The ultimate list of anti-inflammatory snacks, broken down into categories including high protein, grab-and-go, sweet but blood sugar friendly, and more! Plus, simple tips to make a snack more “anti-inflammatory” so you can easily just build your own or customize any of these ideas.
Inflammation is a normal and vital response to injury! However, when our body is in a chronic or long-term inflammatory state, it can significantly contribute to the development of many diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease and cognitive disorders like dementia.
Supporting lower inflammation isn’t about cutting foods out — it’s about what you include more often. The balance of anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory foods can influence how your body feels and responds over time.
Below are snack ideas ranging from grab-and-go combinations to simple recipes, so you can choose what fits your energy level that day.
If you loved this post, also read: 19 Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep Recipes, 5-Day Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan or 14 Anti-Inflammatory Breakfasts! Or, instead of reading all of that, buy my Anti-Inflammatory Diet Toolkit!
What Makes a Snack “Anti-Inflammatory”?
Essentially, an anti-inflammatory snack should include foods that help to decrease or prevent chronic inflammation. Examples would be fruit and/or veggies (the more variety the better), lean protein with an emphasis on plant-based protein and oily fish, nuts and seeds, healthy fats as well as fiber-packed beans and legumes.
The Perfect Anti-Inflammatory snack
Whenever you are building a snack, I would aim for at least two of the following:
- A veggie and/or fruit. Fresh, frozen, or roasted all count. Fiber + antioxidants = a solid anti-inflammatory base.
- Beans or legumes. Hummus, roasted chickpeas, lentils, or bean-based dips add fiber and plant protein that help steady blood sugar.
- Healthy fats like nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocado, and avocado oil.
- Whole grains –> the more fiber, the better! Read nutrition labels. If you’re gluten-free, ancient grains like oats, quinoa, buckwheat, or sorghum work well.
- A fermented food. Yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, or kimchi support gut health, which plays a role in inflammation.
High Protein Anti-Inflammatory Snacks
These are filling snacks with 10+ grams of protein per serving.
Peach Pineapple Kefir Smoothie
Kefir is a fermented dairy beverage with significantly more probiotics than yogurt. I love adding it to smoothies! This is a simple smoothie with tropical flavors, providing live, active cultures to support a healthier gut microbiome as well as chia seeds to feed the good bacteria.
Our gut is involved with so much including a role in decreasing inflammation. Plus, the fresh fruit adds even more anti-inflammatory properties. Another fun smoothie to try: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie.
Yogurt Bowl
A half cup of Greek yogurt has 14 grams of protein and some brands list probiotic strains on the label. They’re perfect for an easy snack. Top with 1/2 cup of fruit and some chopped nuts and that is what I would consider a perfect little anti-inflammatory snack.
Dark Chocolate Cherry Yogurt Bowl
Or, try a specific recipe that takes it one step further with dark cacao powder.
This recipe makes two small snack servings! Cacao is considered anti-inflammatory because it has phenolic compounds, like flavanols, which neutralize free radicals and reduce inflammatory markers like TNF-α and IL-6.
- 1 cup unflavored or vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon dark cocao powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)
- 1 1/2 cups frozen dark cherries
- 2 tablespoons hemp hearts
- Mini chocolate chips for garnish
- Whipped cream, optional
Greek Yogurt Protein Pudding Cups
These lower calorie mini pudding cups almost check all the boxes: you’ve got fresh fruit, healthy fats from the pecans, live, active cultures from the yogurt and protein to keep you full and satisfied. They taste amazing, too! Meal prep these little cups and enjoy.
Turkey roll-ups / Raw Veggies with avocado or hummus
Avocados are packed with healthy fats and fiber. Hummus is made with anti-inflammatory ingredients like chickpeas, olive oil, and tahini (sesame seeds). Both are great options on a simple turkey roll up or as a dip with whole wheat crackers or just raw veggies!
Store-bought is just fine. Or, try this antioxidant-packed Homemade Chocolate Hummus from Craving Something Healthy featuring dark chocolate, chickpeas, walnuts and tahini (shown above)!
Cottage cheese + cherry tomatoes & olive oil
Drizzle the cottage cheese with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Pair with cherry tomatoes and eat it with a spoon or some whole wheat crackers, like Triscuits, for a savory snack. In the above photo, there are some add-ons like kalamata olives, cucumbers, roasted red bell peppers (from a jar) and avocado slices.
Also try a mini protein snack plate with cheese, olives, nuts, and fruit.
Protein chia pudding
An ultra creamy, decadent white chocolate raspberry cheesecake chia pudding with a good balance of both protein and fiber! This recipe packs a nutritional punch and is great for gut health as well. There is a Greek yogurt and kefir version.
The kefir version contains significantly more probiotics as compared to the yogurt version, however, it is slightly tangier and may require more honey. There is 10.5g protein in kefir version and 20g protein in yogurt version. For a lower calorie option, cut the servings in half or use less white chocolate chips.
Simple Grab and Go
- Pistachios or walnuts + a piece of fruit.
- Pre-made chia pudding or yogurt parfaits.
- Homemade roasted chickpeas (see recipe below).
- Hummus cups + baby carrots or snap peas.
- Olives + a handful of almonds + cucumbers.
- Cottage cheese (plain or low-sugar) + berries.
- Apple + peanut or almond butter packet.
- The Only Bean Roasted Edamame Packs.
- Mozzarella cheese stick + almonds.
Sweet (But Still Blood-Sugar Friendly)
That means that most of these options have a good amount of fiber to slowly release glucose into the bloodstream, preventing huge blood sugar spikes.
Dark Chocolate Stuffed Dates
Select a dark chocolate that is 70-80% cacao and combine it with dates and you will have the most deliciously addicting treat! Yes, they are sweet, but dates are packed with fiber, antioxidants, and yes – potential anti-inflammatory properties.
These extremely tasty dates can be frozen for up to 3 months. There are studies that have concluded that regular date consumption can contribute to the prevention of chronic illnesses and promote overall health and well-being.
Date stuffed with almond butter
Don’t want to go through the whole process of dipping dates into dark chocolate and freezing? Just stuff them with almond butter for a quick snack idea.
Baked Oatmeal Donuts
Fun, portable, handheld baked oatmeal donuts! Make them more anti-inflammatory by dipping them into Greek yogurt or pairing with fresh fruit. You could even add fruit to the mixture before baking but this does add moisture so you will have to eat them on a plate!
Dark Chocolate Bark (Living chirpy)
This dark chocolate bark is actually quite healthy with numerous anti-inflammatory foods like pumpkin seeds, pecans, pistachios, pomegranates, dark chocolate and cranberries. A multi-functional snack that can curb a sweet tooth and may help lower inflammation.
No Baked Turmeric Ginger Energy Bites (Fannetastic Food)
Both turmeric and ginger are spices that have been used medicinally for centuries because of their anti-inflammatory properties. These energy bites can be meal prepped for a convenient, easy, grab-and-go snack. The apricots and golden raisins bring sweetness and a bit of tartness, so they’re sweet but not too sweet. They also have almonds and cashews!
Savory and Crunchy
Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers
Mini bell peppers stuffed with a mixture of cream cheese and Greek yogurt! One serving of this recipe provides a lot of antioxidants, such as beta carotene, quercetin, and capsanthin that fight inflammation. They’re topped with Everything but the Bagel Seasoning so there is some crunch and salt!
Also try these Caprese Cucumber Snack Bites from PCOS Nutritionist Alyssa as well!
Roasted Chickpeas (The Healthy Epicurean)
Somewhat spicy roasted chickpeas for a tasty, crunchy snack! Eat them as is or pair them with a healthy fat, like olives or veggies drizzle in olive oil.
More Ideas
- Whole grain crackers + hummus. Again, very important to read labels here – Triscuits are one of my favorites for their high fiber content.
- Avocado toast on seeded bread (half slice works).
- Air-popped popcorn + olive oil + nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is just a simple way to increase the nutrient density of so many dishes! Check out my post: All the Best Ways to Use Nutritional Yeast.
- Roasted sweet potato rounds with tahini.
- Veggies + guacamole.
- Turmeric popcorn.
- KIND Fruit and Nut Bars.
What are some of your favorite anti-inflammatory snacks that I am missing? Let me know in the comments! Follow along for more evidence-based nutrition content. Subscribe for a free 33-page e-book.