9 min read
12 Anti-Inflammatory Foods to Keep in Your Kitchen
A grocery list backed by research — and the simple ways to actually use them.
Real Food · Smart Supplementation
Nutrition
Real food, smart supplementation, and what the research actually shows.
Nutrition is simpler than the industry wants you to believe. Eat mostly whole foods. Prioritize protein and produce. Match calories to activity. The supplement stack matters far less than the foundation, and most 'superfoods' are marketing dressed as science.
60%
of U.S. calories come from ultra-processed foods (NIH)
1g/lb
of protein per pound of lean mass is the evidence-based target
<10%
of U.S. adults meet daily fiber recommendations
What actually moves the needle
01
Anchor every meal in protein
30–50g of high-quality protein per meal preserves muscle, stabilizes blood sugar, and crushes cravings. Eggs, fish, poultry, legumes, dairy, and well-sourced meat all work.
02
Eat the rainbow, daily
Polyphenols, fiber, and micronutrients live in colored plants. Aim for 30+ different plant foods per week — herbs, spices, seeds, and teas all count toward the total.
03
Source matters more than label
'Organic' processed food is still processed food. A pastured egg from a local farm beats a fortified plant patty every time. Spend on quality at the foundation, not the periphery.
04
Supplement the gaps
Most adults benefit from Vitamin D3 + K2, magnesium glycinate, and creatine monohydrate. Add omega-3s if you don't eat fatty fish weekly. Test, don't guess, for the rest.
Start here
A weekend checklist
The shortlist of moves that delivers most of the benefit. Pick one, finish it, then come back for the next.
- 30–50g of protein at breakfast within 1 hour of waking
- Two fistfuls of vegetables at lunch and dinner
- Replace one ultra-processed snack per week with whole-food alternatives
- 5g of creatine monohydrate daily — for muscle and brain
- Hydrate with filtered water + a pinch of mineral salt, not flavored drinks
Frequently asked
Is seed oil really the villain?+
The bigger problem is that they're a marker of ultra-processed food. Cook with olive oil, butter, ghee, or avocado oil at home, and the seed-oil question mostly takes care of itself.
Plant-based or animal-based — which is healthier?+
Both can work; both can fail. What matters is protein adequacy, micronutrient coverage (B12, iron, omega-3, choline), and avoiding ultra-processed versions of either approach.
Do I need a multivitamin?+
Probably not if your diet is varied. A targeted stack (D3/K2, magnesium, omega-3, creatine) outperforms a generic multi for most adults. Bloodwork beats guessing.
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