One-Pan Anti-Inflammatory Weeknight Dinners (Weekly Plan & Shopping List!)
As the days get longer and warmer, I’m looking forward to getting out for more evening walks. Movement, such as walking, can help reduce chronic inflammation. And so can eating foods with anti-inflammatory properties. This week’s dinners are chock-full of inflammation-fighting foods, from ginger to salmon to red cabbage. Plus, they all come together in one pan, so you won’t have to spend all evening cleaning up. Because chronic inflammation can increase your risk of cancer, taking steps to reduce it can also help reduce your cancer risk. These delicious recipes are part of our new spotlight: Cancer Rates Are on the Rise for Young People–Can Diet & Lifestyle Choices Lower the Risk? Check it out, and then come back here ready to cook your way to better health.
Your Weekly Plan
Sunday: High-Protein Lemon & Turmeric Chicken Soup
Monday: Saag Aloo Matar
Tuesday: Beet & White Bean Sandwiches
Wednesday: Roasted Carrot Salad
Thursday: Cheesy White Bean & Rice Skillet
Friday: Sheet-Pan Chicken Thighs with Red Cabbage & Sweet Potatoes
Our column, ThePrep, has everything you’ll need to make dinner planning and grocery shopping as easy as can be. Nutritional needs differ from one individual to another, and we invite you to use these dinner plans as inspiration and adjust them as you see fit. Sign up to get a dinner plan delivered to your inbox every Saturday!
Sunday: High-Protein Lemon & Turmeric Chicken Soup
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel
This chicken soup is packed with inflammation-fighting ingredients like ginger and turmeric, so it’s great for when you’re feeling under the weather, but it’s also so delicious that you’ll want to have it more often. Using bone-in chicken thighs ensures that it’s deeply flavorful and packed with protein, while baby kale contributes polyphenols, compounds that help reduce the risk of chronic illness.
Monday: Saag Aloo Matar
photographer: Jen Causey, food stylist: Julian Hensarling, prop stylist: Josh Hoggle
Two popular Indian meals—saag aloo and aloo matar—join together to make this cozy dish featuring potatoes, tomatoes, peas and leafy greens. The carotenoids in tomatoes, which include lycopene, phytoene and phytofluene, have anticancer properties, while the compounds in spinach may help inhibit cancer cell growth. Serve with warm whole-wheat naan.
Tuesday: Beet & White Bean Sandwiches
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel
These vibrant sandwiches feature beets pickled in rice vinegar, plus a creamy, herby bean spread. The two are layered on lightly toasted whole-wheat sandwich bread with alfalfa sprouts and red onion to make a high-fiber, high-protein sandwich. Beets contain betalains, which are antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and, thus, the risk of chronic diseases.
Wednesday: Roasted Carrot Salad
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop stylist: Josh Hoggle
This salad has a secret: not only is it studded with sweet roasted carrots, but some carrots are actually used to make the dressing, too. Massaging the dressing into the kale tenderizes it and ensures that the dressing coats every leaf. Luteolin, an antioxidant found in carrots, has anti-inflammatory properties that may reduce the risk of certain types of cancers. Serve it with rotisserie chicken.
Thursday: Cheesy White Bean & Rice Skillet
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel
Crispy rice topped with creamy beans and gooey melted provolone is a comforting, nourishing one-pot dinner. The beans are high in fiber, which means they make this meal more satiating and can help improve your gut health. The provolone cheese adds both calcium and protein. Don’t forget the lemony yogurt sauce to serve with it; it adds a nice tangy contrast.
Friday: Sheet-Pan Chicken Thighs with Red Cabbage & Sweet Potatoes
photographer: Jen Causey, food stylist: Julian Hensarling, prop stylist: Josh Hoggle
This sheet-pan dinner is a breeze! The chicken soaks up the lemony marinade while you prep the cabbage and sweet potatoes, then you just need to arrange everything on the baking sheet and pop it into the oven. After a 40-minute roast, the cabbage and sweet potatoes will be tender and the chicken crispy. The combination of vegetables means this dinner is loaded with antioxidants that can help reduce inflammation.
I wish you all a great week, and I hope you enjoy this dinner plan. If you try a recipe, remember to add a review.
