31 Anti-Inflammatory Recipes for Every Meal

Cherry juice is a year-round alternative with the same anti-inflammatory benefits as fresh cherries. If you're taking this salad to work, store the dressing separately and drizzle over the salad just before eating.

This breakfast bowl gives you more than half your daily fiber—enough to help keep you full until lunchtime. Keep the berries frozen for great texture. 

Turmeric is in the spotlight for super immunity foods at the moment, but with its pungent flavor and oftentimes off-putting texture, it can be a hard sell. A rich and creamy Golden Vegetable soup disguises turmeric into a silky puree with Vitamin A-rich sweet potatoes and carrots.

This superfast dish is one of the easiest ways to get veg on a weeknight plate. The cumin and cinnamon give it an "adult but sweet" flavor profile, and the char on the cauliflower and carrots make the whole thing unbelievably yummy. Pomegranate arils add a touch of tartness. Toss it in a hot oven while you're searing your protein on the stove, and you've got a full meal on the table in less than twenty minutes.

End your day with drinks that give you a boost. Warm coconut milk and turmeric will lull you to sleep.

 Here’s another amazing lineup of inflammation-fighting foods—dark leafy greens, whole grains, and fresh berries. This is a great meal prep option for a seriously nourishing work lunch.

If you’re packing this for work, combine the dressing ingredients in a small container. When you’re ready to eat, shake the dressing well, add it to the salad, and toss. No time for a homemade dressing? Use 3 tablespoons of store-bought olive oil vinaigrette (1 1/2 tablespoons for each bowl).

Lamb loin chops (shaped like mini T-bones) save about 11g sat fat per serving over rib or shoulder chops. You can also ask your butcher to cut "steaks" from a leg of lamb, also lean, or sub 2 (8-ounce) beef sirloin steaks.

Who knew a simple veggie dish could taste this flavorful? Cumin, cinnamon, and red pepper add warmth to this Peruvian-inspired sweet potato hash. For an added serving of protein, top it with a fried egg. If you're cooking for a sensitive palate, use less red pepper for a mild flavor that everybody can enjoy.

You could complicate things if you wanted to, but why bother when the simple way tastes so great? Not counting salt, pepper, and oil, this recipe contains just six ingredients—and tastes like a million bucks. That’s because the lightly seasoned chicken releases all its chicken-y goodness into the skillet, where onions, garlic, kale, and chickpeas lap it up so that none of the rich poultry flavor goes to waste. If you can, purchase air-chilled and/or organic chicken thighs. Since chicken is the star here, you want the best you can find.

This fresh, citrusy pasta salad features chickpea pasta for a gluten-free fiber boost. Canned wild sockeye salmon is worth seeking out; it contains not only healthy omega-3 fatty acids but also a large amount of vitamin D—two nutrients that can help tamp down inflammation, and are good for folks managing psoriatic arthritis.

Diets higher in whole grains have been linked to lower levels of inflammation and cognitive decline; whole grains are a staple in the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets. This salad combines brain-boosting farro, chickpeas, and olive oil with the bright crunch of fresh celery. Simple, quick, and delicious.

Ready in just 20 minutes, this recipe is quick, easy, and crazy-flavorful. Turmeric adds a one-two punch of health benefits and flavor depth to the sauce. Fresh lime boosts the tartness of turmeric while a flurry of fresh herbs balances the warm spice and gives the sauce a refreshing punch. 

Smoothies are a quick way to kick-start your day with extra fruits, vegetables, and fiber. Avoid juices and powders with added sugars; instead choose whole ripe fruit to add a sweet touch naturally. Dairy-free option: Use a (5.3-ounce) container dairy-free soy yogurt alternative.

If you like crisp salmon skin, this cooking method is for you. Just be sure when you place the salmon, skin side down in the pan that you don’t touch it for the full 6 minutes while it cooks—that’s the key for the crispiest browned skin around. After turning the fish, cook it to your preferred degree of doneness. The barely warmed vegetables are still crunchy and flavorful. Serve with lemon wedges, if you like.

Here's our take on Paula Wolfert’s daily “gritty”—the opposite of a smoothie thanks to all the nuts, seeds, and spices. The walnut-flaxseed combination adds 2,000mg omega-3s to this satisfying sip, along with a pleasantly nutty balance to the sweet mango and bright citrus. Yogurt lends tangy good-for-the-gut probiotics, and fresh turmeric adds a bright, peppery zing. Some researchers say the curcumin in fresh turmeric is more bioavailable than dried, as some essential oils and pungency are lost in the drying process. We love it for its brighter, livelier flavor. If you can’t find fresh root (a close relative to gingerroot), substitute 1⁄2 teaspoon dried turmeric.

This dinner offers a double-dose of turmeric and its active compound curcumin—some of the golden spice flavors the creamy lentil dal and some gives the chicken a jolt of peppery, earthy flavor. The chicken’s spice rub also contains fresh black pepper, which helps to “activate” the curcumin—and, thus, amp up curcumin’s anti-inflammatory powers. Between the lentils and the spinach, the comforting side of lentil dal provides lots of fiber, too.

On the hunt for a treat that satisfies your sweet tooth without busting your diet? Pack these cinnamon-laced, air-fried apple chips in your lunch bag.

Apples deliver natural sweetness and a handsome amount of fiber, making them a smart choice for any diet, and the air fryer transforms them into something altogether more delicious, thanks to its signature move—adding fat-free crunch. Cutting almond butter with low-fat Greek yogurt adds protein to the dipping sauce, as well as extra creaminess.

A tagine is a Moroccan-style stew featuring succulent chunks of meat, often lamb, cooked in a mixture of vegetables and fruit. Traditional tagines are usually flavored with aromatic spices such as ginger, cumin, and saffron and served over couscous.

Just a little lime and ginger help to macerate the fresh fruits so they can release their juices. Grapes, diced nectarines, or blackberries would also be delicious.

This veggie-heavy bowl is loaded with crunch and color, thanks to crispy carrots and chickpeas, fresh kale, and a vibrant avocado dressing. It also delivers more than 50fi of your daily dose of fiber, key for weight loss, energy, and healthy digestion. Bulgur, also called cracked wheat, is a quick cooking whole grain. These bowls would also be excellent make-ahead lunches. Pack the avocado mixture separately, adding a little water to thin it as needed.

A light coat of mustard is all it takes to keep the gluten-free almond flour on these trout fillets. Breading with almond flour gives a nice crispy texture to the fish without using a lot of oil. To expedite cleanup, the fish and greens are cooked in batches in one skillet so there's just one pan to clean. You only need a splash of white wine to add a hit of acidity to balance the garlicky greens so you'll have plenty leftover for a glass with dinner. Any type of chard works here, but for the most colorful plate, go for rainbow chard.

To make this salad ahead of time, pour the dressing into the bottom of a portable container, and arrange the kale and all the toppings (except for the chickpeas) on top without mixing. When you’re ready to eat, combine all the salad components with the dressing.

The banana and pineapple provide the sweetness necessary to balance the bitter bite of the kale while the light coconut milk adds lots of richness. Feel free to add ice to the blender if you like a slushier texture. If you like, purchase pre-cut fresh pineapple in the produce section.

This hearty supper salad is a lean-protein powerhouse thanks to chicken, chickpeas, and edamame; the parsley pesto delivers bone-boosting vitamin K. Pick up frozen shelled edamame to make this meal extra speedy.

The American Heart Association recommends eating salmon or other fatty fish twice a week to reap the cardiovascular benefits that the omega-3 fatty acids provide. Look for wild salmon, which has 5 to 10 times fewer contaminants and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) than farm-raised.

This vegetarian main-dish salad features sweet berries, crunchy almonds, pungent goat cheese, and lots of fresh herbs. Serve it as a light, refreshing dinner, or make it on Sunday and dole it out for lunch for most of the week. It’s loaded with protein and fiber, and it holds well in the fridge for three or four days (just pack almonds separately to preserve their crunch). For milder onion bite, soak the slices in cold water for a few minutes, then rinse and pat dry.

Whether you're going for something simple, something healthy, or both, don't overlook tuna—that classic staple of melts and salads is actually a super healthy source of nutrients. And, yes, even the canned kind (if you buy the right kind) can be good for you. Health experts recommend two or three servings of a variety of seafood a week, but many “clean” eaters eat even more than that. Oily fish like tuna have the extra benefit of supplying good fats like the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA. These healthy fats reduce your risk of heart disease, enhance your immune system, and lower blood pressure.

Here, a simple lemony caper dressing coats the delicate baby kale, sweet roasted beets, and roasted haricots verts. The tuna complements the flavors well. If you like, you can use a combination of spinach and kale leaves.

Refreshing ginger and mint steep in antioxidant abundant green tea, for a supremely soothing tonic. If enjoying before bedtime, opt for decaffeinated green tea bags for an easier sleep.

This breakfast bowl is a great way to sneak in a serving of vegetables. The egg white, almond milk, and banana create a custard that’s reminiscent of the starchy porridge consistency of standard oatmeal, while the flax and zucchini give bulk and texture. Very ripe bananas are key to providing enough natural sweetness so that the dish doesn’t taste too vegetal.  

Be sure to toss the salad gently so the pieces of orange and avocado keep their shape. Pair with a fall chili or tacos.

This recipe roster is full of disease-fighting foods like antioxidant-packed pomegranates and blueberries, fiber-rich whole grains, and cashews loaded with healthy fats and minerals. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better anti-inflammatory breakfast than this!

The cereal is perfectly sweetened with fresh fruit without any added sugars in sight. You can top it with whatever fruit and nuts you prefer or have on hand. Dry muesli can be found in the aisle with the other dry cereal.