The 5-Ingredient Meal Formula That Actually Tastes Good

THE PROBLEM WITH RECIPES

Recipes keep you dependent. Every time you want to cook, you need to look something up, check if you have all the ingredients, and follow someone else's instructions step by step.

Recipes assume you have everything. Most recipes require 10 to 20 ingredients. If you're missing even one, the whole thing falls apart. So you either go to the store for that one ingredient or you give up and order food.

Recipes create food waste. You buy fresh herbs for one recipe. They rot in your fridge. You buy a specialty sauce. You use 2 tablespoons and the bottle sits in your pantry for 6 months. You buy white wine for cooking. You don't drink wine. It goes bad.

Recipes take too long. Between prep, cooking, and cleanup, most recipes take 45 minutes to an hour. After a long day, you don't have that time or energy.

Recipes don't teach you how to cook. You can follow 100 recipes perfectly and still not understand how to create a meal from random ingredients in your fridge. You're still dependent on instructions.

The solution? Stop following recipes. Learn a formula instead.

THE 5-INGREDIENT MEAL FORMULA

Here's the framework that makes every meal simple, fast, and satisfying:

1. Protein (palm-sized portion, 4-6 oz)
2. Vegetable (fills half your plate)
3. Fat (1-2 tablespoons for cooking and flavor)
4. Carb (optional, fist-sized portion if you're active)
5. Flavor (salt, pepper, herbs, spices, lemon, garlic)

That's it. Five components. Infinite combinations. Zero recipes required.

Every single meal you make should contain these five elements. Mix and match based on what you have, what sounds good, and how much time you have.

Let me show you how this works in practice.

BREAKING DOWN EACH COMPONENT

COMPONENT 1: PROTEIN (PICK ONE)

Your protein is the foundation. This is what keeps you full, builds muscle, and prevents blood sugar crashes.

Options:

• Chicken breast or thighs

• Ground turkey or beef

• Salmon, cod, or any fish

• Shrimp

• Eggs

• Tofu or tempeh

• Canned tuna or salmon

• Ground pork

• Steak

• Rotisserie chicken (buy pre-cooked, save time)

Portion: One palm-sized piece (4-6 oz) or 3-4 eggs or 1 cup of ground meat.

Cooking method: Grill, bake, sauté, air fry, or eat cold (canned tuna, rotisserie chicken, hard-boiled eggs). Pick the fastest method for your situation.

COMPONENT 2: VEGETABLE (PICK ONE OR TWO)

This is what fills your plate, provides fiber, and makes the meal satisfying without tons of calories.

Options:

• Broccoli

• Spinach or mixed greens

• Cauliflower

• Zucchini

• Bell peppers

• Asparagus

• Brussels sprouts

• Green beans

• Carrots

• Tomatoes

• Mushrooms

• Cabbage

• Kale

Portion: Fill half your plate. Don't overthink this. Just pile vegetables on there.

Cooking method: Roast in the oven with olive oil and salt (400°F for 20 minutes), sauté in a pan, steam, or eat raw if it's a salad base.

Pro tip: Frozen vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh, already prepped, and never go bad. Keep bags of frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and mixed vegetables on hand at all times.

COMPONENT 3: FAT (PICK ONE)

Fat makes food taste good, helps you absorb vitamins, and keeps you satiated. Don't skip this.

Options:

• Olive oil

• Butter

• Avocado

• Coconut oil

• Nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews)

• Seeds (pumpkin, sunflower)

• Cheese

• Full-fat Greek yogurt

• Tahini

• Nut butter

Portion: 1-2 tablespoons for cooking oil or 1/4 avocado or 1 oz cheese or small handful of nuts.

Usage: Cook your protein and vegetables in olive oil or butter. Top finished meal with avocado, cheese, or nuts. Add fat-based sauce like tahini or yogurt.

COMPONENT 4: CARB (OPTIONAL, PICK ONE)

Carbs are optional based on your activity level and goals. If you're active and work out regularly, include carbs. If you're sedentary or trying to lose fat, you can skip them or keep portions small.

Options:

• Rice (white or brown)

• Quinoa

• Potatoes (regular or sweet)

• Oats

• Pasta

• Bread

• Tortillas

• Beans and lentils (these also provide protein)

Portion: Fist-sized serving (about 1 cup cooked).

Cooking method: Batch cook rice, quinoa, or potatoes once per week. Store in fridge. Reheat as needed. This saves massive time.

Pro tip: Microwaveable rice pouches and pre-cooked potatoes from the grocery store are not cheating. They're time-savers. Use them.

COMPONENT 5: FLAVOR (PICK TWO OR THREE)

This is what transforms five simple ingredients into something you actually want to eat. Never skip flavor.

Options:

• Salt and pepper (baseline, use on everything)

• Garlic (fresh, minced, or powder)

• Lemon or lime juice

• Fresh or dried herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, cilantro, parsley)

• Spices (paprika, cumin, chili powder, Italian seasoning, curry powder)

• Soy sauce or tamari

• Hot sauce

• Balsamic vinegar

• Dijon mustard

Usage: Season your protein before cooking. Toss vegetables with garlic and herbs before roasting. Squeeze lemon over finished meal. Drizzle balsamic on salad. Add hot sauce if you like heat.

Pro tip: Keep 5 to 7 spices/herbs on hand at all times. Garlic powder, paprika, cumin, Italian seasoning, and chili powder cover 90% of flavor profiles.

HOW TO USE THE FORMULA

Here's how simple this is:

Step 1: Pick one protein.
Step 2: Pick one or two vegetables.
Step 3: Pick one fat for cooking.
Step 4: Pick one carb (if you want it).
Step 5: Pick two or three flavors.

That's your meal. Now cook it.

EXAMPLE MEALS USING THE FORMULA

Let me show you how this creates infinite meal combinations without ever following a recipe.

MEAL 1: MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN

• Protein: Chicken breast

• Vegetable: Roasted zucchini and bell peppers

• Fat: Olive oil

• Carb: Quinoa

• Flavor: Garlic, lemon juice, oregano, salt, pepper

Method: Season chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. Grill or bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. Chop zucchini and peppers, toss with olive oil, salt, and oregano. Roast at 400°F for 20 minutes. Cook quinoa (or use pre-cooked pouch). Plate everything, squeeze lemon juice over the top.

Time: 25 minutes.

MEAL 2: ASIAN-INSPIRED SALMON

• Protein: Salmon

• Vegetable: Broccoli

• Fat: Sesame oil (or olive oil)

• Carb: White rice

• Flavor: Soy sauce, garlic, ginger (or garlic powder), sesame seeds

Method: Season salmon with salt and pepper. Bake at 400°F for 12-15 minutes. Steam or roast broccoli. Cook rice (or use microwaveable pouch). Drizzle soy sauce over salmon and broccoli. Sprinkle sesame seeds if you have them.

Time: 20 minutes.

MEAL 3: MEXICAN GROUND BEEF BOWL

• Protein: Ground beef

• Vegetable: Bell peppers and spinach

• Fat: Cheese and avocado

• Carb: Black beans (or rice)

• Flavor: Cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, lime juice

Method: Brown ground beef in a pan. Add cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder. Sauté chopped bell peppers in the same pan. Heat black beans. Wilt spinach in the pan for 1 minute. Plate everything, top with cheese and avocado, squeeze lime juice over the top.

Time: 15 minutes.

MEAL 4: BREAKFAST FOR DINNER

• Protein: Eggs (3-4)

• Vegetable: Spinach and tomatoes

• Fat: Butter or olive oil

• Carb: Toast or potatoes

• Flavor: Salt, pepper, garlic powder, hot sauce

Method: Scramble eggs in butter with salt and pepper. Wilt spinach in the same pan. Slice tomatoes. Toast bread or reheat pre-cooked potatoes. Plate, add hot sauce.

Time: 10 minutes.

MEAL 5: SHEET PAN EVERYTHING

• Protein: Chicken thighs

• Vegetable: Brussels sprouts and carrots

• Fat: Olive oil

• Carb: Sweet potato

• Flavor: Paprika, garlic powder, thyme, salt, pepper

Method: Chop everything into bite-sized pieces. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and thyme. Spread on one sheet pan. Bake at 425°F for 25-30 minutes. Done.

Time: 30 minutes (but only 5 minutes of active work).

WHY THIS FORMULA ACTUALLY WORKS

It uses ingredients you already have. You're not buying specialty items. You're using chicken, broccoli, olive oil, rice, and garlic. Basic staples.

It creates zero waste. You buy 10 to 15 versatile ingredients and use them all week in different combinations. Nothing rots in your fridge.

It's fast. Most meals take 15 to 25 minutes because you're not following complicated steps. You're just cooking five things and combining them.

It scales easily. Cooking for one? Use these portions. Cooking for four? Quadruple everything. The formula works regardless of serving size.

It never gets boring. Infinite combinations. Monday is Mediterranean chicken. Tuesday is Asian salmon. Wednesday is Mexican beef. Same formula, completely different flavors.

It teaches you how to cook. After using this formula for a month, you'll understand how proteins cook, which vegetables pair well, and how to balance flavors. You become an intuitive cook instead of a recipe follower.

THE GROCERY SHOPPING STRATEGY

Here's how to shop when you use the formula:

Buy 2-3 proteins weekly:

• Chicken breast or thighs

• Ground beef or turkey

• Salmon or another fish

Buy 5-6 vegetables weekly:

• Broccoli

• Spinach

• Bell peppers

• Zucchini

• Carrots

• Mixed greens

Always have these fats on hand:

• Olive oil

• Butter

• Cheese

• Avocados (buy 3-4, they ripen throughout the week)

Always have these carbs on hand:

• Rice (buy in bulk, lasts forever)

• Quinoa

• Sweet potatoes

• Microwaveable rice pouches (for lazy days)

Always have these flavors on hand:

• Salt and pepper

• Garlic powder

• Paprika

• Cumin

• Italian seasoning

• Lemons

• Soy sauce

• Hot sauce

THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT SIMPLE COOKING

You don't need 100 recipes. You need one formula.

Complex recipes are why you order takeout. They require too much planning, too many ingredients, too much time, and too much cleanup.

The five-ingredient formula removes all of that. Pick five things. Cook them. Eat. Done.

After one month of using this formula, cooking becomes automatic. You walk into your kitchen, see what you have, and immediately know what to make. No recipes needed. No meal planning required. No decision fatigue.

You become the person who cooks every night without thinking about it, not because you're some amazing chef, but because you have a system that removes all the friction.

That's the difference between people who cook consistently and people who order takeout despite good intentions. Not skill. Not motivation. Not time. Just a simple formula that makes cooking effortless.

ONE MORE THING YOU CAN DO THIS WEEK

Don't try to overhaul your entire cooking routine tomorrow.

Just do one thing this week: Cook three meals using the formula.

Pick three different combinations:

• Monday: Chicken + broccoli + olive oil + rice + garlic and lemon

• Wednesday: Ground beef + peppers + cheese + beans + cumin and chili powder

• Friday: Eggs + spinach + butter + toast + salt and hot sauce

That's it. Three meals. Same formula. Different ingredients.

By the end of the week, you'll understand how the formula works and you'll start seeing how you can create any meal from whatever you have in your fridge.

In one month, you'll never need to Google a recipe again.

Here's to cooking without recipes!

Sarah

P.S. - The single most important thing? You don't need more recipes. You need one formula you can use with anything. Protein + vegetable + fat + carb + flavor. That's every meal. Forever. The Bundle gives you 50+ pre-made combinations using this exact formula so you can start cooking immediately without thinking. Master the formula, never follow a recipe again.