Enjoy this delicious and satisfying 5-day anti-inflammation meal plan that has been optimized to help reduce inflammation and to keep you feeling healthy and well-balanced.
Okay, let's get to the main point here: An anti-inflammatory diet includes foods and ingredients that minimize your body's inflammatory responses. Don't worry if that seems a bit vague because we'll dive deeper into what exactly that means later on in this post. As a general rule, the idea behind an anti-inflammatory diet is to replace sugary, refined foods with whole and nutrient-rich foods with generous amounts of antioxidants.
To make it all a lot easier to understand (end enjoy!), I have also put together a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet meal plan for a 5-day routine, to get you started on your way. If you enjoyed my 7-Day Meal Plan for Weight Loss, I think you're gonna love this meal plan, too!
In This Post You'll Find:
- What is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet?
- Watch My Recipe Video
- Anti-Inflammatory Foods
- What are the foods that cause inflammation?
- What's the difference between a clean eating diet and an anti-inflammatory diet?
- 5-Day Anti-Inflammatory Diet Meal Plan
- Breakfast: Matcha Chia Make-Ahead Smoothie
- Lunch: Turmeric Chickpea and Kale Buddha Bowl
- Snack: Lemon Ginger Energy Balls
- Dinner: Greek Quinoa Salad Stuffed Baked Sweet Potatoes
- 5-Day Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan
- Reviews
What is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet?
So, first things first: What the heck is an "anti-inflammatory diet" and why is it so important? Acute inflammation can occur when your body recognizes a foreign element, including a chemical, plant pollen, an invading microbe or some other form of infection-causing agent, and this in turn, activates your immune system and triggers inflammation in order to protect your health and fight the illness. This is what your body is meant to do -- protect itself against potential danger.
However, when inflammation persists and lasts several days, or when inflammation occurs without anything foreign, it make it hard to carry out even day-to-day activities without facing discomfort and pain. This is what's called chronic inflammation. Minimizing inflammation and relieving pain and other symptoms are especially necessary in these cases.
Watch My Recipe Video
Fortunately, one of the most effective solutions to reduce inflammation doesn't involve medication or heavy treatments -- instead, it's all about making certain changes to your diet. Yep, all it takes is a trip to the grocery store to get foods and ingredients that have been shown to contain anti-inflammatory effects (meaning they reduce overall inflammation in your body). So choosing the right anti-inflammatory foods and turning them into delicious meals for breakfast, lunch, snacks or dinner can work amazingly well to reduce your risk of illness.
Ya see where I'm going with this? 🙂
Anti-Inflammatory Foods
Loading up on anti-inflammatory foods is an essential step in reducing inflammation. That means whole fruits and vegetables as well as sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
An anti-inflammatory diet meal should include these foods:
- tomatoes
- nuts (like almonds and walnuts)
- berries (like blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries)
- olive oil and coconut oil
- dark, leafy greens (like kale and spinach)
- whole grains (like quinoa, brown rice, wild rice)
- red grapes
- beans and lentils
- avocado
- cold water fish (like tuna and salmon)
- olives
- broccoli
- cauliflower
- green tea (matcha)
- spices, like pepper, turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon
- dark chocolate
- chia seeds
- flax seeds
- citrus (like oranges and lemons)
- natural sweeteners (like dates and pure maple syrup)
- root starches (like sweet potatoes, beets, and potatoes)
What are the foods that cause inflammation?
On the other hand, you'll also want to avoid inflammation-causing foods, including the following:
- refined carbohydrates (like white bread and white pasta)
- fried foods (trans fats)
- soda and other artificially-sweetened beverages
- high-fructose corn syrup
- red meat, especially very fatty meat that's been highly procesed
- processed meat
- refined oils (like margarine, shortening, vegetable oil, and soybean oil)
- excessive alcohol
- snack foods with high sodium (like chips and crackers)
What's the difference between a clean eating diet and an anti-inflammatory diet?
For starters, luckily, a LOT of clean eating correlates really well with an anti-inflammatory diet. That’s because, on an anti-inflammatory diet, you’re looking for fresh, whole foods, that are nutrient-dense. You’re also looking to avoid processed meats, sugary drinks, refined flours, and processed snacks. This should all look pretty familiar to clean eating.
5-Day Anti-Inflammatory Diet Meal Plan
Below is a detailed 5-day anti-inflammatory diet meal plan that includes super delicious recipes to enjoy each day as your breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner. This meal plan will provide you with a great start for how to put together an anti-inflammatory meal plan.
PS you can always customize the meal plan according to your dietary needs and preferences, especially taking advantage of the anti-inflammatory foods listed above. I also recommend speaking with your doctor when starting a new diet plan to ensure it's the right choice.
Breakfast: Matcha Chia Make-Ahead Smoothie
For breakfast, we have our matcha chia make-ahead smoothies, which contain dark, leafy greens with our spinach, matcha powder, dates, and chia seeds. Plus, there are no added sugars or artificial ingredients.
Lunch: Turmeric Chickpea and Kale Buddha Bowl
For our lunch, we’ll enjoy a Turmeric Chickpea and Kale Buddha Bowl each day, which contains chickpeas, kale, red grapes, wild rice, and more. Add that lemon squeeze when serving.
Snack: Lemon Ginger Energy Balls
For snack, we have energy balls that are filled with lemon, turmeric, and spices, like pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, and ginger. A snack serving size is three of these bad boys and I know you’re gonna love them.
Dinner: Greek Quinoa Salad Stuffed Baked Sweet Potatoes
Dinner is our Greek quinoa salad stuffed baked sweet potatoes. These are stuffed with quinoa, cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onion with a fresh lemon vinaigrette.
5-Day Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan
Equipment
- Glass Meal Prep Containers - My Favorite Meal Prep Containers
*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.
Ingredients
Matcha Chia Make-Ahead Smoothie (total of 5 smoothies)
- 5 cups unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
- 5 frozen bananas
- 5 pitted dates
- 1 ½ tablespoon matcha powder
- 3 tablespoon chia seeds
- 3 cups fresh spinach
Turmeric Chickpea and Kale Buddha Bowls (total of 5 bowls)
For the Wild Rice:
- 2 cups wild rice rinsed well (to yield 1 cup cooked per bowl)
- 3 cups water
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
For the Chickpeas:
- 2 15-oz cans chickpeas (AKA garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed, and patted dry
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
For the Garlic Sautéed Kale:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 cups chopped kale
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
For the Bowl:
- 2 cups red grapes, sliced in half
- 5 wedges lemon, for serving
- 3 avocados diced (when ready to serve), if desired
Lemon Turmeric Energy Balls (total of 15 energy balls, 3 balls per serving)
- 1 cup uncooked rolled oats
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 8 large pitted dates
- 3 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Greek Quinoa Salad Stuffed Baked Sweet Potato (total of 5 meals)
- 5 medium sweet potatoes, rinsed, poked, and patted dry
For Greek Quinoa Salad:
- ⅓ cup raw quinoa
- ⅔ cup water
- 1 cup sliced grape tomatoes
- 1 cup diced cucumber, quartered
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced
- ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
For Greek Quinoa Salad Dressing:
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Matcha Chia Make-Ahead Smoothie (5 servings)
- Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
- These smoothies are made all together (as written) and then divided evenly and then stored in the freezer in mason jars with re-usable lids.
- While you could make this fresh each day, I make all 5 smoothies ahead of time and store them in the freezer. Then, I remove one each day the night before and allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight so I have my smoothie ready to enjoy each morning.
Turmeric Chickpea and Kale Buddha Bowl (5 servings)
- To make the wild rice, place wild rice, water, and salt in a deep pot with a lid over medium-high heat. Cover, and bring it to a boil. Then, turn heat down to low and let simmer 40-45 minutes. The rice is cooked when it is tender and creamy, and all the liquid has been absorbed.
- To make the chickpeas, combine the chickpeas with the seasoning, and toss to coat. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the seasoned chickpeas. Sauté the chickpeas for 6-8 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant. To avoid smashing the chickpeas with a spoon, you can shake the pan to toss the chickpeas around to evenly brown. Add additional oil, as needed, to prevent from sticking. Then, remove from heat and set aside.
- To make the kale, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add the kale and sauté until softened. Add the garlic and sea salt, and stir for another minute.
- Assemble the bowls into meal prep containers, starting with the wild rice as the base (1 cup per meal). Then, top with the seasoned chickpeas (⅓-1/2 cups per meal), sautéed kale, grapes (¼ cup per meal), and wedge of lemon. When ready to serve, top with avocado, if desired, and squeeze lemon juice.
For The Lemon Turmeric Energy Balls (5 servings, 3 balls per serving)
- Add all ingredients to a food processor, and process until the mixture becomes a ball and is fully blended.
- Divide the mixture evenly into 15 portions - using a meatball scoop is handy for this. Roll into balls using your hands.
- Place into the fridge to become more firm and solidify. Then, store in the fridge in an air-tight container all together or individually portioned for each day.
Greek Quinoa Salad Stuffed Baked Sweet Potato (5 servings)
- Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Wash sweet potatoes and remove any debris or dirt, and then pat dry. Place the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet and poke several holes around each of them using a fork or small knife.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a fork can easily be inserted into the flesh of the potatoes.
- When the sweet potatoes have about 20 minutes left, cook quinoa. Just combine the uncooked quinoa and water in a small sauce pan, and heat over medium-high heat. Once the water reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook 15-20 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa has opened and is tender. Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork, and then set aside to cool.
- Once the sweet potatoes are done baking, let cool slightly. Once cool, cut the sweet potatoes open and shred the flesh from the skin so that the inside is mashed and easy to scoop out.
- For Greek Quinoa Stuffing, in a large mixing bowl, combine cooked quinoa and the rest of the ingredients for quinoa salad. Set aside.
- In a separate small mixing bowl, make the quinoa salad dressing by adding the ingredients for the dressing and whisking them together.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and then toss everything to combine evenly.
- Stuff the sweet potatoes with the quinoa salad and store in glass meal prep containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Video
Notes
- Nutritional information is for an entire day of the 5-day meal plan, which includes breakfast, snack, lunch, and dinner.
- All food can be stored in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.
- Meals can be prepped ahead of time in bulk, if desired.
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.
Please note: I am not a medical practitioner and do not provide medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. Please seek assistance for any diagnosis, treatment, and/or advice from qualified providers based on your condition.
Nora
Thank you for this! I just finished the 5 day plan and loved it -- definitely recommend giving it a try. As a person with a good appetite, it was amazing to have healthy food that tasted great and didn't leave me starving. My best friend is allergic to bananas so she will substitute blueberries for the smoothie. I tried it for breakfast today and it was good, not as sweet as a banana but still hit the spot. Also, the cooking isn't as intimidating as I thought it would be. However, I had to purchase several of the spices and condiments. Once I got started prepping the meals I found it was fairly easy and will do it again next week.
Janna Bacon
Do you know any replacement for bananas in the smoothie?
Susana
Hi! This looks delicious. What matcha powder would you recommend? Thank you!
William
hello,
i am so glad i found this page. just started on my healthy food journey. at 59, my body finally said, no more mcdonald's or ben and jerry's 🙁 i am into learning how to eat good food all the time. not just once in a while. i am a smart person, so i know when enough bad stuff is enough!
Valerie
Thank you for this menu plan. My results are amazing. ❤️ This plan. Truly has me cooking in the kitchen because I enjoy the tastes so much. Although the web is offering conflicting information over what reduces inflammation, I found these recipes worked well for me. By itself, it is not a cure all; however, I am finding healing from a collaboration of many factors. This meal plan was a definite giant leap toward health.
Jobey Stone
These recipes had easy to find ingredients and I totally loved lunch, supper and snack. The smoothie was good but really, the other recipes were crave worthy and I was pleasantly surprised and didn’t feel deprived. Yes, I want more meal plans and recipes! Thank you!
Autumn
I have constant pain in my knees. I'm ready to try an anti-inflamatory diet. Is this plan the same meals all day for 5 days? Also, spinach and kale make me really gassy. Any suggestions on avoiding that?
Patty
Do you have a grocery list for this meal plan?
susan sirop
I'm just trying to bring inflammation down in my joints. So far, I have made the lemon balls and they were sooo tasty!! I was wondering where I could get the mason jars with plastic lids.
C. S. Behmer
Please send me the grocery list.
Kim
Hi, I just found this meal plan and it all looks great. Is this also a good plan for weight loss?
Vaughn Mickan
Thanks for providing a great meal plan to kick start our anti-inflammatory diet. We'll need to change the lunch and dinner recipes from week to week, but the brekky smoothie will be a constant!
katie
I'm on day 1 and I am so so so excited!!! Everything so far has been absolutely delicious, and I'm really motivated that this will be my jumpstart my weight loss journey. Thank you for creating such easy and delicious meals, everything I've done in the past has seriously sucked, lol. Cheers!
Janette
I was just wondering how it is going. I'm thinking of trying it
Donna
I wasn’t to sure on if I was going to like any of the meals!!! Mainly due to I never have eaten a lot of it before!!! Come to my surprise.... Everything and I mean everything was super yummy and kept me feeling satisfied!!!! I did omit a couple of thing and changed one thing... the energy balls...instead of the lemon I used oranges instead, and the the dinnner I didn’t use the dressing!!! Just not a fan of Lemon!!! Thank you so very much for doing this 5 day anti-inflammatory diet!!
Patty
The recipes all look great, thank you for sharing! I do have a question though, why add the feta cheese in an anti inflammatory meal plan, since dairy is such a trigger for a lot of people.
Vaughn Mickan
Patty, try and get a feta made from goats and sheep milk. That's what we did.
Janey Fox
That IS the definition of Feta. It is from goat or sheep's milk.
Catherine Deserio
This plan has helped me kick start a diet for gastritis. I did have to make some adjustments for what my body doesn’t tolerate. That was every simple to do. It is all great despite my tweaking. I am in LOVE with the lemon bites. They are fantastic. I would also pay for another week of your plans. I feel great after just a few days. The planning eased up stress. Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart.
Christina
Can you recommend a cookbook that includes more anti-inflammatory meal plans, such as you provided in this blog? It’s fantastic!
Donna Beard
Hi!!! I am super excited to try this 5 day plan!!! Having major inflammation issues in my joints!!! Do have a question...for the energy balls.... can I substitute the lemon or orange??? Not a big fan of lemon!!!!