- Sam’s Club offers plenty of antioxidant-rich foods in bulk, helping you fight inflammation and save money.
- Dietitians’ top picks include berries, salmon, baby spinach and fruit-and-oat smoothie snack packs.
- Sleep well, support your gut health and limit added sugars to further reduce inflammation.
While acute inflammation helps your body heal a cut or scrape, low-grade chronic inflammation has been linked to a wide range of chronic health conditions—including heart disease, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders and certain cancer. The good news? Your diet can play a powerful role in combating inflammation and lowering your risk.
Foods rich in antioxidants—like fruits, vegetables, fatty fish, nuts and seeds—help to fight inflammation. The more variety you eat, the more types of antioxidants you’re giving your body to work with. While these foods can sometimes be pricey, wholesale stores like Sam’s Club make it easy and affordable to stock up by buying in bulk, so you can protect your health without breaking the bank.
Ready to fill your cart? Learn which five anti-inflammatory foods dietitians recommend next time you hit the “club.”
1. Fresh Raspberries
Instead of hitting the candy aisle, make a quick stop in the fresh foods section and stock up on nature’s candy: raspberries. “They have a whopping 8 grams of fiber per serving, and they’re so easy to add on top of oatmeal, yogurt or cottage cheese parfaits, or even stuff [them] with mini chocolate chips as a dessert,” says Amy Davis, RDN.
Red raspberries are especially powerful in fighting inflammation, thanks to their high concentration of antioxidants, including vitamin C, ellagitannins and anthocyanins. Fresh raspberries can sometimes have slightly higher anthocyanin levels, but frozen raspberries—which last longer and are equally nutritious—are also an excellent choice.
2. Frozen Salmon
Omega-3 fatty acids are a powerful anti-inflammatory nutrient, and wild-caught salmon is one of the best sources. “Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential unsaturated fatty acids that help fight inflammation,” says Davis. In particular, fatty fish are a rich source of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which support everything from brain and heart health to relief from rheumatoid arthritis.
Buying this bulk pack of frozen fillets has its perks. “I love these individually wrapped frozen filets because they have a long shelf-life, and you can defrost them as needed,” says Davis. She enjoys them roasted with a bit of lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper on top—or added to a tortilla with a tangy cabbage slaw for easy salmon tacos.
3. Triple Berry Frozen Blend
Blueberries, blackberries or raspberries? Why choose when you can grab a 64-ounce bag that includes all three. “I usually stock up with 2 to 3 bags per Sam’s Club trip because I use them daily and they are budget-friendly, costing less than $0.75 per serving,” says Samantha Turner, M.P.H, RDN, CHES.
Each berry packs a high amount of specific anti-inflammatory polyphenols, but eating all three together gives you a broader range, including phenolic acids, ellagitannins, flavanols and anthocyanins. Turner suggests using them for homemade cereal, smoothies or chocolate-covered blueberries.
4. Fruit and Oat Smoothies
Do you want the benefits of omega-3-rich fatty fish without the fish? Sam’s Club has a convenient solution: a 20-pack box of Braniac fish oil-infused smoothie pouches.
“The main reason why I love these when focusing on anti-inflammatory effects is because of the DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids they provide, thanks to the sneaky addition of real fish oil—but I promise you can’t even taste it!” says Lauren Manaker M.S., RDN, LD. Each pouch contains 65 milligrams of DHA and EPA, both known for their anti-inflammatory properties and roles in improving conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
While yes, the omega-3 dose is lower than a serving of salmon, these convenient pouches are an easy way to boost your overall intake. Manaker also notes that, unlike many other fruit pouches, these are free from added sugars, which is a central component of an anti-inflammatory diet.
She loves adding these smoothie pouches to lunchboxes and bags for a mid-day nutrient boost.
5. Baby Spinach
Baby spinach is tender, mild and so easy to use in everyday dishes—making it a no-brainer to stock up on at Sam’s Club. It’s rich in several types of antioxidants, but it’s an especially good source of lutein, a carotenoid with powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Lutein supports eye health by crossing the blood-retina barrier and may also protect against heart disease, liver damage and bone disease.
Spinach is also extremely versatile, serving well in salads, smoothies, soups, casseroles and egg dishes. Basically, anytime your meal needs a little color or a veggie boost, just toss in a handful. If the large bag is too much to use before it goes bad, freeze it in a freezer-safe bag. When you’re ready to use it, the frozen leaves easily crumble with a quick squeeze of your hand—no chopping required. Alternatively, look for their frozen spinach options.
Other Tips for Lowering Inflammation
- Eat for a Healthy Gut: An imbalance in the gut microbiome can contribute to inflammation throughout the body. “Add more prebiotic and probiotic foods to your daily nutrition habits to help support your overall health and reduce inflammation,” says Turner.
- Limit Added Sugars: Diets high in added sugars are linked with low-grade chronic inflammation, a hallmark of many chronic metabolic diseases. “Added sugar is a major contributor to inflammation, so it’s a good idea to avoid the bakery, flats of sodas and packaged sweet snacks at Sam’s,” Davis recommends.
- Prioritize Consistent, Quality Sleep: Sleep is essential for a well-functioning immune system, with several studies finding a relationship between sleep deprivation and increased inflammation. Aiming for 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep can help support your body’s natural anti-inflammatory processes.
Our Expert Take
Sam’s Club makes it easy and affordable to stock up on inflammation-fighting foods like antioxidant-rich berries, omega-3-packed salmon and nutrient-dense leafy greens. Pairing these foods with limited added sugars and 7–9 hours of quality sleep can further support your overall health and help reduce inflammation. Next time you’re at Sam’s Club, fill your cart with these anti-inflammatory foods to give your body the boost it deserves.
