Meal plan, anti-inflammatory, weekend edition

Use this compact anti-inflammatory meal plan to reset over the weekend or whenever you need it – it’s also a great way to start the anti-inflammatory diet!

Hello, 2020! It’s weird because we're writing this ahead and it’s still 2019. But you know what we figured? By now we probably all need a little after-holiday reset to start 2020 strong and get ready to do some great things. (Update from 2025 us: Aren’t you adorable? You’re in for a treat!)

And what better way to do it than with a fast anti-inflammatory reset for just 2 days? Just to start the year feeling good from the inside. It’s notable how different you feel when you’re properly nourished and hydrated. And you can achieve that in just two days. Even one day. Two days aren’t a huge commitment, so if you need a change like we do right now – try this out.

Why Anti-Inflammatory?

We've talked about inflammation and what you can do to prevent it from increasing chronically over time. This year we want to speak more about it, because it’s affecting most of us and there are actually some things we can do about it.

By now it should be no secret that chronic low-grade inflammation is linked to major chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. It also increases with aging overall. So yes, inflammation is coming after us one day or another. But that day can be much later in the future when you take the right steps.

A huge step in the right direction is adopting a predominantly anti-inflammatory diet long-term by eating more anti-inflammatory foods, avoiding inflammatory foods and last but not least: avoiding overeating.

Anti-Inflammatory Diet Foods

So what can you eat on an anti-inflammatory diet? Well, anti-inflammatory foods are rich in polyphenols, omega-3 fatty acids and have a low glycemic index. We're not talking low-carb or keto foods, we’re talking about low glycemic foods which include things like chickpeas, sweet potatoes, carrots – all foods you won’t see on a keto diet list. So anti-inflammatory foods are vegetables and fruit, fish, herbs, spices, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains. You can find a list explaining more here and here.

Inflammatory Foods

On the other side, we have the inflammatory foods – foods that are best avoided. These foods have a high glycemic index, are high in saturated fats and omega-6 fatty acids. This list also includes highly processed foods. Examples are red meat, butter, sugar, white flour, white rice, peanuts, yellow cheese and most types of oils (exception: avocado oil, flaxseed oil, olive oil and coconut oil).

About This Anti-Inflammatory Reset

Doing two days of this anti-inflammatory meal plan is obviously not going to change your life. And you don’t have to eat the same things for the rest of the year, but you can use it as a sample, as a guide whenever you need it.

Because we know many of us can’t tolerate gluten and dairy, we made this reset gluten-free and dairy-free.

You can do this reset on the weekend, or whenever you feel like you need it. It does involve some cooking and you cannot meal prep everything, but you can meal prep some parts of the recipes.

We hope you enjoy it.

Breakfast

Breakfast. Best green smoothie ever. This is our favorite green smoothie it’s filled with spinach, banana, ginger, frozen peaches and cucumber. We'll be honest – it’s not the first thing we crave in the morning. Coffeee!!! But when we do drink it, it makes us feel fresh, clean and energized. You can use a frozen banana to make this smoothie creamier and obviously colder. And we recommend adding a Tbsp of chia seeds for healthy fats, protein and for more energy. Be sure to pre-soak them in some water for around 20 minutes or overnight in the fridge, because if not soaked chia seeds can expand in your GI tract and lead to discomfort.

Lunch And Dinner

Spicy Chickpea Lettuce Wraps. You need about 10 minutes to make this recipe. It’s great for lunch or dinner – whenever you decide to eat it, you can make it fast. If you avoid nightshades then you can simply leave out the tomato and the chili peppers. You can also serve this with the avocado arugula salad below. The recipe makes 2 servings, so if you’re feeding more than one person, double the recipe so you have leftovers for the next day.

Mediterranean Salmon Bowl. This has been our favorite recipe on the blog in 2019. It’s satisfying, filling and absolutely satisfying. We recommend leaving out the feta cheese from the salad. This recipe also makes 2 servings, so if you’re feeding more than one person, double the ingredients so you have leftovers for the next day. You can make the salmon, hummus and broccoli ahead. We recommend chopping the vegetables for the salad right before you eat, because many of the highly beneficial antioxidants in the fresh vegetables disappear when you store them already chopped.

Sides

Avocado Arugula Salad. You can use this absolutely satisfying salad as a side dish for both of the main meals. Or if you need something in between – this is a great option. For a night-shade free option, sadly, leave out the tomatoes and peppers.

Snacks

Everyone’s different and has different dietary requirements depending on our age, sex and weight. So, what we want to say: if you’re feeling hungry 1. drink some water (we wanna stay hydrated) and 2. eat something – a snack. It’s notable what a handful of nuts and an apple can do. So whenever you need it – keep it simple. Get some walnuts, cashews or almonds, buy some fruit like apples, strawberries or tangerines – these are all simple to take on the go and satisfying. You don’t need to eat celery with almond butter on it, you don’t need to buy all kinds of bars…Keep it simple.