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While you might feel inclined to make goals related to your health in the new year, you don’t need to do anything drastic to improve your health. Doing something as simple as following an anti-inflammatory eating pattern has numerous benefits and doesn’t necessarily require you to overhaul your diet. By adapting your meals to focus on foods known for having anti-inflammatory benefits, like dark-colored fruits and vegetables, whole grains and omega-3-rich foods, you could help reduce your risk of numerous health conditions, such as cancer, heart disease and dementia. To get you started, this week’s meal plan is full of brand-new recipes that meet our anti-inflammatory parameters. Plus, it takes just three steps or less to get each dinner on the table.
Your Weekly Plan
Sunday: Sweet Potato–Black Bean Stuffed Peppers
Monday: Turmeric Chicken & Avocado Wraps
Tuesday: Anti-Inflammatory Sheet-Pan Roasted Veggies
Wednesday: Cacio e Pepe Inspired Kale Salad
Thursday: Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps
Friday: Thai Red Curry with Cod & Sweet Potatoes
Our column, ThePrep, has everything you’ll need to make dinner planning and grocery shopping as easy as can be. Nutritional needs differ from one individual to another, and we invite you to use these dinner plans as inspiration and adjust them as you see fit. Sign up to get a dinner plan delivered to your inbox every Saturday!
Sunday: Sweet Potato–Black Bean Stuffed Peppers
Heami Lee, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keeley
When you stuff bell peppers with sweet potatoes and black beans, you get a dinner that is packed with inflammation-fighting ingredients. Some shredded Colby-Jack on top makes the peppers ultra-satisfying. Dairy gets a bad rap when it comes to inflammation, but dairy has calcium and vitamin D, nutrients that can actually help fight inflammation, so there’s no need to rule it out.
Monday: Turmeric Chicken & Avocado Wraps
Heami Lee, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keeley
These easy wraps come together in just 30 minutes. Start with some cooked chicken (breasts or thighs both work) and shred it and combine it with a flavorful dressing of mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard and seasonings. Toss in some chickpeas and walnuts, layer it with sliced avocado and wrap it all up. Walnuts are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and help support cognitive health.
Tuesday: Anti-Inflammatory Sheet-Pan Roasted Veggies
Heami Lee, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keeley
For me, one of the easiest ways to make a meal is to roast a whole bunch of vegetables and add a protein. I love this vibrant combination of purple sweet potato, fennel, carrots, butternut squash and Brussels sprouts with some rotisserie chicken on the side. The carrots and squash are both packed with beta carotene, an antioxidant that can help reduce inflammation.
Wednesday: Cacio e Pepe–Inspired Kale Salad
Heami Lee, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keeley
Midweek is the perfect time to make this low-effort, 15-minute hearty salad. It’s inspired by cacio e pepe, a pasta dish that heavily features cheese and pepper. The kale, another inflammation-fighting superstar, stands up well to these bold ingredients and makes for a lighter variation on the pasta. I like to serve it with some whole-grain bread.
Thursday: Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps
Heami Lee, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keeley
Another no-cook hit, these tuna salad lettuce wraps are high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Some of the mayonnaise traditionally used to bind tuna salad is replaced with Greek yogurt for creaminess and extra protein. Some chopped apple, onion and celery add a contrasting crunch. Serve the salad wrapped up in soft butter lettuce leaves for an easy, light, fresh dinner.
Friday: Thai Red Curry with Cod & Sweet Potatoes
Heami Lee, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keeley
Let’s close out the week with a simple but elegant dish. Here black cod fillets swim in a sauce of red curry paste and coconut milk along with tender sweet potatoes. Black cod is another great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which, among their other inflammation-fighting benefits, can help improve heart health. And the sweet potatoes have fiber and resistant starch, which can help improve gut health.
I wish you all a great week, and I hope you enjoy this dinner plan. If you try a recipe, remember to add a review.
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