Top 10 Anti-Inflammatory Foods to Eat Every Week, According to a Dietitian

Your grocery shopping list or receipt can give a quick snapshot of your eating habits. You may have great intentions to eat more anti-inflammatory berries, but did they end up in your fridge or freezer that week?

I often use grocery pick-up, and my local grocery store now categorizes my shopping habits into green, yellow, and red categories on its app. The app encourages more green items (fruits and vegetables), moderate amounts of yellow items, and minimizes red items (processed and packaged foods with little nutrients).  A higher score indicates more green items.

As a dietitian, I couldn’t help but see what it revealed. I noticed that my score was higher when I scheduled a grocery pick-up than when I entered the grocery store with a loose plan or no plan. 

Nutrition Comparison of Loose Plan In-Store Grocery Shopping vs. Scheduled Grocery Pick-Up

Here are the criteria used to label a food as anti-inflammatory and 10 dietitian-recommended anti-inflammatory foods to place in your weekly pick-up order or grocery cart. 

What Makes a Food Anti-Inflammatory 

Researchers have looked at specific diets (like the DASH or Mediterranean Diet) and specific foods and their ability to affect markers of inflammation in the body.

The Dietary Inflammatory Index was developed to guide overall eating patterns that affect inflammation. The DII is a complicated research index that calculates the inflammatory level of someone’s diet. It doesn’t assign scores to specific foods. 

Diets containing fiber, healthy fats (omega-3), vitamin A or beta-carotene, folate, other vitamins and minerals, onions, antioxidants, and some spices were more anti-inflammatory.

Another scoring tool, Dietary Inflammation Scores, looks directly at food groups and the ability of whole foods to affect markers of inflammation (such as labs like C-reactive protein, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10) in the body. The higher the score, the more anti-inflammatory the food and its ability to lower inflammation!

I based my printable anti-inflammatory food lists on their findings. I have selected the highest-scoring foods from their research to create the list below. 

10 Dietitian-Recommended Anti-Inflammatory Foods

I selected foods with the highest anti-inflammatory scores for this list. 

Don’t limit yourself to just the foods on this list. Use the list to inspire your shopping list and try new anti-inflammatory foods. Most of these foods fit even when you have food allergies or intolerances. All are gluten-free and dairy-free. 

Other foods are anti-inflammatory. Remember, nutrition research is an ever-progressing area of science, and future research may reveal other anti-inflammatory foods. 

1. Tomato Products

Tomatoes are a simple way to add antioxidants to many cuisines and dishes. Think tacos, chili, spaghetti or pasta sauce, soups, stews, salads, and salsa. Add a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste to boost the antioxidant levels of many dishes.

You can try fresh or canned tomato products, such as whole tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, tomato paste, canned diced tomatoes, salsa, and tomato sauce. You can dive in deeper to learn more about the differences between fresh, canned, and frozen vegetables here.

Anti-Inflammatory Features

  • Source of beta-carotene and vitamin C, which are potent antioxidants
  • Lycopene is one of the most powerful antioxidants among the natural carotenoids (carotenoids give plants red, orange, and yellow color) 
  • Lycopene can help prevent cell damage and may help prevent different types of cancer.
  • Tomato paste, sauce, and diced tomatoes have higher levels of lycopene than fresh or frozen tomatoes. 
  • Your body absorbs more lycopene when the foods are cooked with olive oil and heated. 
  • Researchers have found that high lycopene diets reduced mortality by 37%, heart disease by 14%, and stroke by 23%. 

2. Berries

Berries of all types can help reduce inflammation in the body. Try strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Berries of deeper colors tend to have more antioxidants. They also contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals and have a sweet, pleasant taste. 

Eat as a snack with nuts, in a smoothie, mixed into oatmeal, or as a topping for unsweetened or lightly sweetened Greek yogurt. 

Anti-Inflammatory Features

3. Nuts and Nut Butters

Opt for lightly salted or unsalted nuts. Choose no added sugar and no added salt nut butter (peanut butter, almond, or sunflower butter). Most natural peanut butter fits this criteria. 

Nuts are a healthy fat and plant protein source with beneficial fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Nuts are shelf-stable and a great portable snack. 

Anti-Inflammatory Features

4. Fish

The American Heart Association and other health groups recommend eating fish twice weekly, preferably fatty fish like anchovies, herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines, tuna, and cod.

Fish is a great option to replace fatty, fried, and processed meats (inflammatory). 

Anti-Inflammatory Features

5. Unsweetened Coffee, Green or Black Tea

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.

Remember, you want unsweetened versions as excess added sugar is inflammatory. I wrote more about the anti-inflammatory effects of coffee in a past article.

Anti-Inflammatory Features

6. Leafy Greens and Cruciferous Vegetables

These two types of vegetables were grouped together and could be categorized as simply green vegetables. 

Leafy greens include spinach, swiss chard, Romaine lettuce, turnip greens, and mustard greens. 

Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, kale, collard greens, and turnips.

You can eat them in a salad, sauteed, included in mixed dishes, scrambled with eggs, roasted, raw, steamed, or in a smoothie. 

Anti-Inflammatory Features

  • Contain many potent antioxidants (beta-carotene, folate, magnesium, calcium, glucosinolates, isothiocyanates, lutein, and indoles that lower inflammation.
  • Contains flavonoids and polyphenols, which activate the transcription factor (NRF2), which plays a key role in cellular protection against oxidative stress and inflammation
  • A study involving 43 adults found that those consuming high amounts (at least 1.5 cups) of leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables, which are high in beta-carotene, resulted in lower CRP blood levels (a marker of inflammation). Blood CRP levels dropped from 7 to 1.75 within 6 months. Researchers were excited as this lowers heart disease risk and eye disease risk. 

7. Dark Yellow and Orange Fruits and Vegetables 

Dark yellow and orange-colored fruits and vegetables get their color from the antioxidant and plant pigment, carotenoids.

This group includes carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, yams, pumpkins, pumpkin puree, cantaloupe, peaches, and figs.  

You can include these foods as a side dish, in rice bowls, breads, muffins, and soups. An added perk is their longer shelf life (carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, and yams). I roast diced sweet potatoes and use them for several dishes in one week (breakfast hash, salads, and rice bowls). 

Anti-Inflammatory Features

  • They contain carotenoids, strong antioxidants that protect against free radical damage.
  • Carotene helps regulate normal cells and prevents some types of cancer cells from dividing and taking over. 
  • Good for heart health and eye health. 

8. Beans and Legumes

Beans are versatile and nutrient-packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and plant-based protein. 

Try chickpeas (or garbanzo beans), lentils, peas, kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, navy beans, and lima beans. 

You can add to salads, soups, stews, tacos, chili, rice bowls, and pasta dishes. I even add them to muffins and breads. You can blend them to thicken soups, add to smoothies, or make your own dips or hummus. I store about five different canned beans as a backup for busy nights or random recipes I want to try. 

Anti-Inflammatory Features

9. Healthy Fats

Fish, nuts, and nut butters already mentioned on this list contain healthy unsaturated fats like omega-3, polyunsaturated, or monounsaturated fats. 

In addition to these healthy fats, opt for olive or avocado oil for cooking and dressings. 

Anti-Inflammatory Features

10. Onions and Garlic

The plant genus​​ Alliums includes onions, garlic, leeks, chives, and shallots. Onions and garlic are the most studied of the group, showing potent antioxidant and anti-cancer properties

Onions and garlic are found in almost any cuisine or dish. Cooking with them adds flavor and antioxidants. 

Anti-Inflammatory Features

Image of top 10 anti-inflammatory foods with pictures of all ten (tomatoes, nuts, berries, healthy fats, fish, green vegetables, onions & garlic, dark yellow and orange vegetables, unsweetened coffee and tea, beans)

Takeaway

Anti-inflammatory foods are nutrient powerhouses. Incorporating foods rich in antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals–like berries, nuts, tomatoes, and green vegetables–can reduce inflammation and promote overall health. 

While I highlighted ten foods to incorporate each week, many other beneficial foods exist. Pair these ten foods with your other staples for long-term sustainability. 

Review your typical grocery list or pantry and fridge contents to see where you are making some anti-inflammatory choices and where you have some room for inspiration. 

What’s one anti-inflammatory food you’ll add to your cart this week?

Read more about anti-inflammatory dinners and a quick meal-planning visual to fast-track your progress. 

You might also be interested in the 10 Best Anti-Inflammatory Snacks to Buy or ways to make anti-inflammatory smoothies.

Let’s get UNstuck and stay UNstuck!

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