Sticking to a diet can feel like a restrictive choice, but it doesn’t have to be. When you follow an anti-inflammatory meal plan, you can still enjoy all of your favorite sweet, salty, savory, and spicy cravings with mindful choices. Inflammation can cause uncomfortable symptoms like body aches, skin issues, digestive problems, and even flu-like reactions. A focus on whole, nutrient-dense ingredients is key, but certain foods pack more of a punch than others. Try finding some inspiration from our Fit Men Cook simple anti-inflammatory meal plan.
What Is the Anti-Inflammatory Diet?
An anti-inflammatory diet is a meal plan that aims to reduce the frequency of inflammatory flare-ups and decrease the severity of symptoms from inflammation-related conditions. It emphasizes whole, unprocessed foods to strengthen the body’s natural anti-inflammatory processes. Individuals may seek out this diet for other reasons aside from health concerns, too. Focusing on foods that decrease inflammation can improve muscle appearance, skin health, and energy.
Why is This Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan Great For You?
Even though some view planning their meals as boring, preparing recipes can be exciting. Nothing feels worse than stepping into the kitchen and not knowing what to cook, so prepare some inspiration ahead of time. These anti-inflammatory meal prep recipes come straight from the Fit Men Cook archives, full of fun flavors and bright ingredients that will make you forget you’re even on a diet!
Anti-Inflammatory Foods to Focus On
Whole Grains
As part of a balanced diet, whole grains are full of nutrients like fiber and antioxidants to support anti-inflammation. Whole grains are digested slower than refined grains, so this choice can also lower glycemic impact by preventing blood sugar spikes. High blood glucose levels can cause inflammation. Foods like oatmeal, wheat, brown rice, bran cereal, buckwheat, millet, and rye are all great ingredients to add to your diet to focus on decreasing inflammation.
Fruits and Vegetables
Let’s be honest: we could all probably use more whole fruits and vegetables in our diets. This is because as a food group, these harvestables are abundant in nutrients. Antioxidants, minerals like magnesium and iron, and essential vitamins including A, B-complex, C, D, E, and K are all important micronutrients that contribute to lowering inflammation throughout the body. Some of the fruits and vegetables that are highest in anti-inflammatory value include berries, avocado, citrus, pineapple, beets, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, leafy greens, and cruciferous vegetables.
Fatty Fish
When you’re choosing proteins for the week, fish is a quick and easy option for an anti-inflammatory diet. Specifically, fatty fish are excellent for reducing inflammation because they are packed with high-quality protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants like selenium. Eating a frequent diet of fatty fish is proven to lower chronic inflammation markers like C-reactive protein (CRP), reducing the risk of arthritis, heart disease, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBS). Try fish like salmon, mackerel, Albacore tuna, trout, sardines, and herring.
Pasture-Raised Meat
When meat is labeled as pasture-raised, it means the livestock has more opportunity to roam around, graze, and enjoy the sunlight. Even though we typically never see it, the conditions that meat is raised in will affect its nutrient profile and the way it sustains the consumer. Pasture-raised livestock are fed without antibiotics or hormones, which can affect inflammation. Additionally, these animals often have a higher concentration of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty acid that has been proven to reduce inflammation.
Legumes
Foods like dried beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas, and soybeans are a productive asset to an anti-inflammatory diet. Legumes are packed with plant-based protein, which is usually a lower-fat alternative to animal sources. Low-fat and high-fiber food choices can impact inflammation because these nutrients contribute to the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) — an inflammatory regulator.
Fermented Dairy Products
Fermented foods are high in good bacteria and help create a healthy gut microbiome, which is essential for reducing inflammation. A balanced gut prevents bacteria overgrowth which can lead to inflammation throughout the body. Fiber and probiotics contribute to regulating this gut balance and proper nutrient absorption. When you ferment dairy products, the lactose content decreases, making it easier to digest. Fermentation also produces bioactive peptides that have been proven to have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body.
Polyphenols
A diet that is high in polyphenols is linked to a lower risk of inflammatory diseases like cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, arthritis, and various neurodegenerative disorders. They improve immune function by preventing overactivation, which can lead to inflammatory flare-ups. Foods high in polyphenols include cherries, spinach, green/black tea, dark chocolate, and olive oil.
3-Day Anti-Inflammatory Diet Meal Plan
Day One
For breakfast, take a unique approach to popular eggs on toast recipes. White navy bean dip with eggs on sourdough is a heartier and more filling version of the timeless classic. As a legume, white beans are packed with anti-inflammatory power from fiber and antioxidants. This is a low-calorie and low-fat recipe that will still be filling enough for a busy day.
At lunchtime, highlight a staple for most anti-inflammatory diets: chickpeas. These fall into the legume category, and they are bursting with both flavor and potential. Hummus is a classic lunch dip, full of protein and fiber. The beautiful thing about hummus is that you can customize it to your tastes: make it extra garlicky or even spicy with roasted red peppers. Serve with pita bread or chips and enjoy!
Serve quinoa and chicken stuffed bell peppers at dinner to kick off the meal plan. These can be a great staple for your anti-inflammatory recipe rotation because each major component has beneficial nutrients to combat inflammation. The bell peppers, quinoa, and lean meat are all rich in antioxidants, fiber, and other essential nutrients.
Day Two
After a hearty dinner the night before, try a lighter and refreshing breakfast option. This roasted beet and berry protein smoothie bowl is perfect for an anti-inflammatory meal plan because of the concentration on fiber B9 and potassium. It’s a simple, low-fat recipe that takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and leftovers can even be saved for later.
Lunch should be something comforting and warm after eating light for breakfast. A sweet potato risotto with chicken breast and peas is the perfect pick-me-up for energy and nourishment mid-day. This recipe is easy and fuss-free because you can cook everything in one pan, scoop, and serve. Bon appetit!
For dinner, enjoy something bold and flavorful. These black bean quesadillas with roasted red pepper never disappoint. Quesadillas aren’t very time-consuming to prepare, so you can have lunch ready in under 30 minutes from start to finish. Black beans are high in protein, fiber, and minerals like folate and magnesium — all important nutrients for an anti-inflammatory diet.
Day Three
On the third day, the meals have to be exciting. At breakfast time, try a fun recipe with sweet potatoes. This bacon and egg stuffed sweet potato pairs indulgent cravings like bacon with anti-inflammatory superfoods like sweet potatoes. Eggs are also a great source of omegas and vitamin D. Believe it or not, this creative recipe can be ready in under 10 minutes if you prepare the roasted sweet potatoes ahead of time!
Later on, fuel your day with a bright and vibrant lunch. Try these salmon patties with lentils and mango salsa as an addition to your rotating anti-inflammatory meal plan. Lentils are high in fiber, protein, and minerals that can impact inflammatory conditions. The healthy fats in the salmon will also balance the high fiber content to protect the gut from getting upset.
Mediterranean Herb Rack of Lamb
We’re ending the meal plan with a bang! For dinner on the third night, try a Mediterranean herb rack of lamb. Remember, it is important to source meat from high-quality, responsible companies. Red meats like beef, pork, and lamb can actually increase inflammation if the animal was not raised properly. Other elements in this dish like citrus, rice, and roasted veggies are also anti-inflammatory, making it a perfect meal to round out this easy anti-inflammatory meal plan.
Foods to Avoid
Refined Carbohydrates
White bread, pastries, and processed foods are considered terrible for an anti-inflammatory diet. Refined carbohydrates cause a spike in blood sugar, increasing insulin which promotes the release of inflammatory chemicals like cytokines and adipokines. Over time, eating a diet high in refined carbs can lead to insulin resistance, which is closely linked to increased inflammation.
Saturated Fats
While saturated fats also cause spikes in blood sugar, this type of fat also contributes to the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), a compound formed when sugar reacts with protein or fats and leads to oxidative stress. When following a meal plan for anti- anti-inflammatory diet, it is best to avoid saturated fats.
Trans Fats
This type of fat is harmful for an anti-inflammatory diet and can contribute to a variety of health issues. Trans fats are created through a process called hydrogenation when liquid oils turn into partially solid fats. Often found in chips, fried-foods, shortenings, and baked goods, trans fats can actually be pro-inflammatory, ultimately sabotaging an anti-inflammatory meal plan.
Processed Sugars
Foods like candy, sodas, energy drinks, baked goods, and cereals are all high in processed sugars. Some sugar is not bad for you, but processed sugar has a high glycemic index, meaning they are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, which leads to blood sugar spikes and inflammatory responses.
Processed Meats
There are harmful preservatives like nitrates and nitrites in processed meat that convert into a pro-inflammatory substance known as nitrosamines in the body. Additionally, the high sodium content can further contribute to an inflammatory flare-up. Avoid eating an excessive amount of foods like bacon, sausage, and deli meat on an anti-inflammatory diet.
Alcohol
Excessive alcohol consumption is linked to high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), which is a blood marker that is commonly used to measure inflammation in the body. Elevated levels of CRP are associated with chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Alcohol can inflame organs like the liver, causing oxidative stress.