Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD<\/p>\n
About This Plan<\/p>\n
This 7-day plan is set at 1,500 calories with modifications for 2,000 calories.<\/p>\n
Each day provides at least 76 grams of protein and 28 grams of fiber to promote satiety.<\/p>\n
This plan prioritizes anti-inflammatory foods with no added sugar for better health.<\/p>\n
In this 7-day plan, we map out a week of delicious anti-inflammatory meals and snacks. While we load up on inflammation-busting foods<\/a>, like antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, salmon, avocado, whole grains, nuts and seeds, you won\u2019t find any pro-inflammatory added sugars<\/a>. Though we skip added sugars, we do include natural sugars<\/a> found in fruit, vegetables and unsweetened dairy, like yogurt and kefir. We also pump up the protein<\/a> to improve satiety and avoid those afternoon energy-slump sugar cravings. Because losing weight for people who are overweight can help reduce inflammation<\/a>, we set this plan at 1,500 calories a day, which will promote a healthy weight loss for many people.<\/p>\n DAYS<\/p>\n 1<\/p>\n 2<\/p>\n 3<\/p>\n 4<\/p>\n 5<\/p>\n 6<\/p>\n 7<\/p>\n MEALS<\/p>\n Breakfast: Strawberry-Banana Green Smoothie——–Lunch: Cucumber-Chicken Green Goddess Wrap——–Dinner: Lemony-Garlic Pan-Seared Salmon<\/p>\n Breakfast: Easy Sheet-Pan Eggs with Mushrooms & Spinach——–Lunch: Chopped Salad with Chickpeas, Olives & Feta——–Dinner: Sheet-Pan Lemon-Pepper Chicken with Broccoli & Tomatoes<\/p>\n Breakfast: Easy Sheet-Pan Eggs with Mushrooms & Spinach——–Lunch: Chopped Salad with Chickpeas, Olives & Feta——–Dinner: Braised Black Lentil & Quinoa Bowls<\/p>\n Breakfast: Strawberry-Banana Green Smoothie——–Lunch: Chopped Salad with Chickpeas, Olives & Feta——–Dinner: Pesto Chicken Quinoa Bowls<\/p>\n Breakfast: Easy Sheet-Pan Eggs with Mushrooms & Spinach——–Lunch: Pesto Chicken Quinoa Bowls——–Dinner: Fish Taco Bowls with Green Cabbage Slaw<\/p>\n Breakfast: Strawberry-Banana Green Smoothie——–Lunch: Pesto Chicken Quinoa Bowls——–Dinner: Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Cherries<\/p>\n Breakfast: Strawberry-Banana Green Smoothie——–Lunch: Pesto Chicken Quinoa Bowls——–Dinner: Vegetarian Chopped Power Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing<\/p>\n DAILY TOTALS<\/p>\n Calories: 1523; Protein: 93 g; Fat: 79 g; Carbs: 125 g; Sodium: 1,460 mg<\/p>\n Calories: 1513; Protein: 76 g; Fat: 71 g; Carbs: 157 g; Sodium: 1,744 mg<\/p>\n Calories: 1528; Protein: 76 g; Fat: 66 g; Carbs: 166 g; Sodium: 1,695 mg<\/p>\n Calories: 1523; Protein: 82 g; Fat: 62 g; Carbs: 172 g; Sodium: 1,872 mg<\/p>\n Calories: 1519; Protein: 86 g; Fat: 68 g; Carbs: 153 g; Sodium: 1,923 mg<\/p>\n Calories: 1531; Protein: 84 g; Fat: 72 g; Carbs: 154 g; Sodium: 1,693 mg<\/p>\n Calories: 1482; Protein: 78 g; Fat: 57 g; Carbs: 172 g; Sodium: 1,417 mg<\/p>\n Day 1<\/p>\n Daily Totals: 1,523 calories, 79g fat, 93g protein, 125g carbohydrate, 29g fiber, 1,460mg sodium<\/p>\n Breakfast (318 calories)<\/p>\n Lunch (414 calories)<\/p>\n Serve with 1 medium orange<\/p>\n Dinner (470 calories)<\/p>\n Snacks<\/p>\n \u00bd cup low-fat plain strained (Greek-style) yogurt and \u00bd cup raspberries (115 calories)<\/p>\n \u00bc cup dry-roasted unsalted almonds (206 calories)<\/p>\n Make it 2,000 Calories: add 1 slice sprouted wheat toast with 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter to breakfast, add 1\/4 cup chopped walnuts to A.M. snack and 1 large pear to P.M. snack<\/p>\n Day 2<\/p>\n Daily Totals: 1,513 calories, 71g fat, 76g protein, 157g carbohydrate, 31g fiber, 1,744mg sodium<\/p>\n Breakfast (335 calories)<\/p>\n Lunch (341 calories)<\/p>\n Serve with 1 cup blueberries<\/p>\n Dinner (530 calories)<\/p>\n Snacks<\/p>\n 1 serving Peanut Butter-Oat Energy Balls (71 calories)<\/p>\n 1 \u00bc cup low-fat plain kefir (137 calories)<\/p>\n Make it 2,000 Calories: add 1 serving Raspberry-Kefir Power Smoothie<\/a> to breakfast, increase to 3 energy balls at A.M. snack and add 1 medium apple to P.M. snack<\/p>\n Meal-Prep TipsDay 3<\/p>\n Daily Totals: 1,528 calories, 66g fat, 76g protein, 166g carbohydrate, 33g fiber, 1,695mg sodium<\/p>\n Breakfast (335 calories)<\/p>\n Lunch (341 calories)<\/p>\n Serve with 1 cup blueberries<\/p>\n Dinner (495 calories)<\/p>\n Serve with 2 cups mixed greens<\/p>\n Snacks<\/p>\n 1 cup low-fat plain strained (Greek-style) yogurt, 2 Tbsp. hemp seeds and 8 raspberries (284 calories)<\/p>\n Make it 2,000 Calories: add 1 serving Raspberry-Kefir Power Smoothie<\/a> to breakfast, increase to 3 energy balls at A.M. snack plus increase to 3 Tbsp. hemp seeds and 1\/4 cup raspberries at P.M. snack<\/p>\n Meal-Prep TipsDay 4<\/p>\n Daily Totals: 1,523 calories, 62g fat, 82g protein, 172g carbohydrate, 30g fiber, 1,872mg sodium<\/p>\n Breakfast (318 calories)<\/p>\n Lunch (341 calories)<\/p>\n Serve with 1 cup blueberries<\/p>\n Dinner (438 calories)<\/p>\n Snacks<\/p>\n 1 cup low-fat plain strained (Greek-style) yogurt and \u00bc cup blackberries (181 calories)<\/p>\n Make it 2,000 Calories: add 1 slice sprouted wheat toast with 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter to breakfast, 1\/4 cup dry-roasted unsalted almonds to A.M. snack and 1 medium apple to P.M. snack<\/p>\n Meal-Prep TipsDay 5<\/p>\n Daily Totals: 1,519 calories, 68g fat, 86g protein, 153g carbohydrate, 28g fiber, 1,923mg sodium<\/p>\n Breakfast (335 calories)<\/p>\n Lunch (357 calories)<\/p>\n Dinner (529 calories)<\/p>\n Snacks<\/p>\n 1 cup cherries and \u00bd cup low-fat plain kefir (152 calories)<\/p>\n Make it 2,000 Calories: add 1 slice sprouted wheat toast with 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter to breakfast, 1\/4 cup dry-roasted unsalted almonds to P.M. snack and 1 serving Lemon-Blueberry Nice Cream<\/a> to evening snack<\/p>\n Day 6<\/p>\n Daily Totals: 1,531 calories, 72g fat, 84g protein, 154g carbohydrate, 31g fiber, 1,693mg sodium<\/p>\n Breakfast (318 calories)<\/p>\n Lunch (357 calories)<\/p>\n Dinner (358 calories)<\/p>\n Snacks<\/p>\n \u00be cup blackberries and \u00bc cup dry-roasted unsalted almonds (253 calories)<\/p>\n Make it 2,000 Calories: add 1 slice sprouted wheat toast with 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter to breakfast, increase to 3 energy balls at P.M. snack and add 1 serving Guacamole Chopped Salad<\/a> to dinner<\/p>\n Day 7<\/p>\n Daily Totals: 1,482 calories, 57g fat, 78g protein, 172g carbohydrate, 34g fiber, 1,417mg sodium<\/p>\n Breakfast (318 calories)<\/p>\n Lunch (357 calories)<\/p>\n Dinner (362 calories)<\/p>\n Snacks<\/p>\n 1 cup edamame, in pods (200 calories)<\/p>\n Make it 2,000 Calories: add 1 slice sprouted wheat toast with 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter to breakfast, 1 large pear to A.M. snack and 1\/4 cup dry-roasted unsalted almonds to P.M. snack<\/p>\n Frequently asked Questions<\/p>\n Is it OK to mix and match meals if there\u2019s one I don\u2019t like?<\/p>\n Yes! This meal plan is meant to serve as inspiration. It doesn\u2019t need to be followed exactly to reap the benefits. When choosing recipes, we made sure to check the calories, fiber, protein and sodium to align with the parameters of this plan and be within our sodium limits. If you\u2019re making a recipe swap, it may be helpful to choose a recipe with similar calories, fiber, protein and sodium levels. For more inspiration, check out these delicious anti-inflammatory recipes<\/a>.<\/p>\n Can I eat the same breakfast or lunch every day?<\/p>\n Definitely, it\u2019s fine to eat the same breakfast or lunch every day. The breakfasts range from 318 to 335 calories, while the lunches span 341 to 414 calories. These ranges are fairly close, though if you\u2019re closely monitoring your calories or other nutrients, like protein, you may want to adjust a snack or two.<\/p>\n Why is there not a 1,200 calorie modification?<\/p>\n We no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. Research suggests that 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, may lead to lean muscle loss and is unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.<\/p>\n What is the difference between natural and added sugars?<\/p>\n Natural sugars are found in fruits, vegetables and dairy. Added sugars are any type of sugar, even \u201cnatural\u201d ones like honey and maple syrup, that are added during food processing. Unlike added sugars, which are added purely for sweetness and have little nutritional value, natural sugars are found in foods that provide beneficial nutrients, like fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. Added sugars<\/a> in our diets can add up because they\u2019re often found in foods we wouldn\u2019t necessarily expect, like sauces, marinades, cereals and flavored yogurts. It is recommended that you limit added sugars in the diet to no more than 25 grams per day for women and 36 grams per day for men.<\/p>\n Health Benefits of an Anti-Inflammatory Diet<\/p>\n An anti-inflammatory diet is one that includes foods that fight inflammation in the body. These are foods that contain antioxidants, like beta-carotene and anthocyanins, foods containing omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and walnuts, and foods that promote a healthy microbiome, such as probiotics, prebiotics and dietary fiber. Chronic inflammation is a contributor to the onset and progression of many chronic conditions, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and obesity. Choosing foods that help to reduce inflammation in the body can help prevent and manage chronic conditions. In addition, excess intake of added sugars can lead to increased risk of chronic low-grade inflammation, so opt for foods with naturally occurring sugars that are also paired with inflammation-fighting nutrients, like colorful fruits.<\/p>\n How We Create Meal Plans<\/p>\n Registered dietitians thoughtfully create EatingWell\u2019s meal plans to be easy-to-follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and\/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.<\/p>\n