The Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Action Plans: 4-Week Meal Plans to Heal the Immune System and Restore Overall Health (20 page)

The light smokiness of the turkey paired with peppery arugula and the satisfying crunch of a zucchini stick make this a great late-afternoon—or anytime—snack. These travel well, so pack a lunch for work or a picnic. The hit of protein will sustain you longer than anything you get from a vending machine.

8 thin slices smoked turkey

2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise

1 cup packed arugula, divided

Pinch salt

1.
Place 1 slice of smoked turkey on a work surface. Top with 1 zucchini stick, ¼ cup of arugula, and a sprinkle of salt.

2.
Wrap the turkey around the vegetables and place on a platter seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

3.
Cover and chill until ready to serve.

COOKING TIP:
For an added pop of flavor, drizzle with a little olive oil and lemon juice.

PER SERVING

Calories: 137; Total Fat: 3g;

Total Carbohydrates: 6g;

Sugar: 2g; Fiber: 1g;

Protein: 21g; Sodium: 1450mg

MAKES 1 CUP / PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES / COOK TIME: 30 TO 40 MINUTES

A satisfying snack that’s easy to store and keep handy for a quick pick-me-up. It’s best to eat these within five days since they start to lose their crunch if you keep them longer. Making them yourself is less expensive than buying them, and you also will know exactly what’s in them.

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon chipotle powder

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2.
Pat the drained chickpeas dry with a paper towel.

3.
In a small bowl, stir together the salt, cumin, onion powder, turmeric, chipotle powder, and garlic powder.

4.
In a medium bowl, combine the dry chickpeas and olive oil. Gently stir the chickpeas to coat with the oil.

5.
Sprinkle the salt mixture over the chickpeas. Stir until coated evenly.

6.
On a large baking sheet with raised sides (to keep the chickpeas from rolling off the sheet), spread the chickpeas in a single layer. Place the sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the chickpeas are dry and crunchy.

7.
Cool completely before eating.

STORAGE TIP:
If you’re not planning on eating these immediately, store in an airtight container at room temperature.

TIME-SAVING TIP:
Line the baking sheet with parchment paper before baking the chickpeas. Cleanup will be a snap.

ACTION PLAN TIP:
If you’re using this recipe as part of the Vegan or Mediterranean Action Plan, double the quantities so you have enough leftovers for later in the week.

PER SERVING (¼ cup)

Calories: 192; Total Fat: 10g;

Total Carbohydrates: 18g;

Sugar: 1g; Fiber: 5g;

Protein: 8g; Sodium: 593mg

SERVES 4 TO 6 / PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES / COOK TIME: 2 HOURS

Sweet potato chips are absolutely delicious, either alone or with Creamy Broccoli Dip (see
here
). To get a crispy chip, slice the sweet potatoes as thin as possible. Use a mandoline or the thin-slicing disk on a food processor. If all you have is a sharp knife and patience, you’re still in luck. Thicker chips are more chewy than crispy, but are every bit as delicious.

2 large sweet potatoes, sliced as thin as possible

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

1.
Preheat the oven to 250°F.

2.
Position the rack in the center of the oven.

3.
In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes slices with the olive oil. Arrange the slices in a single layer on two baking sheets. Sprinkle with the sea salt.

4.
Place the sheets in the preheated oven and bake for about 2 hours, rotating the pans and flipping the chips after 1 hour.

5.
Once the chips are lightly brown and crisp, remove them from the oven. Some may be a bit soft, but they will crisp as they cool. Cool the chips for 10 minutes before serving.

6.
Serve immediately. The chips lose their crunch within several hours.

PER SERVING

Calories: 267; Total Fat: 11g;

Total Carbohydrates: 42g;

Sugar: 1g; Fiber: 6g;

Protein: 2g; Sodium: 482mg

MAKES 24 / PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES / COOK TIME: 15 TO 20 MINUTES

Defend yourself from that snack attack—these muffins have no added sweetener, which makes them a perfect anytime snack. Make ahead to have on hand, or double the batch and store them in the freezer. They are great served warm with a drizzle of raw honey.

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing

1 cup almond flour

1 cup brown rice flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 eggs

1 cup shredded carrot

1 cup canned pumpkin

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2.
Line a mini-muffin tin with cupcake liners, or brush the tin with a little olive oil.

3.
In a medium bowl, mix together the almond flour, brown rice flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

4.
Add the eggs, carrot, pumpkin, and olive oil. Stir until well combined.

5.
Scoop the batter into each muffin cup, filling each three-quarters full.

6.
Place the tin in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the muffins are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before removing the muffins from the tin.

VEGAN TIP:
If you’re following the Vegan Action Plan, replace the eggs with 4 teaspoons of ground flaxseed combined with 8 ounces of water.

PALEO TIP:
If you’re following the Paleo Action Plan, replace the brown rice flour with coconut flour.

PER SERVING
(1 muffin)

Calories: 65; Total Fat: 4g;

Total Carbohydrates: 7g;

Sugar: 1g; Fiber: 1g;

Protein: 2g; Sodium: 66mg

MAKES 6 ICE POPS / PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES / FREEZE TIME: 5 HOURS

Fresh and refreshing, you can make these ice pops with any frozen or fresh fruit you like. When using fresh fruit, it’s best to mash the fruit before combining it with the remaining ingredients. This way you avoid biting into overly large frozen chunks of fruit.