18 Inflammation-Fighting Snacks for Summer

By

Published on June 3, 2024

Reviewed by Dietitian

Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

the recipe photo of the Anti-Inflammatory Energy Balls — Photo:
Photographer: Stacy k. Allen, Props: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Lauren Odum

Enjoy one of these delicious, inflammation-fighting snacks this summer. Recipes in this collection highlight nutrient-dense ingredients like berries, nuts, legumes, whole grains and spices. These foods have anti-inflammatory properties that can help you combat pesky symptoms of chronic inflammation like mental fog, joint stiffness and muscle pain.

And what better way to reap the benefits than by making these bars, dips, muffins and more? Recipes like our Anti-Inflammatory Energy Balls and Strawberry-Chocolate Greek Yogurt Bark are packed with seasonal ingredients, so you can enjoy the taste of summer in just a few flavorful bites.

01 of 18

Garlic Hummus

Garlic Hummus

This garlic hummus recipe couldn't be easier—just toss a few ingredients in the food processor and whir away!

02 of 18

Anti-Inflammatory Energy Balls

the recipe photo of the Anti-Inflammatory Energy Balls — Photographer: Stacy k. Allen, Props: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Lauren Odum

Drawing inspiration from the flavors of Cherry Garcia, these chocolate-cherry date energy balls are a tasty tribute to the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor named after Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. Packed with chunks of dark chocolate and dried tart cherries, they’re not only delicious but also contain polyphenols, a nutrient found in cherries that can help suppress inflammation.

03 of 18

Strawberry-Chocolate Greek Yogurt Bark

Strawberry-Chocolate Greek Yogurt Bark

Greek yogurt gets studded with fresh strawberries and chocolate chips and then frozen so you can break it into chunks just like chocolate bark (but healthier!). This colorful snack is perfect for kids and adults alike.

04 of 18

Roasted Butternut Squash Seeds

image of roasted butternut squash seeds — Caitlin Bensel

Don't throw away your butternut squash seeds; roast them instead! Roasted butternut squash seeds make a great snack or salad topper. Enjoy them plain or jazzed up with one of the variations below.

05 of 18

Low-Carb Blueberry Muffins

Low-Carb Blueberry Muffins

Just because you're watching carbs doesn't mean you can't have the classic breakfast pastry. In place of all-purpose flour, nutty almond and coconut flours make these muffins fluffy while slashing carbs. A bit of brown sugar blunts the tartness of fresh blueberries. Make these ahead for a grab-and-go breakfast for the week.

06 of 18

Easy Black Bean Dip

Easy Black Bean Dip

This creamy bean dip is great for a party or picnic. Smoked paprika and ground chipotles add a robust, earthy flavor, but you can also use regular paprika and cayenne if you don't have the other spices on hand.

07 of 18

Raspberry Yogurt Cereal Bowl

Raspberry Yogurt Cereal Bowl

For breakfast, snack or a healthy dessert, try using yogurt instead of milk for your cereal. If making this as a to-go snack, keep the cereal separate and top just before eating.

08 of 18

Blueberry-Pecan Energy Balls

Blueberry-Pecan Energy Balls

Dried blueberries and pecans team up with cacao nibs for a chocolaty treat any time of day. The cacao is a bit more bitter than chocolate, but the maple syrup helps tame it. Almond butter and chia seeds provide protein to make these bites substantial snacks to fuel your body.

09 of 18

Cherry-Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Skip the granola bar options at the grocery store--they're easy to make at home! You can vary the add-ins to your taste, swapping 2 cups of any combination of small (or chopped) dried fruit, nuts and/or seeds for the chocolate, cherries and coconut in this version. We tested several sticky sweeteners, including maple syrup and honey, but found brown rice syrup held the bars together the best.

10 of 18

Roasted Beet Hummus

This vibrant hummus recipe couldn't be easier—just toss a few ingredients in the food processor and whir away! Roasted beets make this healthy dip extra flavorful. Serve with veggie chips, pita chips or crudités.

11 of 18

Cherry-Cocoa-Pistachio Energy Balls

Minced dried cherries and pistachios make these energy balls a salty-sweet snack to satisfy all your cravings. Almond butter and cocoa add substance and chocolaty appeal. Serve any time of day as a snack or dessert, or pack them for a hike.

12 of 18

Whole-Wheat Strawberry Muffins

This healthy muffin recipe features strawberries, but you can use your favorite berry in their place. Recipe adapted from the Massachusetts Farm to School program.

13 of 18

Air-Fryer Crispy Chickpeas

Air-fried chickpea snacks are intensely flavored and incredibly crunchy. Drying the chickpeas is essential to a good crunch, so don't skip this step. If you have time, leave them out on the counter to dry for an hour or two before frying.

14 of 18

Hard-Boiled Egg & Almonds

This small snack packs a nutrient punch--it's loaded with protein, heart-healthy fats, vitamins and minerals to make eating healthy easy and yummy.

15 of 18

Peanut Butter Energy Balls

Peanut butter energy balls spread out on a blue tray — Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco

These healthy peanut butter and chocolate energy balls deliver a mixture of simple and complex carbohydrates to help fuel you up whenever you need a little boost.

16 of 18

Peanut Butter-Oat Energy Balls

Peanut Butter Energy Balls in a bowl — Carson Downing

Sweet, sticky dates act as the glue for these no-bake energy balls. Perfect for hikes or during sports, this healthy snack travels well.

17 of 18

3-Ingredient Crispy Potato Peel Chips

Potato Peel Chips on a gray oval platter, overhead with an off-white linen on a robin's egg blue surface.

These 3-ingredient potato peel chips are a cross between a french fry and a potato chip, and they’re the perfect snack to make when you have potatoes to peel! These chips can be enjoyed as-is or dressed up with seasoning. Simply toss baked potato peel chips with seasoning immediately after removing them from the oven. (If you season before baking, the spices may burn.) The only trick is to season them right away—the seasonings will not adhere well once the chips have cooled.

18 of 18

Peanut Butter, Blueberry & Oat Energy Squares

These one-bowl, no-bake energy squares ensure a quick way to refuel during long meetings, tough workouts or that mid-afternoon energy slump. Feel free to swap the blueberries for your favorite dried fruit and the pistachios for your favorite nut--but keep the maple syrup as is; we found using less than 1/2 cup resulted in crumbly bars.

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Tell us why!

Related Articles

Easy Black Bean Dip

17 High-Protein Snacks to Help Reduce Inflammation

watermelon n lime

18 Gut-Healthy Snacks to Help Reduce Inflammation

Pistachio & Peach Toast

24 Anti-Inflammatory Snacks for the Mediterranean Diet

caramel delight energy balls

16 High-Fiber Snacks to Help Reduce Inflammation

Peanut Butter-Oat Energy Balls

17 No-Added-Sugar, Anti-Inflammatory Snack Recipes

blueberry lemon energy balls

18 Heart Healthy Snacks to Help Reduce Inflammation

Almost Chipotle's Guacamole

17 Low-Carb Snack Recipes to Help You Poop

Greek Yogurt with Fruit & Nuts

Hard-Boiled Egg & Almonds

Raspberry-Pistachio Greek Yogurt Bark

Raspberry-Pistachio Greek Yogurt Bark

a recipe photo of the Cranberry-Orange Energy Balls

Cranberry-Orange Energy Balls Are the Perfect High-Fiber Fall Snack

Strawberry-Rhubarb Bars

EatingWell Energy Bars

Cranberry-Almond Granola Bars

Cherry-Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Apricot-Sunflower Granola Bars