These inflammation reducing vegan recipes are real health boosters for everyone, of every age!
By Lora O’Brien
Your body is super smart. When you stub your toe or hit your elbow on the wall, it may hurt, but by gosh – you’re alive! Your healthy body is sending out some swelling and redness, meaning your immune cells are gathering to defend your bod against potential offenders, like harmful bacteria from the outside world.
But this isn’t only true for bruises and bumps, it’s true for internal injuries too – and by ‘injuries’ I mean exposure to things like booze, pollution, tobacco smoke, harmful chemicals in cosmetics, prescription drugs, and food allergens to name a few. Which is good, right? The problem comes up when these irritations persist for longer than expected – this is when inflammation becomes chronic.
That’s a seriously bad thing. As forever-switched-on immune cells get tired and confused, they turn against their own kind – a condition known as autoimmunity disease – which then leads to diseases like Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, eczema, acne, chronic fatigue, depression, brain fog, worse PMS, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Type 1 diabetes, and even cancer.
The good news? Small shifts in what you eat can make a big difference in how you feel, and how healthy you remain over your lifetime.
So which changes should you start with?
1. Get kitchen savvy
Whilst these kitchen appliances aren’t vital when it comes to thriving on an anti-inflammatory diet, they will help you along the way when it comes to making delicious, healing meals. When I started changing the way I ate, I invested in a few kitchen tools that would aid me, and I never looked back.
A Vitamix blender was the appliance with the best reputation, and so, despite the hefty price tag, I took the plunge and it has been used pretty much every single day for almost two years now.
I also invested in a food processor. This is perfect for pulsing ingredients like nuts and seeds, and even turning cauliflower into rice. I was dubious as to whether this next item was a novelty, but I use it regularly and love it; it’s a spiralizer. This can turn veggies such as courgettes and even beetroot into noodles, perfect for making gluten-free pasta dishes!
2. Focus on a plant-based diet
Processed foods, plus dairy, sugar, and bread can be delicious, but they’re also pro-inflammatory. Sticking to gluten-free side-dishes like buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth, and cauliflower ‘rice’ are good substitutes for processed carbs, and sub in agave or date syrup or small amounts of maple syrup for sugar. Frankly, as a vegan, I believe dairy and meat should be off the menu altogether, but if you must, ensure these are organic, at least.
Feel free to go crazy on the following foods, which are tops for reducing inflammation:
- celery, leafy greens, broccoli, beets, bok choi, garlic, onions
- fruits like pineapple, red grapes, berries, or acai
- walnuts, coconut oil, olive oil, chia seed, flax seed
- ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, green tea
3. Pile on the Omegas
Fat is good. Well, some fats, at least – namely Omega-3 and -6 fats. When combined in the right ways, these two can seriously reduce inflammation and keep all your cells functioning optimally. Forget downing supplements – the best way to get these is directly from food. Think: walnuts, flax seed, chia seeds, mung beans, and hemp oil. Every. damn. day.
4. Just chill out
One of the major causes of inflammation? Stress. It brings it on thanks to the pro-inflammatory effects of chronically-elevated cortisol levels, which increase the production of inflammatory cytokines. So the sooner you start chilling out, the better. All your devoted diet efforts will be in vain if you don’t meditate, take deep breaths when you’re feeling stressed, go on more holidays, or just avoid stress whenever possible.
5. End the vicious circle
Got inflammation? The doctor may well prescribe some pain killers or anti-inflammatory drugs. Millions are doled out each year by doctors, and numbers are expected to rise as chronic conditions increase. But guess what the most common side effect of drugs are? Gastrointestinal injury. Instead of taking painkillers as a Bandaid solution, why not listen to your body? Learn what those aches and pains are trying to tell you about what nutrition and care your body might not be getting – and go find it.
Bottom line? Eating the right fresh foods can lower inflammation and reduce your risk of serious disease. And they’re easy to use: for example:
- Turmeric can be added to salad dressings, curries, soups, tea, lattes or stir fries.
- Use ginger in hot water with lemon every morning, or add it to smoothies, tea, stir fries and even your baking.
- Replace coffee with green tea
- Add berries to your cereal or smoothies.
Or just follow any of the inflammation reducing vegan recipes below!
Inflammation Reducing Vegan Recipes
1. Turmeric Latte
This tasty turmeric latte is one of the easiest inflammation reducing vegan recipes to make. It not only has anti-inflammatory properties thanks to the black pepper, cinnamon and of course, turmeric, but it helps to relieve depression and prevent premature ageing. Not bad for a hot drink, huh?
Get the recipe here.
2. Anti-Inflammatory Green Smoothie
Smoothies are a really great way of packing in lots of anti-inflammatory goodies because a lot of them come in the forms of fruit and vegetables. So it’s the perfect way to get a healthy dose of those leafy greens and fruits. And smoothies are a great way to consume more fruit and vegetables if you’re someone that tends not to eat them.
Get the recipe here.
3. Kiwi & Pineapple Smoothie
Fresh kiwi, pineapple, chia seeds, turmeric, ginger and spinach are all celebrated for their anti-inflammatory properties – so you can basically refer to this smoothie as medicine in a glass. And unlike the medicine of our childhood that had to be washed down with something strong to rid us of its horrid taste, this is pretty damn tasty!
Get the recipe here.
4. Golden Milk Overnight Oats
Ever heard of golden milk? It’s really just a combination of turmeric mixed with coconut milk (occasionally coconut oil, too). The oats can be served hot or cold, depending on the season, and throwing blueberries on top only boosts the anti-inflammatory goodness!
Get the recipe here.
5. Matcha Green Tea Chia Pudding
The matcha behind that glorious green contains antioxidant compounds that will help to reduce inflammation. Not only that, but matcha is brilliant for boosting the metabolism – just what you need first thing in the morning. Berries out of season? No problem – sub in red or purple grapes.
Get the recipe here.
6. Pesto Broccoli Sweet Potato ‘Rice’ Casserole
This recipe’s sweet potatoes will keep your gut healthy, and the broccoli will add some anti-inflammatory goodness, too. It calls for vegan mozzarella, but frankly – that’s just processed junk food, right? If it’s inflammatory reduction you’re after, I’d say add some tahini or organic runny vegan yogurt instead.
Get the recipe here.
7. Deep Dish Falafel ‘Pizza’ Recipe
Freshly cooked chickpeas make up the crust of this pizza and blended with herbs and spices it goes crispy once out of the oven. The topping is a vibrant beetroot hummus and then a smattering of whatever veggies you fancy. And in case you miss that cheesy vibe, a nutty tahini sauce gets spread over the vegetables. Yum!
Get the recipe here.
8. Green Edamame Spinach Pesto
The pesto sauce in this recipe is actually made from edamame, cooked spinach and tahini. It spreads so well over a nice buckwheat pasta, and makes a quick and easy meal. Plus this dish is packed with anti-inflammatory ingredients such as the spinach, garlic and black pepper. And it’s so elegant looking, you could even serve it up at dinner parties as a starter!
Get the recipe here.
9. Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower
Cauliflower is packed with vital vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that work to support a healthy heart, help to fight cancer as well as inflammation. Mixed here with anti-inflammatory turmeric and fresh herbs, it’s serving up good health on a plate, quite literally.
Get the recipe here.
10. Simple Sweet Potato & Quinoa Bowls
When choosing grains to eat, you want to find ones that digest slowly to avoid the spike in sugar we get from eating processed cereals like white pasta and processed bread. Blood sugar spikes cause an increase in inflammation in the body – not good. This quinoa bowl is perfect, then. It fills you up like a grain, but it’s actually a seed!
Get the recipe here.
11. Chickpea Shwarma Dip
Oooh wow! How fancy does this look? This is one of my favourite inflammation reducing vegan recipes. With its loads of lemon, olive oil, black pepper and garlic, this gorgeous dip is a seriously healthy treat. Serve up with some quinoa crackers or crudites for when you have guests over. They’ll love you for it!
Get the recipe here.
12. Easy Fancy Guacamole
I am all about that guacamole life. It goes perfectly with crackers, on sandwiches – basically anything. I’m always up for trying new ways to keep food fresh and innovative, so I was happy to try this kinda fancy guac recipe. Serve up with some fresh veggies instead of chips to be even healthier. I also love how this is one of the easiest inflammation reducing vegan recipes to make. Anyone could do it!
Get the recipe here.
13. Immune-Boosting, Anti-Inflammatory Beet Soup
With a diet of meat, potatoes and vodka, it’s basically beetroot keeping the Ukrainian population alive (kidding! kind of…). This hearty borscht is packed with garlic, turmeric and ginger, which along with the beets make it extra anti-inflammatory. Coconut cream gives this soup a dose of healthy fats and lends a delicious creaminess.
Get the recipe here.
14. Thai Coconut Soup with Bok Choy & Mushrooms
Let us talk about bok choy. Whilst it may not look like much, you may be surprised to discover that this noble green is packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and it is an excellent source of an anti-inflammatory goodness. It goes great in a stir fry, and also wilted in some garlic alone, it is delicious! Here, ginger, coconut oil and mushrooms all add further anti-inflammatory qualities.
Get the recipe here.
15. Creamy Spiced Cauliflower Soup
One of the best inflammation reducing vegan recipes is definitely a good soup. Here, the coconut cream and cauliflower is infused with spices such as cardamon, cumin, coriander and turmeric which not only give it this stunning colour but also give it a deliciously detoxing edge. Plus, the garlic cloves give this soup an additional anti-inflammatory hit.
Get the recipe here.
16. Vegetable Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
When we think of shepherd’s pie, we tend to think of the heavily meat based dish. But it’s super easy to recreate with vegetables, like the mushrooms in this recipe. They more than make up for the lack of meat, but if you’re not a fan, you can switch this for any bean of your choice or lentils. It calls for Greek yogurt, but I tried this without it, and it was just fine!
Get the recipe here.
17. Quick Vegan Curry
Curry is one of the best inflammation reducing vegan recipes you can make. It’s packed with healthy spices like turmeric, garlic, cinnamon and basil and has loads of veggies, too. This one also comes with highly nutritious chickpeas. It’s simply bursting with flavour, and makes a filling meal, too. Extra hungry? Serve up with some brown or jasmine rice.
Get the recipe here.
18. Mango Sorbet with Banana & Pineapple
This zero sugar recipe is so quick and easy to make, you’ll surprise yourself. And with both pineapple and blueberries yielding some pretty strong anti-inflammatory brownie points, I may just go back for a second helping.
Get the recipe here.
19. Anti-Inflammatory Toddy
Coming down with a cold or the flu? Bash it with this toddy! Whilst the main healer in this warming beverage is the turmeric, the hidden hero is black pepper, which has potent anti-inflammatory properties of its own. Even if you’re feeling groovy, this drink is the perfect go-to recipe to give a little TLC back to our digestive system. It’s simply one of the best inflammation reducing vegan recipes for overall health.
Get the recipe here.
20. Turmeric Pumpkin Spiced Latte
This is one of those inflammation reducing vegan recipes I can’t wait to check out! I’m a huge fan of a pumpkin spice lattes, but they usually come with so much sugar. This recipe is an exception – it’s sweetened with a touch of maple syrup and coconut cream. The delicate blend of spices add autumnal flavour, whereas the turmeric yields all those great healing properties that you’re well aware of by now, I’m sure.
Get the recipe here.
Which of these inflammation reducing vegan recipes is your favourite? Let us know in the comments, below!
Main image: pasta and sweet potato bowl with seeds. Get the recipe here.
- Vegan Pizza Recipes To Die For - December 2, 2024
- Our Ethical Christmas Gift Guide For 2024 - November 29, 2024
- 20+ Savory Vegan Pie Recipes For Dinner - November 18, 2024
Really like the look of the Thai Coconut Soup with Bok Choy and Mushrooms. Get in my belly!!
The anti-inflammatory toddy is especially nice. I rarely think of adding spices to things. But, it does make a huge difference.
Yes! Every little helps 🙂
This post is really insightful. Inflammation is a vital part of the body’s immune response.
Welcome to the DeFlame Nation, DeFlaming is about reducing inflammation. The focus of DeFlame.com is about how poor nutrition promotes chronic inflammation, which leads to aches, pains, depression, fatigue, general ill health, and chronic disease.
For more information, Visit: http://www.deflame.com/