The Protein Seasoning Formula for Easy, Healthy Cooking

One of the habits that has profoundly impacted my family’s health is cooking most of our meals at home. In our household, the responsibility for that falls on me. If I’m not intentional about it, my husband will default to eating out — which, more often than not, means lower-quality food that takes away from our health rather than adding to it.

When I became a mother, I took on the role of “keeper” of my family’s well-being. A big part of that responsibility is deciding what we eat. I quickly realized I needed a system. Convenience is tempting — that’s why it works — but unfortunately, unless you’re eating at high-end restaurants, most convenience food isn’t health-promoting. It’s often made with non-organic ingredients, pesticide-laden produce, inflammatory oils, GMO crops, and nutrient-depleting processing methods. On top of that, restaurant meals tend to be too high in refined carbs, spiking insulin and creating downstream hormonal issues.

The easiest way to avoid all that? Have an easy, reliable system for preparing home-cooked meals that everyone enjoys.

A Funny Truth About Adulthood

I sometimes tell my daughters when they’re eager to grow up, “Enjoy being a kid while you can — because once you have your own family, you’ll be responsible for figuring out what to eat three times a day, for the rest of your life." It sounds funny, but it’s true. This means planning, shopping, cooking, cleaning… every single day.

Sure, you can buy convenience foods, but they’re rarely convenient for your health. My hope is that my girls will choose healthier options when it’s their turn to make these decisions.

Simplicity Wins

You don’t need to be a chef or follow complicated recipes to cook well at home. In fact, simple meals are often the healthiest. The easier you make home cooking for yourself, the more often you’ll do it.

My Simple Protein Seasoning Formula

This post is just about proteins. I’ll share my veggie, starch, and legume systems in future posts.

Base seasonings for all proteins:

• Salt

• Pepper

• Garlic powder

• Onion powder

I always have these on hand. Then comes the “green and red” formula:

• Something green: oregano, parsley, basil, mint, etc.

• Something red: curry powder, paprika, cumin, turmeric, etc.

Here’s how I use it:

• Rub the base seasonings on both sides of the protein.

• Add your chosen “green” and “red” seasonings.

• Drizzle olive oil over both sides.

• Use your hands to massage the seasonings and oil into the protein so it’s evenly coated.

This means I can go straight to the grill, stove, oven, or Instant Pot without adding extra oil — the olive oil already on the protein is enough to prevent sticking and create a nice sear.

Some examples:

• Pork: green = oregano red = paprika

• Chicken: green = basil red = curry powder

• Salmon: green = parsley red = turmeric

• Beef: green = oregano red = cumin

Feel free to combine any of these with any proteins — the possibilities are many! You can have different tasting protein in rotation or stick to your favorites based on your family's reviews.

Making It Work in Real Life

This is my step-by-step for keeping it simple:

• The night before: Pick the protein (important if it needs thawing). Thaw on the counter overnight, then refrigerate in the morning.

• Before cooking: Use the seasoning formula — either right before cooking or earlier in the day so it can marinate.

• Cooking method: Choose grill pan, oven, stove (for fish), or Instant Pot.

When I have more time, I might combine protein with starches or legumes for soups, chilis, or stews. But for quick, everyday cooking, I prepare each part — protein, starch, and veggies — separately.

Stocking High-Quality Protein

I buy the highest-quality meat I can afford through Butcher Box. They deliver frozen, pasture-raised, grass-fed, and grass-finished meats, plus wild-caught seafood, straight to my door every month. Everything is free of antibiotics and hormones.

I’ve been a Butcher Box customer since January 2018 — almost eight years — and they’ve never disappointed me. My freezer is always stocked, which makes meal planning much easier.

Here’s my referral link for you:
You’ll get a FREE custom classic box ($169 value) and FREE ground beef for life. I’ve been getting 2 lbs of free ground beef every month for almost 8 years!

👉 Get Butcher Box here

Final Notes on Seasonings

All the spices I use are organic, and the salt I prefer is Redmond’s Real Sea Salt for its mineral content. Here’s the link. A word of caution: pre-mixed meat seasonings are often not organic, loaded with pesticides, and can contain additives like MSG — a neurotoxin that slowly chips away at your health. Sadly, these are the same seasonings most restaurants use.

Let’s reverse that trend and add to our health, one simple, nourishing, home-cooked meal at a time.