A seven-day meal plan can help you break down your diet and take practical steps to incorporate foods with purported anti-inflammatory properties.

Inflammation is an immune response to illness or injury. Normally, it’s protective, drawing more immune cells to the inflamed location so that healing can happen faster; however, long-term inflammation can harm your health.

For example, it’s been linked to weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, and many other health conditions.

Following an anti-inflammatory diet may, therefore, have many health benefits. Always consult with a doctor or healthcare professional before beginning any new diet to be sure it is right for you.

Here’s our handy 7-day anti-inflammatory diet meal plan, with recipe links included, to try out this week.

Here are a few anti-inflammatory cooking tips:

  • Add spices and seasonings. Herbs and spices are great choices for both potential anti-inflammatory properties and flavor, so feel free to liberally season your food with them. Great options include turmeric, ginger, rosemary, cinnamon, oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper, and many others.
  • Cook with garlic and onion. These veggies are rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds and are easy to incorporate into many lunch or dinner recipes. Add to marinades, salad dressings, bolognese, stews, stir-fries, and much more.
  • Make your own dressings and marinades. Using combinations of oil, vinegar, herbs, and spices, you can make your own flavorful dressings and marinades that are full of anti-inflammatory compounds.
  • Keep it simple. If cooking complicated recipes with new ingredients each night sounds daunting, keep it simple. Choose a protein source like salmon or chickpeas and combine it with a vegetable and a grain.

An anti-inflammatory diet should include fruits and vegetables, healthy protein sources, and healthy fats and oils. You may also want to include coffee or tea, fermented foods, and minimally processed whole grains.

Further, it’s a good idea to include a variety of spices and seasonings — not only for their flavor but also because they’re rich in anti-inflammatory compounds.

On the other hand, try to avoid highly processed foods, added sugars, and refined seed oils like soybean and corn oil.

This 7-day meal plan can provide some meal and snack ideas and serve as a good starting point for your anti-inflammatory diet.