Healthy Eating 101 Budget Cooking Guide Thrifty I'm a Dietitian & These Are My Favorite Vegetarian Anti-Inflammatory Recipes By Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Instagram Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, has been with EatingWell for three years and works as the associate nutrition editor for the brand. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on July 24, 2022 Reviewed by Dietitian Victoria Seaver, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Victoria Seaver, M.S., RD Instagram Twitter Victoria Seaver is a registered dietitian and Associate Editorial Director for EatingWell.com. She completed her undergraduate degree in nutrition, dietetics and food science and her masters degree and dietetic internship at the University of Vermont. Victoria has been a part of the EatingWell.com team since 2015. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Will Dickey Some inflammation is unavoidable, but high levels of chronic inflammation can contribute to a slew of unpleasant symptoms like mental fog, digestive distress and high blood pressure. Luckily, healthy lifestyle choices—like what we put on our plates—can help keep excess inflammation at bay. These are just some of the delicious recipes I turn to as a dietitian, when I'm looking for a boost of anti-inflammatory ingredients. These recipes showcase foods like leafy greens, legumes, cherries and ample herbs and spices, which have been shown to help lower inflammation. Additionally, all of these dishes skip the meat so they can fit seamlessly into a vegetarian eating pattern. Choosing to eat plant-based when I can helps me save money and eat in a more climate-friendly way, too. Recipes like Caprese-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms and Sweet Potato-Black Bean Tacos are a win-win and worth a spot in your rotation. For more budget-friendly recipes and beginner cooking tips, check out Thrifty. 01 of 14 Lentil Salad with Feta, Tomatoes, Cucumbers & Olives View Recipe Jennifer Causey This Mediterranean lentil salad, with chopped veggies, feta cheese and a light dressing, is perfect to have on hand for a quick lunch. 02 of 14 Spinach & Feta Scrambled Egg Pitas View Recipe This meatless dinner comes together in only 15 minutes, thanks to the convenience of frozen chopped spinach and crumbled feta. We've added a flavorful burst of sun-dried tomato tapenade to spread over the whole-wheat pita before nestling the scrambled eggs inside. If you can't find it, basil pesto or sun-dried tomato pesto also work well. 03 of 14 Sweet Potato-Black Bean Tacos View Recipe Will Dickey Tender, smoky sweet potato is the star of these vegetarian tacos. A mashed black bean spread with onion holds everything in place. Serve with your favorite taco toppings. 04 of 14 Mushroom & Tofu Stir-Fry View Recipe This tofu veggie stir-fry is quick and easy, making it a great go-to weeknight meal. Baked tofu has a firm, toothsome texture that crisps well in a hot pan. You can find it in flavors like teriyaki and sesame, both of which are delicious here. Or opt for a smoked version, which has the same texture with a more robust flavor. Serve over brown rice. 05 of 14 Caprese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms View Recipe We've taken the key ingredients of the popular caprese salad—tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil—and piled them into portobello mushroom caps to make a delicious and satisfying vegetarian main dish. 06 of 14 Anti-Inflammatory Cherry-Spinach Smoothie View Recipe This healthy smoothie is not only delicious—it also boosts your daily dose of anti-inflammatory foods. It starts with a base of creamy gut-friendly kefir and includes cherries, which can lower the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein. Heart-healthy fats in avocado, almond butter and chia seeds deliver additional anti-inflammatory compounds to the body, while spinach offers a mix of antioxidants that sweep up harmful free radicals. Fresh ginger adds zing, plus a compound called gingerol, which preliminary studies suggest may improve inflammatory markers of heart disease if consumed daily. 07 of 14 Open-Face Goat Cheese Sandwich with Tomato & Avocado Salad View Recipe This simple lunch comes together in just 10 minutes, making it a great option for busy days. 08 of 14 Chickpea Salad Sandwich View Recipe Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling / Ruth Blackburn This vegan chickpea salad sandwich is lemony, bright and surprisingly delicious. It's got all the flavors of a classic tuna salad sandwich—dill, lemon and a bit of garlic—but with chickpeas instead to add a vegan source of protein and a healthy boost of fiber. Celery brings a nice crunch. 09 of 14 Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas & Spinach View Recipe Simmer eggs in a rich tomatoey cream sauce studded with chickpeas and silky spinach for a super-fast vegetarian dinner. Serve with a piece of crusty bread to soak up the sauce. Be sure to use heavy cream; a lower-fat option might curdle when mixed with acidic tomatoes. 10 of 14 Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry View Recipe To make this 20-minute vegan curry even faster, buy precut veggies from the salad bar at the grocery store. To make it a full, satisfying dinner, serve over cooked brown rice. When shopping for simmer sauce, look for one with 400 mg of sodium or less and check the ingredient list for cream or fish sauce if you want to keep this vegan. If you like a spicy kick, add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce at the end. 11 of 14 Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl View Recipe This black bean and quinoa bowl has many of the usual hallmarks of a taco salad, minus the fried bowl. We've loaded it up with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro and avocado plus an easy hummus dressing to drizzle on top. 12 of 14 Easy Pea & Spinach Carbonara View Recipe Fresh pasta cooks up faster than dried, making it a must-have for fast weeknight dinners like this luscious yet healthy meal. Eggs are the base of the creamy sauce. They don't get fully cooked, so use pasteurized-in-the-shell eggs if you prefer. 13 of 14 Tart Cherry Nice Cream View Recipe Andrea Mathis This easy vegan tart cherry nice cream—made from only a few simple ingredients—is guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth and also deliver a boost of melatonin that may help you get a more restful night's sleep. 14 of 14 Linguine with Creamy Mushroom Sauce View Recipe This easy pasta recipe is an excuse to buy wild mushrooms, available at many grocery stores these days. Or if you prefer white buttons, those will work well too. The creamy linguine is ready in 40 minutes, so it's quick enough for an easy weeknight recipe but it feels fancy enough for entertaining. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit