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20 Winter Foods that Decrease Inflammation in the Body

For those with chronic inflammatory conditions, the transition to winter can either be a happy prelude to the holidays, or it can harbor an increased need for winter foods that decrease inflammation in the body. Freezing temperatures have a gift for making some inflammation worse.

It also drives most people indoors, which can hamper daily walks and outdoor activity altogether, which is a key component of managing inflammation.

Combine that with rising stress and loads of inflammatory foods around the holidays and you have a perfect storm of chaos in the body for those trying to manage blood sugar and inflammation.

The good news is that there’s still a ton of winter produce that are amazing sources of antioxidants with anti-inflammatory superpowers.

There really is no shortage of sources of winter superfoods to help nourish and heal for those of us following an anti-inflammatory diet.

There are three main categories of anti-inflammatory winter foods that decrease inflammation that I want to highlight:

Veg and Fruits,
Herbs,
and Spices.

Here are my favorites.

Anti-inflammatory Winter Vegetables and Fruits

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Leafy Greens

Even though leafy greens start their appearance in the summer, winter leafy greens follow with even more flavor since many greens are significantly less bitter during cold weather. This means their warm, earthy flavors really shine during the winter.

Greens like kale, collard greens, and swiss chard are packed full of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as folate, other minerals, and antioxidants. And they’re versatile enough that many can be eaten raw (don’t knock a winter salad!), cooked, as a stand-alone side, or even as a casserole or soup component.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Vegetables in the cruciferous family include Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage, and are chock full of vitamins like folate, K, C, and A, as well as phytonutrient compounds that lower inflammation. And they also have the benefit of less bitterness during colder weather, like the leafy greens of winter.

What’s great about cauliflower is that in addition to its vitamins, fiber, and phytonutrients, it’s very low in carbohydrates. This makes it an amazing substitution for anything from rice to pizza dough to mashed potatoes.

Cabbage’s brilliant colors are due to its anthocyanins which help pull down inflammation and are super antioxidants. Not only is it a great way to have a winter version of tacos with slaw, but it goes spectacularly raw in salads or cooked in soups or casseroles. If you’re not sure which color to choose, just know that purple cabbage’s vitamin A content is eleven times higher than green cabbage.

Brussels sprouts are what we call ‘baby cabbage’ at our house. They’re full of fiber, vitamins C, K, and folate, and are super easy to cook. Simply sliced in half and roasted is how we usually cook them. But they can also be shredded and included in salads, soups, or casseroles as well.

Pumpkins

Pumpkins provide an amazing source of Vitamin A (the color gives you that hint on beta carotene), balanced polyunsaturated fats, Vitamins C and E, and several other essential minerals.

They’re also packed with fiber and healthy carbs, and can be stored for a long period of time (in a dry pantry or frozen) without going bad.

Mushrooms

One of the most warming foods during winter, mushrooms should top your list of required eating during the cold weather. Mushrooms are full of B vitamins, potassium, and the only vegetable that contains vitamin D (which is already in demand during winter months.)

Its nutrient-dense properties qualify it as a superfood with antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties that also happens to add that coveted ‘umami’ flavor to any culinary dish.

Beans

Beans are an amazing add-in for winter meals for several reasons. First, they’re bursting with fiber and resistant starches, and they’re full of antioxidants—both of which give them anti-inflammatory superpowers. Although their carb content is higher than other vegetables, they’re considered a ‘slow carb’, which means they absorb at a much slower rate. This helps prevent a blood sugar spike and gives healthy carbohydrate energy over a longer period.

Beans are also super hearty and perfect to add on as a side dish, or in soups, stews, or chilis.

HAVE A DINNER PLAN IN PLACE FOR THOSE CRAZY WINTER WEEKS, WHILE ENJOYING THE FRESH WINTER PRODUCE WITH THE (free!) WINTER ANTI-INFLAMMATORY MEAL PREP GUIDE! 👇

Colored Potatoes

Although white potatoes are full of fiber, resistant starches, and essential minerals, studies have shown that their colored versions pack way more of a punch when it comes to inflammation and blood sugar levels.

Studies have shown that purple and yellow potatoes contain higher levels of antioxidants including phenols, anthocyanins, and carotenoids that lower inflammatory markers and improve blood sugar and insulin levels.

Purple potatoes were shown to have the greatest benefit, possibly due to the higher levels of polyphenols, which are indicated by the darker color.

What’s great about these is there’s no special preparation aside from how you would prepare regular white potatoes (except don’t fry them!). Baked, roasted, steamed, and added into soups is great. But I wonder how fun it would be to have purple mashed potatoes!

Beets

One of the most overlooked vegetables (in my opinion) is the beet. Beets are high in folate and manganese, but also contain betalains, which gives it the bright red color, and is associated with reduced cancer risk.

Not only can you eat the beet itself, but the greens are also a fantastic source of nutrition. Beets can be roasted, sauteed, pickled, or boiled; and the greens can be used in salads or saved for soup broths.

Cranberries

One of the most popular fruits during the holidays, cranberries owe their deep red color to their huge supply of antioxidants, including vitamin C. Their bioactive compounds have been shown to reduce risk factors of a multitude of chronic diseases, including lowering inflammatory markers.

Although cranberries are pretty tart, they can be cooked into a sauce (using zero-calorie natural sweeteners), added into baked breakfasts and snacks, or even blended into a vinaigrette. If you opt for dried cranberries, just make sure they’re unsweetened.

Citrus

Probably the most well-known sources of vitamin C, citrus fruits are aplenty during winter. Vitamin C is an especially potent antioxidant that fights free radicals and inflammation. They also contain flavonoids and fiber, which also fight inflammation.

Citrus like lemons, limes, organges, and grapefruit are super versatile and can be used in anything from flavoring water and cut up in salads, to being used as a dressing, in a snack, or as dessert. They also do an amazing job complimenting flavors of meats while tenderizing as marinades, as well as pairing beautifully with herbs in dishes and cocktails!

Pears

Pears have always felt like the lesser-valued cousin of apples, but I’ve come love pears just as much. They’re packed full of fiber and are rich in antioxidants that reduce inflammation. The skin of pears contains quercetin, which is amazing for those with allergies, and it also reduces inflammation.

But they also can be much easier to slice, core, and eat as the skin can be much softer than an apple’s. This makes them super easy snacks (like this Winter Pear and Yogurt Bowl), and super yummy desserts.

Pomegranates

These little jewels may be small in size, but they’re big on flavor and nutrition. Their antioxidants have been shown to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the gut, brain, and body.

Anti-Inflammatory herbs for winter

Herbs are one of the most overlooked nutrition powerhouses in the plant family. They pack so much punch for such a little plant. But they’re also SO EASY to add into any dish for extra flavor, including throwing fresh sprigs into salads.

Here are my favorite anti-inflammatory herbs for fall.

Tarragon

Although tarragon is more commonly used in French and English cooking, it’s a delicious herb that—like most—contain powerful flavonoids that fight inflammatory cytokines. It also contains B vitamins, folate, and vitamins A and C. As with most fresh herbs, it’s best to wait until a dish is almost completely finished cooking before adding it in for maximum flavor.

Rosemary

Rosemary is full of iron, calcium, and vitamin B-6, and is also native to the Mediterranean—fitting for an anti-inflammatory diet rooted in the Mediterranean diet. It’s been used for a wide range of ailments including digestion, muscle pain, improved circulation and memory, and a boost to the immune system.

Aside from its fragrant and mouthwatering culinary powers, studies have proven its anti inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and neuroprotective properties. This means that even though it can fight free radicals and harmful bacteria, it can also be used in mood disorders, enhanced learning, anxiety, and sleep disorders.

Sage

Sage not only adds delicious earthy notes to fall and winter dishes, but also can be used in teas and as an essential oil. Sage is high in Vitamin K and vital minerals, but also contains antioxidants.

What’s so amazing about sage is that it’s been shown to relieve or cure illnesses like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, depression, dementia, and lupus. But it’s also been used for centuries in traditional medicine for inflammation, bacterial, and viral infections, which makes it high on the list for cold and flu season.

Thyme

Thyme (another herb native to the Mediterranean) can be used as a treatment for anything from acne to GI disturbances to menstrual cramps (and a ton of stuff in between!) But it’s actually an extremely versatile culinary addition. It has an earthy flavor but can waver back and forth between savory or sweet dishes like stocks and stews, roasted vegetables, teas, and desserts.

Anti-Inflammatory winter spices

Although spices can generally be used year-round, the warmth of the following five are perfect for the freezing weather.

Black Pepper

Being a staple ingredient in most kitchens, black pepper can blend into the background and largely be overlooked. However, studies on the compound piperine in black pepper have shown that it can increase absorption of curcumin (the compound in turmeric) by up to 2,000%!

It’s also been shown to increase absorption of other key minerals and antioxidants, making it an absolute must in literally any savory dish you cook from now on.

This alkaloid compound gives a distinct bite flavor and has been shown to reduce insulin resistance as well as exhibit anti-inflammatory effects.

Ginger

Ginger has been touted to help anything from boosting the immune system, lowering blood sugar, and easing inflammation. Probably it’s most famous claims to fame include taming the GI tract and pulling down inflammation. These benefits are made possible due to the over 400 compounds that ginger contains.

Ginger has a fresh, zingy flavor, and although the dried version (teas and spice shakers) have a milder flavor than fresh, they can still have nearly the same health benefits. It’s best to use fresh, and ginger root can be cut up and put in the fridge or frozen to last even longer.

Turmeric

Turmeric is used traditionally in Asian dishes, but has been widely recognized the last few years because of its media coverage as an amazingly effective nutritional supplement. Turmeric contains curcumin, which is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound.

Studies have shown that the best way to harness the power of turmeric is to combine it with black pepper, which increases its bioavailability up to 2,000%.

Turmeric is obviously fantastic in Asian dishes like curries, but it’s skyrocket in popularity means there are tons of recipes now for drinks, smoothies, and all kinds of dinner dishes.

fresh ginger and dried ginger in a canister on a countertop

Cinnamon

There can be a lot of confusion over the type of cinnamon that’s best to use. Ceylon (known as ‘true’ cinnamon) and cassia (what you buy in the grocery store) are equally delicious and contain a compound called cinnamaldehyde that’s thought to be responsible for its health and metabolism benefits.

Cinnamon has been shown to contain more antioxidant activity than any other in a study against 26 other spices, is a potent anti-inflammatory, and has been shown to reduce insulin resistance (among other benefits).

Pumpkin pie spice

Honestly my favorite spice for winter is a combination of several spices: Pumpkin pie spice. This mixture obviously enhances pumpkin flavor, but can be used in a variety of recipes in fall and winter (usually around the holidays.)

The components of pumpkin pie spice include cinnamon and ginger, which we already covered. The other ingredients are nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and black pepper.

What’s so great about the blend in pumpkin pie spice is that all the ingredients have powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds just like the other spices mentioned.

So as long as you use healthy sweeteners and anti-inflammatory ingredients for whatever pumpkin spice recipe you’re making, you essentially have a superfood recipe with powerhouse ingredients for winter!

Let me know in the comments: What’s YOUR favorite anti-inflammatory winter food or recipe?

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Quick and Easy Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep for Winter

This winter anti-inflammatory meal prep isn’t just packed with nutritious and delicous seasonal winter produce– it’s a pretty darn quick and easy meal plan. I started out doing meal prep sort of on the fly by just shopping seasonal produce, and prepping it ahead of time to just make meals on the fly throughout the week. But I do also need a structured meal plan a lot of times as well.

But doing either way is a great way to make sure you’ve got anti-inflammatory meals through the week (especially when you’ve got those chaotic dumpster fire weeks when you need nourishing meals to keep you calm and collected even when nothing else in your life is.)

winter anti inflammatory meal prep guide

The basic steps of anti-inflammatory meal prep are:

Shop
Chop
Roast
Store
Create meals

Shopping for your anti-inflammatory meal prep session

For this winter meal prep session I grabbed a pumpkin, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, purple cabbage, kale, and collard greens.

We promote eating seasonally at TRUEWELL for a few reasons:

Eating seasonally costs less
You’re not getting produce that came from halfway around the world (in other words–you’re getting produce more local which means much more flavor, less transport and less chance of it getting harvested before it’s ripe), and
Studies have shown produce that’s grown IN SEASON actually has substantially greater values of vitamins and phytonutrients than those out of season.

(And just to be clear on why I didn’t roast the pumpkin in my video… my kids freaked out about me roasting the pumpkin–cause they wanted to decorate it, and I had canned pumpkin in the pantry, so I used that for the meal that week…Long story short, kids ruin everything. 😂 Kidding. sort of)

Chopping veggies for your anti-inflammatory meal prep

So I started out with the spaghetti squash because it needs to be roasted, then needs to cool before you can scrape out the insides.

These used to intimidate the heck out of me but they’re actually pretty cool. For this session I cut the squash in half lengthwise, then cut strips; but I think it’s actually easier to just roast the halves and then scrape the insides out from those large pieces.

I have also learned that even scraping the seeds out is much easier when they’ve been roasted first.

So lay the pieces out evenly on a pan.

I use a BBQ grill mat liner, which I’ve learned is amazing, nothing sticks to it, which you can grab here:

{Some of the links are affiliate links, meaning I earn a small portion of the proceeds if you purchase it, with no additional charge to you.}

Next I started on the butternut squash. Cut the ends off, then cut it in half vertically.

Lay each half on the pan face down.

Then I started on the leeks. I peeled a few of the outside leaves, cut the end of the bulb off, then cut a slit down the center before chopping it. The dark green ends usually get pretty tough, so cut the white part and some of the lighter green part, then put it on the pan to roast as well.

Some of this produce is really best cooked right before eaten, as it’s sauteed or put into soups. But the squash always needs to be cooked anyway, and I also knew I wanted to put the leeks into a soup. So for sure these all needed to be roasted.

Roasting vegetables for anti-inflammatory meal prep

My normal base seasoning is salt, pepper, and garlic powder, which you can add or wait until you make your dish—And then roast it at 350 degrees F for about 25-30 minutes.

(For squash, it may take a bit longer to get it soft enough. You want to be able to scoop and scrape easily or else it will take forever…)

Then I got to work on the kale, and I knew I just wanted it for kale chips. You would think the bags of it already chopped would be more convenient, but I’ve found it takes longer to pick out all the stems than to just buy a bunch of it and trim them off myself.

I do a sort of scraping motion with the knife to get the leaves off, but you can also fold it in half and do just one cut to get the stems out.

Once all the leaves are torn and in a bowl, add oil, and massage it to soften the fibers.

For kale chips, don’t salt it until they’re out! They shrink and can turn out way too salty.

Kale chips go in the oven for about 20 minutes at 300 F.

Storing your anti-inflammatory meal prep vegetables

While that was cooking, I started cutting the greens.

I started on the collard greens. I wanted these to go in a soup, so I just washed them, trimmed them up the same way as kale, then store them in a baggie in the fridge until I need them that night.

👉 A method I’ve found useful is using a large 4-cup measuring cup to hold the baggie in place to put food into during meal prep if you don’t have the baggie stands.

The mustard greens got trimmed up the same way, and I wanted to sauté them later in the week, so I just store them in a baggie in the fridge as well.

Then I started on the cabbage. Peel those tough and usually dirty outer leaves, then chop it into slices, then into smaller pieces. I wanted to sauté it later in the week, so it goes into a baggie as well to store in the fridge.

I also grabbed some pears as a last minute add-on.

These can be peeled, but the skins are usually actually less tough than apples, so eating the skins is pretty yummy. Make sure you get the core out, it does have seeds like apples.

I chunked it up because I wanted to add it as a snack on top of Greek yogurt.

One trick is to cut the bottom off so it sits flat, then the top small part, then use an apple corer and slicer to slice it just like you would apples.

If you’re going to pre-cut them, they do also turn brown like apples, so add a bit of lemon juice to keep that from happening and store them in a container in the fridge.

Lastly we take the roasted veggies out of the oven and let them cool.

I put the leeks into a container to go in the fridge.

Then I started on the butternut squash. I’ve found using a grapefruit spoon with a serrated edge make scooping the seeds and flesh out really easy.

But I also sometimes use an avocado slicer to scoop it out. You can also use a paring knife to slice around the edges before scooping the flesh out.

I put it all in a container and seal it to store in the fridge.

Spaghetti squash can be a bit tricky. It definitely needs to be soft enough. But you can use a fork to scrape the spaghetti parts out into a container. Then store in the fridge.

And lastly, I pulled the kale chips out. Then I season with garlic and salt so it doesn’t get oversalted before because it shrinks. Scoop them into a container and enjoy as a snack.

Create anti-inflammatory dinners for the week

The meals for this winter anti-inflammatory meal prep session were…

Pumpkin alfredo on spaghetti squash with grilled chicken…

Leek and cauliflower soup…

Sauteed chicken sausage and red cabbage…

Creamy Collard Greens Soup (with butternut squash)…

And for a snack I had a Winter Pear and Yogurt Bowl.

And as promised, to grab the FREE Winter Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep printable guide, enter your name and email below! 👇

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Winter Pear and Yogurt Bowl

When apples are done for the fall, pears move right on in to take center stage! And this Winter Pear and Yogurt Bowl is super versatile, macro balanced, and oh so yummy!

This recipe is also featured in the Winter Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep session (check it out and get your free guide!)

The thing that’s so great about nourishing yogurt bowls like this is that you can add whatever you feel like adding (like as long as it’s anti-inflammatory and falls in your macros if you’re trying to lose or gain weight.)

And although we used Greek yogurt for this bowl, if you’re dairy-free, you can simply sub that out for coconut or almond yogurt.

Another reason these are so easy is that you can just throw it together in 3 minutes.

But the yogurt mixture can be portioned out, and the toppings can separately be portioned out so you can meal prep them ahead of time for the week. (Win!)

woman eating a winter pear and yogurt bowl breakfast

Now, I really used to not like pears that much. Even though we had a pear tree as a kid, they were the variety that big food companies use to can (you know–the ones that sit on the grocery store shelves?) I don’t like the grittiness.

But if you get the winter varieties that are a bit smaller, the skin is actually very soft and the inside texture isn’t gritty. Which is why I now love pears. 🍐

Since I keep the skins on (they’re full of nutrients like apple skins are!) I use a trick to quickly and easily slice and core them.

How to quickly and easily cut and core a pear:

Cut off a thin slice from the bottom of the pear so it sits flat
Cut the top skinny part off
Use an apple corer/slicer the same way you would an apple

Here’s what I put into my creamy and nourishing Winter Pear and Yogurt Bowl:

Winter Pear and Yogurt Bowl

Print Recipe

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No reviews

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 1x
Category: Breakfast, Snack

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 cup Greek yogurt, Plain and unsweetened (or coconut or almond yogurt for dairy-free or vegan)
1/2 pear (halved and cored)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2–3 drops liquid stevia
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 cup pepitas ((pumpkin seeds))

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Instructions

Dip yogurt into a bowl. Add the stevia and vanilla extract, then stir till completely mixed.
Top with pear slices. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Enjoy!

Keywords: anti-inflammatory, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, nightshade-free, Sugar-Free, Vegan

Like this recipe? Prep it and 5 others with the Winter Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep Guide! 👇

Crispy Kale Chips

If you’re looking for a super easy and healthy winter snack, Crispy Kale Chips are a super easy choice! They’re the ‘savory cotton candy’ of the snack world. Each bite is lightly crisp but dissolves in each addictive bite.

The other plus is that these Crispy Kale Chips are crazy easy to make.

The printable recipe is below, and it’s also featured in our Winter Freestyle Meal Prep session (check it out and get the printable guide!)

Step 1: Choose your kale

First of all, opt for organic if you can. Greens easily soak up pesticides, especially since the part you eat isn’t protected by a shell or a pod cover or skin. Pesticides are inflammatory to all bodies, so it’s best to be safe. If that’s not an option, make sure you wash it well when you get home.

Second, I know it can be tempting to grab a bag of the pre-chopped kale, but that’s a huge mistake. The reason is that they don’t remove the stems, and you’ll be left for an hour just trying to trim out all the mini stems.

Instead, get a bundle of whole kale leaves.

Step 2: Trimming kale for kale chips

One method I’ve found to trim kale leaves is to hold the end of the stem, and use a paring knife to sort of scrape the leafy part away from the stem.

You do have to be careful that you don’t cut through the stem, especially if your knife is super sharp.

The other option would be to lay the whole leaf flat and just cut out the stem. Or, you could fold the leaf in half and just make a single cut to remove the stem of the kale.

Once the stems are removed, simply tear the pieces in medium to large chunks and place in a bowl.

Step 3: Massaging kale for kale chips

Adding oil is going to help with the crispness, so drizzle some avocado, warmed coconut oil, or MCT oil on the kale leaves in the bowl.

Some people don’t think it’s necessary, but I do like to massage the leaves to loosen the fibers. Also this allows the oil to get evenly distributed.

You’ll literally just stick your hands in, massage the leaves, and turn over chunks as you’re working to get the oil on everything.

*DON’T SEASON YET!

Step 4: Cooking kale for kale chips

Cooking the kale is super easy. You simply place the contents of the bowl on a large baking pan.

Kale cooks at 300 degrees F for about 20 minutes or so. Keep an eye out and make sure they’re getting browned (this is how they get crispy) without getting burned.

Step 5: Cool, season, and enjoy!

Let them cool to finish crisping, and then add sea salt or any other seasonings you wish. It’s best to wait until they’re cooked to season because they shrink and it’s really easy to over-season your kale chips.

Kale Chips flavor options

Some flavor options are:

Ranch (nutritional yeast + lemon juice + salt)
Chili Lime (chili powder + lime juice + salt)
Salt and Vinegar (vinegar + salt)

And enjoy! They can be stored in a baggie or container on the counter for a few days.

Crispy Kale Chips

Print Recipe

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No reviews

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 1x
Category: Snack

Ingredients

Scale

1 bunch kale leaves (organic)
1 TBSP avocado oil (or warmed coconut, or MCT)

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Instructions

Prehead the oven to 300 degress F.
Wash and trim all kale leaves.
Tear leaves into medium to large chunks and place in a large bowl.
Drizzle the oil, and massage to evenly distribute the oil.
Spread the entire bowl of kale on a baking sheet, spreading out as much as possible.
Cook for about 20 minutes, making sure the leaves are getting browned without burning to ensure crispness.
Remove from oven and let cool.
Season with sea salt or any other seasoning of choice.
Enjoy! (Can be stored on counter in a container for a few days)

Keywords: anti-inflammatory, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, nightshade-free, Sugar-Free, Vegan

Like this recipe? Prep it and 5 others with the Winter Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep Guide! 👇

Sauteed Cabbage and Chicken Sausage One-Pan Meal

Cold winter nights call for warm and easy one-pan meals like this Sautéed Cabbage and Chicken Sausage.

Even though I’ve been averse to cabbage for a long time (from having my parents and grandparents tell me to eat some cabbage non-stop growing up), I’ve come back around to it.

Mainly because I know it’s chock-full of needed nutrients for winter and has anti-inflammatory properties. But also because when it’s cooked right, it’s actually really delicious. And that’s exactly what this dish is. Delicious. And easy.

Here’s how to make it:

Step 1: Chop the cabbage

Cabbage almost always has dirt on it, even if it looks clean at first. Make sure you peel the outer few layers and wash all the dirt off really good. (Gritty cabbage is unpleasant cabbage.)

Cut the cabbage into slices, then chop the slices into medium to smallish chunks. (This depends on what your preference is.)

*If you’re prepping this for later in the week, store it in a baggie until the night of.

Step 2: Sautee the cabbage

Next, add the avocado oil to a sautee pan and turn the heat to medium warm. Add the cabbage and salt, and sautee it until it’s on the verge of being soft.

Then add the dijon mustard and lemon juice.

Step 3: Add the sausage

Slice the chicken sausage into chunks or rounds and add it to the pan. Keep stirring until the chicken is warmed through.

Plate and enjoy!

Don’t be afraid to add a spinach or kale salad on the side! 🍃

The printable recipe is below, and it’s also featured in our Winter Freestyle Meal Prep session (check it out and get the printable guide!)

Sauteed Cabbage and Chicken Sausage Pan

Print Recipe

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No reviews

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 1x
Category: lunch, Main Course

Ingredients

Scale

16 oz chicken sausage (Make sure there's no cheese inside for dairy-free)
1 head purple cabbage (sliced and chopped)
2 TBSP avocado oil
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt

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Instructions

Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the sausage and cook for six to eight minutes, until cooked through. Then remove and set aside.
Add the cabbage wedges to the skillet and cook until browned and slightly charred on both sides, about five minutes total.
In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, and salt. Add the sausage and cabbage to plates. Drizzle the dressing over the cabbage and enjoy!

Notes

Per serving:

Fat: 16g

Carbs: 11 g

Fiber: 3 g

Sugar: 5 g

Protein: 23 g

Nutrition

Calories: 279

Keywords: anti-inflammatory, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, nightshade-free, Sugar-Free

Like this recipe? Prep it and 5 others with the Winter Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep Guide! 👇

Creamy Pumpkin Alfredo with Spaghetti Squash Noodles

If you like alfredo sauce on anything you’ll LOVE this Creamy Pumpkin Alfredo with Spaghetti Squash Noodles!

Honestly, my kids have made an Olympic sport of turning up their noses at dinners I make, then retracting their comments once they taste it.

This is one of those dinners. They loved it.

The thing that’s cool about this recipe, if you’re worried about the pumpkin taste, is that you actually can’t even taste the pumpkin. It makes the sauce a slightly more orange color, but adds a nutritional boost without even affecting the flavor hardly at all.

We like to use it on top of spaghetti squash because the seasonal winter produce is anti-inflammatory goodness that provides tons of fiber and vitamins like A, B6, and C. (All of which are amazing for cold and flu season!)

The pumpkin in the alfredo sauce gives it an additional boost of those nutrients as well. Plus, the healthy fats in the alfredo sauce base are used to absorb alllll that Vitamin A. (Healthy triple whammy!)

The printable recipe is below, and it’s also featured in our Winter Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep session (check it out and get the printable guide!)

Creamy Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce on Spaghetti Squash Noodles

Print Recipe

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No reviews

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 1x
Category: Main Course

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 spaghetti squash
2 TBSP avocado oil (or butter)
5 tsp minced garlic
1 cup pumpkin puree (canned)
2 1/2 cups heavy cream (organic)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (organic, grated from the block)

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Place on a pan covered in foil. Roast for 30-40 minutes.
Remove squash from oven and let cool enough to touch.
Flip halves over, then use a fork to scrape the spaghetti 'noodles' out of the middle into a bowl.
For the sauce (don't make ahead of time, you want this to be made immediately before serving): Heat the avocado oil and garlic over medium heat. Add the pumpkin and cream, stirring. Simmer until lightly thickened, then add the parmesan cheese and stir until combined.
Plate the squash noodles, then top with pumpkin alfredo sauce.
This is also great topped with organic crumbled bacon or grilled chicken.
Enjoy!

Keywords: anti-inflammatory, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, nightshade-free, Sugar-Free

Like this recipe? Prep it and 5 others with the Winter Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep Guide! 👇👇👇

Roasted Leek and Cauliflower Soup

Truthfully, in the past I’d never tried leeks–even in something as yummy as this Roasted Leek and Cauliflower Soup.

I’m embarrassed to admit that every time I thought of leeks, I remembered the scene in Bridget Jones’ Diary where she tried to make leek soup and left the blue rubber band in it and the entire soup was blue. 😝 😹

But thankfully I got over it and now absolutely love the taste of leeks! Which is why this soup is so great. It truly embodies the anti-inflammatory winter produce with a warm, creamy, and filling soup.

Try it out, and don’t forget to top it with organic crumbled bacon or even some sharp cheddar and chives!

The printable recipe is below, and it’s also featured in our Winter Freestyle Meal Prep session (check it out and get the printable guide!)

Roasted Leek and Cauliflower Soup

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Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 4 1x
Category: Main Course

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 head cauliflower (About 2 cups chopped)
2 leeks (medium to small)
2 TBSP minced garlic
2 TBSP avocado oil (or melted coconut oil)
1/4 cup almond butter (or cashew)
3 tsp thyme leaves (fresh)
3 cups water
1/8 tsp paprika
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp salt and pepper (to taste)

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the cauliflower florets and leeks on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 TBSP avocado oil and lightly season with salt and pepper.
Roast for 25 minutes, turning pan halfway through. Let it get lightly browned but not burned.
Let cool about 5-10 minutes, then, into a high-powered blender add all the roasted vegetables, almond butter, thyme leaves, lemon juice and half the water (1 1/2 cups).
Blend until pureed, then add the remaining ingredients and pulse a few more times.
Pour into a saucepan and let the soup heat until warmed up completely. Adjust seasonings to taste.
You may add more water or even broth if the soup is too thick.
Top with a dollop of sour cream or organic bacon crumbles. Enjoy

Keywords: anti-inflammatory, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, nightshade-free, Sugar-Free, Vegan

Like this recipe? Prep it and 5 others with the Anti-Inflammatory Winter Freestyle Meal Prep Guide! 👇

Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte | Anti-Inflammatory | Sugar Free | Vegan

One of the biggest bummers of going anti-inflammatory was learning that sugar was TOTALLY out. Especially in the fall when I love me some PSL—

However—hope is not lost!

I’ve got a healthy pumpkin spice latte that won’t jack your blood sugar up (or your waistline) like a Starbucks PSL will.

Just for reference, the Starbucks PSL has FIFTY grams of sugar in it!!

It’s sugar-free, dairy-free, anti-inflammatory, and full of pumpkin spice goodness.

{And just in case you don’t have any pumpkin pie spice, you can grab that recipe HERE.}

Now let’s get started!

Want the free printable PDF guide to learn how to do Fall Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep for crazy busy fall weeks? Grab the free GUIDE and get a discount on the FALL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY MEAL PLAN KIT! Get it before the discount goes away! 👇👇👇

Gather your ingredients

First we start with our ingredients, which are:

Pumpkin puree, coffee, erythritol or other granulated natural sugar-free sweetener, vanilla extract, unsweetened non-dairy milk of your choice, and pumpkin pie spice.

Prepare the 2 parts of your pumpkin spice latte

First, you need to go ahead and start your coffee brewing. This will take a few minutes.

While your coffee is brewing, add that cup of nondairy milk to a small saucepan and turn it to medium heat, then add in your sweetener, and the pumpkin puree.

And then whisk it really well until it’s all mixed together,and let it get really warm.

Then turn off your heat, add the vanilla extract and pumpkin spice, give it another good whisk…

And then you’re ready to pour it up!

Pour it up like a barista

Put the coffee in your mug first, then pour the pumpkin milk mixture into the coffee.

And enjoy your pumpkin spice latte that has mega anti-inflammatory ingredients WITHOUT the crazy amounts of sugar.

And if you really love anti-inflammatory seasonal fall recipes, check out my Fall Freestyle Meal Prep session where I grabbed random fall produce to make 4+ anti-inflammatory meals for the week with NO meal plan in place!

Pumpkin Spice Latte | Anti Inflammatory, Keto, Vegan

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A healthy pumpkin spice latte that won’t skyrocket your bloodsugar!

Author: Laura @ TRUEWELL
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 1 1x
Category: Drinks
Method: Cooktop

Ingredients

Units Scale

4 oz coffee (strong)
1 cup non-dairy milk (of your choice, unsweetened)
1 TBSP pumpkin puree
2 tsp erythritol (to taste, or granulated natural sugar-free sweetener of choice)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

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Instructions

Brew coffee while making pumpkin milk mixture.
Place a small saucepan on medium heat. Combine milk, pumpkin puree, and erythritol. Whisk together.
Keep whisking until mixture is warm.
Turn off heat. Add vanilla and pumpkin pie spice.
Pour coffee into a mug, then pour pumpkin milk mixture into it.
Enjoy!

Keywords: anti-inflammatory, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, nightshade-free, Sugar-Free, Vegan

Keto Pumpkin Pancakes | Anti-Inflammatory, Gluten-free, Dairy-free

Cooking breakfast for everyone on the weekends is one of my husband’s favorite things to do. And this is seriously one of my favorite anti inflammatory breakfasts for fall.

Because how can you beat pancakes and pumpkin?

And since we’re on a mission to control our blood sugar levels, we’re doing it with an anti-inflammatory keto version of pumpkin pancakes that you’re gonna love!

One thing I wanna highlight for these keto pumpkin pancakes is that they’ve got a good amount of protein in them.

What we’ve found in our house is that the kids tend to veer more towards carbs in the morning, so if I use a higher protein recipe, they’re getting a better balanced meal that leads to less blood sugar spikes (and crashes) and keeps us full longer.

But the norm to accomplish this is to use a protein powder. Instead, I like to use egg white powder for that extra protein. (This trick also keeps it dairy-free.)

Also, if you don’t have pumpkin pie spice mix, you can grab that recipe HERE.

If you want MORE anti-inflammatory seasonal fall recipes, check out my Fall Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep Session where I prepped 4+ anti-inflammatory meals in about an hour! 👇

Read: Fall ANTI-INFLAMMATORY meal prep session

Notes

One thing to note is that you can store these in the fridge if you have leftovers, and I’ve even frozen them to have for anti-inflammatory breakfast and snacks!

Keto Pumpkin Pancakes

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Anti-Inflammatory, Gluten free pancakes perfect for fall

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 6 pancakes 1x
Category: Breakfast, Snack

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 eggs
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup egg white powder
1 TBSP pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp salt
2 TBSP erythritol (or other granulated sugar-free natural sweetener)
2 TBSP water
1 TBSP avocado oil (to cook pancakes)

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Instructions

Place all ingredients except avocado oil in a blender; blend until combined- stopping halfway through to scrape the edges down.
Heat a large nonstick skillet to medium. Add avocado oil.
Pour batter into pan, trying to keep it equal to serving size.
Cook 3-4 minutes, flip and cook about 2 minutes until golden brown.
Serve warm. Enjoy!

Keywords: anti-inflammatory, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, nightshade-free, Sugar-Free

Lemony Cod, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, and Wilted Kale

One of the best ways to get quality protein in an anti-inflammatory diet is through fish, like this lemon cod recipe. It’s flaky and delicious, and super simple to make dairy-free.

This entire recipe is an anti-inflammatory meal, as we’ve added soft cinnamon-baked sweet potatoes and wilted kale into a perfect fall anti-inflammatory dinner using seasonal ingredients.

Cod is a really light and delicious fish that isn’t overpowering, but is full of healthy fats and protein. Sweet potatoes’ already high nutrient profile gets elevated with cinnamon. And kale rounds out this anti-inflammatory dinner recipe with a punch of vitamins and fiber in a delicious side dish.

**This recipe is featured in our Fall Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep Session!

Ingredients

4- 4 oz Cod
1 Lemon (juiced and zested)
1/4 cup unsalted Butter (organic–or sub in avocado oil for dairy-free)
4 Sweet Potatoes (small to medium)
Cinnamon
1 bunch kale
Salt + Pepper
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 TBSP avocado oil

Prep + Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 F (204 C).
If cod fillets are frozen, thaw them in a bowl of cold water.
Cube the sweet potatoes and place them in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add water to the pan until they are covered about 1 inch. Turn the cooktop to medium-high heat until the water is simmering. Reduce the heat so that it’s still simmering and let cook for 9-12 minutes.
While those are cooking…
Pat cod fillets dry with paper towel. Then arrange them on a baking dish lined with foil or a grill mat.
Melt 1/8 cup (half) of the butter, the lemon juice and zest in a microwave or on the cooktop, then brush it onto the fillets.
Sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder on the fillets, and place in the oven for 12-15 minutes depending on thickness. While those are cooking…
Place the kale in a medium to large skillet with 1 TBSP avocado oil on medium heat. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste, and stir to coat all the kale.
Place a lid on the skillet and let wilt down while finishing the other parts of the meal.
When the potatoes are tender, drain and return them to the pot. Mash, and add the remaining butter (1/4 cup) and cinnamon, to taste.
Remove the cod from the oven when done and let rest 5 minutes.
Remove the kale from heat once wilted.
Plate all and serve!

Notes + Make it easier

**Any fish is so much better when it’s fresh vs. frozen, but it can be really hard to find fresh fish in many areas. Frozen is fine, just add a few extra minutes to thaw it in a bowl of cold water before cooking.

**Buy the sweet potatoes already cubed.

**If you don’t mind the stems, buy kale already chopped.

Lemony Cod, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, and Wilted Kale

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**This recipe is featured in our Fall Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep Session!

Author: Laura Brigance, MS, CHC

Ingredients

Units Scale

4– 4 oz Cod
1 Lemon (juiced and zested)
1/4 cup unsalted Butter (organic–or sub in avocado oil for dairy-free)
4 Sweet Potatoes (small to medium)
Cinnamon
1 bunch kale
Salt + Pepper
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 TBSP avocado oil

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 F (204 C).
If cod fillets are frozen, thaw them in a bowl of cold water.
Cube the sweet potatoes and place them in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add water to the pan until they are covered about 1 inch. Turn the cooktop to medium-high heat until the water is simmering. Reduce the heat so that it’s still simmering and let cook for 9-12 minutes.
While those are cooking…
Pat cod fillets dry with paper towel. Then arrange them on a baking dish lined with foil or a grill mat.
Melt 1/8 cup (half) of the butter, the lemon juice and zest in a microwave or on the cooktop, then brush it onto the fillets.
Sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder on the fillets, and place in the oven for 12-15 minutes depending on thickness. While those are cooking…
Place the kale in a medium to large skillet with 1 TBSP avocado oil on medium heat. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste, and stir to coat all the kale.
Place a lid on the skillet and let wilt down while finishing the other parts of the meal.
When the potatoes are tender, drain and return them to the pot. Mash, and add the remaining butter (1/4 cup) and cinnamon, to taste.
Remove the cod from the oven when done and let rest 5 minutes.
Remove the kale from heat once wilted.
Plate all and serve!

Notes

*Any fish is so much better when it’s fresh vs. frozen, but it can be really hard to find fresh fish in many areas. Frozen is fine, just add a few extra minutes to thaw it in a bowl of cold water before cooking.

*Buy the sweet potatoes already cubed.

*If you don’t mind the stems, buy kale already chopped.

**This recipe is featured in our Fall Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep Session!

📌PIN IT FOR LATER!

Mushroom Sage Turkey Burgers with Home Fries and Massaged Kale Salad

Although these mushroom sage turkey burgers can be eaten with a grain-free bun, they’re absolutely delicious on their own. This turkey burger with home fries and a massaged kale salad always feels like fall 🍂 to me!

This anti-inflammatory dinner recipe is chock-full of seasonal fall anti-inflammatory foods. Sage, mushrooms, potatoes, and kale are deliciously cozy and filling while the ground turkey gives healthy protein that’s leaner on fat.

**This recipe is featured in our Fall Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep Session!

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey
1 bunch sage
8 oz Button Mushrooms
Salt + Pepper
1/2 yellow Onion
Garlic powder
2 Russet potatoes (or other potato)
1 bunch Kale
2 TBSP Avocado oil

Prep + Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Using either a fry-cutter or a large knife, cut the potatoes into fries.
Spread them on a baking sheet lined with foil or a grill mat.
Drizzle the fries with 1 TBSP oil, then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Put in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden. (You can stir halfway through if you like.)
Finely chop the sage and add it to a large bowl.
Finely chop the onion and mushrooms (or chop them in a food processor). Place in the bowl with the sage. Add the ground turkey, and salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.
Mix the turkey mixture until all is incorporated. Pat into burgers.
Heat a skillet on medium (unless you’re grilling the burgers). Cook burgers until cooked through. Remove from skillet and let rest.
Cut the stems out of the kale leaves, and chop them into small-medium pieces.
Place the kale in a medium bowl. Drizzle with the remaining 1 TBSP avocado oil, then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Massage kale, while folding the oil and seasoning in until the entire bowl has softened and is coated with oil and seasoning.
Remove fries from the oven when done and plate.
Enjoy!

Notes + Make it easier

*Having to cut the fries is an extra step, but I do it because I have yet to find frozen pre-cut fries that weren’t loaded with inflammatory oils and other unnecessary (but inflammatory) ingredients.

*Although fries are typically made from white potatoes, colored potatoes have more polyphenols that snatch up free radicals. The skins have more nutrients as well. 🙂

*If you don’t have an onion, onion flakes will do for flavor, but since turkey can be a bit more dry than other fattier meats, the fresh onion really adds some moisture.

*If you don’t mind the stems being in it, you can buy kale already pre-chopped to save a little time.

Mushroom Sage Turkey Burgers with Home Fries and Massaged Kale Salad

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**This recipe is featured in our Fall Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep Session!

Author: Laura Brigance, MS, CHC

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 lb ground turkey
1 bunch sage
8 oz Button Mushrooms
Salt + Pepper
1/2 yellow Onion
Garlic powder
2 Russet potatoes (or other potato)
1 bunch Kale
2 TBSP Avocado oil

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Using either a fry-cutter or a large knife, cut the potatoes into fries.
Spread them on a baking sheet lined with foil or a grill mat.
Drizzle the fries with 1 TBSP oil, then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Put in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden. (You can stir halfway through if you like.)
Finely chop the sage and add it to a large bowl.
Finely chop the onion and mushrooms (or chop them in a food processor). Place in the bowl with the sage. Add the ground turkey, and salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.
Mix the turkey mixture until all is incorporated. Pat into burgers.
Heat a skillet on medium (unless you’re grilling the burgers). Cook burgers until cooked through. Remove from skillet and let rest.
Cut the stems out of the kale leaves, and chop them into small-medium pieces.
Place the kale in a medium bowl. Drizzle with the remaining 1 TBSP avocado oil, then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Massage kale, while folding the oil and seasoning in until the entire bowl has softened and is coated with oil and seasoning.
Remove fries from the oven when done and plate
Enjoy!

Notes

*Although fries are typically made from white potatoes, colored potatoes have more polyphenols that snatch up free radicals. The skins have more nutrients as well. 🙂

*If you don’t have an onion, onion flakes will do for flavor, but since turkey can be a bit more dry than other fattier meats, the fresh onion really adds some moisture.

*If you don’t mind the stems being in it, you can buy kale already pre-chopped to save a little time.

**This recipe is featured in our Fall Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep Session!

📌 PIN IT FOR LATER!

BBQ Chicken Baked Potato with Sage-Roasted Mushrooms and Brussels Sprouts

This sugar-free BBQ Chicken Baked Potato with Sage Roasted Mushrooms and Brussels Sprouts is absolutely delicious, easy, and anti-inflammatory!

I have to give props to my husband, who came up with this main recipe. He wanted something different and easy, so he decided on BBQ chicken (shredded) topped on a baked potato. It’s quick, super yummy, and the kids love it!

I added in these perfect fall sides to get our vegetables in: Sage-Roasted Mushrooms and Brussels Sprouts.

Although baked potatoes aren’t low-carb, they can still fit into an anti-inflammatory diet. They’re full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Plus when you cook them (like with meal prep), let them cool in the fridge, then reheat them for dinner, it increases the resistant starches (which are amazing for your gut health!)

**This recipe is featured in our Fall Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep Session!

Ingredients

Chicken breast
BBQ Sauce (sugar-free) –> Grab my favorite HERE
Shredded cheddar (can omit if dairy-free)
Butter (or avocado oil if dairy-free)
Potatoes
Sage
Mushrooms
Brussels Sprouts
Salt and Pepper
Garlic Powder

Prep + Instructions

Prep for this anti-inflammatory dinner is pretty simple.

Wrap the potatoes in foil, coated with oil, salt and pepper.
Bake at 350 F for one hour.
Place the chicken breast in a baking dish and salt + pepper it.
Chop the veggies and sage.
Place mushrooms on one end of a baking sheet that’s covered in foil (or a baking/grilling mat) and Brussels sprouts on the other end.
Drizzle with oil, then lightly salt, pepper, and garlic powder all the veggies.
Sprinkle sage all over the mushrooms.
Place the chicken on the top rack, veggies on the middle rack. Roast for approximately 25-35 minutes at 350 F.
Once the potatoes are done, let them cool on the counter while either shredding the chicken or cubing it. We shred it in the food processor and add the BBQ sauce right into it.
Assemble toppings onto potatoes, and serve the roasted fall vegetables on the side.

Make it easier

Buy shredded chicken from the deli (try your hardest for organic!)
Buy the mushrooms sliced
Buy the Brussels sprouts already sliced

BBQ Chicken Baked Potato with Sage-Roasted Mushrooms and Brussels Sprouts

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This sugar-free BBQ Chicken Baked Potato with Sage Roasted Mushrooms and Brussels Sprouts is absolutely delicious, easy, and anti-inflammatory!

**This recipe is featured in our Fall Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep Session!

Author: Laura Brigance, MS, CHC
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Oven

Ingredients

Units Scale

Chicken

1 lb chicken breast
BBQ Sauce (sugar -free)

Baked Potatoes

1/2 cup Shredded cheddar (omit if dairy free)
4 tsp Butter (sub avocado oil if dairy free)
4 Russet potatoes (medium)

Sage Roasted Mushrooms

Mushrooms
1 bunch of sage

Brussels Sprouts

1 bag of Brussels Sprouts
Salt + Pepper
Garlic powder

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Instructions

1. Wrap the potatoes in foil, coated with oil, salt and pepper.
2. Bake at 350 F for one hour.
3. Place the chicken breast in a baking dish and salt + pepper it.
4. Chop the veggies and sage.
5. Place mushrooms on one end of a baking sheet that’s covered in foil (or a baking/grilling mat) and Brussels sprouts on the other end.
6. Drizzle with oil, then lightly salt, pepper, and garlic powder all the veggies.
7. Sprinkle sage all over the mushrooms.
8. Place the chicken on the top rack, veggies on the middle rack. Roast for approximately 25-35 minutes at 350 F.
9. Once the potatoes are done, let them cool on the counter while either shredding the chicken or cubing it. We shred it in the food processor and add the BBQ sauce right into it.
10. Assemble toppings onto potatoes, and serve the roasted fall vegetables on the side.

Notes

Make it easier:

- Buy shredded chicken from the deli (try your hardest for organic!)
- Buy the mushrooms sliced
- Buy the Brussels sprouts already sliced

**This recipe is featured in our Fall Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep Session!

Keywords: BBQ chicken, anti inflammatory dinner, bbq chicken baked potato

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Chicken Sausage with Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower

When it comes to easy anti-inflammatory dinners, this Chicken Sausage with Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower couldn’t be easier.

Chicken sausage is one of my favorite ways to eat chicken because it’s a little different than our same ole’, same ole’ chicken, and you can find it with delicious add-ins like feta and sundried tomato.

Broccoli and cauliflower are cold-weather staples, but an important part of an anti-inflammatory diet for their phytochemicals.

This entire meal is super simple and low carb, which is important for keeping blood sugar under control, thereby controlling chronic inflammation.

This recipe is also a snap to meal prep! 😉

**This recipe is featured in our Fall Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep Session!

Ingredients

1 pack of chicken sausage
1 head of broccoli
1 head of cauliflower
1/2 red onion
avocado or olive oil
salt + pepper
garlic powder

Prep + Instructions

This meal is so simple because the ingredients are very straightforward, with no complex prep or cooking.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Chop florets from broccoli and cauliflower, as well as the onion.
Place them on a sheet pan lined with foil or a grill mat.
Drizzle oil, then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Place broccoli and cauliflower pan into the oven for 25-30 minutes.
Cut the chicken sausage links into bite-sized pieces.
In a skillet, heat the sausage until warm and golden.
Remove the skillet from heat; plate the chicken sausage.
Remove the broccoli and cauliflower from the oven when done; plate with the chicken sausage.
Enjoy!

Notes + Make it easier

*Most chicken sausage is already pre-cooked, you need only heat it up. But CONFIRM this, as the sausage will need to cook much longer to ensure it’s fully cooked if it doesn’t specify ‘precooked’ or ‘fully cooked’ on the label.

*Save time by buying broccoli and cauliflower pre-chopped.

*If you’ve prepped/roasted the broccoli and cauliflower ahead of time, reheat it in the microwave while warming the chicken sausage in a skillet.

Chicken Sausage with Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower

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This entire meal is super simple and low carb, which is important for keeping blood sugar under control, thereby controlling chronic inflammation.

**This recipe is featured in our Fall Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep Session!

Author: Laura Brigance, MS, CHC
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
Total Time: 0 hours
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Oven + Cooktop

Ingredients

Scale

1 pack of chicken sausage
1 head of broccoli
1 head of cauliflower
1/2 red onion
avocado or olive oil
salt + pepper
garlic powder

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Chop florets from broccoli and cauliflower, as well as the onion.
Place them on a sheet pan lined with foil or a grill mat.
Drizzle oil, then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Place broccoli and cauliflower pan into the oven for 25-30 minutes.
Cut the chicken sausage links into bite-sized pieces.
In a skillet, heat the sausage until warm and golden.
Remove the skillet from heat; plate the chicken sausage.
Remove the broccoli and cauliflower from the oven when done; plate with the chicken sausage.
Enjoy!

Notes

*Most chicken sausage is already precooked, you need only heat it up. But CONFIRM this, as the sausage will need to cook much longer to ensure it’s fully cooked if it doesn’t specify ‘precooked’ or ‘fully cooked’ on the label.

*Save time by buying the broccoli and cauliflower pre-chopped.

*If you’ve prepped/roasted the broccoli and cauliflower ahead of time, reheat it in the microwave while warming the chicken sausage in a skillet.

**This recipe is featured in our Fall Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep Session!

Keywords: chicken sausage

📌PIN IT FOR LATER!

Cozy Keto Pumpkin Muffins

When it’s fall (ya’ll) 😆 everybody goes bonkers for pumpkin spice, and these keto pumpkin muffins, which are anti-inflammatory, gluten-free, and sugar-free, should definitely be in your saved + often-used recipe collection.

And I get it–it’s (hopefully where you live) starting to cool down for fall, and that crisp snuggly feeling should be crankin’ up!

The only thing is… when we think of ‘cozy’ things, it usually veers in dramatically different directions: Either heavier soups and stews (savory), or warm, sweet breads (sweets direction).

Lucky for you, I’ve got the sweet covered with a fiber-filled, pumpkin-spice loaded muffin that is sugar-free, and also has the added benefit of being a great after-dinner snack (if you add on the pumpkin seeds–they contain melatonin. 😉)

Check out seasonal anti-inflammatory foods for fall HERE.

Now, I know some of us like stevia, some prefer erythritol, some like monk-fruit, and on and on. So I put 2 options in the directions to accommodate for either choice, because that one option will determine baking time.

So warm up some unsweetened coconut (or almond) milk and enjoy! 🍂

Cozy Keto Pumpkin Muffins

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These cozy keto pumpkin muffins are anti-inflammatory, gluten-free, will satisfy your sweet tooth and can even help with sleep!

Author: Laura @ TRUEWELL
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 27 minutes
Total Time: 42 minutes
Yield: 6 muffins 1x
Category: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Ingredients

Units Scale

4 eggs (large)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree, canned
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 TBSP coconut oil (melted)
1 tsp stevia liquid (OR 1/3 cup erythritol (Swerve brand works great))
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice mix
1/4 tsp salt
6 TBSP coconut flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup pepitas, for topping (optional)

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F + prepare pan. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line your muffin tin with liners (paper tend to stick unless you spray with oil).
Mix wet ingredients + spices. Whisk together eggs, pumpkin, vanilla, stevia (or erythritol), coconut oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium-sized bowl.
Mix dry ingredients. In a small bowl, mix together the coconut flour, salt, and baking powder. Then whisk into the pumpkin batter.
Pour batter into muffin papers. Evenly divide the mixture in the 6-muffin tin cups.
Bake based on type of sweetener used. Bake 22-25 minutes (using stevia as the sweetener), or (27-29 minutes using erythritol as the sweetener).
Test if done. Muffins are ready when a toothpick comes out clean.
Remove, cool + enjoy! Pop muffins onto a towel or cooling rack, and let them cool completely for optimal fluffy texture.

Nutrition

Calories: 156

Keywords: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, Sugar-Free

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad with Ground Turkey

Even though brussels sprouts alone are one of my all-time faves for veggies (which is saying something since we never had them growing up!), merging a basic roasted brussels sprouts recipe with the added protein of ground turkey, a spicy crunch of sliced radishes, and topping it off with a caesar flair is an amazingly simple and downright delicious upgrade!

Ingredients

Ground turkey

Ground turkey is a perfect way to add in lean protein. It can also be a great way to reduce the consumption of red meat as a substitute. Just keep in mind that the lower fat content means it will be a bit more dry.

Brussels sprouts

Part of the cruciferous family, Brussels sprouts contain compounds that help protect against cancer, as well as phytochemicals that help reduce inflammation. They’re also packed with fiber and super simple to cook.

Radishes

Radishes are low in calories, but full of antioxidants and fiber. They’re a great way to pack in more nutrients and have the versatility of being eaten raw or cooked.

Pumpkin seeds

Packing in more protein than nuts, pumpkin seeds also contain fiber and are full of minerals like manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium.

Garlic

Garlic is one of my favorite ingredients to use in the fall and winter. This is because it’s cold and flu (and COVID) season, and garlic helps boost the immune system.

It’s also been shown to reduce high blood pressure, pull down chronic inflammation, reduce cholesterol levels, and even help prevent cancer. It also has antibiotic properties, so I’d say this is an amazing staple to use all fall and winter long!

Dijon mustard

Dijon mustard (and yellow) are my favorite condiment to use in an anti-inflammatory diet. This is because they’re sugar-free, low-calorie, and give an amazing boost of acidic flavor.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl, toss brussels sprouts with a splash of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss well and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil.
Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Brown the ground turkey.
Add olive oil, lemon juice mustard, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste into a blender. Blend until creamy.
Once brussels sprouts are finished cooking, remove from oven and let cool a few minutes.
Then place brussels sprouts, turkey, and radish into large mixing bowl. Add dressing and toss well.

Notes

*Save time by buying the Brussels sprouts already halved.

*This is a great meal prep meal! Just store the dijon separately from the rest and reheat and toss before eating.

*Add in even more fiber and bulk by plating this on top of a bed of romaine leaves.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad with Ground Turkey

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This delicious anti-inflammatory twist on a Caesar salad merges roasted Brussels sprouts + ground turkey and a spicy crunch of radishes.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 1x
Category: Main Course
Method: Oven + Cooktop

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 lb ground turkey (extra lean )
5 cups brussels sprouts (halved)
1/2 cup radishes (sliced)
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup lemon juice (or 1/2 lemon)
2 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt/pepper (to taste)

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl, toss brussels sprouts with a splash of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss well and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil.
Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Brown the ground turkey.
Add olive oil, lemon juice mustard, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste into a blender. Blend until creamy.
Once brussels sprouts are finished cooking, remove from oven and let cool a few minutes.
Then place brussels sprouts, turkey, and radish into large mixing bowl. Add dressing and toss well.

Notes

*Save time by buying the Brussels sprouts already halved.

*This is a great meal prep meal! Just store the dijon separately from the rest and reheat and toss before eating.

*Add in even more fiber and bulk by plating this on top of a bed of romaine leaves.

Keywords: anti-inflammatory, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, nightshade-free, Sugar-Free

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix Recipe

If you’re all in on the anti-inflammatory diet, and it’s finally fall, then Pumpkin Spice Mix definitely needs to be one of your pantry staples.

Not only is it delicious, but it’s also made of super anti-inflammatory ingredients.

So, what happens regularly around our house is that I’m looking for my spice mix, and…. It’s been all used up by my kids, and they also conveniently forget to tell me we’re out of it.

So I started keeping spice mix recipes so I can make my own any time that happens.

Here’s how to make your own pumpkin spice mix to keep in your pantry.

Our ingredients are :

Ground cinnamon
Ground ginger
Ground nutmeg
Ground cloves
Ground allspice
And our last surprise ingredient is a pinch of ground black pepper.

The reason I love adding in ground black pepper is that all the other spices already have mega anti-inflammatory properties, but black pepper has a compound in it that boosts absorption of the nutrients in the other ingredients.

Now when I’m making spice mixes, I like to just use a measuring cup that has a spout like this one so I can pour it into the container without a funnel.

So I add all the spices into the measuring cup, no special order, then stir really well. You want to make sure to get everything mixed really really well, then pour into your storage container.

This spice mix is perfect in any recipe that calls for pumpkin pie spice mix, like pumpkin smoothies, pumpkin seed granola, pumpkin muffins, and even pumpkin pie.

Anti-Inflammatory Recipes I use this Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice mix in:

Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte

THE Fall Pumpkin Spice Superfood Smoothie

Cozy Keto Pumpkin Muffins

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe

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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 4 1x
Category: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Ingredients

Scale

3 TBSP ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground black pepper (a pinch)

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Instructions

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Make sure to mix thoroughly.
Pour into storage container.
Use in any recipe that calls for 'pumpkin pie spice mix'.
Store indefinitely in a cool, dark pantry.

Keywords: anti-inflammatory, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, nightshade-free, Sugar-Free, Vegan

And if you really love anti-inflammatory seasonal fall recipes, check out my Fall Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep session where I prepped 4+ anti-inflammatory meals for the week in about an hour! 👇

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED FOR FALL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY MEAL PREP! Let’s go! >>>

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THE Fall Pumpkin Spice Superfood Smoothie

Your New Go-To Fall Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie

There’s nothing better than that break in heat from the summer and smelling fall 🍂 in the air, and when it comes to easy, yummy, FAST meals, you can’t beat a smoothie— And if you love pumpkin spice as much as I do, you’re gonna love this!

So this fall-inspired, Anti Inflammatory Pumpkin Spice Smoothie (that is a mouthful!)—is packed with anti-inflammatory goodness like pumpkin, avocado, spinach, and ginger, and I have a feeling it’s gonna become your GO TO smoothie for fall from now on.

Now, as much as I’d like this to be a gorgeous pumpkin color, as with all smoothies that have greens added…it’s green. But this absolutely doesn’t detract from it’s yumminess–pinky promise.

And here’s how you make it:

Step 1: Gather your ingredients

This smoothie is made with pumpkin, banana, avocado, spinach, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, nondairy milk, egg white powder, and keto maple syrup.

Want the free printable PDF guide to learn how to Fall Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep for crazy busy fall weeks? Grab the free GUIDE and get a limited-time discount on the FALL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY MEAL PLAN KIT! 👇👇👇

Step 2: Put them all in the blender

Honestly this is why smoothies are so darn easy. You just put them all in the blender at once.

The one caveat for this smoothie (I’d suggest) is to hold off on the egg white powder until everything else is nice and smooth, because it can make it thicker.)

A high-powered blender is always recommended, like this Ninja, or if you want to spend more, the Vitamix is a favorite for a higher price tag.

(Some links may be affiliate links, meaning if you click on and then purchase, I’ll get a portion of the proceeds, at no additional charge to you.) 🙂

Step 3: Assess thickness

If your smoothie is having a hard time blending, you may need to add a little more liquid to it. If it gets too thick it can’t run back down to the bottom where the blades are doing their thang.

Step 4: Assess sweetness

I always like to do a little taste-test and just make sure the sweetness is where I like it. If it needs more, I add a tiny bit at a time. If there’s no sweetener in the recipe, I add a natural zero calorie sweetener like liquid stevia, monk fruit, or erythritol.

Step 5: Pour it up + enjoy!

In all honesty, sometimes smoothies make way more than I can handle in one sitting. So if it’s a bit too much, just store it in the fridge for up to a day.

Love fall anti-inflammatory recipes? Check out my Fall Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep Session where I prep for 4+ meals in about an hour! CLICK HERE to read!

And here’s the printable recipe:

The Pumpkin-Spice Superfood Smoothie: Your New GO TO Fall Smoothie

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An anti-inflammatory green smoothie made with fall superfoods.

Author: Laura @ TRUEWELL
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 1x
Category: Breakfast, Snack
Method: Blender

Ingredients

Units Scale

1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 banana (frozen)
1/2 avocado
2 cups baby spinach (fresh)
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 piece ginger (fresh, grated)
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (unsweetened)
1/4 cup keto maple syrup (I used Lakanto brand)
2 TBSP egg white powder (or plant-based plain protein powder)

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Instructions

Place all ingredients into a high-powered blender.
Blend until smooth.
If too thick, add a few TBSP of water at a time, or 4-5 ice cubes.
Taste test to determine if sweet enough.
Pour into a large glass and enjoy!

Notes

Per serving:

Fat- 9g

Carbs-40g

Fiber-7g

Protein-12g

Nutrition

Calories: 267

Keywords: anti-inflammatory, Gluten-Free, nightshade-free, Sugar-Free, Vegan

Want the free printable PDF guide to learn how to do Fall Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep for crazy busy fall weeks? Grab the free GUIDE and get a limited-time discount on the FALL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY MEAL PLAN KIT! 👇👇👇

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Turmeric Ginger Butternut Squash Soup

When it comes to Anti-Inflammatory soups, this Turmeric Ginger Butternut Squash one is 💯! Packed with anti-inflammatory ingredients and vegan (unless you want to add some shredded chicken!), this will warm you right up in those cold fall and winter months and keep you cozy!

Ingredients

Butternut squash

This fall and winter squash has a creamy texture when pureed, and is packed full of phytochemicals. They can be a little intimidating to cook the first time, but once you’ve done it, you’ll see it’s no problem.

Baby Spinach

Baby greens like this are amazing ways to get in your calcium, folate, iron, and other minerals and vitamins. Also, since it’s cooked in this butternut squash soup, you’ll absorb more calcium and iron.

Turmeric and Ginger

Both of these ingredients are well known for their anti-inflammatory properties.

Lentils

Lentils are a staple of the Mediterranean diet, and I love the use of them in this recipe because they add some plant-based protein and fiber. This helps prevent blood sugar spikes, which also helps stave off chronic inflammation.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 F, cut butternut squash in half and lay it facing downward on a pan covered in foil. Cook for 40 minutes.
In a large pot, drizzle oil and add onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook until the onions are clear, stirring often.
Pour in the milk, broth, and lentils, and stir. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until lentils are cooked through.
When the squash is finished cooking, remove from oven, spoon out and discard seeds. Then scoop out the flesh and place in a high-powered blender.
Add half of the soup mixture into blender and puree until smooth. Pour back into the soup pot.
Stir in the baby spinach and simmer until the spinach is wilted.
Divide into bowls, serve, and enjoy!

Notes

*Save some time by buying butternut squash already cubed and steaming it to get it soft enough to puree.

*Kale can be subbed in for the baby spinach.

*If you like your soup to feel ‘chunkier’, cook the lentils and add them AFTER you puree the other ingredients. This may also help to have an even lower blood sugar response.

Turmeric Ginger Butternut Squash Soup

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This delicious and cozy anti-inflammatory soup really should be a staple in your household in the fall and winter months. Chock full of anti-inflammatory ingredients, this butternut squash soup will also give you an injection of vitamins and minerals.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 4 1x
Category: Main Course

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 1/2 TBSP avocado oil (or virgin coconut oil (unrefined))
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 TBSP ginger (fresh, grated)
1 yellow onion (chopped)
1 butternut squash (or 5 cups (for 4 servings))
1 tsp turmeric (dried)
1 3/4 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
4 cups vegetable broth (low sodium)
1 cup green lentils (dry, rinsed)
3 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 F, cut butternut squash in half and lay it facing downward on a pan covered in foil. Cook for 40 minutes.
In a large pot, drizzle oil and add onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook until the onions are clear, stirring often.
Pour in the milk, broth, and lentils, and stir. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until lentils are cooked through.
When the squash is finished cooking, remove from oven, spoon out and discard seeds. Then scoop out the flesh and place in a high-powered blender.
Add half of the soup mixture into blender and puree until smooth. Pour back into the soup pot.
Stir in the baby spinach and simmer until the spinach is wilted.
Divide into bowls, serve, and enjoy!

Notes

*Save some time by buying butternut squash already cubed and steaming it to get it soft enough to puree.

*Kale can be subbed in for the baby spinach.

*If you like your soup to feel ‘chunkier’, cook the lentils and add them AFTER you puree the other ingredients. This may also help to have an even lower blood sugar response.

Keywords: anti-inflammatory, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, nightshade-free, Sugar-Free, Vegan

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12 Fall Foods that Reduce Inflammation in the Body

For many people with chronic inflammatory conditions, the break in heat from the summer is one of the happiest days of the year. I love that nature welcomes the season with pom poms of amber, tangerine, and leather hues.

And what I also love is that there’s still a hefty amount of fall produce that are amazing sources of anti-oxidants with anti-inflammatory superpowers.

There really is no shortage of sources of superfoods for those of us following an anti-inflammatory diet.

So even though we’ve passed the seasonal truckloads of summer produce, there are still PLENTY of anti-inflammatory fall foods to help nourish and heal by reducing inflammation in the body as well as providing vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols.

There are three main anti-inflammatory foods categories I want to highlight:

Veg and Fruits,
Herbs,
and Spices.

Here are my favorites.

Veg and Fruits

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Leafy Greens

Even though leafy greens start their appearance in the summer, fall leafy greens follow with even more flavor!

Greens like kale, arugula, collard greens, and swiss chard are packed full of vitamins and antioxidants. And they’re versatile enough that many can be eaten raw, cooked, as a stand-alone side, or even as a soup or casserole component.

Pumpkins

Arguably the most popular fall vegetable, pumpkins provide an amazing source of Vitamin A (the color gives you that hint on beta carotene), balanced polyunsaturated fats, Vitamins C and E, and several other essential minerals.

They’re also packed with fiber and healthy carbs, and can be stored for a long period of time (in a dry pantry or frozen) without going bad.

Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is also packed with Vitamin A, but it’s also an amazing source of Vitamin C as well. Compared to pumpkins, it’s more dense in energy, meaning: per serving it contains more calories, carbs, and fiber.

What I love about butternut squash is that it’s flavor makes more amazing soups. But it’s versatile enough to serve in cubes as a side dish (or in a casserole), or as a substitute for potatoes if you’re looking for a lower carb alternative.

HAVE A DINNER PLAN IN PLACE FOR CRAZY WEEKS WITH *NO* MEAL PLAN, BUT ALL THE FALL PRODUCE WITH THE (free!) FALL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY MEAL PREP GUIDE! 👇

Sweet Potatoes and White Potatoes

Sweet potatoes also have a ton of Vitamin A. But aside from that, their nutritional value is nearly the same as white potatoes. And even though white potatoes have more carbs, this occurs as starches versus the sugar content in sweet potatoes, which is something to consider if you’re watching your blood sugar levels.

Either are great options for soups or even just sliced and baked as healthier fries.

Beets

Apples

Ahhh…the quintessential fruit for fall! Apples peak season is September, so take advantage of this amazing time of year to get super fresh apples! The best way to eat them is raw, as fresh as possible, and with the skin on.

Not only do apples give tons of fiber, the skin contains quercetin, which is amazing for those with allergies, and it also reduces inflammation.

Herbs

Herbs are one of the most overlooked nutrition powerhouses in the plant family. They pack so much punch for such a little plant. But they’re also SO EASY to add in to any dish for extra flavor.

Here are my favorite anti-inflammatory herbs for fall.

Sage

Rosemary

Thyme

Fall Spices

Although spices can generally be used year-round, the warmth of the following three are perfect for the cooling weather.

Ginger

Cinnamon

Pumpkin pie spice

Honestly my favorite spice for fall is a combination of several spices: Pumpkin pie spice. This mixture obviously enhances pumpkin flavor, but can be used in a variety of recipes in fall and winter.

The components of pumpkin pie spice include cinnamon and ginger, which we already covered. The other ingredients are nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and black pepper.

What’s so great about the blend in pumpkin pie spice is that all the ingredients have powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds just like the other spices mentioned.

Let me know in the comments: What’s YOUR favorite anti-inflammatory fall food or recipe?

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Quick and Easy Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep for Fall

https://youtu.be/_7J-Bq8GoGU

Anti-inflammatory recipes are a great addition to a healthy eating pattern as they can help manage, prevent or reverse the effects of inflammation in the body.

Ingredients like dark leafy greens, beets and cauliflower are packed with anti-inflammatory properties which can help reduce chronic pain and prevent age-related illnesses.

Eating anti-inflammatory foods doesn’t have to be bland or boring either, as there are plenty of fresh and healthy recipes to choose from that cater to different dietary needs. Incorporating these recipes into your meal prep routine can help balance your blood sugar and reduce chronic inflammation.

What is an anti-inflammatory diet?

An anti-inflammatory diet focuses on consuming foods that have anti-inflammatory properties, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

It aims to reduce chronic inflammation in the body, which can help prevent chronic diseases and promote overall health and well-being.

What are the benefits of anti-inflammatory meal prep?

No matter the season, your life is probably super busy. We have 4 kids (3 at home), and regardless of whether school is in or it’s summer or even winter break, things are always sorta chaotic.

So this method has actually been a lifesaver for us so that on weeks where I don’t even have the brainpower to put a meal plan together, this is our lifeline.

We have a backup.

No thinking about it all day, no scrambling at the last minute, and definitely no ultra-processed, inflammatory, and overpriced drive-thru or takeout.

So I’m gonna show you how to meal prep with fall anti-inflammatory foods (meaning: in season for fall in the US).

I’m also linking the example meals that we made for the week with all of the produce that we got.

And if you scroll a bit, you can get the GUIDE that shows you the details for all of this so you can keep it on hand for ANY time you have weeks like this.

PS- when you grab the guide you get a mega discount on our Fall Anti-Inflammatory Meal Planning Kit, which is 4 weeks of sugar-free, gluten-free, anti-inflammatory recipes, meal plans, and prep guides including:

Dinners
Lunches
Breakfasts and Snacks
Smoothies
Desserts
And even Fall-Inspired m/cocktails!

Step 1: Choose your produce

So for anti-inflammatory meal prep, you start out by simply choosing a bunch of SEASONAL produce.

Our shopping order for this meal prep session I got:

broccoli,
brussels sprouts,
kale (can be already chopped up in a bag),
mushrooms, you can choose any kind,
sweet potatoes,
regular potatoes,
an onion,
sage,
and cauliflower.

And all of this was just random stuff that I know my family will eat and that gave us a pretty good variety for meals this week.

Step 2: Prep your workspace

And after washing all the produce, I pre-heated both ovens for 350 degrees F.

The tools you’ll need for your meal prep session are a large cutting board, good knives, and roasting pans- probably with a lip, and something to line it with so stuff doesn’t stick.

Now I use something I found by accident with is a BBQ grilling mat—I love these because I can cut them to fit perfectly in my pan and NOTHING sticks to them—they come in a pack all rolled up in a box.

(Some links may be affiliate links, meaning if you click on and then purchase, I’ll get a portion of the proceeds, at no additional charge to you.) 🙂

Step 3: Get your base seasoning out

So our base seasoning includes avodado oil to drizzle on, I use this to cook with because it has a high smoke point. Or you can use something like this Misto spray can where you put the oil in, pump air in to build pressure, and spray it on.

Then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and it’s ready to go in the oven.

Step 4: Prep foods that cook the longest first

So, even though I didn’t have full meals planned out when I got all this produce, I had a loose plan for a few things. So I knew I’d want to do baked potatoes one night, so since they take an hour to bake you’ll want to do these first if you’re doing baked potatoes one night.

And for baked potatoes, you just coat each one individually with oil, salt it, wrap it in foil, and then punch some holes with a fork.

Once I’ve got those all set and into the oven for one hour, I get to work chopping everything else.

Step 5: Prep all other foods that cook the same length of time

Broccoli and cauliflower

I started out with broccoli, and just basically cut all the florets off—and if you don’t like to chop you can always buy the bags where it’s pre-chopped. It does save time, but may cost a little more.

Once these were all cut up, I put them all on the pan on one end, because I put the cauliflower on the other end.

Then I started with the cauliflower and removed that large base then cut those into florets as well, breaking some of them apart. And you can also buy these prechopped if you don’t like cutting them up- it does save a lot of time and mess.

Then I placed all those on the second half of the pan where the broccoli was. I cook these on the same pan because cook at right about the same rate.

And then I wanted a bit more flavor than just our base seasoning, so I chopped an onion into chunks and just spread it out evenly on the pan.

Brussels sprouts

Next I prepped brussels sprouts, and the easiest way to do these is chop off the end piece slice them in half and lay them face down on the pan.

I arranged mine with a hole in the middle for all the loose little leaves because they get extra crispy and are a super yummy snack!

Then drizzle or spray with oil, then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.—and they’re ready to go!

Mushrooms.

I decided to split the mushrooms and do half chopped pretty small and the other half roasted.

I chopped one half because I like to mix them in with ground meat to give it bulk and really boost the vitamin content-and my kids can never tell! I don’t precook those, so I just put them in a baggie to store in the fridge until the night I needed them.

The other half I just spread out on the pan, and I had a pack of sage I grabbed at the store as well—this is such a fragrant and nutrition-packed herb, and perfect for colder weather.

So I just chopped some of it, sprinkled it on the mushrooms, then added our oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and it’s ready to go.

Sweet potatoes

I roughly chopped the sweet potatoes because I had loosely planned mashed sweet potates with cinnamon- my kids love those- and the rest I planned to use in my lunches during the week.

But that meant that all of them needed to be chopped.

Regular potatoes

Then I started on the rest of the regular potatoes I had. So for the ones I wasn’t using for a whole baked potato, we like to sometimes do homemade fries and this tool makes it super easy.

It’s a fry cutter and has this grid blade inside to cut the potato in perfectly squared fries.

So how it works is that you take the lid off, place the potato wedge on top of that grid, then put the lid on and push it down to force the potato through the grid. And you have perfectly shaped fries.

So I repeated this process until I got all the rest of the potatoes cut, then put them with the sweet potatoes on a pan, because they cook at about the same rate. I got them all seasoned and ready for the oven.

Step 6: Put all prepped veggies into the oven

All of the veggies go into the oven at that 350 degrees F for 30 minutes- just keep an eye out and take out anything that’s cooking a little too much.

Step 7: Any veg that won’t be pre-cooked

And the last thing I prepped was kale. Since this came in a bag, I picked out any bad pieces since it was already chopped, and planned to wilt some one night for dinner, and then would have a massaged kale salad one night as well.

So once all the bad pieces were picked out I just stored it in a Ziploc in the fridge.

Step 8: Remove veggies from oven

And when they’re done, just take all the pans out, and let them cool…

Step 9: Store prepped veggies

Then start putting them into your storage containers.

I do recommend putting them in separate containers because some veggies do have a higher water content and a lot of times they get a little bit mushy in there and you don’t want that water running into the other vegetables.

And then you’ve got all your veggies prepped for the week! You can store all of these AND your baked potatoes in the fridge until the night you need them.

4+ Meals with pre-prepped fall anti-inflammatory vegetables

The meals we cooked with our freestyle meal prep session were:

Chicken sausage with the broccoli and cauliflower,

Baked potato with shredded chicken, sugar-free bbq sauce, mushrooms, and brussels sprouts,

Turkey burgers that had the chopped mushrooms with sage built into it, and those homemade fries with Dijon mustard for dipping, and a massaged kale salad, AND

Lemony baked cod with wilted kale and mashed sweet potatoes with cinnamon.

And there ya go! That’s how to do Fall Anti-Inflammatory Meal prep!

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