Tips for Building an Anti-Inflammatory Eating Pattern

New research underscores what we already knew -- an anti-inflammatory eating pattern is great for your health.But how do you help your clients build one? There are many ways into this approach. Check out the list below, designed to get you and your audience as much anti-inflammatory bang for your buck as possible throughout the week:

1. Include coffee or tea at breakfast with low-fat milk or non-dairy milk.
2. Add at least one serving of fruits and vegetables (such as spinach in your eggs or chopped apples in oatmeal) to your breakfast.
3. Pack a snack of peppers or tomatoes and hummus or berries in low-fat Greek yogurt instead of chips or pretzels.
4. Include beans, peas, or chickpeas in a leafy green salad at lunch. Or add beans to soup or grain dishes.
5. Enjoy dates, berries, or seasonal fruits like apples or pears for dessert in place of calorie-dense cakes or pastries.
6. Aim for 3 servings of fruit dairy and 3 to 4 servings of vegetables each day. Use www.choosemyplate.gov as a reminder of serving sizes.
7. Go meatless at least 3 days per week and choose plant-based protein sources.

By Lisa Andrews, MEd, RD, LDReference: Charisis S, Ntanasi E, Yannakoulia M, Anastasiou CA, Kosmidis MH, Dardiotis E, Gargalionis AN, Patas K, Chatzipanagiotou S, Mourtzinos I, Tzima K, Hadjigeorgiou G, Sakka P, Kapogiannis D, Scarmeas N. Diet Inflammatory Index and Dementia Incidence: A Population-Based Study. Neurology. 2021 Nov 10:10.1212/WNL.0000000000012973.