The Anti-Inflammatory Dinner I’m Making to Kick Off the New Year

I don’t think we need to reinvent ourselves at the beginning of each year. However, I do think the start of a new year is a great time to reset and re-focus. Last year, my health goals were to eat more protein (especially at breakfast), to fit in strength training more regularly and to get out for more walks. As we head into the new year, I still plan to focus on all of these goals, plus a couple more: eat more fiber and reduce inflammation. 

In general, all these goals are about setting myself up for success as I age. I’m only in my 40s, but I’d like to continue to be strong and healthy in the years to come. Paying attention to my protein and fiber intake, building muscle, being active and reducing inflammation should all help. Getting enough sleep and reducing stress are a couple of ways to reduce inflammation—and two things I could definitely work on improving in the new year. 

But what you eat can also affect inflammation, so I also plan to incorporate more ingredients with anti-inflammatory effects into my meals, such as beans, leafy greens, dark vegetables, berries and foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. That’s why I’m kicking off the new year with these Butternut Squash Hummus Bowls (and adding them to my regular rotation).

These bowls are packed with ingredients that have nutrients that are known for fighting inflammation, like butternut squash, baby spinach and hummus. Besides that, they taste great and are full of ingredients I love to eat anyway. To make them you start by tossing cubed butternut squash and wedges of red onion with olive oil, za’atar and salt and roasting them until they’re tender. While the vegetables are roasting, you toast some pepitas in a skillet and season them with paprika, crushed red pepper and a little salt for a crunchy topping. Then, when the vegetables are done, you stir some baby spinach into them to warm and wilt. Assembling the bowls is easy. You just spread hummus in the bottom of a bowl, pile the vegetable mixture on top and sprinkle with the seasoned pepitas and some crumbled feta.

The bowls are warm, filling and comforting—perfect for a chilly January day. I love the herby brightness the za’atar adds and the subtle kick of heat from the crushed red pepper. And the pepitas add a nice crunch that contrasts with the softer textures of the squash and hummus. They’re suitable for lunch or dinner—they would even be great for breakfast with a jammy egg. And they’re also perfect for meal prepping. You can roast the vegetables ahead (and toast and store the pepitas) and then reheat them and assemble the bowls when you’re ready to eat them. It’s an ideal way to have lunches at the ready for the workweek.

And the bowls are not just an easy way to incorporate a lot of anti-inflammatory ingredients into one meal; they’re also high in fiber, so they help me meet my goal of adding more fiber to my meals as well. If I want a little extra protein, I can add some leftover chicken or crispy chickpeas, both of which work well with the rest of the components in the bowl. 

The bowls are also versatile. For example, kale can be swapped in for the spinach, but you’ll want to sauté it first, as it won’t wilt as readily as the spinach. Or you can roast some broccoli along with the squash and onions. And you can use other types of squash, such as koginut (my favorite), acorn or honeynut. If you want to use a different spice or spice blend instead of the za’atar, you can do that too—I think cumin would be quite nice. And you can switch up the feta by crumbling on some goat cheese, or skip the cheese and add a spoonful of yogurt.

With this easy recipe on hand, meeting some of my health goals will be so easy this year. (We’ll see how bundling up and getting out for walks in the snow goes …) I hope you try them and they help you meet some of your health goals, too. Happy New Year!