams of protein, 1000-1300 mg of calcium and 8 mg of iron.

Although these numbers give you a general idea of what your body needs. I always suggest getting a personal nutrition evaluation in order to get the most accurate numbers for your personal needs.

Be Healthy, Train Smart, Have Fun

coach@prsfit.com

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