A seven-day meal plan can help you break down your diet and take practical steps to incorporate foods with purported anti-inflammatory properties.
Inflammation is an immune response to illness or injury. Normally, it’s protective, drawing more immune cells to the inflamed location so that healing can happen faster; however, long-term inflammation can harm your health.
For example, it’s been linked to weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, and many other health conditions.
Following an anti-inflammatory diet may, therefore, have many health benefits. Always consult with a doctor or healthcare professional before beginning any new diet to be sure it is right for you.
»Learn more:What is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet and How to Follow it?
Here’s our handy 7-day anti-inflammatory diet meal plan, with recipe links included, to try out this week.
Day 1
- Breakfast: superfood kefir bowls with blueberries and coconut
- Lunch: sweet potato avocado “toast”
- Dinner: salmon zucchini skewers with cucumber dill sauce
- Snack: strawberry “granola” snack bowl
Day 2
- Breakfast: overnight oats with cherries
- Lunch: add shrimp and avocado to a lettuce wrap along with fresh herbs of your choice and lemon juice
- Dinner: cauliflower pizza bake
- Snack: turmeric latte and a handful of nuts
Day 3
- Breakfast: raspberry sherbet chia pudding
- Lunch: coconut basil chicken bowl
- Dinner: quick chicken stir-fry with broccoli and bok choy
- Snack: sliced pears and Gouda cheese
Day 4
- Breakfast: plum, almond, and yogurt parfait
- Lunch: Cobb egg Salad
- Dinner: fish tacos with red cabbage slaw
- Snack: matcha latte and nut butter on whole grain toast
Day 5
- Breakfast: acai, cherry, and kale smoothie
- Lunch: whole wheat pasta salad with chicken (substitute fresh spinach for lettuce)
- Dinner: grilled steak with roasted butternut squash and a side salad
- Snack: bottled kefir and a pomegranate
Day 6
- Breakfast: egg scramble with everything bagel seasoning
- Lunch: hummus, turkey breast, and veggie sandwich on whole wheat bread
- Dinner: autumn-inspired chicken thighs with apples and root veggies
- Snack: hibiscus tea and seed crackers with nut butter
Day 7
- Breakfast: warm fruit salad with almond and chocolate
- Lunch: avocado, tomato, and corn chickpea salad
- Dinner: almond-crusted trout with shaved Brussels sprout salad
- Snack: lacto-fermented pickles and fresh fruit
Cooking tips
Here are a few anti-inflammatory cooking tips:
- Add spices and seasonings. Herbs and spices are great choices for both potential anti-inflammatory properties and flavor, so feel free to liberally season your food with them. Great options include turmeric, ginger, rosemary, cinnamon, oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper, and many others.
- Cook with garlic and onion. These veggies are rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds and are easy to incorporate into many lunch or dinner recipes. Add to marinades, salad dressings, bolognese, stews, stir-fries, and much more.
- Make your own dressings and marinades. Using combinations of oil, vinegar, herbs, and spices, you can make your own flavorful dressings and marinades that are full of anti-inflammatory compounds.
- Keep it simple. If cooking complicated recipes with new ingredients each night sounds daunting, keep it simple. Choose a protein source like salmon or chickpeas and combine it with a vegetable and a grain.
Takeaway
An anti-inflammatory diet should include fruits and vegetables, healthy protein sources, and healthy fats and oils. You may also want to include coffee or tea, fermented foods, and minimally processed whole grains.
Further, it’s a good idea to include a variety of spices and seasonings — not only for their flavor but also because they’re rich in anti-inflammatory compounds.
On the other hand, try to avoid highly processed foods, added sugars, and refined seed oils like soybean and corn oil.
This 7-day meal plan can provide some meal and snack ideas and serve as a good starting point for your anti-inflammatory diet.
Learn more
Interested in the science behind an anti-inflammatory diet? Read more:
- What to Know About Inflammation
- What is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet and How to Follow it
- Anti-Inflammatory Food Swaps
- 9 Herbs and Spices That Fight Inflammation
- Drinks That Fight Inflammation and Pain
