5-Ingredient Dinners to Lower Inflammation (Weekly Plan & Shopping List!)

Our column, ThePrep, has everything you'll need to make meal planning and meal prep as easy as can be. Nutritional needs differ from one individual to another, and we invite you to use these dinner plans as inspiration and tweak them as you see fit. Sign up to get a meal plan delivered to your inbox every Saturday!

Happy New Year! I can't believe another year has flown by! The popular saying is definitely true—time does feel like it speeds up as you get older. I'm excited to welcome in 2024, and what better way to start the year off right than with delicious dinners that help tame inflammation? Incorporating anti-inflammatory nutrients into your diet is a great strategy to help prevent not only colds and flu but also chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Added bonus: These meals are made with just five ingredients, so grocery shopping doesn’t feel like a chore.

Your Meal Plan

I love the motivational vibes the new year brings. The idea of planning new things and making the most of 2024 motivates me. But instead of focusing on hard-to-achieve resolutions that can stress me out, I’m sticking to lifestyle habits I already enjoy to help me feel my best, such as exercising regularly, spending time with my family and friends, prioritizing sleep and eating nutrient-packed meals. Let’s get cooking!

Tuesday’s Salmon with Potatoes & Horseradish Sauce is proof that you can make a delicious meal with just a few ingredients when you rely on foods that naturally have lots of flavor—in this case, horseradish. And salmon is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids—one of the most researched anti-inflammatory compounds that help improve your skin health, cognitive function, heart health and more. Served with a side of simple steamed green beans, it’s a meal everyone will ask you to make again.

Sunday: Warm Chicken Salad with Peas & Polenta
Monday: Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Kale with a slice of whole-wheat sourdough bread
Tuesday: Salmon with Potatoes & Horseradish Sauce with steamed green beans
Wednesday: Chicken Curry Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Thursday: Spicy Shrimp with Cauliflower Rice with steamed broccoli
Friday: One-Pot Pasta with Tuna

Something Sweet

Who doesn't love a recipe that doubles as breakfast and a snack? And these moist and delicious Baked Banana-Nut Oatmeal Cups are just that. One of my favorite grab-and-go snacks, the recipe calls for only ⅓ cup of sugar because the ripe bananas add tons of natural sweetness. Since they are so easy to make and can be frozen for up to 3 months, I like to make two batches at once, so I always have them on hand. 

Get the Recipe: Baked Banana-Nut Oatmeal Cups

What's Inspiring Me This Week

I’ve always wanted to make my own bread, but to be quite honest, it always felt overwhelming, so I just buy it at the store. But Jennifer Garner’s riff on Ina Garten’s Honey White Bread is motivating me to give baking bread a try. Instead of following the recipe as is, Garner turned half of the dough into a cinnamon swirl-style bread. The soft crumb and swirly top looks so good that I’ve already added all the ingredients to my next shopping list. I can’t wait to enjoy a slice it with my morning cup of coffee. 

Find Out More: Jennifer Garner Just Made This Ina Garten Recipe—and Added Her Own Delicious Twist