Easy Anti-Inflammatory Meal Planning For Chronic Pain
The anti-inflammatory diet is often recommended for people with chronic pain because it can reduce painful inflammation. However, it can be challenging to keep up with as the anti-inflammatory diet involves a lot of cooking and food prep that might be strenuous.
When you’re in pain, spending 10 or more hours cooking in the kitchen each week is just not realistic. So, it’s not uncommon to reach for quick, pre-made, unhealthy options that can trigger a pain-flare.
If this sounds like you…keep reading. We’ve come up with some ways to help make this diet quicker and more accessible for you.
A little meal planning can go a long way. Planning is something you can spend 15-30 minutes on each week. Once you figure out what works for you, you can start repeating recipes that you know work well. This will cut your planning time down.
Simple Anti-Inflammatory Breakfast Ideas
First, pick two to four breakfasts that you want to make this week. Choose options that you can make ahead of time, half-prep, and/or have a base that you can customize. TIP: write proportions for bases on a sticky note that you can keep on your fridge for easy reference.
Here are some examples of breakfasts you can plan:
Berry and nut chia pudding
For this option, you mix ½ cup of non-dairy milk with 2 tbsp chia seeds per serving: this is your base. The rest you can customize however you like.
You can add maple syrup for sweetness, a splash of almond or vanilla extract, pre-chopped nuts (almond or walnut), and berries (fresh or frozen). The quantity is up to you.
Mix everything together and leave it overnight in the fridge. This will last in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can help yourself by pre portioning the dry ingredients (e.g., chia seeds & nuts) into containers for the week. You can make enough for 3 days at once.
Maple walnut overnight oats
Similar to chia pudding, overnight oats have an easy base. It’s a one to one ratio of oats to non-dairy milk. One serving would be ½ cup rolled oats, ½ cup non-dairy milk.
Then, you can customize it however you like. You can add maple syrup for sweetness and chopped walnuts for crunch and healthy fats. Spices like cinnamon and all-spice are fun to add. Experiment with add-ins to find what you like.
Mix all the ingredients together and leave in the fridge overnight. It will be ready for you to eat in the morning. To help with easier prep, you can pre-portion the dry ingredients into containers. While you’re prepping, make enough for a few days (it lasts in the fridge for 3 days).
Customize by adding fruits, nuts, seeds, vegan protein powders, etc.
Smoothies – Packed with Antioxidants
Smoothies are so great for getting in all of those amazing antioxidants that help to reduce inflammation.
Get your blender and fill it halfway with frozen or fresh fruit. Add some spinach for extra nutrients. To enhance your smoothie, you can add almond butter, vegan protein powder, Greek yogurt, and/or chia seeds. Fill the rest with a non-dairy milk of your choice. Blend it up!
Frozen, pre-cut fruit handy (no washing, cutting, or peeling involved). To make this even easier, you can portion out the frozen fruit, spinach, and seeds into containers in your freezer. Just add your milk and any other add-ins, and blend for a quick smoothie.
Seedy toast and hummus
If you forget to make your overnight options and don’t want a smoothie, this idea is great (and so easy).
Pick up a pre-sliced whole wheat (or gluten free) loaf of bread. Toast your bread and spread some hummus on it. This is an easier, quicker (and cheaper) option than avocado toast.
Now, you can add whatever you like. Sprinkle some raw sunflower seeds on it. Add some smoked salmon if you’re feeling fancy. If you have time and energy, add an egg on top. Spice it up with pepper, turmeric, or cumin!
Easy Anti-Inflammatory Lunch Ideas
For quick and easy lunches, get boxed or bagged salad like spinach or mixed greens. Pick up some pre-cut veggies, like shredded carrots and chopped garlic. Get some canned beans, tuna, chicken, and veggies. Pick up some fresh veggies as well (e.g., cherry tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers).
Divide your salad greens into separate, one serving, containers. Add your pre-cut veggies to each container. Then, to prep your fresh veggies, do one of the following to avoid repetitive strain:
- Ask a family member to help cut them up
- Use a manual chopper to chop large quantities with less effort
- Use an electric chopper to make chopping everything even easier and quicker
You can either store these veggies together, separately, or in the individual containers.
With these base ingredients, you can make several other dishes, including:
Quick Anti-Inflammatory Salad
The most obvious option is salad. Just add your protein (beans, tuna, or chicken) to your pre-portioned container. For canned items, use an electric can opener or ask a family member to open it for you.
You can either make a big batch of salad dressing for the week or buy pre-made dressing. If you buy pre-made, check to make sure the ingredients are anti-inflammatory-diet-approved. Look for olive oil-based dressings that are low in sugar and sodium, without any harmful additives.
To make dressing, simply mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and whatever spices you like. You can blend this or shake it up. Keep a mason jar of it in the fridge for multiple lunches.
For more fun, add nuts, seeds, feta cheese, and fresh fruit to it.
Quick Healthy Whole Wheat or Gluten Free Wrap
Get large whole wheat or gluten free wraps. Spread some hummus on the wrap, then add your pre-portioned salad. Add some of the dressing on the greens beforehand. Top this with your protein option (beans, fish, or chicken). Wrap it up!
Anti-Inflammatory Quinoa Bowl
Cook some quinoa. You can pre-make 3 or 4 servings and keep it in the fridge for up to a week (it keeps well in the freezer, too!). Spoon some quinoa into a bowl and top it with your salad, including protein and whatever add-ins you want, plus the dressing.
The quinoa can be cold or warm. If you prefer cold quinoa, you can even add this right into some of your pre-portioned containers for the week.
Mason Jar Salad tip:
For prepping salads, you can use mason jars to keep the ingredients from getting soggy. Grab 3 mason jars and place your dressing at the bottom. Then, layer your salad toppings (e.g., nuts, fruit, beans). Finally, place your greens at the very top. This will keep them away from the dressing, not weighed down, and crisp for longer. When you’re ready to eat, shake up the jar, and empty into a bowl.
Note: It’s great to have these fresh lunch options available for the beginning of the week. However, some of the greens and veggies may start to go bad around day 3 or 4. So, the dinner options we will cover next will address this.
Easy Anti-Inflammatory Dinner Ideas
Dinner can follow an easy formula: protein + whole grains + veggies. You can mix and match them as much as you’d like.
We suggest making large amounts, saving some in the fridge for another dinner, and saving some in the freezer for lunches later in the week. It’s great to get in the habit of cooking for yourself and future-you. Always make extras.
To make things simple, try out different one-sheet pan meals, one-pot meals, or slow cooker meals. These are meals where you can throw the ingredients together and leave it alone until it’s done cooking. There are several on the internet to explore. Pick recipes with whole ingredients and processes that you know you can simplify.
Additionally, because you cook everything together, these are perfect meals to prep and freeze even before cooking. For example, adding all ingredients to a freezer-safe bag. Then, when you want to cook it, thaw it in the fridge in the morning. When you’re ready to cook, empty the bag into the sheet pan, pot, or slow cooker (whatever you’re cooking it with).
For dinners, we won’t share the recipes, but you can search for recipes based on the ideas below. You can find most veggies, chicken, and fish frozen.
Here are some ideas to explore:
- One-Sheet Fajitas with Whole Wheat wraps
- One-Sheet Salmon and Veggies with Brown Rice
- Slow Cooker Taco-Quinoa Bowls
- One-pot whole wheat pasta
- Vegan Chili
In Conclusion…
In conclusion, eating a healthy diet doesn’t have to be inaccessible. There are adaptations you can make to ensure you always have healthy meals available to you.
If you’re interested in learning more about nutrition and ways of eating that have been cited as chronic pain-friendly, check out our Nutrition course.
Lastly, we hope this inspired you to try some easy anti-inflammatory recipes. You got this!
References
Harvard Health Publishing. (2020, August 29). Foods that fight inflammation. Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/foods-that-fight-inflammation
Jawad, Y. (2021, August 4). 3-Ingredient Chia Pudding. Feel Good Foodie. https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/3-ingredient-chia-pudding/
Minimalist Baker. (n.d.). 15 Vegan Protein Sources & Easy Hummus Toast. Minimalist Baker. https://minimalistbaker.com/15-vegan-protein-sources-easy-hummus-toast/
Mullins, B. (2021, July 19). Easy Basic Overnight Oats. Eating Bird Food. https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/summer-overnight-oats/