--- title: 7 Anti-Inflammatory Winter Meals You and Your Children Will Love Sharing description: Seven easy anti-inflammatory meals for winter that children will eat, from salmon fishcakes to lentil soup and turkey chilli, on a family budget. author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief) date: 2026-11-03T13:01:03.980Z updated: 2026-11-03T13:01:03.997Z canonical: https://richdadmagazine.com/article/anti-inflammatory-winter-meals-for-families image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/pexels-40135526.webp categories: Food, Health & Strength content_type: Guide publication: Rich Dad Magazine schema_type: Article --- Anti-inflammatory eating sounds like a diet for adults, but the foods at its centre are the ones you already want on your children's plates: oily fish, beans and lentils, whole grains, colourful vegetables, olive oil, nuts and seeds. Ultra-processed snacks, sugary drinks and processed meat sit at the other end. Winter makes this harder. Salads lose their appeal, and children want something hot and filling after a cold walk home from school. The seven meals below are warm, cost little and use tins, frozen vegetables and cheap cuts wherever they can. Each one serves four. ## How Much Oily Fish Your Children Should Eat The [NHS advises](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/fish-and-shellfish-nutrition/) at least two portions of fish a week for the whole family, one of them oily, such as salmon, sardines, mackerel or trout. An adult portion is about 140g cooked. Children have an upper limit too: boys can have up to four portions of oily fish a week and girls up to two. Two of the meals below use oily fish, which covers the week for everyone at the table. ## Salmon and Sweet Potato Fishcakes **You need:** 2 tins of salmon (about 210g each, drained), 2 large sweet potatoes, 3 spring onions, the zest of 1 lemon, 1 egg, 60g wholemeal breadcrumbs and a little olive oil. **Method:** Bake the sweet potatoes at 200C for 45 minutes, scoop out the flesh and mash it with the salmon, chopped spring onions, lemon zest and egg. Shape eight cakes, roll them in breadcrumbs, brush with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes, turning once. The crisp outside wins over children who refuse fish on its own. Serve with peas and a spoonful of plain yoghurt. ## Red Lentil, Carrot and Tomato Soup **You need:** 1 onion, 3 carrots, 1 garlic clove, 200g red lentils, 1 tin of chopped tomatoes, 1 litre of low-salt vegetable stock, 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric and a small piece of fresh ginger. **Method:** Soften the chopped onion, carrots, garlic and grated ginger in olive oil for five minutes. Stir in the turmeric, then add the lentils, tomatoes and stock. Simmer for 25 minutes until the lentils fall apart, then blend until smooth. A smooth soup hides every vegetable in it. Serve with wholemeal toast for dipping, and freeze half for a school-night dinner. ## Chicken, Chickpea and Spinach Tray Bake **You need:** 8 skinless chicken thighs, 1 tin of chickpeas (drained), 2 red peppers, 1 red onion, 250g cherry tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika and 2 handfuls of spinach. **Method:** Toss everything except the spinach in the oil and paprika and spread it over a large roasting tin. Roast at 200C for 35 minutes, then stir the spinach through for the last two minutes until it wilts. One tin means one pan to wash. Children can help chop the peppers and scatter the chickpeas, and [children who cook a meal are more likely to eat it](https://richdadmagazine.com/article/cooking-with-kids). ## Turkey and Bean Chilli With Brown Rice **You need:** 500g turkey mince, 1 onion, 1 carrot and 1 courgette (both grated), 1 tin of kidney beans, 1 tin of black beans, 2 tins of chopped tomatoes, 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin and mild chilli powder, and 250g brown rice. **Method:** Brown the turkey with the onion in a large pan, then add the grated vegetables and spices. Tip in the beans and tomatoes and simmer for 30 minutes. Cook the rice while the chilli simmers. Keep the chilli mild for the children and put hot sauce on the table for the adults. The grated carrot and courgette melt into the sauce, and two tins of beans stretch the mince to feed four with leftovers. ## Honey and Soy Salmon With Roasted Squash and Broccoli **You need:** 4 salmon fillets, 1 small butternut squash, 1 head of broccoli, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of reduced-salt soy sauce, 1 garlic clove and a little olive oil. **Method:** Cube the squash, toss it in olive oil and roast at 200C for 25 minutes. Mix the honey, soy sauce and crushed garlic and brush it over the salmon. Add the salmon and broccoli to the tray and roast for another 12 to 15 minutes. The sweet glaze is what children remember. Do not give honey to babies under one; for a baby at the table, keep one fillet plain. ## Wholewheat Pasta With Hidden Vegetable Tomato Sauce **You need:** 400g wholewheat pasta, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stick, 1 courgette, 1 red pepper, 2 tins of chopped tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and grated cheese to serve. **Method:** Chop the vegetables and cook them gently in olive oil for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes, then blend the sauce smooth and stir it through the cooked pasta. Make a double batch and freeze it in portions. On a busy evening, dinner is ready in the time it takes to boil the pasta. ## Warm Porridge With Berries and Ground Flaxseed **You need:** 160g porridge oats, 800ml milk, 200g frozen mixed berries, 4 tablespoons of ground flaxseed and a pinch of cinnamon. **Method:** Simmer the oats in the milk for five minutes, stirring. Warm the berries in a small pan until they burst, then spoon them over the porridge with a tablespoon of flaxseed and the cinnamon on each bowl. Frozen berries cost less than fresh ones in winter and keep for months. The fruit sweetens the bowl, so you can skip the sugar and syrup. ## Make the Week Easier Cook the soup, the chilli and the pasta sauce at the weekend and freeze them in family portions. With three meals in the freezer, the fishcakes, the tray bake and the salmon are the only ones you need to cook from scratch during the week. If your child has a medical condition or a food allergy, talk to your GP or a registered dietitian before changing their diet.