Over the years I have made an extensive but casual survey among those who diet, inquiring as to why they insist on complicating the process. The conclusion has proved itself obvious. Beautiful pictures of food have distorted reality. The majority of suggested recipes they scroll across on their phones are impossible feats for the normal person.
Well-intentioned people severely underestimate the amount of time, energy and skill (those photos on Instagram aren’t by accident) it takes to craft beautiful recipes.
But here’s the good news: You don’t even have to be a decent “home-cook” to eat well.
So what’s the reasonable midde-ground between beautuifl, tasty recipes and dog-food?
It’s all about utilizing the compound movements of cooking: Spice combinations.
What follows are five spice combinations that make meal prep simple and tasty. You won’t learn how to cook or how to take #foodporn pics in this post. Instead, this is a useful and reasonable pocket guide that makes your meal prep life easier.
1. The Mexican Blend
What you need:
- 1 tsp Chili powder
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Onion powder
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne powder
- 1/4 tsp Cumin powder
- Lime juice
- Salt
This spice combo goes well with chicken or any ground meat. Once your protein is seasoned, you can grill, bake or stir-fry it to finish it off.
*Bonus Tip: Rice and beans are the usual pairings here. But to level-up this spice combo, you can add two things:
- Herdez Guacamole Salsa
- Pico De Gallo
2. The Asian Blend
What you need:
- Two cups soy sauce
- 1 Tbs mustard
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- Salt
- Pepper
This spice combination is one that I grew up with. My Ma used to make garlic chicken and fried rice using this simple spice combo. First season your protein with salt and pepper.(I’ve only used chicken, but feel free to use any protein you prefer). Add the soy sauce, mustard and garlic into a zip lock bag. Add in your protein and let it sit overnight. Then pan-fry for a few minutes on each side or bake the protein at 450 for 15–20 minutes.
*Bonus Tip: To upgrade this spice combination, you can have it with mirepoix (this is just a simple combo of chopped onion, carrots and celery) fried rice topped with Sriracha. Chop onions, carrots and celery. Stir-fry until these vegetables are soft. Add a cup of white rice and stir for a few minutes. Add your garlic chicken and drizzle sriracha all over it.
3. The Italian Blend
What you need:
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried Rosemary
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- Salt & Pepper
This spice blend goes well with any ground meat. Throw everything into a sauce pan and stir-fry it.
*Bonus tip: Add in some marinara sauce along with some cooked pasta to the mix and you have a full meal ready to go. If you’re feeling good, you can even throw in some chopped bell peppers and mushrooms.
4. The American Blend
What you need:
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Juice from one lemon
- Olive oil (just enough to coat your protein)
- Salt & pepper
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/2 tsp paprika
Think of this as the classic roast spice combination. It goes best with chicken or turkey. Throw all your spices (along with the lemon juice and olive oil) into a zip lock with your protein of choice. Let it sit over night. To prepare, preheat oven to 450 and bake for 15–20 minutes.
*Bonus tip: With the same spice combo, take an extra zip lock bag and throw in chopped zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and sliced red onion. You can throw these veggies onto a second baking sheet while the chicken bakes. You’ll knock out your protein and veggies prep in one shot.
5. The Thai Blend
What you need:
- 1 tsp round turmeric
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp round cumin seed
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp round white pepper
- 1/2 tsp Chili flakes
- Two cans full fat coconut milk
First, you’ll dry fry all the spices (minus the bay leaves and coconut milk) for five minutes. This will toast the spices and bring forth a bolder flavor. Then add in two cans of full fat coconut milk, the bay leaves and your protein source (chicken seasoned with salt and pepper will do just fine) to a pot. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until chicken is tender.
*Bonus tip: Prepare some calrose white rice (a soft, succulent and tender medium grain rice) and serve your curry over this stuff. Then finish it with chopped cilantro and a squirt of lime. You can also easily throw in some veggies into the curry. Onions, potatoes and bell peppers are all fair game.
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