7-Day Simple Diabetes-Friendly Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan

Meal Plan at a Glance

Breakfast/ A.M. Snack
Lunch/ P.M. Snack
Dinner/ Evening Snack

Yogurt parfait/ White bean-avocado toast
Avocado-chickpea salad/ Stuffed mini peppers
Maple-mustard salmon & veggies/ Pistachios

Blueberry & peanut butter chia pudding/ Pistachios & berries
Chicken fajita soup/ Yogurt parfait
Chicken & asparagus with spiced sweet potatoes/ Stuffed mini peppers

Blueberry & peanut butter chia pudding/ Pistachios
Chicken fajita soup/ Yogurt parfait
Eggs in purgatory/ Stuffed mini peppers

Blueberry & peanut butter chia pudding/ Stuffed mini peppers
Chicken fajita soup/ Yogurt parfait
Garlicky shrimp & greens/ Pistachios 

Black bean breakfast bowl/ Cottage cheese jar
Chicken fajita soup/ Yogurt parfait
Cajun-spiced tofu tostadads 

Black bean breakfast bowl/ Edamame
Chopped Italian salad/ Yogurt parfait
Chicken & marinated veggie & chickpea salad

Black bean breakfast bowl/ Edamame
Chopped Italian salad/ Yogurt parfait
Balsamic roasted chickpeas & veggies/ Kefir & apple

Day 1

High-Protein Blueberry & Peanut Butter Chia Pudding.

Photographer: Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen.

Breakfast (358 calories, 30g carbs)

A.M. Snack (230 calories, 35g carbs)

Lunch (430 calories, 48g carbs)

P.M. Snack (109 calories, 7g carbs)

Dinner (503 calories, 37g carbs)

Evening Snack (176 calories, 9g carbs)

• ¼ cup dry-roasted unsalted shelled pistachios

Daily Totals: 1,806 calories, 92g fat, 13g saturated fat, 101g protein, 165g carbohydrate, 42g fiber, 1,771mg sodium.

Make it 1,500 calories: Omit P.M. snack and evening snack.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 serving Cabbage Caesar Salad to dinner.

Day 2

Chicken Fajita Soup.

Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel

Breakfast (478 calories, 45g carbs)

A.M. Snack (238 calories, 23g carbs)

• ¼ cup dry-roasted unsalted shelled pistachios
• 1 cup blackberries

Lunch (347 calories, 40g carbs)

P.M. Snack (243 calories, 23g carbs)

Dinner (379 calories, 34g carbs)

Evening Snack (109 calories, 7g carbs)

Daily Totals: 1,794 calories, 79g fat, 13g saturated fat, 120g protein, 172g carbohydrate, 50g fiber, 1,951mg sodium.

Make it 1,500 calories: Change A.M. snack to ½ cup nonfat plain kefir and omit evening snack.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup hummus with 1 ½ cups sliced bell pepper to lunch.

Day 3

Eggs in Purgatory.

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

Breakfast (478 calories, 45g carbs)

A.M. Snack (176 calories, 9g carbs)

• ¼ cup dry-roasted unsalted shelled pistachios

Lunch (347 calories, 40g carbs)

P.M. Snack (243 calories, 23g carbs)

Dinner (456 calories, 40g carbs)

Evening Snack (109 calories, 7g carbs)

Daily Totals: 1,809 calories, 91g fat, 14g saturated fat, 104g protein, 164g carbohydrate, 46g fiber, 1,928mg sodium.

Make it 1,500 calories: Omit A.M. and evening snacks.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup hummus with 1 ½ cups sliced bell pepper to lunch.

Day 4

Mini Bell Peppers with Cottage Cheese.

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood.

Breakfast (478 calories, 45g carbs)

A.M. Snack (109 calories, 7g carbs)

Lunch (347 calories, 40g carbs)

P.M. Snack (243 calories, 23g carbs)

Dinner (434 calories, 42g carbs)

Evening Snack (176 calories, 9g carbs)

• ¼ cup dry-roasted unsalted shelled pistachios

Daily Totals: 1,787 calories, 79g fat, 12g saturated fat, 121g protein, 166g carbohydrate, 42g fiber, 1,688mg sodium.

Make it 1,500 calories: Omit A.M. and evening snacks.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup hummus with 1 ½ cups sliced bell pepper to lunch.

Day 5

High-Protein Black Bean Breakfast Bowl.

Ali Redmond

Breakfast (391 calories, 47g carbs)

A.M. Snack (195 calories, 14g carbs)

Lunch (347 calories, 40g carbs)

P.M. Snack (243 calories, 23g carbs)

Dinner (432 calories, 41g carbs)

Evening Snack (179 calories, 22g carbs)

Daily Totals: 1,787 calories, 71g fat, 14g saturated fat, 119g protein, 187g carbohydrate, 51g fiber, 1,778mg sodium.

Make it 1,500 calories: Omit P.M. snack and reduce to ¾ cup edamame at the evening snack.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup hummus with 1 ½ cups sliced bell pepper to lunch.

Day 6

High-Fiber Chopped Salad with Italian Vinaigrette.

Ali Redmond

Breakfast (391 calories, 47g carbs)

A.M. Snack (179 calories, 22g carbs)

Lunch (446 calories, 37g carbs)

P.M. Snack (189 calories, 21g carbs)

Dinner (593 calories, 40g carbs)

Daily Totals: 1,798 calories, 78g fat, 14g saturated fat, 132g protein, 167g carbohydrate, 45g fiber, 1,677mg sodium.

Make it 1,500 calories: Reduce to ½ cup edamame at the A.M. snack and omit P.M. snack.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup dry-roasted unsalted shelled pistachios as an evening snack.

Day 7

Sheet-Pan Balsamic-Parmesan Roasted Chickpeas & Vegetables.

Ali Redmond

Breakfast (391 calories, 47g carbs)

A.M. Snack (179 calories, 22g carbs)

Lunch (446 calories, 37g carbs)

P.M. Snack (189 calories, 21g carbs)

Dinner (399 calories, 34g carbs)

Evening Snack (185 calories, 37g carbs)

• 1 cup nonfat plain kefir
• 1 medium apple

Daily Totals: 1,780 calories, 76g fat, 14g saturated fat, 106g protein, 198g carbohydrate, 49g fiber, 1,352mg sodium.

Make it 1,500 calories: Omit A.M. snack and omit the apple at the evening snack.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 serving Simple Spinach Salad to dinner.

Frequently Asked Questions

• ​​Is it OK to mix and match meals if there is one I do not like?

  Yes, you can mix and match meals if there’s one you don’t like. To promote more stable blood sugars, we chose recipes rich in both protein and fiber and aimed for a carb level of about 40 grams per meal. Because of this, swapping recipes within this plan should be fine for most people. If you’re browsing some of our other diabetes-friendly and anti-inflammatory recipes to make instead, you may want to choose a recipe with a similar nutrition profile. 

• Can I eat the same breakfast or lunch every day?

  Yes, you can eat the same breakfast and lunch every day if you prefer. Each breakfast is between 358 to 478 calories while lunches span 347 to 446 calories. Carbohydrates per meal range from 30 to 48 grams. Each recipe is high in both fiber and protein, both of which can help promote better blood sugar.

• Why is there not a modification for 1,200 calories?

  We no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) suggests that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.

• What nutrients can lower inflammation?

  Richly pigmented fruits and vegetables along with fats from nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil and fish are the typical cornerstones of the anti-inflammatory diet. Some of the specific nutrients associated with reducing inflammation include vitamins C and E, fiber, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, unsaturated fats, antioxidants, polyphenols and probiotics.

Health Benefits of this Diabetes-Friendly Meal Plan

• Follows the Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Because inflammation can increase the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, following an anti-inflammatory routine may help improve blood sugar management. In this plan, we include a week of foods rich in healthy fats, fiber, antioxidants and other important nutrients that may help reduce inflammation. You won’t find refined grains, excess added sugar or processed meats—all of which may increase inflammation.
• Balanced Moderately-Low Carbohydrate: To lower blood sugar, you may think you should drastically reduce carbohydrates but fortunately that’s not the case for many people. Instead, slightly reducing total carbohydrate and prioritizing fiber-rich carb sources can be an effective strategy for better blood sugar. In this plan, we opted for a moderately-low level of carbs at 40% of the total calories, which is below the 45 to 65% of calories from carbs recommended by the DGAs. To promote better and more stable blood sugar, we prioritized fiber-rich carbs, like fruit, legumes and whole-grains, and spread them fairly evenly across the days meals and snacks.
• Heart-Healthy: Because people with diabetes are more likely to get heart disease, we created this plan with heart-health in mind. To do this, we limited saturated fat, which is a type of fat that may raise cholesterol, to 14 grams per day and limited sodium to a max of 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day.
• High in Fiber and Protein: Each day provides at least 101 grams of protein and 42 grams of fiber. Both of these nutrients can help promote better and more stable blood sugar levels. Protein-rich foods include fish, meat, poultry, eggs, tofu, beans, lentils, dairy, nuts and more while fiber-rich foods include legumes, whole-grains, nuts, seeds and most fruits and vegetables. 

How We Create Meal Plans

Registered dietitians thoughtfully create EatingWell’s meal plans to be easy-to-follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.

Dig Deeper

The Top 10 Anti-Inflammatory Foods for Diabetes

The 7 Best Antioxidant-Rich Veggies for Diabetes, According to Dietitians