It’s easy to become overwhelmed when you are trying to start an anti-inflammatory diet. You hear that you should eat certain foods like berries, salmon, leafy greens, olive oil, or nuts. But knowing which foods are anti-inflammatory doesn’t necessarily mean they consistently make it into your meal plans or grocery cart.
I’m a dietitian with a graduate degree in nutrition and 17 years of experience counseling adults and children, and even I can get stuck sorting through and applying all the advice.
Here’s the short and helpful answer: You don’t need to completely overhaul your diet overnight. Starting with the basics and making a few strategic changes to the meals you already eat is much more realistic and sustainable.
In this article, I’ll walk you through how to start an anti-inflammatory diet step by step. I’ll help you learn what to focus on first, how to build balanced meals, which foods to eat more often, and how to make practical changes without turning anti-inflammatory eating into restrictive eating.
What Is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet?
We won’t jump deep into the science here. If you want to learn more about why chronic inflammation matters and how nutrition may influence it, read Chronic Inflammation Explained and What Is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet?
The big-picture takeaway is that an anti-inflammatory diet is not a special or highly restrictive diet. Instead, it is an overall eating pattern built around foods consistently associated with better long-term health.
A Mediterranean-style eating pattern is one of the most well-studied approaches. Large population studies involving more than one million adults have found that greater adherence to this way of eating is associated with a lower risk of chronic disease and premature death, with risk reductions around 20% for several major health outcomes. Research has also linked Mediterranean-style eating with lower levels of inflammatory markers such as CRP and IL-6.
An anti-inflammatory eating pattern emphasizes foods such as:
- Vegetables and fruits
- Whole grains
- Beans and lentils
- Nuts and seeds
- Fish and other quality protein sources
- Olive oil and other unsaturated fats
- Herbs and spices
- Unsweetened tea and coffee
Combined, these foods provide fiber, protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and polyphenols.
At the same time, the eating pattern recommends limiting foods that can promote inflammation, like refined carbohydrates, added sugars, processed meats, and ultra-processed foods.
There isn’t just one “anti-inflammatory diet.” You can adapt this approach to fit your preferences, lifestyle, allergies or intolerances, and stage of life.
So how do you actually start?
Before You Start: Get the Nutrition Basics in Place
When you start making nutrition and lifestyle changes, focus first on the actions that will make the biggest impact, are actually possible for you, and help build a strong foundation. You don’t want to build a house from the roof down.
First, make sure you’re eating enough and eating regularly. Then focus on balanced meals and adding variety. Once those basics are in place, anti-inflammatory foods and specific swaps become much more realistic and useful.
For example, choosing whether to eat butter, coconut oil, or olive oil is likely less impactful than developing a realistic plan to eat fruits and vegetables consistently. Similarly, it doesn’t make sense to set a goal of eating a mostly anti-inflammatory diet if you are still regularly skipping meals or struggling to build balanced meals.
I use my ABC Nutrition Funnel below to help prioritize nutrition changes from the foundation up, so you can focus on the biggest-impact habits before fine-tuning individual foods.
Anti-inflammatory eating fits primarily into Balance, where you’re building meals with a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein foods, and healthy fats. More specific choices—such as which oil to use, whether a particular food works well for you, or how to fine-tune your diet for a specific health goal—often fall into Certain.
You can read more about how I use the ABC Nutrition Funnel to sort through nutrition questions and priorities here.
How to Start an Anti-Inflammatory Diet in 7 Steps
Step 1: Take a Look at Your Current Eating Pattern
Before jumping into the changes you want to make, start by looking at where you are now! You don’t need to track every meal, just notice the usual patterns.
Ask yourself:
- Are you regularly eating meals, or are there meals or days you tend to skip?
- Do you ever get extremely hungry, low-energy, or irritable after going too long without eating?
- Do your meals usually include a source of carbohydrate, protein, and fat?
- Where are fruit and vegetables already showing up?
- Are you excluding any major food groups?
- Do you tend to eat the same few foods or meals on repeat?
- What carbohydrates do you usually choose?
- What days or meals are hardest to plan or cook for?
- What foods do you already enjoy that fit an anti-inflammatory pattern?
Start with what is already working. You may discover that you’re already eating more anti-inflammatory foods than you realized.
If you want more ideas, compare what you’re already eating with my free Anti-Inflammatory Food List, which breaks down foods by category and how to build a balanced plate.
Step 2: Add More Fruits and Vegetables
Research on behavior change strategies suggests that sustainable changes are more likely when you make small changes over time and focus on adding positive behaviors rather than only taking foods away.
So if fruits and vegetables are lacking in your current diet, start by adding them.
Vegetables and fruits contain vitamins C and A, antioxidants, fiber, and other plant compounds that make them a cornerstone of a healthy anti-inflammatory diet.
Higher fruit and vegetable intake has also been linked to a lower incidence of heart disease and obesity, among other preventive health benefits.
Despite their benefits, most Americans don’t eat enough. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only about 10% of Americans consume the recommended 2 to 3 cups of vegetables daily, and only 12% consume the recommended 1.5 to 2 cups of fruits daily.
Start small and ask yourself:
- Where could I add produce today?
- Can I add a fruit or vegetable to two meals each day this week?
Fresh isn’t your only option, either. Frozen and canned fruits and vegetables can make this goal easier and more affordable. If you’re wondering which is best, read my guide to fresh vs. frozen vs. canned fruits and vegetables.
Step 3: Choose Higher-Fiber Carbohydrates
One common misconception I see is that eating healthier means eliminating carbohydrates. In reality, the type and quality of carbohydrate matter more. I generally recommend including a carbohydrate source with meals, often around ¼ of the plate.
Many fiber-rich carbohydrates provide important nutrients, fiber, antioxidants, and polyphenols. They also provide your body with energy and, when paired with protein and healthy fats, can support stable blood sugar levels.
Choose higher-fiber carbohydrates more often, such as:
- Oats
- Beans and lentils
- Quinoa
- Brown rice and other whole grains
- Whole-grain bread
- Potatoes and sweet potatoes
- Fruit
Also, focus less on refined carbohydrates, which provide less fiber and fewer nutrients, such as white bread, rolls, crackers, many sugary cereals, and baked goods.
These foods are often convenient and easy to grab when you’re busy, so the goal isn’t to eliminate them. Instead, look for opportunities to add more fiber-rich carbohydrate choices throughout your week.
Step 4: Build a Balanced Anti-Inflammatory Meal
Once you have some anti-inflammatory food in mind to add, the next step is putting them together into a balanced meal.
I use four basic meal-building pieces:
- Protein
- Fiber-rich carbohydrates
- Healthy fats
- Colorful fruits and vegetables
You don’t need every meal to be perfect. Use the plate method below as a flexible guide to build balanced and filling meals. Start by adding anti-inflammatory foods to different sections of the plate and add healthy fats during cooking or as a dressing or topping.
Here are some examples:
- Salmon + roasted broccoli + sweet potato + olive oil
- Chicken + chickpea pasta + tomato sauce + side salad + olive oil
- Greek yogurt + frozen berries + ground flaxseed + riced cauliflower blended into a smoothie
You can find this plate method along with a full list of foods in my free Anti-Inflammatory Diet Food List.
Step 5: Add More Healthy Fats
Fat has been demonized in the past, but the type of fat matters (similar to carbohydrates). Anti-inflammatory eating patterns emphasize unsaturated fats from foods like olive oil, nuts, seeds, and avocado, along with omega-3 fatty acids found especially in fatty fish, walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseed.
Try adding more:
- Olive oil
- Fatty fish, such as salmon or sardines
- Walnuts and other nuts
- Chia seeds and ground flaxseed
- Avocado and avocado oil
Omega-3 fats are especially helpful because they help regulate and counter inflammation pathways within the body. Don’t worry about calculating the “perfect” amount to consume; focus on eating more omega-3-rich foods and relying less on saturated and ultra-processed fats found in processed foods and excessive animal fat or oil intake.
Some simple changes could be cooking with olive or avocado oil, adding ground flaxseeds or nuts to oatmeal, using avocado on a sandwich, or choosing fatty fish for your protein choice at dinner once or twice a week.
Step 6: Make a Few Strategic Swaps
Don’t overhaul your entire pantry and kitchen in one weekend. Instead, look at the foods you eat most often and identify a few easy swaps you can make as they run out. The foods you eat regularly will have the biggest impact on your overall eating pattern.
| Instead of typically choosing… | Try more often… |
| Sugary cereal | Oatmeal + berries + nuts |
| Refined white bread | Whole-grain bread |
| Butter or lard | Olive oil or avocado oil |
| Soda, sweet tea, sweetened coffee drinks | Water, sparkling water, unsweetened tea, black coffee with a splash of half-and-half |
| Processed meats (bacon, hot dogs, pepperoni) | Chicken, fish, beans, lentils, or eggs |
| Chips | Nuts, seeds, popcorn, or raw vegetables with dip (hummus, Ranch Greek yogurt) |
| French fries or tater tots | Roasted or baked potatoes or vegetables |
For more ideas, see my Easy Anti-Inflammatory Food Swaps by Food Group.
You don’t need to make all of these swaps at once. Choose one or two that feel realistic, and once those become routine, move on to another.
If you want an easy visual guide to help you put these steps into practice, download my free Anti-Inflammatory Diet Food List + Grocery Guide. It includes a food-priority pyramid, categorized food lists, a simple grocery-shopping guide, and meal-building examples.
Step 7: Choose a Few Meals You Can Repeat
You do not need 21 completely different anti-inflammatory meals every week. In fact, repeating a few meals you enjoy can make healthy eating easier, more affordable, and sustainable. Plus, it reduces decision fatigue.
That doesn’t add up to 21 completely different meals—and that’s the point. Repeat a few favorites, then gradually build a rotation of tried-and-true recipes over time. This is a good starting point and covers about two-thirds of your meals for the week.
Look for meals you already enjoy that fit into the principles from earlier: protein, fiber-rich carbohydrates, fruits or vegetables, and healthy fats.
Here are some examples:
Breakfast:
- Smoothie made with unsweetened kefir, frozen banana, peanut butter, unsweetened cocoa powder, and ground flaxseed.
- Oatmeal with berries, ground flaxseed, and peanut butter, with a hard-boiled egg on the side
Lunch:
- Mediterranean chickpea salad with chicken
- Tuna or salmon salad served with whole-grain crackers, cucumber slices, carrots, and fruit
Dinner:
- Salmon with roasted vegetables and potatoes
- Chicken fajitas with peppers, onions, avocado, salsa, and corn tortillas
- Homemade spaghetti sauce with ground chicken or lean beef, served over whole-wheat noodles or chickpea noodles. Roast green beans as a side.
Snacks:
- No-mess, no-bake energy bites
- Apple and peanut butter
- Greek yogurt and berries
Make enough dinner to use leftovers intentionally. Your future self will thank you. Dinner can become tomorrow’s lunch, and ingredients can be repurposed into bowls, wraps, salads, or another meal later in the week, which is especially helpful for those who don’t enjoy the same meal more than once.
If you want to see how this can look across an entire week, use my 7-Day Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan as a flexible starting point. It includes seven days of meals, a grocery list, meal-prep tips, and ideas for using leftovers.
What Not to Do When Starting an Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Don’t try to change everything at once.
Change is hard enough already. Choose a few things you can realistically manage. Maybe you focus on improving breakfast for a couple of weeks so you’re less likely to rely on random snacks or coffee to get through the morning. Then, once that feels routine, focus on another impactful area.
Don’t unnecessarily eliminate entire food groups or be too restrictive.
Many people want to remove all gluten or dairy products without a plan for replacing those foods with nutritious alternatives. That can unintentionally create voids that get filled with less nourishing options. Gluten or dairy elimination may be appropriate for certain medical conditions, but it usually isn’t a first step for anti-inflammatory eating. The same applies to protein choices; you don’t need to stop eating beef or chicken and switch completely to fish.
Don’t focus too much on individual “inflammatory” foods.
Your overall eating pattern matters more than whether you occasionally eat refined grains, sweets, fried foods, or processed meats.
One of my favorite things about an anti-inflammatory eating pattern is right there in the name—it’s a pattern.
Your body responds far more to the overall pattern of your eating than to any single meal, snack, or special occasion. One burger doesn’t undo a week of nourishing meals, just as one salad doesn’t instantly create a healthy eating pattern. And eating a variety of foods makes life more enjoyable.
Instead of worrying about eating perfectly, focus on choosing anti-inflammatory foods most of the time.
Patterns, not perfection. That’s the goal.
Start With One Meal
If seven steps still feel like a lot—and they may, depending on your current stress level and capacity—start with one meal you eat regularly.
For us, two easy places to start were spaghetti night and breakfast-for-dinner night. I swapped to high-fiber, high-protein chickpea pasta, used lots of tomatoes and garlic in the sauce, and served sautéed green beans or a side salad, plus berries on the side.
For breakfast-for-dinner, I make waffles with whole-grain, freshly milled flour and boost the protein with milk and eggs. I serve them with scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, and sometimes sautéed leafy greens. We top the waffles with natural peanut butter and real maple syrup.
Ask yourself: Can I add a fruit or vegetable? Does the meal have a source of protein? Could I choose a higher-fiber carbohydrate? Can I swap to a healthy fat?
Improve that meal first. Once it feels normal, add it to your meal toolbox and move on to another.
You don’t need to build a perfect anti-inflammatory diet overnight. You’re building an eating pattern you can actually maintain.
That is how you start and maintain an anti-inflammatory diet.
Let’s get UNstuck and stay UNstuck!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to avoid gluten or dairy?
Not typically. Neither gluten nor dairy causes inflammation for most people. In fact, including fermented dairy like yogurt or kefir and whole grains can fit well into an anti-inflammatory eating pattern.
Certain medical conditions, allergies, or intolerances may require individual adjustments, such as celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, IBS, lactose intolerance, or dairy allergy. Individualized elimination diets can help you determine whether removing certain foods improves your specific health conditions.
For example, people with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis have a higher prevalence of celiac disease, so gluten may require more individualized consideration for some in that population. You can read more in my Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Diet guide.
How long does it take to see benefits?
You may notice improvements like increased energy or feeling full longer after meals within the first few weeks. However, measurable changes in lab values usually take longer.
Many nutrition studies evaluate changes over 8–12 weeks or longer, which allows time to detect changes in markers such as blood lipids, glucose, insulin, and sometimes inflammatory markers. How quickly you see benefits will depend on your nutrition starting point, health conditions, and the changes you make.
Read my in-depth article on how long an anti-inflammatory diet takes to work.
Can I eat carbohydrates on an anti-inflammatory diet?
Yes, and you should! You do not need to eliminate carbohydrates to eat an anti-inflammatory diet. Instead, focus on choosing higher-fiber carbohydrate sources more often, such as oats, beans, lentils, quinoa, brown rice, whole-grain bread, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and fruit. I generally recommend including a carbohydrate source with meals, often around ¼ of the plate.
These foods provide energy along with fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other beneficial plant compounds. Refined carbohydrates such as sugary cereals, baked goods, and refined breads can still fit occasionally, but the goal is simply to make higher-fiber choices the foundation more often.