With the holidays approaching, many people’s minds are turning to food. Delicious meals are a staple of many holiday celebrations, and New Year’s resolutions often revolve around intentions to eat healthier in the months ahead. The best anti-inflammatory cookbooks make it easier to find healthy, delicious recipes for the holidays and beyond.

Why are anti-inflammatory cookbooks helpful?

For people with chronic pain or other chronic conditions, eating healthy can take on even greater significance. Some foods can exacerbate certain medical conditions while others can relieve symptoms and help you heal. For example, eating gluten could make celiac disease symptoms worse, while a plant-based diet may tame fibromyalgia flare-ups.

No food is a cure-all, but knowing which foods to eat and in what amounts truly can help you feel better. That’s why it is a good idea to find a reliable cookbook that offers realistic recipes and advice, not one that promises miraculous results. With the right cookbook as your guide, mealtime planning and prep can go from long and laborious to streamlined and rewarding.

Some of the best anti-inflammatory cookbooks featured in this article may appeal to more advanced chefs, but they also include some of the best healthy cookbooks for beginners: books that walk you through not only the recipes but also the benefits of the diet they advocate, which ingredients to stock up on, and more.

A few notes: This list is not ranked in any way. Each book featured here takes a different approach to healthy eating, so you can select the one that fits best with your goals, tastes, and dietary requirements. Also, Arizona Pain does not endorse any of these cookbooks and their use cannot replace advice from a medical professional. Always talk to your doctor before making major dietary changes. In general though, we have found these cookbooks useful in helping chronic pain patients live a better, healthier life.

Ready to find delicious new recipes? These are the best anti-inflammatory cookbooks to get started with.

1. Anti-Inflammatory Cookbook

The sheer number and variety of recipes in this book—500 in all!—make it easy to pick ones that sound delicious and doable to you.

Elis Mars provides dozens of meal options for every occasion. Whether you’re in the mood for a filling lunch of stuffed eggplants, a refreshing dessert of watermelon sorbet, or anything in between, odds are you’ll find a recipe you love in Anti-Inflammatory Cookbook.

2. The Everything Healthy Meal Prep Cookbook

Meal prepping is the practice of preparing a large amount of food, often a week’s worth, in advance. It could help you eat healthier by emphasizing portion control, reducing the time you spend in the kitchen, and making you more aware of what you eat. But, if you’ve never done it before, you probably have some questions about how to begin.

This book, written by Tina Chow, breaks down the dos and don’ts of meal planning. She also provides an impressive 300 recipes to get you started.

3. Oh She Glows Every Day

If you need or want to adopt a plant-based diet, Angela Liddon’s cookbooks are an excellent place to start.

From veggie burgers and pasta salads to cookies and cupcakes, Oh She Glows Every Day provides over 100 plant-based recipes. The book also specifies which recipes are safe for people with common allergies. This is just Liddon’s latest publication; if you enjoy the recipes found here, you can find similar ones on her blog and in her previous cookbook, The Oh She Glows Cookbook.

4. The Grain-Free, Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free Family Cookbook

The recipes in this book were developed by Leah Webb, a health coach whose children have severe food allergies and cystic fibrosis.

Along with the recipes for nutritious meals and inventive snacks, Webb provides lessons learned from her own experiences, tips for saving time and effort in the kitchen, and the effects of different foods on the body.

With its family focus, this book’s recipes and the process of putting them together, make mealtimes easier for everyone.

5. Fit Men Cook

Fitness advocate Kevin Curry learned through personal experience that exercise alone is not enough to improve your health if you aren’t putting just as much effort into your diet.

This book discusses Curry’s journey to healthy eating and offers plenty of encouragement and tips to get you started on your own journey. Fit Men Cook acknowledges how difficult it is to change your diet. It eases the way though with over 100 great recipes, including jambalaya and stuffed chicken parmesan.

6. Gluten-Free on a Shoestring

Gluten is a type of protein found in grain and grain products. While most people have no trouble digesting gluten, certain conditions, such as celiac disease and irritable bowel syndrome, make gluten consumption harmful to your intestines. These conditions are often comorbid with other chronic pain conditions.

This second edition of Nicole Hunn’s cookbook contains 125 completely gluten-free recipes, including pizza dough and pumpkin pie, which you can make without breaking the bank.

7. Pure Delicious

If you have multiple food allergies, trying to create appetizing meals may seem impossible. That’s where Heather Christo’s book, Pure Delicious, comes in.

Not only does it provide 150 recipes that exclude major allergens, such as nuts and dairy, it provides an outline for how to remove allergens from your diet entirely.

8. Kombucha, Kefir, and Beyond

As you’re rethinking your diet and what you eat, don’t forget about what you drink!

Alex Lewin and Raquel Guajardo teach you how to ferment all sorts of drinks, from wine to soda, at home. The recipes found here can be much healthier versions of store-bought drinks, as they include probiotics. These helpful bacteria live in everyone’s digestive tract, but some people’s systems can benefit from the inclusion of additional probiotics.

Probiotics are generally safe and can ease symptoms in people with certain gastrointestinal disorders. (Though always check with your doctor before adding them to your diet!)

9. The New Soul Food Cookbook for People with Diabetes

Diabetes affects over 30 million people in the United States. It’s important for people with this condition to monitor when and what they eat in order to prevent blood sugar spikes and drops. Doing so can reduce the chance of painful complications.

In this cookbook, authors Fabiola Demps Gaines and Roniece Weaver show how you can continue to enjoy soul food favorites, from pork chops to chocolate cake, while keeping your diabetes under control.

10. The Low-FODMAP Diet Step by Step

FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. These are carbohydrates, and their consumption can worsen symptoms in people with irritable bowel syndrome and other gastrointestinal disorders.

Kate Scarlata and Dédé Wilson help you figure out which foods contain FODMAPs. Then, they provide 135 FODMAP-free recipes to help improve your digestive health.

11. Cook Once, Eat All Week

Author Cassy Joy Garcia outlines a 26-week plan for creating a week’s worth of meals in just one cooking session.

Each week’s recipes are centered around three ingredients, allowing you to prepare seven days of diverse, delicious meals with minimal fuss and expense. Garcia’s recipes focus on healthy eating and feature ingredient substitution options to make your meals grain-free, dairy-free, and more.

12. Korean Paleo

The paleo diet requires adherents to only eat foods allegedly available to humanity’s prehistoric ancestors. In other words, no grains, sugar, or dairy allowed!

This diet is not for everyone, but reducing your gluten or grain intake may help you manage certain chronic conditions, such as celiac disease. Jean Choi puts an Asian twist on the paleo phenomenon, laying out scrumptious paleo versions of Korean dishes like kimchi stew and pork belly wraps.

13. Skinnytaste One and Done

Diet foods and products are very popular, but they’re no substitute for balanced, nutritious meals that you make yourself.

Food blogger Gina Homolka offers plenty of lower-fat versions of popular dishes, including fried chicken and macaroni and cheese. She categorizes the recipes based on which cooking tools (e.g. an electric pressure cooker) you need to make them.

If you love this book, there are several others in the series, including The Skinnytaste Air Fryer Cookbook and The Skinnytaste Cookbook.

14. The 30-Minute Mediterranean Diet Cookbook

The Mediterranean diet includes a lot of healthy oils and few carbohydrates, so it is sometimes recommended to people seeking to lose weight or manage chronic conditions, from food allergies to diabetes. Plus it just tastes great!

Selena Rall and Deanna Segrave-Daly explain the benefits of a Mediterranean diet and include over 100 tasty and healthful Mediterranean recipes. Yes, that does include pizza.

15. Danielle Walker’s Eat What You Love

Eliminating ingredients doesn’t have to mean eliminating your favorite foods!

All of Danielle Walker’s cookbooks focus on cooking without gluten or dairy. Her latest book puts the spotlight on comfort foods, such as chicken potpie, banana bread, and tomato soup.

The nice thing about this book is its versatility. Walker includes a chart of potential ingredient substitutions to suit a wider array of tastes and dietary needs. Her recipes are suitable for those on the paleo diet, too.

16. The Low-Carb Diabetes Cookbook

David Cavan and Emma Porter’s cookbook helps you develop a diet plan that can help manage both Type I and Type II diabetes symptoms. (In the case of Type II, perhaps even reverse symptoms.)

All of the recipes are low in carbohydrates and include everything from breakfast omelets to sweet potato fries. The book also reviews how people’s eating habits have changed in the past 40 years and the effect these changes have had on our overall health. This historical perspective helps to highlight where you may have fallen into the pitfalls presented by modern food innovations.

17. The Easy 5-Ingredient Healthy Cookbook

If the prospect of trying to cook healthy meals seems overwhelming, Toby Amidor’s cookbook might be a good place to start.

Her recipes are relatively quick to make and cater to people with a variety of dietary preferences, from vegans to meat lovers. Amidor also includes advice on how to avoid fad or phony diets, what ingredients to buy, and how to save time and money as you cook.

18. ¡Salud! Vegan Mexican Cookbook

“Salud” is Spanish for “health,” and this cookbook allows you to enjoy beloved Mexican dishes with a healthy, vegan twist.

As author Eddie Garza points out, pre-Hispanic Mexican cuisine often relied on corn, chilis, rice, and other vegan-friendly ingredients. Creating delectable meat- and dairy-free versions of tamales, tortas, sopes, and much more is easier than you might think!

19. Damn Delicious Meal Prep

Low-calorie meals don’t have to be bland! Food blogger Chungah Rhee collects healthy, creative dishes that you can prepare for either now or later, for yourself or a whole dinner party’s worth of people.

Rhee deemphasizes the weight loss aspect of healthy eating, instead stressing the importance of meal prep and enjoying the food you eat.

20. Meals that Heal

Dr. Carolyn Williams’ recipes can be prepared in under 30 minutes, so you don’t have to spend all day in the kitchen to enjoy a healthy meal packed with anti-inflammatory ingredients.

Dr. Williams also takes time to discuss what inflammation is, its effects on your body, and what dietary habits you may consider adopting if you want to relieve or prevent specific conditions, including heart problems and joint disorders.

Find more anti-inflammatory recipes

Want more recipes that fit into an anti-inflammatory diet? The internet has plenty! From bountiful breakfasts to delectable dinners, there are tons of recipes out there for you to try. In addition to conventional meals, you may want to look into smoothie recipes. Smoothies are a great and easy way to incorporate anti-inflammatory ingredients into your diet.

Experiment with different diets and recipes—with guidance from your doctor, of course—until you find an approach that works for you. Or perhaps you can borrow elements from multiple diet regimens and create a new one just for you!

Many of the authors of the anti-inflammatory cookbooks featured here got their start writing food and health blogs. So if there’s a book you really love, check the author bio! Additional recipes could be just an internet search away.

If you live in Arizona and need help planning and sticking to an anti-inflammatory diet, contact the Arizona Pain team or click below to get in touch with one of our pain specialists today.

The holidays are a hectic, yet fun time full of sweet culinary temptation. Between cookies and cakes, buttery main courses, and even special coffee drinks that sound amazing but are chock full of sugar, eating healthy can become a challenge.

While indulging here and there is okay, it’s best to keep those treat times few and far between, especially if you’re living with chronic pain.

Fortunately, festive holiday recipes come in pain healthy versions, too. You won’t even miss the extra sugar and butter, but your body will love all the added antioxidants and micronutrients feeding every cell and contributing to better health.

1. Pumpkin curried lentils

We know you’re probably eyeing those columns of canned pumpkin in the grocery store. But what to do with them besides pie? One answer is pumpkin curried lentils.

This Indian inspired dish features coconut oil, which is full of healthy fats, along with ginger and turmeric—both powerhouse anti-inflammatory herbs linked to good health. Pumpkin lends a creamy texture while lentils round out the dish with nutrients like iron and folic acid, which supports heart health. Lentils are also an excellent source of vegetarian protein.

2. Oven-dried cinnamon apple chips

This healthy snack will make your house smell divine while in the oven. Nothing smells like the holidays like warm apple cinnamon.

Apples are heart-healthy foods that help to prevent certain kinds of cancer. The flavonoids inside also work to lower cholesterol levels.

This easy recipe only involves slicing a few apples and then baking them on low heat for about two hours. Having a nutritious snack on hand is a wonderful way to avoid the temptation of other, not-so-pain-friendly treats.

3. Baked sweet potato fries

Sweet potatoes rank among the most nutritious vegetables, according to WebMD. Their orange color comes from carotenoids, which have been found to prevent certain kinds of cancers and keep the eyes healthy. They also contain calcium, vitamins C and A, and potassium.

Many people love carbohydrates, and sweet potatoes are an excellent, healthy way to get the fix. Sweet potato fries are healthy, and can be made in large batches to nosh on during the week or add in last minute to other meals.

4. Butternut squash hummus

Few things say fall more than butternut squash. If you’re not familiar with hummus, it’s a condiment usually made with chickpeas. To eat, scoop onto vegetables, spread on a sandwich, or enjoy with pita chips.

This hummus recipe from food blogger Minimalist Baker also includes instructions for roasted carrots, which the creator says pair perfectly with the spread.

5. Sweet potato and chickpea stew

This healthy, hearty, and warm meal from popular food blogger Deliciously Ella will set a cozy tone for the holidays. Packed with healthy ingredients like eggplant (that’s the aubergine referenced to), turmeric, cumin, and spinach, this dish will keep both your tummy and your body happy.

The recipe calls for a side of brown rice or quinoa. Either one offers ample nutritional benefits and is much better for you than white rice. Brown rice can take a long time to cook, while quinoa is much faster and makes for a great time-sensitive option.

6. Vegan pumpkin hot chocolate

Even if you’re not a vegan, this hot chocolate recipe from food blog Running with Spoons will quench your craving for wallet-busting, sugar- and calorie-laden drinks from your local coffee shop.

Featuring a mix of vanilla almond milk, cocoa, cinnamon, and pumpkin (of course), and sweetened with a dash of maple syrup, this holiday beverage will have you feeling festive in no time. While maple syrup is a sweetener, it’s considered one with a relatively low glycemic index, especially when compared to cane sugar.

7. Pumpkin black bean burgers

Looking for a simple weeknight dish that still says fall? Look no further than these pain healthy pumpkin black bean burgers from food blog Sweet Miscellany.

With small amounts of powerhouse ingredients snuck in like flax meal, which is rich in omega 3s, you’ll be feeding your body and soul with this delicious recipe. The dish’s creator served the burgers with avocado, feta cheese, and field greens, but you could add any toppers you’d like. Be sure to use a whole-wheat bun and avoid bread that includes high-fructose corn syrup to keep this meal healthy the whole way through.

8. Spaghetti squash burrito bowls

Turn ordinary burrito bowls into holiday-appropriate dishes with this recipe from food blog Cookie and Kate, which, despite its name, focuses on healthy food.

This nourishing meal includes bowls made from roasted squash, with a special slaw created from red cabbage and black beans spooned into the soft, warm center. An avocado salsa verde rounds out the dish for a Mexican-inspired take on fall.

9. Carrot ginger soup

Carrots and ginger make for a healthy combo with this tasty yet inflammation-reducing soup from food blog The Splendid Table.

Surprise ingredients include orange juice and coconut milk. Substitute whole-fat coconut milk for light if you’d like. With just ten minutes of prep time, this soup makes for a relatively fast dinner so you can get back to celebrating.

10. Winter kale, sausage, and butternut squash lasagna

This recipe is an extra healthy version of holiday-favorite lasagna because it uses squash for noodles instead of pasta. If you’re a vegetarian, simple leave out the sausage, and you are ready to eat!

The recipe, which comes from the blog Inspiralized, calls for using a spiralizer, which easily slices vegetables into perfect circles. However, you can just cut the squash into slices with a knife for similar results. It might take a little longer, but the result will taste just as delicious!

Add nutrient-knockout kale to already healthy squash and this dish is sure to please both your taste buds and your desire to keep your body healthy.

What is your favorite pain healthy dish for the fall holidays?

Image by stu_spivack via Flickr

Eating healthy while living with chronic pain can seem like an impossibly difficult task. Pre-packaged food is easy, but it’s often high in sodium, fat, and doesn’t contain the best quality ingredients.

You know that to really take charge of your health, you need to eat healthier. But how?

Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered with this list of four life hacks to eat pain healthy, with options for a range of budgets.

1. Simplify meals

Looking for pain healthy recipes online often starts out fun, but then becomes stressful as you look over the list of hard-to-find ingredients, multiple, complicated steps and maybe even cooking times of longer than an hour. Who has the time or energy for that on a random weekday?

Rethink eating, taking it back to its essence. Food is about fueling the body. Think of most of your meals as just that—fuel. Of course you can have a few recreational meals a week, in which enjoying a nice meal becomes the prime focus.

But most of the time, eat to fill your body with the life-giving nutrients it needs to stay healthy. And looking at food that way, it becomes really simple to eat healthy.

A quick salad makes an amazing meal. Or perhaps roast vegetables, lightly coating them with olive oil and garlic and cooking them for about 30 minutes at 450 degrees. Serve the vegetables with rice and beans or meat for protein. Avocado spread on whole-wheat toast, topped with sprouts or tomato makes a delicious, light lunch. You might add the vegetables cold onto some lettuce and top with avocado for an easy, simple dish.

If you grow tired of eating the same vegetables all the time, switch it up with different herbs and sauces. Steamed vegetables with spaghetti sauce, whole-grain pasta, and a dash of Parmesan cheese well represents Italian cuisine, while a stir-fry with soy sauce, ginger, and tofu transforms those same vegetables into fine Asian cuisine. And don’t forget the option to add corn, hot spices, or hot sauce and set yourself up for a Mexican fiesta.

It’s ok to eat the same meal all the time. If you roast a huge pan of vegetables early in the week, you can eat them for several days. Voila, pain healthy, affordable food.

2. Buy pre-chopped or frozen vegetables

This option costs a little bit more than purchasing foods in their whole form, but if you’re living with pain in your hands or feet that makes it hard to stand, it’s worth investing the extra money to enjoy better health.

Some supermarkets have better selections than others when it comes to pre-chopped foods, so visit a few in your area to see which offers the varieties you’re looking for. A good, more affordable option is buying frozen, chopped vegetables.

Frozen vegetables are generally considered the second-best option for produce, behind fresh. Canned vegetables or fruits should be avoided because they’re often packed with preservatives, sodium, or sugar. Frozen vegetables, meanwhile, aren’t packaged with additional ingredients.

Buying pre-chopped vegetables saves a significant amount of time and energy in preparing foods.

3. Hire a personal chef

If you think personal chefs are only for the rich and famous, get excited because your own home-cooked meals can be purchased for less than you may think. While this service is definitely a luxury item, it’s something to think about if you have the funds but not the ability to cook.

Also, consider that eating out is expensive. So if you order take-out frequently, the cost may not be that much higher.

Instead of having a live-in chef who cooks you food whenever you want—which is more along the lines of lifestyles of the rich and famous—personal chefs come to your house on a single day of the week and spend about five or six hours cooking up a storm. When they leave, you have a freezer chock full of ready-to-heat meals, prepared to your liking with the ingredients your body needs the most.

Costs usually include meal planning and preparation, with the client paying for groceries and often a one-time container fee for dishes to hold all the delicious food.

Costs vary, but one Phoenix-based personal chef’s rates begin at $200 for three entrees, four servings each with no side dish. That’s about $17 per serving or meal, per person. Side dishes, additional servings, and more entrees are all available for an extra fee.

4. Buy a mail-order food service

It may not be private-chef worthy, but it does take the hassle out of shopping for food and deciding what to cook. Several of these companies have opened; here’s an overview of a few.

Blue Apron ships ready-to-prepare, pre-portioned ingredients along with matching recipe cards to homes nationwide for prices starting at $8.74 per person, per meal. The company works with a network of locally owned farms across the country, making sure ingredients are as fresh as possible.

If you’ve ever gone to the supermarket, came home with a cart full of vegetables, and then wondered what to cook when it came time to eat, this service or a similar one may be for you.

Ingredients are shipped in just the right amount to cut out food waste. Step-by-step recipe cards make things easier. Blue Apron says its team of chefs creates each meal to be healthy and fast to prepare.

Example meals include options like seared salmon with vegetables to fresh dishes like summer squash and fennel salad. When you sign up, you can set dietary preferences, but other than that, you don’t have much control over the recipes.

Another, similar company called Hello Fresh, allows you more freedom when choosing recipes, but it’s also slightly more expensive. Each week, you choose the meals you’d like and the company sends pre-measured ingredients to your doorstep. Options include a classic box, with animal protein, and a veggie box for non-meat eaters.

A third option is Freshly, which offers more options in terms of the number of meals you receive each week. This service also makes breakfast available, while the others focus more on dinner items that could double as lunches. This service is the most affordable, with six meals costing $69.

A bonus to these programs is that they’re portion controlled, helping people stay mindful of how much they’re eating.

What are your favorite life hacks for pain healthy eating?

Image via Nicole Abalde via Flickr

SPRING INTO LIFE
By Jess O’Toole

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. baby beets
• 8 oz. asparagus
• 8 oz. baby carrots
• 1 bunch radishes
• 2 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
• 1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
• Sea salt
• Prepared horseradish condiment

Vegetables begin to deteriorate and lose nutrients the minute they are harvested from the soil, so eating the freshest veggies you can get your hands on is good for your health. This recipe is inspired by the home garden, where you might want to make use of a variety of bits and bobs before they wilt. If you don’t have a kitchen garden, the next best thing is to visit a farmers’ market. Adapt this recipe to the freshest veg you can find — garlic, spring onions, fennel and baby artichokes would all work well. I love the nutty flavor of barley during spring, but if you’re gluten intolerant, feel free to substitute brown rice or quinoa. Enjoy as a light meal or serve with roasted chicken or lamb.

Serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as a light meal.

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cook the pearl barley according to the package’s directions (this can take about 45 minutes).

Prepare the veggies. Peel the beets and slice them in half lengthways. Peel the asparagus and cut off the thick, hard base of the stem. Slice into 2-inch pieces. Cut the carrots into similar size pieces as the asparagus (no need to peel them if they’re organic). Cut the tops off the radishes (they make a nice salad dressed with lemon juice and olive oil). Slice the radishes in half lengthways.

Toss the beets with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Place them on one side of a pan and roast in the hot oven for 10 minutes. Toss the rest of the vegetables with 1 teaspoon olive oil, the thyme leaves and a couple pinches sea salt. Add to the other side of the pan with the beats and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender and caramelized.

Serve the roasted vegetables over a generous spoonful of pearl barley with a few dollops of prepared horseradish cream.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving (if serving 4)

Calories 168
Total Fat 2g
Saturated Fat 1.5g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 100mg
Total Carbohydrates 34g
Dietary Fiber 10g
Sugars 10g
Protein 5g
(Does not include prepared horseradish)

Making dried fruit at home can be as simple as turning on your oven. It can also be a less expensive alternative to purchasing a store bought version. Pineapple lends itself well to drying because it has an inherent sweetness that comes out even more so once baked.

From a nutrition standpoint, pineapple contains a high concentration of vitamin C, manganese, and the enzyme bromelain. Bromelain is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent that can help in alleviating chronic pain. Pairing the pineapple with spices like turmeric, cinnamon, and cayenne packs an extra antioxidant punch.

The next time you have a hankering for a sweet snack, whip up a batch of these pineapple slices!

Spiced Oven-Dried Pineapple (Makes 24-30 Slices)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 whole pineapple, peeled with “eyes” removed
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 225 degrees.
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Place the pineapple on its side, and carefully cut slices as thin as possible.
4. Place the slices on the baking sheets. Evenly sprinkle the spices over all of the pineapple.
5. Bake the pineapple slices for approximately one hour, flipping once, until both sides are dry and lightly browned.
6. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days!

Do you make dried fruit at home?

Adopting healthy eating choices is probably one of the single most important things you can do to manage pain, no matter the condition you suffer from.

Fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats like those found in nuts and olive oils contain powerful micronutrients that work to reduce pain-causing inflammation and help you feel better.

It all sounds good in theory, but finding the time and energy to cook these meals is one of the biggest challenges to healthy eating. Eating only whole foods can be costly, too, especially if buying organic produce and specialty ingredients. And if you’ve come home from a long day at work, or are suffering from a bad pain day, finding the energy to cook nutritious meals can seem like an impossible task.

But here are a few ways to help your healthy eating efforts, from reducing costs to just making it easier.

1. Buy in bulk

Consider that a canister of name-brand oats can cost anywhere from $3 to $5 for just over a pound while an entire pound of oats purchased in bulk can cost less than one dollar. Buying in bulk saves money.

Other items available for purchase in bulk include nuts, dried fruit, even flour and other grains like quinoa. Save big money on healthy snack items like trail mix by buying the nuts in bulk and making your own.

You might even make your own granola, taking oats, a comforting winter breakfast, into the summer with the addition of yogurt and fruit.

To make granola, try this recipe from Elizabeth Rider:

Combine two cups of oatmeal with a ½ cup of chopped, raw nuts with about two or three tablespoons of honey or maple syrup. Add two tablespoons of coconut oil and one ½ teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract. Also include ¼ cup of raw seeds like sunflower seeds and ½ cup of dried, chopped fruit if you’d like. For extra oomph, sprinkle a little cinnamon on top. Mix it all together, lay on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 300 degrees.

2. Find inspiration in ethnic cuisine

Many delicious, healthy recipes inspired by Japanese, Indian, and European cooking center on vegetables—which tend to cost less to make than meat—and spices. It’s easy to forget the aromatic flavors that spices can impart on foods, transforming a simple plate of vegetables from flavorless to fantastic.

Consider healthy, easy, incredibly affordable miso soup. Miso is a fermented soybean paste available in the refrigerated section of most health food stores. It offers profound health benefits, including reducing inflammation, which is essential for those living with chronic pain, and preventing cancer, according to MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Making miso soup is very easy and once you get the hang of it, you don’t even need a recipe. It basically involves heating water, adding spices like ginger, vegetables, and any noodles you desire until they’re cooked. For extra anti-inflammatory benefit, try adding seaweed, which is packed with antioxidants and iodine, an important nutrient that could help diminish fatigue, depression, or any difficulties losing weight, according to Greatist.

Once the soup is cooked and ready to eat, remove the pot from the heat and add miso in the amount recommended on the package. Heating miso destroys its active probiotics, so add it in near the end of cooking, and never to boiling water.

To get started, try this miso recipe from Whole Foods that includes garlic, ginger, bok choy, carrots, and tofu.

Another benefit to using spices like ginger, turmeric, and garlic is that these flavor enhancers offer many benefits to chronic pain patients. All offer potent anti-inflammatory compounds that help reduce pain.

Exotic spices impart fun flavor and powerful nutrients to healthy cooking.

Turmeric in particular is not frequently used in U.S.-style cooking, but has been found to put ulcerative colitis in remission, and potentially help to relieve arthritis pain and prevent heart disease, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Turmeric also works to lower blood sugar, making it potentially effective for those with diabetes.

Turmeric is used mostly in Indian cooking, giving curry its signature yellow color. Eating Well offers a collection of dishes with turmeric to get you started experimenting with this colorful, healthy spice. It’s available in powdered form in the grocery store, but most grocery stores also carry the root, usually alongside ginger.

3. Cook in a crockpot

Slow-cooked meals combine ease of cooking with healthy ingredients. Recipes made in a crockpot also frequently yield many servings, reducing the amount of cooking needed overall.

For those with chronic pain who find chopping vegetables difficult because of pain or fatigue, this feature is essential and a great tool for healthy eating. No sautéing or keeping an eye on the stove necessary—simply add the vegetables, turn the crockpot on and, a few hours later, voila, a healthy, delicious meal.

Foods cooked in crockpots tend to be more flavorful because of the slow cooking process. They enable you to buy less expensive cuts of meat because virtually any meat will become tender after hours spent marinating in savory juices and flavors.

Options for meals include vegetable and chickpea curry or butternut squash parsnip soup. If neither of those sound good to you, check out Cooking Light’s list of 100 slow-cooker healthy eating recipes.

4. Money-saving grocery shopping tips

Food costs continue to rise and searching for healthy recipes sometimes turns up fancy-sounding and expensive ingredients. Even if money isn’t an issue, maybe those fancy ingredients scare you away from healthy eating.

Eating nourishing food is about feeling good. If it doesn’t feel good, try something different. Plenty of recipes feature ordinary, everyday ingredients that don’t require a visit to a specialty store. Buying frozen vegetables is often less expensive than buying fresh. Plus, you don’t have to worry about fresh produce going bad, sending money straight into the trashcan.

While fresh vegetables are preferable, frozen is a good alternative, and much better than canned. Basing meals around staples such as vegetables, beans, and rice is a wonderful way to eat healthy while cutting costs. This way of eating is much more affordable than including meat on the plate every night, and healthier, too.

Using fresh spices like ginger, garlic, and lemon is a healthy way to add delicious flavor while keeping costs down and nutrients high.

What is your favorite tip for eating healthy and fast on a budget?

Image by Janine via Flickr

Looking for a simple and versatile recipe, with a lot of health benefits, too? This tomato sauce fits the bill, and best of all, is made in a slow cooker! No fuss, no muss.

Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which is a powerful source of antioxidants and cancer-fighting agents. Studies have shown that consuming tomatoes can be an effective method to reduce the risk of pancreatic and prostate cancer, in particular. As an added bonus, lycopene is beneficial to the skin as well. It is believed to act as an “internal sunscreen” protecting skin from sunburn and aids in preventing fine lines and wrinkles.

Try this slow cooker sauce on pasta, as a dip for vegetables, or mixed with stock as the base of a hearty soup!

Simple Slow Cooker Tomato Sauce (Serves 4-6)

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2, 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon honey (optional)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the olive oil, tomatoes, garlic cloves, salt, and honey if using, in a slow cooker set over low heat. Cover and cook for approximately 4-6 hours, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes have started to break down.
2. Remove the slow cooker lid, and simmer for an additional hour.
3. If you prefer a smooth tomato sauce, transfer the mixture to a blender and pulse, or use an immersion blender to get it to your desired consistency
4. Stir in basil, if using.

Are you going to try this easy-peasy slow cooker tomato sauce?

Beans are high in dietary fiber that keeps us feeling fuller longer, prevents blood sugar from rising, and can help to lower certain forms of cholesterol. As the basis of a soup – especially combined with meaty mushrooms – they make for a satiating and healthful meal!

This soup comes together in a matter of minutes (about 20, to be exact!), and is loaded with nutrients (from the beans and mushrooms mentioned above) as well as sun-dried tomatoes, and topped with a handful or arugula. Arugula is rich in vitamin K, which aids in maintaining strong bones while potentially reducing joint pain, so feel free to pile it on!

Bean and Mushroom Soup with Arugula (Serves 4)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 8-ounce package cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
• 1, 14-15-ounce can white beans, such as Cannellini, Navy, or Great Northern varieties
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Baby arugula
• Lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the olive oil in a large pot, or dutch oven, set over medium-high heat.
2. Add the mushrooms to the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, and all of the water (from the mushrooms) has evaporated.
3. Add the garlic and sun dried tomatoes to the pot, and cook for an additional minute.
4. Pour the stock in the pot and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the beans to the mixture. Simmer for approximately 15 minutes.
6. Serve the soup with a small handful of arugula, and a squeeze of lemon juice, if desired.

Share your favorite soup recipe in the comments!

Are you in need of a simple yet unique salad recipe? Look no further than this cucumber, fennel, and dill combination! The cucumbers make this salad light enough to serve on a warm day, while the fennel still has some winter flair. The best part about this recipe is that it requires only 5 ingredients and can be made in a matter of minutes.

Where our health is concerned, fennel in particular is low in calories, and contains high levels of potassium and vitamin C. Consuming fennel has been shown to increase metabolism, and boost immunity; perfect for a time of year when many of us are focused on getting rid of those last few holiday pounds, and warding off illness too!

Cucumber, Fennel, and Dill Salad (Serves 2-4)

INGREDIENTS

• 8-10 small cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 1 fennel bulb with core removed, sliced and fronds
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the sliced cucumbers in a colander lined with cheese cloth or a paper towel, while you prepare the remaining ingredients, in order to remove any excess water. Before placing the cucumbers in a large mixing bowl, gently pat dry.
2. Combine the cucumbers and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Serve immediately.

How do you like to prepare fennel?

Cooking up a large pot of chili is one of the best ways to utilize leftover ingredients and feed a crowd in one fell swoop. It can also be a pitfall to healthful eating, if you are not careful; with an abundance of meat and toppings. This recipe is an alternative to the norm, with loads of vegetables including carrots, peppers, corn, and of course, beans.

One serving of black beans contains over half the recommended amount of daily fiber, and close to 1/3 of the recommended amount of daily protein, meaning that not only are these beans good for you, but they will fill you up too! In addition, black beans steady the digestive tract, and have been shown to help balance blood sugar.

Very Veggie Black Bean Chili (Serves 4-6)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 green pepper, finely chopped
• 1 red pepper, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced
• 5 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pound grass-fed ground sirloin (OR ground sirloin with 85+% fat)
• 1 28-ounce box chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup water
• 5 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 can black beans

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Add all of the vegetables to the pot, and cook for approximately 10 minutes.
3. Add the sirloin, breaking up the meat, and cook until browned; about 8 minutes.
4. Add the spices and stir until blended.
5. Add the tomatoes and bay leaf and water, reducing heat to a simmer. Cover and continue to simmer for one hour.
6. Stir in the tomato paste and black beans. Simmer uncovered for an additional 20 minutes. Serve with desired toppings (sprouted corn tortilla chips, Monterey Jack cheese, and green onions are all good options!).

What’s your favorite chili recipe?