18 Anti-Inflammatory Salad Ideas
My cookbook, The Plant-Based Anti-Inflammatory Cookbook, provides more information on inflammation, a list of “anti-inflammatory superstars” (foods you can get at the grocery store that help fight inflammation), and dozens of recipes using these superstars. Check out more details about the cookbook, and links to sites where you can buy it, by clicking here.
In my last post on an anti-inflammatory diet, I covered 25 Anti-Inflammatory Snack Ideas. In this post I offer ideas for how to tweak your salads for optimal calming of chronic inflammation.
Inflammation appears to play a role in obesity, aging, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and autoimmune conditions, among many other health issues. A diet rich in antioxidants—mainly available in fruits and vegetables—can help reduce the risk of chronic inflammation and associated diseases. Some plants may be better than others for anti-inflammatory effects.
What makes a salad anti-inflammatory?
In my research, I found that foods with certain antioxidants or other characteristics (covered below) have been shown to offer an advantage in fighting inflammation, especially when supported by an overall diet that avoids saturated fat, refined sugar and flour, and animal products.
For this post, I’ve selected from the list of foods with advantageous compounds those that would work well in salads. Whether you’re making a daily green salad, a chopped salad for lunch, a fruit salad, or a special salad for dinner, you can use your imagination and include one or more of these anti-inflammatory superstars. At the end of this post I provide links to salad recipes that feature multiple anti-inflammatory ingredients.
Foods containing anthocyanins (red, purple, and black pigments)
1. Radishes
2. Red onion
3. Red cabbage
4. Kidney beans, black beans, small red beans
5. Berries and cherries
Foods high in flavones
6. Red apples
7. Celery
8. Oranges
9. Red bell pepper
Cruciferous vegetables
10. Broccoli (I like to buy bags of broccoli slaw and add some to my salads)
11. Baby kale and spinach
Foods high in omega-3
12. Walnuts
Salad recipes that use the above ingredients