30 Anti-Inflammatory Dinners That Are High in Protein (2024)

Chronic inflammation can drag you down, from upsetting your stomach to making it hard to sleep. The good news is that you can help tamp down inflammation by enjoying lots of healthy fats, fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes. These dinners, which boast at least 15 grams of protein per serving, are low in calories and packed with good-for-you ingredients. Lean on dinners like our Cheesy Spinach-Zucchini Lasagna and Red Lentil Soup with Saffron when you need a delicious, satisfying meal at the end of the day.

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Frittata with Asparagus, Leek & Ricotta

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30 Anti-Inflammatory Dinners That Are High in Protein (1)

Serve this spring-vegetable-loaded frittata with an arugula salad and a hunk of crusty bread. Tip: This recipe cooks quickly, so be sure to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go.

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Cheesy Spinach-Zucchini Lasagna

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Thanks to jarred marinara sauce and oven-ready lasagna noodles, this labor-of-love kind of meal can be ready in about an hour.

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Gochujang-Glazed Salmon with Garlic Spinach

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Gochujang, a Korean red chile paste, and honey give this salmon a little bit of sweetness and a whole lot of spice.

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Chickpea Pasta with Mushrooms & Kale

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Loading up your pasta with vegetables like the kale and mushrooms here is not only delicious, it also makes the meal more satisfying.

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Red Lentil Soup with Saffron

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This hearty red lentil soup uses spices common in Persian cuisine: turmeric, cumin and saffron. Enjoy it with a warm baguette or steamed rice.

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Honey-Garlic Chicken Thighs with Carrots & Broccoli

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In this easy and healthy dinner recipe, sweet and savory baked honey-garlic chicken thighs come with a side of veggies that cook on the same sheet pan as the chicken. The honey-soy-garlic marinade for the chicken does double duty as an irresistible sauce to drizzle over everything. Lining your baking sheet with foil will protect your pan from the sticky honey-soy-garlic sauce, so cleanup will be a breeze too. If you can't find small carrots, cut medium carrots in half lengthwise.

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Smothered Black Soybean Burgers

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These flavor-packed burgers get tang from kimchi, umami from soy or fish sauce and heat from gochugaru. Topped with caramelized onions and slaw, they're super-satisfying.

Cheesy Marinara Beans

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This ooey-gooey dish has baked-pasta vibes but features protein-packed beans instead of noodles. Look for dried corona beans, a larger, creamy white bean, at natural-foods stores or online. Cannellini are a good substitute. Serve with a green salad and toasted baguette.

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Roasted Tofu & Broccoli with Peanut-Curry Sauce

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Pressing the tofu before roasting rids it of some excess moisture for crispy results. If you have the time, let it sit for more than 10 minutes—the longer it's pressed, the better!

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Lemony Shrimp, Kale & Potato Salad

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Hearty kale and potatoes put a seasonal spin on a Greek-style salad featuring feta, olives and cherry tomatoes. Russet potatoes absorb flavor like a sponge, making them a great choice for salads with flavorful vinaigrettes like this one.

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Avocado Tuna Spinach Salad

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Avocado adds creaminess while sunflower seeds provide texture and crunch in this easy tuna-spinach salad.

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Wild Rice Waffles with Chicken Tenders

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Because these waffles reheat so well, you can skip feeling like a short-order cook—slinging them out one at a time—and prep them all ahead. Paired with chicken tenders you bread in advance and a sweet-and-spicy maple butter, you have a winning brunch, with minimal fuss.

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Chickpea & Beef Burgers with Whipped Feta

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Chickpeas add fiber to this blended burger, but the real joy here is the light and fluffy feta sauce that tops the whole shebang.

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Salmon Caesar Salad

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This easy Caesar salad subs creamy Greek yogurt and buttermilk for the traditional egg yolks and olive oil and mixes in mildly bitter radicchio in addition to classic romaine. Using just a small amount of flavorful Parmigiano-Reggiano shaves calories and sodium too.

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Sweet Potato, Kale & Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

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These hearty kale salads hold up well for 4 days, making them perfect for meal-prep lunches. To keep the ingredients from getting soggy, dress this salad and top it with peanuts just before serving. For a delicious vegan option, swap in roasted tofu for the chicken breast (see Associated Recipes).

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Baked Halibut with Brussels Sprouts & Quinoa

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Fish plus two sides? It seems fancy but this healthy dinner comes together in just 30 minutes.

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Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Chili

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Sweet potatoes pair wonderfully with this simple chili recipe. Add one more chipotle pepper if you want to spice up this healthy sweet potato recipe.

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Turkey, Pesto & Broccoli Pasta

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This easy pasta recipe is a weeknight dinner lifesaver. While shelf-stable pesto will work here, we prefer the fresh flavor and more vibrant color of refrigerated pesto. Look for it in the refrigerated section of your supermarket, near the fresh pasta and marinara sauce.

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Chicken Parmesan & Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

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Chicken Parm gets a fun low-carb and gluten-free twist with these cheesy stuffed peppers with chicken and quinoa. Serve with a salad for a healthy dinner that's easy to prep too.

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Crispy Lemon-Garlic Chicken Thighs with Roasted Potatoes & Carrots

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Panko breadcrumbs make this healthy lemon-garlic chicken super-crispy on the outside, while a bit of mayonnaise amps up the juiciness of the thighs. And everything--including fingerling potatoes and carrots--cooks on one sheet pan, so this healthy dinner is super-easy to prep and clean up after too. You can swap out the potatoes and carrots for other vegetables, such as broccoli and parsnips, but just be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

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Lemon-Garlic Pasta with Salmon

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Wondering what to do with leftover salmon? This is a delicious and easy way to turn it into another weeknight-friendly, quick dinner. Don't forget to reserve some pasta water--its starch thickens the lemon-garlic pasta sauce and makes it silky-smooth.

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Spinach & Artichoke Dip Pasta

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If you've ever wanted to make a meal out of warm spinach and artichoke dip, this creamy pasta is for you. And here's what's almost as good as the flavor of this comforting dish: the fact that this healthy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare.

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Salt & Vinegar Sheet-Pan Chicken & Brussels Sprouts

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A strong vinegar, like malt or sherry, gives this baked chicken recipe a pucker factor reminiscent of salt-and-vinegar chips. Everything cooks on one pan, making this chicken sheet-pan dinner perfect for weeknights when you want big results for little effort (so, pretty much every weeknight!).

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BBQ Shrimp with Garlicky Kale & Parmesan-Herb Couscous

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In the U.S., dry whole-wheat couscous has been partially cooked, making it a quick-cooking (5 minutes!) whole-grain weeknight dinner champ. And when you buy peeled shrimp, plus a bag of prechopped kale and bottled barbecue sauce, the savings in prep time helps to get this healthy dinner done in a jiff.

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California Turkey Burgers & Baked Sweet Potato Fries

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Inspired by an option at the West Coast chain In-N-Out Burger, this turkey burger recipe keeps the carbs in check with a lettuce wrap instead of a bun. The side of sweet potato fries bakes while you prep the burgers, so this entire healthy dinner is ready in under 30 minutes.

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Kale, Sausage & Pepper Pasta

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This healthy sausage and kale pasta recipe cooks in one skillet, so there's only one pot to clean! Try it with any greens you have in the fridge, such as chard or spinach.

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Ginger-Tahini Oven-Baked Salmon & Vegetables

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The tahini sauce does double duty in this healthy salmon recipe, serving as a glaze for the fish and also as a drizzle for the entire dish at the end of cooking. The green beans are cooked just slightly in this recipe, to still be crisp. If you like your green beans tenderer, look for thinner beans or haricot verts in the grocery store; they'll cook more quickly. This sheet-pan dinner recipe is not only delicious--it also comes together with just 25 minutes of active prep time, and there's only one pan to clean up afterwards!

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Salmon Burgers with Quick Pickled Cucumbers

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These healthy salmon burgers call for canned salmon, which makes them an economical and easy dinner. The quick-pickled cucumbers in this recipe are a great introduction to the world of pickling. If you enjoy them, you can make additional batches by following Steps 1 and 2.

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Hearty Chickpea & Spinach Stew

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This satisfying stew comes together in a snap. Mashed chickpeas add body to the broth, and tomato paste adds a savory note without piling on the sodium. To simplify the prep, look for chopped fresh onion and shredded carrot or a soup starter mix in the produce section.

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Sheet-Pan Sesame Chicken & Broccoli with Scallion-Ginger Sauce

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In this healthy sheet-pan chicken recipe, meaty bone-in chicken thighs and broccoli florets are tossed with sesame oil and roasted on the same pan for a delicious and easy dinner with minimal cleanup. While the chicken and broccoli cook, whip together the simple scallion-ginger sauce. The sauce would also be wonderful spooned over salmon, tofu or grain bowls; it is easily doubled or tripled!

30 Anti-Inflammatory Dinners That Are High in Protein (2024)

FAQs

What are anti-inflammatory foods with protein? ›

Preferred Protein Sources
  • Legumes/beans: lentils, chickpeas, adzuki beans, etc.
  • Plant-based products: tempeh, tofu, peas, protein-based meat substitutes. ...
  • Fresh fish: wild fish is preferred; limit to three servings per week.

What protein is best for inflammation? ›

Protein-Rich Foods

The most anti-inflammatory proteins come from plants, such as legumes, and from fish rich in omega-3 fats, says Dr. Ricker.

What is the most anti-inflammatory meal? ›

Anti-inflammatory foods

green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, and collards. nuts like almonds and walnuts. fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines. fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and oranges.

What meat is best for anti-inflammatory? ›

Grass-Fed Organic Chicken, Pork, Lamb & Beef

In fact, pasture-raised chickens, pigs, lambs, and cows have higher levels of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids and lower levels of pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids than corn-fed animals.

What are 3 best foods to fight inflammation? ›

The most anti-inflammatory foods may include:
  • berries.
  • fatty fish.
  • broccoli.
  • avocados.
  • green tea.
  • peppers.
  • mushrooms.
  • grapes.

Does high protein reduce inflammation? ›

Protein intake was inversely associated with changes in the inflammation and oxidative stress score (mean ± SE in Q1 compared with Q4: 0.77 ± 0.17 compared with 0.31 ± 0.19; P-trend = 0.02), indicating overall inflammation/oxidative stress increased less in those with the highest intake than in those with the lowest.

What is the #1 best drink to reduce inflammation? ›

What is the #1 best drink to reduce inflammation?
  • baking soda and water.
  • parsley and ginger green juice.
  • lemon and turmeric tonic.
  • bone broth.
  • functional food smoothie.
  • matcha tea.
  • greens and berry smoothie.

What is the most powerful natural anti-inflammatory? ›

  1. Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids , which are abundant in fatty fish such as salmon or tuna, are among the most potent anti-inflammatory supplements. ...
  2. Curcumin. ...
  3. S-adenosylmethionine. ...
  4. Zinc. ...
  5. Green tea. ...
  6. Frankincense. ...
  7. Capsaicin. ...
  8. Cat's claw.

Are potatoes anti-inflammatory? ›

Generally, it is believed that the anti-inflammatory properties of potato are also related to proteins with protease inhibitor activity.

How can I make my meals anti-inflammatory? ›

Season foods with anti-inflammatory herbs and spices like cloves, cinnamon, turmeric, rosemary, ginger, sage, and thyme. Make oily fish your primary protein. Consume alcohol, processed meat, and dairy rarely. Avoid processed foods and refined sugars.

Is pasta good for inflammation? ›

Pasta, potatoes, tortillas, rice and bread can all be helpful additions to an anti-inflammatory diet that also includes healthy fats, lean protein, fruits and vegetables and other foods that promote balance and variety.

Is beef more inflammatory than chicken? ›

Is red meat inflammatory? Red meat is not inflammatory because there's no good evidence that red meat is more inflammatory than other meats. Some research shows red meat being less inflammatory, but there might be people who react to red meat differently and flare up.

What meat is best for arthritis? ›

Meat & Seafood: Opt for Lean Meats and Fatty Fish

It's a great substitute for red meat, which has been linked to increased inflammation. Chicken and turkey are also great choices. Meat lovers should buy leaner cuts, such as sirloin, flank or tenderloin. Processed meats are high in sodium, sugar and preservatives.

What foods increase anti-inflammatory? ›

Examples of anti-inflammatory foods:
  • Fruits.
  • Vegetables.
  • High-fiber whole grains.
  • Legumes.
  • Monounsaturated fats (avocados, olive oil, nuts, nut butters, seeds)
  • Polyunsaturated omega-3 fats (walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and aquatic foods including salmon, herring, sardines, mackerel)
  • Tea.
  • Coffee.

Are eggs anti-inflammatory? ›

Eggs are a natural source of vitamin D, which has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects. Adequate levels of vitamin D may help reduce inflammation and support immune function.

Are eggs inflammatory? ›

According to a 2020 review, eggs contain substances such as trimethylamine-N-oxide, omega-6 fatty acids, and arachidonic acid, which can promote inflammation. However, a 2019 study on adults found no connection between egg consumption and inflammatory biomarkers in the blood.

Is peanut butter inflammatory or anti-inflammatory? ›

Are peanuts inflammatory? The short answer is no, and in fact, peanuts and some peanut products like peanut butter have been shown to be anti-inflammatory. Inflammation in the body is a mechanism thought to be at the center of the majority of chronic diseases.

What drink kills inflammation? ›

Here are seven research-backed drinks that can help fight inflammation in your body.
  • Baking soda + water. ...
  • Parsley + ginger green juice. ...
  • Lemon + turmeric tonic. ...
  • Bone broth. ...
  • Functional food smoothie. ...
  • Matcha anti-inflammatory tonic. ...
  • Greens and berries smoothie.
Mar 16, 2023

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