I Could Eat This Easy, Anti-Inflammatory Dinner Every Night and Never Get Tired of It

I am a regular victim of dinner analysis paralysis. If I don't already have a supper game plan at the end of a long day, it's likely that I'll end up eating a handful of popcorn or a bowl of yogurt on the couch, wondering how I let myself get to this place.

That's why the best thing I can do for myself is prep some dinner staples at the beginning of the week and live deliciously off the leftovers for a week. My favorite way to do this is to make a batch of roasted vegetables, a batch of brown rice and a fun vinaigrette—then I can mix them all together and enjoy one of our Edamame & Veggie Rice Bowls on any given night.

While this recipe has all the concrete steps you need to create the perfect bowl, it's definitely open to a little flexibility, especially when it comes to veggie selection. We recommend using this Colorful Roasted Sheet-Pan Vegetables recipe, which includes butternut squash, broccoli, red bell peppers and a red onion. But as long as you stick with the method described in this recipe—namely, roasting the winter squash longer than the other ingredients and tossing everything with a delicious blend of seasonings—you have carte blanche to be inspired by whatever veggies are in season. I often swap the butternut squash for sweet potatoes, and I've been known to opt for cauliflower over broccoli, especially when it's on sale. And now that summer is looming, I'll sometimes toss in some cherry tomatoes, which add an extra sweetness and pair exceptionally well with the balsamic vinegar we recommend adding to the veggies.

Even the Citrus-Lime Vinaigrette, which is super tasty, can be swapped out if you don't have the spare time to whip it up. I've definitely been known to just squeeze half a lime over my bowl in a pinch, too. But if you can make time at the beginning of the week to prep a bottle of the vinaigrette or at least prep the minced jalapeño peppers and fresh cilantro that help give it flavor, you'll love the added zing.

Because avocados are a little expensive—and rarely ripe when I need them to be—I tend to swap out that part of this recipe for a big dollop of plain Greek yogurt. Like the avocado, it adds cool creaminess to the bowl and helps balance out the heat of whatever hot sauce I've probably drizzled on top of the veggies. Plus, Greek yogurt and avocados are both anti-inflammatory ingredients. Avocados are rich with fiber, which can help tamp down inflammation in your gut, and Greek yogurt contains lots of healthy protein and calcium, as well as gut-healthy probiotics.

The edamame and veggies in this recipe also pack an anti-inflammatory punch, which can help you reduce chronic inflammation in your body. Chronic inflammation, unlike acute inflammation, is far from helpful. It can be the culprit behind feeling low, having joint pain and even digestive issues. But having lots of anti-inflammatory foods, like brown rice, beans, citrus and broccoli, in your routine can help keep inflammation at bay—especially if you combine an anti-inflammatory eating pattern with regular exercise and quality sleep.

But honestly, the best part of this recipe is that it's pretty hard to get tired of. Manipulate the veggies and their seasonings to suit the season and your mood, and you'll never run out of fun combinations to serve over your bed of brown rice. You can even swap the edamame for chickpeas and roast the beans right along with your veggies for something extra easy. It's the perfect dinner for someone who stays busy and wouldn't mind saving a few dollars in the kitchen—and did I mention it's pretty dang delicious?