Consuming a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet can help you manage health conditions and improve your overall well-being. Here are some surprising nutrition tips or healthy food hacks to help you get more out of your eating and food choices.
As a dietitian, I have learned some unique (or random) facts that boost your nutrition over the years, and I continue to learn more about food and nutrition.
Here are some of my favorite tips or hacks that I use regularly! You can share these unique facts at your next meal with friends or family…mine have to endure my “Did you know..? information regularly.”
Quick Recap of Anti-Inflammatory Eating
An anti-inflammatory diet is a way of eating that helps reduce chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is a prolonged inflammatory response linked to conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and autoimmune disorders.
While short-term inflammation is a natural and healthy part of the healing process, chronic inflammation can be triggered by stress, aging, environmental factors, and poor dietary choices, such as high saturated fat intake and the consumption of simple, processed carbohydrates (think white flour products and sugary drinks or foods).
In contrast, an anti-inflammatory diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats (like omega-3s), and lean proteins, along with nutrients like vitamins C and E and flavonoids (an antioxidant).
There is no one-size-fits-all diet, but well-researched diets include the Mediterranean Diet, the DASH Diet, and Vegetarian or Flexitarian Diets. All of which prioritize whole, minimally processed foods with loads of plant-based foods that can help stabilize chronic conditions and prevent future disease.
Let’s jump into the tips and hacks to help you boost your nutrition intake!
10 Dietitian-Recommended Nutrition Hacks
I selected hacks and tips that most people can use to help boost their intake of anti-inflammatory foods.
Don’t limit yourself to just the tips or foods on this list—use it as inspiration for your shopping list and to try new anti-inflammatory options. Most of these foods are suitable even for those with food allergies or intolerances.
Keep in mind that other foods are also anti-inflammatory. Nutrition research is an ever-evolving field, and future studies may reveal additional anti-inflammatory foods.
1. Cooled (or Leftover) Pasta Impacts Blood Sugar Less
Most pasta (those made with white flour) is a refined carbohydrate (low in fiber) that is quickly broken down into glucose and leads to a quick rise in blood glucose.
Eating an abundance of refined grains– something most Americans do – has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and mortality. High consumption of refined grains is also associated with a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
What’s a pasta lover to do? Choose higher-fiber pasta and consider your cooking method.
Cool Facts
- Dietary fiber cannot be digested in the small intestine, resulting in delayed absorption and a slower rise in blood glucose after a meal.
- Pick higher-fiber pasta like whole wheat pasta, red lentil pasta, chickpea pasta (my favorite), pea pasta, or spaghetti squash to make “pasta.”
- Cooking methods can affect the amount of fiber (or resistant starch) in foods. For example, cooled and reheated pasta undergoes a process called retrogradation, where the starch structure rearranges as it cools.
- This results in a higher resistant starch content and a smaller impact on blood glucose!
- A 2020 study published in Foods showed that both cooled pasta and reheated leftovers led to a quicker return to fasting glucose levels compared to freshly cooked hot pasta.⁷ Literally and figuratively pretty cool!
- Try pasta salads or consume leftovers made with higher-fiber pasta to gain this benefit.
2. Prep Garlic to Boost Antioxidants
Garlic contains two components that combine to form allicin, a powerful antioxidant studied for its potential to lower blood pressure, support heart health, and help prevent certain types of cancer.
You can maximize allicin production in how you prepare it, and when you add garlic to cooked dishes.
Cool Facts
- Garlic is a potent anti-inflammatory spice or herb used in cooking. Researchers identified that garlic alone is a component that reduces inflammation in the body.
- Let crushed fresh garlic cloves rest for at least 10 minutes before mincing.
- Allicin is most potent when raw (like in salsa), but adding it at the end of a dish at a lower temperature helps preserve more of the allicin (adding minced garlic when simmering at a low temperature towards the end of a recipe).
- Garlic powder can be rehydrated in water for approximately one minute to restore most of its original allicin content.
- Smash those garlic cloves, wait for 10 minutes, then mince and add at the end of any cooked recipe to boost antioxidant content.
3. Use Cast Iron Skillets to Increase Iron Intake
Iron deficiency affects about 10% of women and children in the United States. Iron helps you make optimal red blood cells and transfer oxygen from the lungs to tissues throughout the body.
When your levels are low, you may experience fatigue, weakness, difficulty concentrating, and a weakened immune system. Iron is critical for brain development during childhood and pregnancy.
Iron deficiency can worsen inflammation due to the extra stress on your body. Some inflammatory conditions can lead to iron deficiency due to altered iron absorption. Also, an inflammatory diet may be low in iron-rich foods.
Iron deficiency is treated differently depending on the cause and the degree of depletion in your body. Some people take supplements, consume more iron-rich foods, or require intravenous iron therapy. These solutions can affect digestion, potentially leading to increased constipation or nausea.
However, how you cook your food can increase your iron intake and reduce the likelihood of digestive problems.
Cool Facts
- Slow simmering of acidic or moist dishes in a newer cast-iron skillet (or other cast-iron cookware) helps leach iron into an otherwise low-iron food.
- For example, tomato or spaghetti sauce (an acidic food) increased from 0.6 mg to approximately 5 mg of iron per serving when prepared in a cast-iron skillet.
- The recommended daily intake (RDA) of iron for adult females is 18 mg, but increases to 27 mg during pregnancy; men require approximately 8 mg daily.
- Cast iron cookware will not resolve iron deficiency on its own. Still, it can be an effective way to maintain iron levels or help prevent iron deficiency as part of a healthy diet and comprehensive medical care, especially if supplements cause digestive upset.
- Check out the Lucky Iron Life’s cooking tools (little cast-iron fish to add to meal preparation) as another way to fortify meals and drinks with iron!
4. Don’t Limit Yourself to Raw Veggies
Many people believe that raw (or fresh) vegetables are significantly superior to frozen or canned versions.
While this is true in terms of peak nutrients and taste, consuming a mixture of fresh, frozen, and canned produce can save money and time while helping you meet nutrient and antioxidant levels.
Cool Facts
- Frozen vegetables maintain at least 90% of their original nutrient levels.
- Canned vegetables also maintain their vitamin and mineral levels.
- Fresh produce loses nutrients after 5 to 10 days of storage in the refrigerator, making them similar to frozen and canned versions after 5 days.
Opt for a balance. Buy fresh fruit and vegetables in quantities that you can consume within five days, and use frozen and canned options to supplement your meal plan for the rest of the week.
5. Drinks Matter More Than You Think
The top inflammatory foods or drinks include:
- processed and fatty meats (bacon, sausage, hot dogs)
- sugary drinks and foods (desserts, soda, sweetened coffee or tea, sweetened cereals)
- processed carbohydrates with no fiber (white flour products and sugary cereals)
- drinking more than one alcoholic beverage for women or two alcoholic beverages for men.
Simply swapping from sugar drinks and excess alcohol can reduce inflammation quickly!
A 12-ounce can of Coke contains 39 grams of added sugar, which is 78% of the daily value. One 20-ounce bottle of Coke contains 65 grams of added sugar, which is 130% of the daily value.
The most popular coffee drink from Starbucks, a tall 12-ounce Caramel Macchiato, contains 26 grams of added sugar, which is 52% of the daily value.
Pouring 12 ounces of sweet tea from a gallon contains 56 grams of added sugar, which is 112% of the daily value. Most people purchase at least a 20-ounce tea and can buy up to a 64-ounce tea at the local tea store near me (these are comparable in sugar amounts due to the addition of lots of ice).
Alcoholic beverages, especially sweetened ones, can increase inflammation from the sugar and alcoholic content.
Cool Facts
- Swap to unsweetened versions of black or green tea, and opt for unsweetened coffee.
- Include water, as well as no-sugar-added sparkling or carbonated water.
- Coffee, green, and black tea are significant sources of polyphenols in the diet.
- Polyphenols are antioxidants that help reduce inflammation, enhance the immune system, reduce the effects of diabetes, and prevent obesity.
- Both coffee and tea contain varying amounts of caffeine, which reduces inflammatory production.
- I wrote more about the anti-inflammatory effects of coffee in a past article.
6. Add (or Sneak) Anti-Inflammatory Foods In
Over time, I have included more and more anti-inflammatory foods into our weekly diet. Once they are routine, it’s easier!
I have some pickier eaters at my house, especially when it comes to mixed dishes or vegetables. I lean in to lots of fruits at meals and snacks (my boys can eat a pound or more of berries in one sitting), and prioritize the nutrient-rich foods they will eat:
- Energy bites (oatmeal, ground flax, and nut butter)
- Smoothies (ground flax, frozen fruit, and kefir)
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (natural peanut butter with low sugar jam and whole wheat bread)
- Pumpkin bread and muffins (made with less sugar and more fiber from black or white beans, flax, whole wheat flour, and fruit)
- Scrambled or hard-boiled eggs for a filling protein option
- Cooked vegetables or roasted potatoes to mimic French fries
- Dipping sauce for less-favored foods (ranch for veggies)
I prefer to serve anti-inflammatory options when possible, or opt for a less inflammatory option (such as fried chicken nuggets and fries, which many kids, including mine, could live on).
It’s not about perfection, but optimizing where possible. Our bodies are the sum of all things we are exposed to (environment, illness, etc) and eat (plus inherited conditions). Little changes add up over time, reducing the total inflammation load on the body.
7. Repurpose Leftovers or Lingering Pantry Staples
We can all recall the good intentions of trying to consume healthy food, only to have it sit in your pantry for a long time, feeling like a waste of money.
At our house, this is often trail mix, nuts, and seeds. I had four bags with about 10% left in each bag this week, but I couldn’t convince myself or anyone else to eat them.
So, I got my food processor out (a blender would work too) and blended them all to make energy bars. I blended some uncooked oatmeal, crunchy peanut butter (another accidental purchase), and some honey together and pressed them into a pan for bars this week. They were 75% gone within 2 days.
Other Ways To Repurpose Anti-Inflammatory Foods
- Brown, over-ripe bananas = get peeled and thrown into a freezer bag for future smoothies, banana bread, or pancakes
- Too many apples = homemade low-sugar applesauce that gets consumed in minutes
- Crunchy nut butter (my kids are strictly smooth nut butter) = blend and make it smooth
- Leafy greens nearing the end of their life = sauteed, added to scrambled eggs
- Accidental regular yogurt purchase = sift through cheesecloth to make into Greek yogurt
- Too many fresh berries = wash and freeze for future smoothies or muffins
- Random leftover veggies = make a stir-fry, chop and roast them all, make bone broth, or add to soups and stews
- Have a charcuterie-style meal to use up leftover anti-inflammatory foods
- Give them to a friend or family member to try a new food they aren’t sure about
8. Don’t Overthink Meal Planning
I use the plate method for planning our meals for so many reasons. It reduces time spent thinking about meals, planning meals, grocery shopping, and throwing together a quick dinner meal from what’s available in my pantry or refrigerator.
As you decide what to prepare (or throw together) for a meal, aim for:
- One-half a plate of vegetables (incorporate more non-starchy vegetables like leafy greens, tomatoes, green beans, broccoli, onions, and peppers with your starchy vegetables like corn and potatoes)
- One-quarter of a plate of lean protein, like tuna, salmon, chicken, turkey, nuts, and dairy products
- One-quarter of a plate of fiber-rich carbohydrates like whole grains, beans, and fruit
- Two tablespoons of healthy fats coming from olive oil, avocados or from dairy, nuts, and salmon
- You can use a variety of foods to fill up each section of the plate.
Cool Facts
- The plate method ensures you get a filling amount of protein, healthy fats, and plenty of fiber. These essential nutrients help you stay full longer, reduce cravings, and ensure you eat some anti-inflammatory foods.
- It also provides a game plan for meal planning. I mentally check off each section as I plan and cook dinner. If I am short on a section, I check my fridge or pantry for something to add, even if it “doesn’t fit.”
- The plate method is recommended for managing diabetes control, heart disease, weight loss or maintenance, and overall health.
- Providing a variety of foods from each section helps new or pickier eaters be exposed to new foods (even if they don’t eat them) and allows you to serve some familiar foods.
9. Use Pre-Packaged or Prepped Items
Pre-packaged or prepped items cost more at the grocery store, but they can help you serve a balanced meal on busy days. If you opt for take-out or fast food on days when your schedule is tight, prepared grocery items are definitely cheaper, more nutritious, and often faster.
Purchasing a Rotisserie Chicken ($7.99)
- 12 ounces of fresh trimmed green beans ($3.29)
- 1 pound of fresh strawberries ($2.69)
- toasted wheat bread with jam ($5.99 per loaf, but likely only ¼ the loaf $1.50)
= $15.47 for a family of 5 with minimal leftovers
This meal would take me about 10 minutes to saute the green beans, cut up the strawberries, toast the bread slices, and set the table.
Tips
- A typical fast food meal for five ranges from $25 – $60, depending on the restaurant, promotions, or deals. I often get 30 chicken nuggets and one large fry to split between my kids, two large salads with chicken, and another fry for us adults with no drinks = $41.57, and then I add fruit and drinks at home (water or milk).
- Many grocery stores offer prepared meal kits for under $20 that include an entrée and sides.
- Peruse the produce area for fruit and vegetables on sale to add to your meal.
- Using chopped and washed vegetables and fruits may help you eat more anti-inflammatory foods, especially on busy days.
10. Keep Quick, Nutritious Options in Your Pantry
Keeping quick and nutritious meal options that you or your family enjoy can go a long way in helping you include more anti-inflammatory foods in your diet and maintain a balanced eating habit.
I have about four or five meals I keep on hand for days when I don’t want to cook, the pantry is low, and I don’t want to go to the grocery store, or as back-up meals.
Our favorites include:
- Smoothies (with frozen fruit) + homemade pancakes + eggs
- Egg and vegetable scramble + fruit + whole wheat toast
- Oatmeal + various add-ins (frozen fruit, nut butter, ground flaxseed, diced apples, cinnamon, honey, etc) + eggs
- Spaghetti with one pound of grass-fed beef (thawed from freezer) + chickpea pasta + homemade sauce made with canned diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, garlic, pepper
- Homemade tuna salad (eggs, tuna, olive oil mayo, spices) or natural peanut butter and jelly (for kids) served on whole-wheat bread or crackers + any fruits or veggies in the house
- Sheet pan meals (chicken or fish with roasted potatoes and veggies) + fruit + salad or sauteed greens
Create a list of go-to meals for you and your family in your note section of your phone or on a post-it on your fridge. I add to the list as I find new ones. Some are seasonal (like soups and stews), but having a list helps me plan my grocery shopping for each week.
Takeaway
Small, consistent changes in how you shop, cook, and plan meals can make a big difference in your nutrition and inflammation levels.
Whether it’s cooling your pasta, using garlic strategically, or relying on prepped foods during a busy week, these hacks make healthy eating more manageable and effective.
Start with one or two tips and build from there.
What’s a favorite nutrition hack you use to boost your intake of anti-inflammatory foods?
Read more about the Top 10 Anti-Inflammatory Foods I recommend eating each week.
You might also be interested in the 10 Best Anti-Inflammatory Snacks to Buy.
Let’s get UNstuck and stay UNstuck!