AARP Rewards Healthy Plate Contest, Week 3 May 17-23

I chop radishes, tomatoes, avocado & green onions together. Mix into cottage cheese, season with a no-salt seasoning & white pepper. I like this as lunch that's easy to prepare in advance & take with me. Alternatively, season the cottage cheese and spread onto toasted sourdough rounds. Spoon some of the veggie mix over the top. Simple & easy for breakfast, appetizer, snack, etc. 

Avocado toast on whole grain bread and oatmeal with dried cherries and cinnamon.

One of my favorite meals is a macrobiotic meal which is anti-inflammatory:  adzuki beans cooked with butternut squash, brown rice sprinkled with gomasio (sesame seeds and sea salt ground together), and Tuscan kale sautéed in a little water sprinkled with ume vinegar (which is salty).  SO good!

I was able to dump sugary soda, and then other sugary foods by trying several different no calorie sweeteners until I figured out what I liked best, then looking for it in replacement products.

I try to include lots of purple foods as I can. We have fruit plates very often for dinner, and I include dried cherries and blueberries with the fresh fruit.

I have been prepping sheet pan meals with olive oil, and roasted veggies. Cutting out the salt and replacing with herbs works for me.

Not sure which foods are anti inflammatory but try to get a mix of fresh produce

Broccoli Romaine Onions Leeks Brussel Sprouts Mushrooms Peppers love them all 

I add turmeric and ginger to anything possible, I love ginger in my ice tea and even plain all by itself

Pumpkin Cake with zucchini.   Pumpkin is anti-inflammatory. How to sneak vegetables in.

Duncan Hines white cake mix box.  Follow recipe. Substitute all water and oil (1 1/2 cup ONLY ) with Trader Joe's pumpkin soup (2 cups) in a carton. (Shake your carton before mixing in.)  Mince zucchini to 1 1/2 cups.  (Can add more ? ) Add to batter. Bake per instructions. Makes a dense moist cake. Enjoy. (Can add cream cheese frosting but...)