This Simple Fruity Snack Delivers Half Your Day's Fiber in One Serving

The typical American consumes only about half of the recommended daily fiber intake. Even more striking, a 2016 paper in the America Journal of Lifestyle Medicine found that just 5% of people meet USDA targets. If you need more roughage, boosting your fiber doesn’t have to mean loading your plate with vegetables.

Chia seeds and raspberries make an easy, fiber-rich pairing. Chia seeds are exceptionally high in fiber per ounce, while raspberries rank near the top among fruits, trailing only passion fruit and avocado. Combined, they turn into a sweet snack you can enjoy any time of day.

To make the basic version, mash half a cup of raspberries, fresh or thawed from frozen, then mix in a little water, a squeeze of lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of chia seeds. Anyone who has cooked with chia seeds knows how powerfully they thicken mixtures.

After the mixture chills in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes, it takes on the consistency of raspberry jam, but with far more fiber. The full serving provides 13 grams of fiber, bringing you much closer to the recommended daily totals of 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men.

Other ways to use raspberry chia

The mixture works well on its own if you want a small, fruit-forward treat, but it can do much more. With a texture somewhere between fruit compote and gelatin, it also makes a great topping for Greek yogurt.

For extra fiber and crunch, layer it with granola to create a yogurt parfait. If you’re using plain yogurt, you may want to sweeten the raspberries with maple syrup, honey, or sugar as you mash them.

If you like the gelatin-like texture but want a fuller breakfast, you can also turn it into a standard chia pudding. Just add half a cup of milk and half a cup of yogurt, sweeten to taste, and let it set.

For a richer dessert, try raspberry chocolate bites. Leave out the lemon juice and water so the raspberries stay concentrated, spoon the chia mixture onto a baking sheet, freeze until firm, and then coat the bites in melted dark chocolate for a fiber-filled treat.