USE THE FIVE-MINUTE MEAL TO OPTIMIZE YOUR BODY FOR FAT LOSS, LEAN MUSCLE GAINS, AND IMPROVED PERFORMANCE AND ENERGY.
Ignore all of the stuff you “know” or have been told you “should do” with food to lose fat, build muscle, and feel better.
Our goal is pretty straightforward: get more of the high-quality nutrients your body needs to operate optimally with the simplest approach possible.
That last part can’t be emphasized enough.
Try to do too much at once, and you’re pretty much guaranteed to fail. The key to long-lasting results is to take it one step at a time.
Listen—you’re busy—I get it.
The last thing you need is some complicated meal plan that takes a ton of time to prepare or requires you to weigh and measure all of your food or do a bunch of calculations each time you eat.
Let’s be honest: as much as we want to look, feel, and perform better; that approach doesn’t sound fun and it isn’t something any of us are going to stick with for very long.
That’s where the “Five-Minute Meal” comes in.
The Five-Minute Meal is a simple way for you to get a great-tasting meal, loaded with all the nutrients your body needs to perform optimally… and you can have it ready to go in five minutes or less.
Here’s what it is, and how to make it…
The Five Minute Meal Breakdown
The quickest, simplest way to surge your body with the nutrients it needs to look and perform optimally is through smoothies. Smoothies are a great option because they are simple, time efficient, and are easily taken with you on the go.
Also, because you are using whole food ingredients, you’re getting a ton of nutrients and even though you are drinking your meal, you’ll stay fuller longer than if you were just drinking a protein shake it’s own. I like to think of it as performance fast food.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Lean Protein: 1-2 palm-sized portions
Fruit: 1-2 fist-sized portions
Veggies: 1-2 fist-sized portions
Healthy Fats: 1 thumb-sized portion (or about 1/2 to 1 tablespoon)
1-2 cups water and 6-8 ice cubes: For proper consistency
A Blender: I use a Kitchen-aid at home and a Magic Bullet for on the go. Both have lasted 5+ years while being used almost daily.
A Big Ol’ Cup: I usually just use a shaker cup, but you could get fancy and get something that’ll keep it colder longer if you’ll be taking it to go.
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Let’s see how this could shake out (get it?) with a real example, using one of my go-to recipes:
Lean Protein: 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder + 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
Fruit: 1 fist-sized portion of frozen strawberries, 1 fist-sized portion of frozen mango.
Veggies: 1 handful of spinach or 1 scoop of a green whole food powder (Athletic Greens, Organifi Green Juice, Amazing Grass are a few options I’ve tried.)
Healthy Fats: 1/2 tablespoon almond butter
Throw all of that in a blender with 1-2 cups water and 6-8 ice cubes and blend on high for 30 seconds. And that’s IT.
Incredibly simple and chock-full of everything your body needs. That, my friend, is the Five-Minute Meal.
How To Use The Five Minute Meal
Personally, I drink a smoothie for breakfast every morning. (Yes, every morning.)
So if you’re ready to go “all in”, that’s an option.
Option 2: Replace one of your current meals each day with a smoothie as outlined above.
No, really. That’s all you gotta do.
Always in a rush in the mornings? Have a smoothie.
Struggle to make good choices in a pinch around lunchtime (and typically end up grabbing some greasy fast food to go)? Have a smoothie.
Just pick the one meal where you are busiest or where you are currently struggling to make good, healthy choices and schedule in a smoothie for that meal each day for the next week.
Rinse and repeat.
So… That’s It?
The idea of using smoothies as a simple meal option may not be revolutionary to you. But here’s the thing: are you currently utilizing it?
In the age of information overload, the majority of your battle is getting yourself to do what you already know you should be doing.
So while you “know” about smoothies as a good “performance fast food” option, maybe you’re not currently using them because it’s “too simple”, or because you don’t know any good recipes or because you’re not sure if it really counts as a “meal” or a “snack” or you’re not sure how to get your portions right.
We just solved all of those issues in the past five minutes with this nifty little handout.
If you’re busy and find it a struggle (or even just a hassle) to fit good, quality meals into your (already) hectic schedule so that you can look, feel, and perform better; you’re crazy not to utilize smoothies on a very regular basis in your meal plan.
So whether you’re just getting started on your health and fitness journey, or you’re already in good shape and looking for a way to simplify, use what you’ve learned today. Pick one meal each day (at least every weekday) and replace whatever you’ve been eating with a smoothie.
I guarantee it will make the “fit life” easier, and it will move you a big step in the direction of your goals.
Oh, and not to leave you hanging, I’ve included five of my favorite smoothie recipes that you can start using immediately below.
Pick one or two that you want to go with this week, make a grocery list of what you’ll need to make your smoothies for each day you plan to have one, and hit the store ASAP to get everything ready to go.
