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. If you need help finding out what foods may be causing your inflammation, try checking out my post on 10 Foods That May Cause Inflammation.
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.
Wendy
Hi, Love the recipes but am having a terrible time with the dates! should they be soaked first? In the blender for the smoothie they got really hard and rattled around so much I was worried about the blender. So I just stopped blending poured the smoothie into the jars and discarded what was left of the dates. Also for the balls it was just too much, too "dry", too sticky for my little Cuisinart. Burnt the motor out (it was pretty old) should I have added more liquid?
Jen Moderator
Hi Wendy! Check to make sure you are using fresh dates (not dried). They should be sticky, soft, and pretty easy to blend.
Joanna
Feta is not in the recipe, but it is in the video. Just wanted to point it out to maybe correct it in the recipe 🙂
Kathy R ORSBURN
Hi
I noticed there wasn't a response from the moderator about the amount of sugar in the meal plans? Can you please confirm how much sugar is in the daily meals or in each meal please? Thank you.
Jen Moderator
Hey Kathy! Thanks for getting this back on our radar. It totally needed adjusting! Worked with Lacey to update the nutritional information. The sugars are now recorded accurately at 37 grams.
Hillary
Thanks for putting this all together, Lacey!
Have you ever frozen the turmeric balls? Do they maintain their texture if thawed?
Jen Moderator
Hi Hillary! So Lacey has never frozen these turmeric balls...though based on the ingredients they should freeze pretty well in an airtight container. If you try this, please let us know! -Jen
Ally
I thought nightshades were something to avoid with anti inflammation diets? Tomatoes are included here??
Jen Moderator
Hi Ally, thank you for your comment! I’m Lacey’s blog moderator and can help with this. So…there's def been a lot of feedback about the tomatoes! And you're right, if you have historically reacted badly to nightshades we would recommend skipping them. However, tomatoes ARE an excellent source of lycopene, which has been said to help reduce inflammation. So…this is a case where you’ll have to tune in with your body and/ or consult with your doctor or nutritionist. I hope this helps!
Sharon
My coach said that it's OK to eat it as long as it has been peeled. So I have to roast or steam it to peel before I can eat it
Linda Wells
I do not see the feta in the quinoa salad. Wondering about the amount or if it has been removed from the recipe?
Deborah Campos
Hi Lacey, I'm a little confused. I have heard that night shades can be inflammatory yet you have tomatoes listed as something you should eat on an anti-inflammatory diet, can you please clarify.
Jennifer L Cook
I was wondering the same. I have done an anti inflammatory diet before and I had to avoid all nightshades.
Jennifer L Cook
BTW , I started my meal prep today, minus tomatoes, to start the diet on Monday. I have inflammation and have been in so much pain and don't want to be in medication. I am praying this helps me.
Julie McNamara
How are you feeling? Any relief? I have inflammation and started yesterday the 12th.
Curious if anyone has tried this before how long it took to get relief????
Jen Moderator
Hi Deborah, thank you for your comment! I'm Lacey's blog moderator and can help you with this. So...yes, if you have historically reacted badly to nightshades we would recommend skipping the tomatoes. However, tomatoes ARE an excellent source of lycopene, which has been said to help reduce inflammation. So...this is a case where you'll have to tune in with your body and/ or consult with your doctor or nutritionist. I hope this helps!
Michele
I have a family history on both sides with bad RA, so at 40 I am trying to stay ahead of the inevitable, as I have been noticing my hands are starting to feel stiff in the mornings. These recipes look delicious. I am thin and active and need more calories, so I plan to increase the recipe amounts by about 1/3 and add some chicken, fish, or avocados.
NB
Hello, Thank you for all the hard work you’ve put into the research on the menu items and how the meals are presented. I have never tried an anti-inflammatory meal plan before and am highly impressed with the entire process.
I plan on making this a new way of eating.
Cilla
This is a lot of shopping and I’ve been cooking all day. Not sure about this guys.......too much like work. It I feel great after a week I may give this a better review.
Maritza
Did this for the week and felt great. It wasn’t until evening of day 2 that I even realized there was no meat! Lacey, is there a recipe page or blog post where each dish’s nutritional breakdown is listed? I’ve continued making the smoothies and want to log the nutrition in accordingly. Obviously, it’s not the near 1400 calories ;). Thanks much!
Lacey Baier
Unfortunately, not at this time, no. So glad you're enjoying the recipes 🙂
Laurel
I've found using the LoseIt! app or something similar has been great for this reason! You put all the ingredients in as a "Recipe" and it tells you how many calories in the whole thing!
Reese
Could you please confirm the accuracy of the nutritional information given for this plan? I am particularly concerned about the 80g of sugar per day. This is well above the guidelines, even for natural sugar consumption which is the equivalent of 2-3 servings per day. Thank you.
Bonnie
Hi, I love these recipes and love how you made it so easy. I have one question: I'm trying to build strength doing physical therapy and have been told to try and get more protein. I would just add fish and chicken breast or something, but I don't want to increase the calories and I'm trying to eat less meat. Any suggestions for getting more protein without adding calories or lots of meat. (I count fish as meat) I'm not a strict vegetarian, but I want to have a small carbon footprint and eat healthy.
Jen Moderator
Hi Bonnie! Thank you for your question. I'm Lacey's blog moderator and can help you with this. There are so many great sources of protein that don't include any meat or animal products whatsoever. A few of Lacey's favorites are tempeh, beans, oats, potatoes, nuts and seeds...This blog does a great job introducing the top sources of protein for Vegans (which you may not be but it's still a great resource): https://www.asweetpeachef.com/vegan-protein-substitutes/ This Vegetarian meal prep plan is also protein focused: https://www.asweetpeachef.com/category/meal-prep/vegetarian-meal-prep/
I hope this helps! -Jen
Mari Thurau
Is it OK not to use Cumin and Tumeric? I'm not a fan of those spices.
Jen Moderator
That's fine : )
Iliana Lamar Rodriguez
hi! the quinoia seems very small amount. can you share how much I should be putting into each bowl of the quinoa? or what the end amount should be once cooked?
Kiki
I have same question started the meal plan yesterday w/ my daughter & measured 1 cup, not sure if that’s correct amount
Hillary
Yeah it was barely any at all and mine stuck to the pot. :-/