7-Day No-Sugar, Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan

Day 1

Breakfast (382 calories)

Morning Snack (42 calories)

Lunch (463 calories)

Afternoon Snack (55 calories)

• ½ cup low-fat plain kefir

Dinner (567 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,509 calories, 89g fat, 71g protein, 119g carbohydrate, 28g fiber, 1,977mg sodium

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 serving Spinach, Peanut Butter & Banana Smoothie to breakfast and add ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted pistachios to P.M. snack.

Day 2

Breakfast (330 calories)

Morning Snack (173 calories)

• ¾ cup low-fat plain strained Greek-style yogurt
• ½ cup cherries, fresh or thawed from frozen

Lunch (378 calories)

Afternoon Snack (131 calories)

Dinner (489 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,501 calories, 64g fat, 71g protein, 177g carbohydrate, 32g fiber, 1,180mg sodium

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 Tbsp. chopped walnuts to A.M. snack, ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds to P.M. snack and 1 serving Massaged Kale Salad to dinner.

Day 3

Breakfast (337 calories)

• 1 cup low-fat plain strained Greek-style yogurt
• 2 Tbsp. chopped pecans
• 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
• ½ cup sliced strawberries 

Morning Snack (306 calories)

Lunch (378 calories)

Afternoon Snack (62 calories)

Dinner (411 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,494 calories, 71g fat, 93g protein, 128g carbohydrate, 28g fiber, 1,440mg sodium

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 slice sprouted-wheat toast with 1 Tbsp. almond butter to breakfast, 1 medium banana to lunch and ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds to P.M. snack.

Day 4

Breakfast (330 calories)

Morning Snack (152 calories)

• 1 cup low-fat plain kefir
• ⅔ cup raspberries

Lunch (378 calories)

Afternoon Snack (146 calories)

Dinner (514 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,520 calories, 57g fat, 96g protein, 165g carbohydrate, 29g fiber, 1,524mg sodium

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 slice sprouted-wheat toast with 1 Tbsp. almond butter to breakfast, 1 medium banana to lunch and ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds to P.M. snack.

Day 5

Breakfast (337 calories)

• 1 cup low-fat plain strained Greek-style yogurt
• 2 Tbsp. chopped pecans
• 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
• ½ cup sliced strawberries 

Morning Snack (206 calories)

• ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds

Lunch (378 calories)

Afternoon Snack (212 calories)

Dinner (383 calories)

Meal-Prep Tip: Reserve 2 servings Vegan Lentil Soup to have for lunch on Days 6 and 7.

Daily Totals: 1,517 calories, 77g fat, 84g protein, 133g carbohydrate, 32g fiber, 1,635mg sodium

Make it 2,000 calories: Increase to 3 Tbsp. chopped pecans at breakfast, add 1 large pear to A.M. snack and 1 medium banana to lunch plus add 1 serving Apples with Cinnamon Almond Butter as an evening snack .

Day 6

Breakfast (330 calories)

Morning Snack (145 calories)

• ¾ cup low-fat plain strained Greek-style yogurt
• ¼ cup blueberries

Lunch (334 calories)

Afternoon Snack (219 calories)

Dinner (471 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,499 calories, 54g fat, 83g protein, 185g carbohydrate, 30g fiber, 1,363mg sodium

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 slice sprouted-wheat bread with 1 slice almond butter to breakfast, ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds to A.M. snack and 1 large pear to P.M. snack.

Day 7

Breakfast (382 calories)

Morning Snack (145 calories)

• ¾ cup low-fat plain strained Greek-style yogurt
• ¼ cup blueberries

Lunch (334 calories)

Afternoon Snack (131 calories)

Dinner (511 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,505 calories, 58g fat, 76g protein, 177g carbohydrate, 32g fiber, 1,804 mg sodium

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 serving Spinach, Peanut Butter & Banana Smoothie to breakfast and ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted pistachios to P.M. snack.

Health Benefits of an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Chronic inflammation is a low-grade inflammatory response caused partly by environmental irritants, exposure to foreign compounds, extra body weight and lifestyle factors, such as long-term stress, an unhealthy diet and poor sleep quality. Symptoms of chronic inflammation are vague and hard to pinpoint. Still, targeting inflammation may reduce the risk of several health conditions, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Reducing inflammation is an important step when weight loss is a goal. Excessive weight can increase chronic inflammation and lead to leptin and insulin resistance, two conditions that make losing weight more difficult. So, if you want to lose weight, aiming to decrease chronic inflammation is a great place to start.

Research has also shown that excess added sugar intake may increase chronic inflammation. Additionally, most Americans consume more added sugar than they realize, with an average daily consumption of 17 teaspoons (68 grams). To put this into perspective, the American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugar intake to 6 teaspoons (24 grams) per day for women and 9 teaspoons (36 grams) per day for men. Reducing stress, improving diet quality, eating more anti-inflammatory foods, exercising regularly and prioritizing sleep quality are all great steps to take to tame inflammation.