By Beginning an Anti-Inflammatory Eating Plan does not mean you must be perfect; however, you must be consistent. The first step to starting this lifestyle change is to create your meals around foods that promote healthy responses to inflammation, while reducing ultra-processed items that take up space in your meal plan.
Nutritionists recommend using whole, minimally processed fruits and vegetables, a variety of healthy fats, a selection of fiber-rich plant-like foods, and an abundant amount of omega-3 rich food sources to build your meals…
Everything written in the paragraph above is great for beginners, as you do not need to go on a difficult or expensive cleanse to start. Rather, all you need are a few foods you can have every day, and use those same foods in simple meals multiple times each day. A simpler Anti-Inflammatory List of Foods for beginners should be easy to use, not too much like a diet.
What the 21-Day Approach Is Really About
The 21-day anti-inflammatory diet is not a strict medical diet; it is more of a simple reset, allowing you to eat healthy, energy-giving, easy to digest foods for greater overall health, while avoiding processed foods, sugar-filled snacks, and refined foods that do not help you achieve your goals.
According to Cleveland Clinic, an anti-inflammatory diet is not one fixed way of eating but instead an overall way of eating; Harvard University describes the purpose of an anti-inflammatory diet as eating foods that are whole (not processed) and do not contain added sugar.
As a beginner, the best way to begin will be to make every breakfast, lunch and dinner meal based upon repeating staple foods. This will make it easier for you to implement the 21-day anti-inflammatory diet food list for beginners into real life.
Rather than trying to find every superfood that is in style, you will be sticking with the most effective anti-inflammatory foods that you can eat every day and will keep using them until you feel 100% healed.
15 Foods to Eat Every Day on a 21 Day Anti Inflammatory Diet
1. Fatty fish
Fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, tuna, herring, and anchovies are some of the best foods to include regularly in your diet; they have high levels of omega-3s which have been shown to help reduce inflammation and have been repeatedly recommended as part of anti-inflammatory eating plans.
If you do not eat fish on a regular basis, aim to get at least 2-4 servings of fish per week.
2. Leafy greens
Choose to include spinach, kale, collards and other leafy greens daily. These foods are full of antioxidants, phytonutrients and fiber. You can eat leafy greens in a salad, omelette, soup or smoothie. Leafy greens are a mainstay of the anti-inflammatory diet according to research from Harvard University.
3. Berries
For beginners, berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cherries) are some of the easiest foods to add to your diet due to their deliciously natural sweetness along with their high antioxidants and polyphenolic properties.
Berries fit perfectly on top of oatmeal, in yogurt bowls, in smoothies and make great snacks between meals. Berries are among the most typically used foods to help reduce inflammation naturally without feeling like a “diet” food.
4. Extra virgin olive oil
Of all healthy fats, extra virgin olive oil is probably one of the easiest to incorporate into your everyday cooking. You can use extra virgin olive oil as a base for salad dressings, drizzled over vegetables or as a finishing oil for cooked grains and beans.
Harvard University and Cleveland Clinic have both included extra virgin olive oil as a staple of the anti-inflammatory diet.
5. Nuts
Walnuts and almonds are great snacks for on the go and make breakfast or snack time satisfying as well as easy to incorporate into those meals due to being portable.
Nuts contain good fats as well as have been proven in studies conducted by researchers at Harvard to correlate with lower levels of chronic inflammation within the body. For example, adding a small handful of nuts to a dish can help make portion sizes include more balance.
6. Seeds
Tiny may describe seeds but can be powerful when using chia, flax, sunflower or pumpkin in foods when wanting to meet daily needs of fiber and healthy fats while being incorporated into foods such as yogurt, oatmeal, salads or smoothies. According to Harvard, seeds also sit nicely within the whole food based anti-inflammatory way of eating.
7. Beans and Lentils
Beans and legumes are an excellent budget-friendly foundation food option when looking at the anti-inflammatory eating pattern. They provide a good source of fiber, are naturally filling, and can easily serve as the base ingredient in soups or stews, curries, salads, and rice bowls.
The Arthritis Foundation has noted that foods high in fiber (such as beans and legumes) lower chronic/inflammatory markers in the body.
8. Tomatoes
Tomatoes add a bright, vibrant color and flavor, along with beneficial plant compounds to any meal. Incorporating tomatoes into your daily meals is easy because they can be used in sauces, diced in salads, cooked into soups, or roasted with other vegetables.
Harvard also includes tomatoes in its anti-inflammatory food selections.
9. Avocados
Avocados provide the bridge food for those new to the anti-inflammatory way of eating because they provide satiety and can be used in breakfast, lunch and dinner meals. You can use them on toast, with grain bowls, salads, and wraps.
The Cleveland Clinic lists avocados as an example of fruit when following an anti-inflammatory eating pattern while Harvard lists avocados in its broader category as a source of monounsaturated fat.
10. Whole grains
Minimally processed grains like oats, brown rice, wild rice and quinoa help create meals that will fill you up and give you energy from beginning to end. When choosing whole grains, look for products that have not been refined whenever possible.
Cleveland Clinic and Harvard both recommend whole grains as an important element of anti-inflammatory diets.
11. Cruciferous vegetables
Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage are great for roasting, steaming, or stir frying, that makes them worth mentioning. They embody the philosophy of eating “more plants, less processed food,” which health experts routinely recommend.
For beginners aiming at getting starting with cruciferous vegetables, a few servings each week can be achieved; and, the more you include in your meals daily, the better!
12. Turmeric
One of the most commonly known spices in anti-inflammatory cooking is turmeric; and, for good reason! This spice will bring an amazing depth of color and flavor to dishes, whether you are adding turmeric to eggs, soups, rice, roasted vegetables, or a warm drink.
Turmeric and ginger are two spices that are widely used in anti-inflammatory diets, according to both Harvard and Cleveland Clinic, and research suggests turmeric can provide modest benefits.
13. Ginger
Ginger is another ingredient that can easily be added to tea, smoothies, stir-fried dishes, or marinades. It is also an excellent addition for people who want to create flavorful meals without using heavy sauces or too much salt. Harvard indicates ginger is generally used in the spice category as part of an anti-inflammatory diet.
14. Garlic
While Garlic isn’t particularly exciting, it adds flavor to otherwise dull foods while also serving as a good source of nutrition. Incorporate garlic into dishes such as roasted vegetables, soup, beans, chicken, fish, and grains.
Garlic provides the greatest advantage to new cooks by providing an easy way to make simple dishes taste better. Garlic is compatible with the whole food approach endorsed by many health authorities.
15. Plain yogurt or kefir
If you can handle dairy products, unsweetened yogurt and kefir are excellent sources of protein that will help break your fast. Both sources fit well with the anti-inflammatory eating patterns recommended by Harvard University and the Cleveland Clinic. Be sure to pick the unsweetened variety in order to avoid excessive calories from added sugars.
How to Turn These Foods Into Real Meals
To make real meals out of these foods, it’s recommended that you use a combination of 3 or more of these foods in every meal. For example, for breakfast you might use oats with berries, chia seeds and yogurt; for lunch you can have a salad with leafy greens, tomatoes, avocado, beans and olive oil; and finally for dinner you can have salmon, roasted broccoli, and brown rice.
This approach matches the whole foods and lower processed foods approach for meals recommended by the Harvard Medical School and Cleveland Clinic.
The key to success with the 21 day anti inflammatory diet is that you do not have to eat “perfectly”, but rather create meals in such a way that you will be able to duplicate them at will. If you have an automated way of preparing your meals you will have a better chance of being able to stick with it for 21 days and beyond.
Helpful Tips for Beginners
Here are a few things you can do to make this process less stressful:
- Use the same three anti-inflammatory breakfasts every day
- Purchase frozen fruits and vegetables like spinach, broccoli, or berries to give you an easy option when cooking
- Use simple ingredients like olive oil, garlic, turmeric, or ginger when preparing meals to make them taste better
- Cook large batches of rice, beans, and oats so your meals will come together faster than if you made them individually
- Try to avoid highly processed snacks, sugary drinks, and packaged desserts for the next 21 days.
One last suggestion: Start small! Making large-scale dietary changes is often not the best way to achieve lasting success according to the Cleveland Clinic; instead, try gradually transitioning to more whole foods,fibers and healthy fats – these transitions will be much more achievable in terms of how long you’ll be able to sustain them!
FAQ
1. What are the best foods to begin an anti-inflammatory 21-day diet?
Leafy greens, berries, olive oil, oats and beans will be the easiest to incorporate into your daily meals. They can be found in your grocery store and are staples in every major anti-inflammatory meal plan.
2. Can a beginner follow an anti-inflammatory diet for 21 days?
Yes, especially if you start with simple and repetitive meals. Experts recommend whole (unprocessed), and minimally processed foods and gradually making small changes-not making any radical lifestyle changes.
3. Will I have to eat fish daily?
No, fish (especially fatty fish) is one of the top anti-inflammatory foods but if you are not eating fish on certain days, you can have your meals in the manner of beans, nuts, and seeds plus olive oil and a variety of vegetables.
4. What foods should I avoid for 21 days?
Generally speaking, avoid processed snacks (chips), sugary drinks (pop), deep-fried foods, processed meats (hot dogs), packaged desserts (Twinkies)…These foods are commonly missing from every major anti-inflammatory food recommendation.