Do you know a few GREAT cooks?

I’m lucky to have a few really great cooks in my life.

Several of my friends actually used to cook professionally, which I have recently learned makes them actual “chefs.”

Anyway … one of the chefs blew my mind when he gave me the secret to his amazing family meals.

I am sharing this because all too often we OVERTHINK meal planning and prepping.

His advice is so simple and so foolproof that it completely transformed how I personally approach my own meals.

Here it is:

“As long as you put together ingredients that taste good, your meal is going to taste good.”

(I told you it was simple.)

However, I’m going to take it to the next level – with one slight change:

I would add the words “healthy whole food” to the ingredient criteria: “As long as you put together healthy, whole food ingredients that taste good, your meal will be healthy and taste good.”

I used to spend too much time making over-complicated recipes … it always felt like a chore.

You know, something fancy like “braised Brussels sprouts with pork tenderloin and peaches.”

Which is fun sometimes, but gets old fast … and the cleanup takes way too much time.

Instead, it’s all about putting together:

Delicious protein + delicious vegetable + healthy fat + (sometimes) a whole grain.

And then adding a seasoning or sauce that tastes great! Or you can even throw them together in a pot with some broth and make a soup.

Now, on any given day you will find in my fridge:

Protein choices: pre-prepped chicken, ground turkey, salmon, tofu, etc.

Veggies: sauteed carrots, roasted cauliflower, sweet potatoes, etc.

Grains: Jasmine rice, quinoa, chickpea pasta, etc.

When it’s time to put together a meal for lunch or dinner, all I have to do is grab my ingredients and put it together.

It’s not always fancy, but it IS always healthy and delish. And it also keeps me on track with my goals and energized to take on my day.

Like I always say, it’s the small, simple steps that add up to BIG RESULTS!

What are YOU having for dinner tonight?

Make it a great day!

Coach Thomas Sampson CFL-3, USAW-2, Sports Nutritionist