Easy Anti-Inflammatory Dinners in 4 Steps or Less (Weekly Plan and Shopping List!)

4-step dinners or less to keep prep as simple as possible and tame inflammation.

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With both of our busy schedules, sharing daily meals with my husband is one way we connect. But the truth is that every day it is quite difficult to make a feast out of every meal. And while the act of sitting down together is more important than the dish itself, we enjoy savoring delicious and nutritious meals. That’s where these easy dinners come in! To make sure we have time to enjoy our conversations, dinners for this week are being prepared in four steps or less to make prep as easy as possible.

Your meal plan

When it comes to our health, there’s only so much we can do. Factors such as family health history and genetics are beyond our control. However, there are others that we can more easily change: eat lots of fruit and vegetables, exercise regularly, and look for ways to relieve stress. This week, I’m loading foods with anti-inflammatory nutrients like omega-3s, isothiocyanates, and vitamins C, E, and D to help tame inflammation and reduce my risk of chronic disease.

If you like salsa verde, like me, then Friday’s Fish Taco Bowls with Green Cabbage Slaw is your dream dinner. While using store-bought salsa is certainly a lot easier than making it from scratch, this one whips up in minutes. There are different types of salsa verde, with different Latin countries having their own version with different flavor profiles. The traditional Mexican salsa verde, which I’m more used to, is made with tomatillos, cilantro, garlic, serrano chiles, and white onion. While the Spanish one that inspired this recipe uses parsley, coriander, chillies and anchovies. This dish gets its anti-inflammatory qualities from most of its ingredients: spinach, avocado, extra virgin olive oil, cilantro, kale, anchovies, jalapeo peppers, and shallots.

The story continues

Sunday: Pan-fried Chicken Thighs with Brussels Sprouts and Dumplings
Monday: Quinoa chili with sweet potatoes
Tuesday: Grilled Salmon and Vegetables with Charred Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette paired with Whole Grain Baguette
Wednesday: Chicken and Cabbage Adobo Enchiladas
Thursday: Summer Chicken Parmesan with a side of whole grains
Friday: Fish taco bowls with coleslaw

Printable shopping list

Something to sip

To continue the anti-inflammatory theme, I’m making it tasty Elderberry Elixir Mocktail for something refreshing and hydrating. It contains orange and lemon juice for a boost of vitamin C and elderberry syrup, which gives it its beautiful purplish hue and helps support your immune function. If you want to put in the extra effort, you can make your own elderberry syrup at home in just 10 minutes. I’ve added enough ingredients to the shopping list for four servings, so you can enjoy this delicious sipper with others.

Get the recipe: Elderberry elixir mocktail

What inspires me this week

The Mediterranean diet is backed by research as one of the healthiest eating patterns out there. This food model originated from the traditional habits of the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. And unlike fad diets, its principles are the opposite of restrictive, making it easy to adapt to cuisines around the world. In our spotlight, The New Mediterranean Diet, we share recipes and nutritional advice that represent a more inclusive interpretation of this famous food model.

Find out more: The new Mediterranean diet

Wishing you all a great week, and if you have any questions or requests for future newsletters, please let me know by emailing ThePrep@eatingwell.com! Don’t forget to add a recipe review if you try one.