I’ve been a big fan of chia seeds for a really long time…
I use them in healthy energy bars, chia-kombucha energy drink, and even as an egg replacement.
Why Chia Seeds?
Chia seeds are an amazing superfood and a great source of calcium, omega-3s, and antioxidants. They also hold many times their weight in water, creating a natural “gel” that provides energy and nutrition.
Legend has it that they were used by the Aztecs, Mayans, and Incans as an energy food and for hydration. They were nicknamed “Indian Running Food” for their supposed ability to help warriors and athletes maintain energy and hydration during long and strenuous activity.
Chia Seed Squeeze Pouches:
My children love chia seeds and especially love these Mamma Chia squeeze pouches, but they are expensive (almost $2 each) and not ideal when I need 1-2 per child per snack.
When I found reusable silicone squeeze pouches, I realized we could make our own for a fraction of the cost of buying pre-made, and avoid all of the waste of the disposable pouches as well. Silicon can be somewhat controversial for food use, but this post details why I feel comfortable using them at room temperature like this.
Bonus: the pouches are no-mess and have been mess-tested by my two year old.
We’ve had fun experimenting with flavors and different types of juice to make different “chia squeezes” and these are now a favorite summer snack at our house. We even figured out how to make these into popsicles (recipe soon).
Supplies You’ll Need
- Reusable silicone pouches
- Chia seeds
- Organic juice of choice
- Water
- A bottle or pitcher for mixing
Flavor Variations
- Cherry and lime (with tart cherry juice)
- Strawberry lemon
- Pomegranate
- Green (with green juices)
- Orange mango (equal parts orange and mango juices)
- Pineapple lime
- Any other combination you can think of
Chia Seed Squeeze Pouches Recipe
Servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups unsweetened fruit juice
- ¼ cup lemon or lime juice optional
- ¼ cup organic chia seeds
- sweetener of choice optional
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a pitcher or mason jar.
- Let sit in the refrigerator overnight so that the chia seeds can hydrate and create a natural gel.
- Pour into pouches and serve!
Nutrition
Notes
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What is your favorite recipe that uses chia seeds? Share below!
So happy to find this recipe! Can you give examples of specific juices you use? We have orange juice in the fridge and Honest juice boxes for special occasions, but I am not super familiar with other juice options that the kids will like. Thanks!
Here are some of the different fruit juice combinations Katie recommends:
Cherry and lime (with tart cherry juice)
Strawberry lemon
Pomegranate
Green (with green juices)
Orange mango (equal parts orange and mango juices)
Pineapple lime
How long are you able to refrigerate the pouches? Looks yummy! My toddler can keep her hands off of the Mama Chia pouches!
These should last for several days in the fridge.
Hello! How do you make it as a gel? I also have the issue of it’s just juice and chia seeds. I read somewhere that the more acid the liquid means the chia seeds won’t gel. So maybe the lemon juice is an issue? Is there any way to recover it? Thanks!! 😀
I’ve never had that issue, but you could definitely try leaving out the lemon juice. For this batch, adding more chia seeds should help.
Yay thx for this! These we’re getting expensive at the store. Cant wait to try my hand at making them myself sounds easy enough. How long do you think these will last in the fridge? Think they are also freezable? I dont see why dont right?
Followed directions and as others, also ended up with just juice. I added an extra 1/2 and I’ll update if it helped.
Yum!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Looks great! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. I can’t wait to try it – I just bought some reusable squeeze pouches. And yes, they are way too expensive in the store, even for just a couple of children!
How many pouches are you able to fill with this recipie?