Anti-inflammatory diet: What to eat, what to limit and how to start

We often think of diet as a way to lose weight, but what you eat shapes your overall health and how you feel each day. An anti-inflammatory diet focuses on helping your body manage inflammation, supporting better daily function and long-term well-being.

This approach to eating isn’t necessarily about cutting back on calories but understanding what foods can calm any symptoms you may be experiencing.

While no single food is a cure-all, the foods you choose day after day can make a real difference in how your body manages inflammation.

Here's what an anti-inflammatory diet actually looks like, which foods to focus on and a few simple changes you can start making today.

What is inflammation?

Inflammation is your body's natural defense system. When you are injured, sick or have an infection, inflammation helps your body defend itself and heal.

Inflammation can vary in the severity of symptoms. You may notice flu-like symptoms like loss of energy, body aches, fevers and chills. Or, depending on where the inflammation occurs, you could experience swelling with redness, heat and pain to the touch.

Short-term, or acute, inflammation shows up, does its job and goes away in a few hours or days, like when you have a sore throat with a cold or your ankle is swollen after twisting it.

Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, happens when your immune system stays on and begins attacking the healthy cells in your body. With autoimmune conditions, like rheumatoid arthritis, the body mistakenly targets joint tissue, leading to swelling, pain and flare-ups that can gradually damage the joints.

Unlike short-term inflammation, which helps you heal, chronic inflammation can linger for months or even years.

Beyond illness and injury, lifestyle factors play a role too. Stress, lack of sleep and diet can all influence how much inflammation your body carries.

What is an anti-inflammatory diet?

Similar to the Mediterranean diet or DASH diet, an anti-inflammatory diet focuses on foods that help calm inflammation in the body while limiting those that may trigger it. Instead of strict rules or quick fixes, it emphasizes whole, nourishing foods like:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Healthy fats
• Lean proteins that support overall wellness

Many of these foods are rich in natural compounds that help protect the body from inflammation. Think of it as a way of eating that works with your body, helping it feel more balanced, energized and resilient over time.

What are the health benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet?

Some of the health benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet include:

• Clearer skin
• Improved symptoms of arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), lupus and other autoimmune conditions
• Support for your immune system
• Less bloating

Foods that reduce inflammation

So, what foods are good at reducing inflammation?

Ideally, you want to consume a diet that includes food from every food group. Here's what to focus on:

Fruits and vegetables

Incorporating fruits and vegetables into your daily meals is a great start to reducing inflammation. Produce is packed with antioxidants, polyphenols (plant compounds that help protect your body) and fiber—all of which help our bodies fight inflammation.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce inflammation. The recommendation is to eat fatty fish, like salmon or tuna, two to three times per week.

If you aren’t a big fish person, you can also get omega-3 fatty acids from:

• Walnuts
• Flaxseeds
• Chia seeds

An omega-3 supplement is another option—talk to your doctor about what's right for you.

Plant-based foods

In addition to fruit and vegetables, plant-based foods in general tend to aid in reducing inflammation. Healthy plant-based options consist of:

• Whole grains
• Beans and lentils
• Soy products
• Nuts and seeds

Herbs and spices

Various herbs and spices, like cinnamon or turmeric, may help support the body’s natural anti-inflammatory response. While adding these to your diet won’t hurt, studies have shown it’s unclear how well they may help with inflammation on their own.

The anti-inflammatory diet food list: 49 foods to get started

To help you get started, here are some of the best foods that reduce inflammation:

5 foods that cause inflammation

Just as certain foods can reduce inflammation, certain ones can cause inflammation in your body. Eating these foods frequently, especially in large amounts, can fuel inflammation over time. Foods that cause inflammation include:

1. Added sugars like cake, cookies, candy, soda and other sweetened beverages
2. Processed meats such as bacon, sausage, hot dogs and sandwich meats
3. Foods high in saturated fat like butter, whole-fat dairy products, red meat or poultry skin
4. Fried foods like French fries or fried chicken
5. Refined carbohydrates like white bread, pastries and many other packaged snacks

Being mindful of how often these show up on your plate is a good starting point.

5 tips for starting an anti-inflammatory diet

Making changes to your eating habits can be intimidating. Just remember, consistency is key, and little changes add up over time. Here are a few simple changes that you can try to get started with an anti-inflammatory diet:

1. Utilize the plate method. Aim to fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables, a quarter with lean protein and a quarter with a healthy carbohydrate — such as fruit, starchy vegetables, whole grains or legumes.

   Non-starchy vegetables include:

   • Leafy greens
   • Bell peppers
   • Cauliflower
   • Zucchini

   Starchy vegetables include:

   • Sweet potatoes
   • Corn
   • Peas
   • Squash

   For example, this meal could consist of roasted broccoli and bell peppers, a 5-ounce piece of salmon and a small sweet potato topped with a little cinnamon.

2. Add color to your plate at every meal. Aim for five servings of fruits and vegetables daily, choosing items that are deep green, orange, yellow and purple since these have the greatest nutritional value. Try adding spinach, tomatoes, bell peppers and onion to your egg white scramble in the morning.
3. Switch to whole grains. Trade white bread for whole grain bread, white rice for brown rice and regular pasta for whole grain pasta. Have oatmeal topped with berries, cinnamon, and walnuts for extra flavor and anti-inflammatory fighters for breakfast.
4. Consume more plant-based proteins like beans, lentils, nuts and seeds. Try a "Meatless Monday" dinner built around beans, lentils or nuts and seeds. Create a Buddha bowl with a whole grain base like quinoa, topped with lentils, cooked vegetables, chickpeas, leafy greens and tahini turmeric sauce.
5. Limit sugar-sweetened beverages. Swap soda and sweetened beverages for water. Aim for at least 64 ounces of water per day which is equivalent to about four regular-size water bottles.

The bottom line

An anti-inflammatory diet focuses on whole foods, like fruits, vegetables, fatty fish, whole grains, nuts and legumes, while limiting processed foods, added sugars and saturated fats. There's no single "magic" food that eliminates inflammation, but the choices you make over time can support your body's ability to manage it.

If you're living with chronic inflammation, talk to your doctor or speak to a registered dietitian about how your diet can fit into your overall care plan.