Your hand is the only portion tool you need.

The plate method works for lunch boxes, and your hand does the measuring.

You don’t need cups or a food scale. You need your body, because the plate method is just a visual ratio: half vegetables, a quarter protein, a quarter carbs. In a lunch box, you’re doing the same thing, but in 3D. Fill half the box with veggies, then fill one side of the remaining half with protein, the other with carbs. Done.

For quick eyeballing: a palm-sized portion is your protein (chicken, meat, tofu). A clenched fist is your carbs if you want a big serving, or a cupped hand for a smaller one. Veggies get two fists if you’re hungry. Fats — nuts, cheese, dressing — are a thumb. That’s the whole trick.

Don’t overthink it. Plate ratios translate straight into a lunch box, and the hand measurements are close enough to actually work. If you’re worried about portion creep, pack the veggies first. Then fill the rest.

Your hand is always with you. That’s the point.