Want my complete list of anti inflammatory foods I eat every week as a Nutritionist? In this post, I'm sharing the 11 anti inflammatory foods I add to my grocery list every week.
Eating an anti inflammatory diet has been linked to a variety of benefits ranging from boosted immune system, improved heart health and lowered risk of chronic disease.
As a Nutritionist, I like to emphasize anti inflammatory foods to help optimize my health while also maintaining my fitness and fat loss progress.
Today I'm sharing the 11 anti inflammatory foods that I add to my grocery list every week, including some anti inflammatory recipes using these foods to inspire your wellness journey.
These anti inflammatory foods are the perfect addition to your weekly meals to help boost your wellness results while feeling amazing in the process.
This post is all about the anti inflammatory foods I eat every week as a Nutritionist.
The Best Anti Inflammatory Foods I Eat Every Week
Ginger
Ginger is very well known as a superfood for reducing inflammation.
But what it's a littler lesser known for is it's powerful gut cleaning abilities, which is equally as important for reducing inflammation.
Ginger helps to turn on the gut cleaning process called the Migrating Motor Complex (MMC). This flushes out left behind food and bacteria that would normally lead to bloating and gut inflammation.
When addressing inflammation in the body, it's crucial to also consider reducing inflammation in the gut, which is what ginger can be incredibly helpful for.
How I use ginger:
Fresh ginger lemon tea: This is my favorite way to use ginger. You can grab my two different ginger lemon tea recipes with the video below.
Added into smoothies: Try adding 1/2 inch fresh ginger to your favorite protein smoothie. A greens or blueberry based smoothie are both great for this.
In dinner recipes: A variety of recipes call for fresh ginger. You can also simmer bone broth with freshly chopped ginger, garlic, onion and red pepper flakes for a super zesty sip-able broth.
Blueberries
Blueberries are next up on my anti inflammatory foods list because they are one of the most antioxidant rich foods you can eat.
Free radicals from exposure to pollutants, poor quality food, too little (or too much) exercise, too much alcohol, stress and a lot more, can cause damage to our cells that lead to excess inflammation in the body.
Antioxidants, like those in blueberries, help to "quench" those free radicals.
How I use blueberries:
In protein smoothies: Try my Blueberry Mint Probiotic Power Smoothie HERE.
Zero sugar jam: Try my cottage cheese toast with blueberry chia "jam" HERE.
Added fresh to a greek yogurt or cottage cheese bowl.
Coffee
If you drink coffee every morning, then this is likely your highest source of antioxidants that you get all day.
Coffee is absolutely loaded with antioxidants, making it one of my favorite anti inflammatory foods to eat (or in this case, drink).
Studies have even found that coffee can help to reduce fat build up around the liver.(1) Keeping the liver healthy and functioning is crucial for reducing inflammation because a poor functioning liver can release a lot of free radicals.
Just make sure to not add sugar into your coffee, otherwise this counters the many amazing health benefits of it.
I like to drink an organic, mold-free coffee that has been optimized for even higher antioxidants to maximize the wellness properties of my morning cup.
The brand I've been using for over 7 years is called Purity Coffee and can be found HERE. When you use my link and code AUTUMN at checkout, you can get 20% off your first bag!
How I use coffee:
Freshly ground, made in the french press: Grinding the coffee fresh each morning only takes a few seconds and helps to prevent oxidation of the oils in coffee, making it more in line with an anti inflammatory diet.
Half and half, whole milk, Nutpods, heavy cream, protein powder or keto coffee: Depending on what I feel like that day, I'll add any of these items to my coffee.
Beans and Chickpeas
A recent study noted that legumes (including beans and chickpeas) are "honorable mentions" when it comes to the healthiest foods in the world.(2)
This is because they are high in blood sugar stabilizing fiber, various minerals and even antioxidants, too.
However, to see the best benefits from beans, it's super important to properly cook them. If they aren't properly cooked then beans can ferment in the GI tract and lead to bloating, which can inflame the gut.
To do this, simply soak dried beans in double the volume of water for 8 hours or overnight. Then drain the water, add the beans to a pot of fresh water and boil until done.
How I use beans and chickpeas:
Chickpeas on a salad: I like to sprinkle a few cooked chickpeas on my salad.
Chili: We make chili a lot. THIS is one of my favorite recipes.
Cauliflower Rice Burrito Bowl: It's a blood sugar stabilizing version of Chipotle! You can find my recipe HERE.
Cruciferous Veggies
This category of anti inflammatory foods includes broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale and cabbage.
Cruciferous veggies are rich in glucosinolates, which are important for supporting phase 2 of liver detox. And remember, a healthy liver is crucial for helping to keep inflammation at bay!
How I use cruciferous veggies:
Roasted with herbs, spices, oil and salt: This is my favorite way to eat broccoli and cauliflower! Just chop up the veggies, add them to a baking sheet with olive oil, your favorite herbs or spices and a heavy pinch of salt. Then roast at 425 F for about 25-30 minutes or until crispy.
Sautéed brussels sprouts: This recipe is always a crowd pleaser.
Tuna and Salmon
Both of these fatty fish contain omega-3 fats, which is considered the anti inflammatory fatty acid.
Most people have diets high in omega-6 fat, which is the inflammatory fatty acid. These are common in nuts, seeds, seed oils and most processed foods.
Ideally it's best to limit omega-6 fats and only get it from whole food sources (like nuts and seeds) while balancing it out with omega-3 fats to help reduce inflammation.
How I use tuna and salmon:
Oven roasted salmon: I'll pair roasted salmon with veggies (pictured above!).
Tuna salad: This is a go-to lunch for me. I mix canned tuna with a little bit of avocado oil mayo, dijon and red onions.
Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are very high in soluble fiber, which is needed for phase 3 of liver detox. They also are a great source of ALA (a type of omega-3 fat).
How I use chia seeds:
In a protein smoothie: Almost all of my protein smoothies use 1-2 tablespoons of chia seeds.
Chia pudding: This makes a very fast and easy meal-prepped breakfast! Try my Tropical Lemon Chia Pudding Recipe HERE.
Garlic
Garlic has been found to support glutathione production. Glutathione is our main antioxidant that the body produces, making it very important for an anti inflammatory diet.
On top of that, garlic has been found to help ward off colds by acting as a natural antibiotic.(3)
How I use garlic:
Crushed up raw on a piece of sourdough toast: I only do this when I feel a cold coming on to help support my immune system. It's definitely spicy and a bit rough on the belly, so use with caution!
In pretty much every dinner recipe: I stand by the fact that nearly every savory dinner recipe can benefit from garlic. I add garlic to pesto, chili, "pasta" sauces, veggie sautés and more.
Yogurt
This probably isn't the first thing you would consider when thinking of anti inflammatory foods. But yogurt is widely used in the Mediterranean Diet which is well known for it's anti inflammatory perks.
Yogurt has also been found to reduce various inflammatory markers, such as CRP and IL-6.(4,5)
When you get yogurt with live active cultures, it also acts as a natural probiotic to support gut health.
My preferred yogurts are full-fat greek yogurt and skyr. Both contain about triple the protein when compared to regular yogurt, making it a better base for meals.
How I use yogurt:
As a protein in smoothies: I'll often pair 1 cup of greek yogurt with 1 scoop of my zero added sugar Vanilla Protein Powder to hit 30 grams of complete protein.
In a yogurt bowl: I like to top my yogurt bowls with nuts, seeds, coconut flakes and fresh fruit.
In place of mayo: you can swap out mayo in nearly any recipe and use greek yogurt for a hit of protein.
Stirred into grain-free oatmeal: Try my recipe HERE.
Brazil Nuts
Brazil nuts are high in selenium, which is needed to make glutathione (the antioxidant our body makes).
You don't need to eat very much to see the benefits. Just 2-3 brazil nuts will do the trick.
How I use brazil nuts:
I honestly don't love the taste. I find brazil nuts to be a bit chalky. So I prefer to throw 2 brazil nuts into my smoothie to help hide the flavor.
Cacao Nibs
This is one of my all-time favorite superfoods. Cacao nibs are the raw, unsweetened form of chocolate.
They're incredibly high in both fiber and antioxidants, making it supportive of both liver health and reduced inflammation.
How I use cacao nibs:
Added as a topping to smoothies: I love the crunch that cacao nibs add to a smoothie, smoothie bowl or yogurt bowl. But if the nibs are too hard for your teeth, you can also throw it directly into the smoothie before blending to break it up.
This post was all about the anti inflammatory foods that I eat every week as a Nutritionist.
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