15 Anti-Inflammatory Lunch Recipes for the DASH Diet (2024)

For years, the DASH diet (short for Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension) has been one of the best eating patterns to help lower high blood pressure. This diet prioritized eating plenty of whole foods and lower amounts of sodium and saturated fats, so each delicious lunch recipe in this collection meets our heart-healthy nutrition parameters. Plus, these dishes feature nutritious ingredients like dark leafy greens, legumes, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats to help fight against inflammation that could cause or worsen high blood pressure. Recipes like our Sweet Potato, Kale & Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing and Butternut Squash & Black Bean Enchiladas support heart health without sparing any flavor.

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Smoked Salmon Salad Niçoise

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This twist on a classic Niçoise salad uses smoked salmon in place of tuna and adds extra vegetables in place of hard-boiled eggs and olives.

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Sweet Potato, Kale & Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

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These hearty kale salads hold up well for 4 days, making them perfect for meal-prep lunches. To keep the ingredients from getting soggy, dress this salad and top it with peanuts just before serving. For a delicious vegan option, swap in roasted tofu for the chicken breast (see Associated Recipes).

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Green Goddess Wrap

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A soft and silky green goddess dressing blends with crunchy fresh cucumber and tender greens in this easy wrap. If you prefer, you can ditch the wrap and enjoy the filling as a salad instead.

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Strawberry-Chocolate Smoothie

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This creamy, rich strawberry-chocolate smoothie will satisfy any chocolate cravings. It's so decadent you might want it as a dessert, too.

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Mason Jar Power Salad with Chickpeas & Tuna

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This power salad will keep you fueled for hours, thanks to 26 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber. Tossing the dressing and kale, and then letting it stand in the jar, softens it enough so you don't need to massage or cook it to make it tender.

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Eat-the-Rainbow Vegetable Soup

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This vibrant and wholesome soup recipe helps support your well-being. It’s packed with a variety of colorful vegetables, like tomatoes, which contain lycopene, a phytochemical that may help reduce inflammation. The base of the soup is prepped ahead of time and stored in separate containers. Simply add the broth and heat it in the microwave when you’re ready to eat. If you don’t wish to travel with vegetable broth or don’t have access to a microwave, you can use reduced-sodium bouillon instead and just add hot water.

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Meal-Prep Roasted Vegetable Bowls with Pesto

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Your co-workers will be jealous when you pull out this healthy lunch of roasted veggies and brown rice. Put together 4 lunches when you have time and you will have packable lunches (or ready-to-eat dinners) for several days--just grab a container on your way out the door in the morning.

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Quinoa, Avocado & Chickpea Salad over Mixed Greens

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Protein-rich quinoa and chickpeas add staying power to this zesty and healthy salad recipe.

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Creamy Pesto Chicken Salad with Greens

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For a healthy variation on creamy chicken salad, we've replaced half the mayonnaise with basil pesto. Serve over greens or make it into a sandwich for a healthy lunch.

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Lemon-Garlic Vegetable Soup

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This light and lovely soup features fresh vegetables, herbs and a splash of lemon juice to brighten the flavor. Serve with a dollop of homemade pesto.

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Superfood Chopped Salad with Salmon & Creamy Garlic Dressing

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Curly kale forms the base of this salad, but you could use chard or spinach. To the greens, add a multitude of chopped veggies, such as broccoli, cabbage and carrots. Finish with rich salmon for protein and a drizzle of creamy yogurt dressing to bring it all together.

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Kale & Chickpea Grain Bowls

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This veggie-heavy bowl is loaded with crunch and color, thanks to crispy carrots and chickpeas, fresh kale and a vibrant avocado dressing. It also delivers more than 50% of your daily dose of fiber, key for weight loss, energy and healthy digestion. Bulgur, also called cracked wheat, is a quick-cooking whole grain. These bowls would be excellent make-ahead lunches. Pack the avocado mixture separately, adding a little water to thin it as needed.

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Lemon Shrimp & Orzo Salad

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Consider making a double batch of this easy pasta salad--it's delicious the next day. The orzo will absorb the dressing as it sits, so add a little more olive oil and lemon juice if you'd like.

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Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas

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In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables.

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15 Anti-Inflammatory Lunch Recipes for the DASH Diet (2024)

FAQs

Is the DASH diet good for anti-inflammatory? ›

Generally it emphasizes eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, unsaturated fats, minimally refined whole grains, tea, coffee, herbs, spices, and oily fish. The Mediterranean diet and DASH diet are popular dietary plans that already showcase many anti-inflammatory foods.

What three 3 inflammatory foods you should eliminate from your diet? ›

Foods that can be inflammatory: Highly processed foods, like corn chips, fried foods and too much red meat, sugar, wheat, rye and barley in people with gluten allergies of celiac disease.

What is a good lunch for high blood pressure? ›

Our pick for the best lunch for high blood pressure is a Vegan Superfood Grain Bowl. This grain bowl is made with a base of fiber-rich quinoa, which is topped with baby kale, beets, avocado, edamame, sunflower seeds and a simple dressing made from hummus and lemon juice.

What is the number 1 anti-inflammatory diet? ›

In terms of well-known diets, the Mediterranean diet may be the most beneficial in helping people get inflammation under control. It emphasizes omega-3s, vitamin C, polyphenols, fiber-rich foods and other known inflammation fighters.

What is the number 1 inflammatory food? ›

1. Added Sugars. Americans' consumption of excess added sugars is considered a major contributor to inflammation, which in turn increases one's potential for chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

What is the number 1 fruit to lower blood pressure? ›

The top fruits for lowering blood pressure include bananas, apples, pears, apricots, grapes, raisins, kiwis, mangoes, watermelon, pomegranate, plums, prunes, avocado, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, tomatoes, citrus fruit, berries, and more.

What is the number one snack for weight loss when you have high blood pressure? ›

She shares, "A combination of banana, peanut butter and whole-grain toast is a great snack because it provides protein, fiber-rich carbs and healthy fats, which helps keep your blood sugars stable, gives you energy and keeps you full."

Who is the DASH diet not recommended for? ›

That is, if a patient has high-normal or elevated serum potassium and phosphorus values, the DASH eating pattern should not be initiated. These patients should be advised to follow a low potassium or low phosphorus diet, and the DASH eating pattern would negate those recommendations.

What is the best anti-inflammatory? ›

What reduces inflammation the fastest? Taking OTC NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (Advil) or naproxen (Aleve) may help relieve inflammation. You may also find relief through cold or heat therapy, gentle stretching and exercise, and rest. How long it takes to relieve inflammation can also depend its cause.

Is the DASH diet good for autoimmune disease? ›

In contrast, dietary patterns that are mostly plant-based such as Mediterranean or DASH diets have been shown to contain anti-inflammatory and antioxidant components (73, 74) that could impose protective effects against autoimmunity (75).

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