Bored of regular fruit bowls? Up your game with this gastroenterologist-approved chia seed fruit salad breakfast recipe

Revamp your regular fruit bowl with chia seeds and honey-citrus dressing! According to gastroenterologist Dr Salhab, it's a 10 out of 10 breakfast option.

If you’re trying to eat more fruit but find yourself bored halfway through a plain fruit bowl, you’re not alone. While fruit salads are healthy, they can start to feel repetitive - and the usual yoghurt-and-fruit combo doesn’t always hit the spot. Sometimes, all it takes is a simple upgrade to turn everyday fruit into something exciting, flavourful, and genuinely crave-worthy.

That’s where this chia seed fruit salad with an orange, honey, and lemon dressing comes in. Shared by food blogger Abir El Saghir in a September 19, 2025 Instagram post, the recipe transforms fresh fruit into a refreshing, dessert-like dish that still feels light and nourishing. Made with soaked chia seeds and a naturally sweet citrus dressing, it has even earned a nod of approval from a gastroenterologist - making it as gut-friendly as it is delicious.

Reacting to the recipe, Dr Joseph Salhab, a gastroenterologist and health content creator from Florida, specialising in digestion, liver, pancreas and nutrition, notes that the soaked chia seeds and the gut-friendly fresh fruits help nourish the microbiome and support healthy bowel function. In an Instagram video shared on January 29, the gastroenterologist remarks, “I've never had anything like this before, but this looks absolutely amazing. I would totally eat this for breakfast. 10 out of 10.”

Ingredients

• 4 cups of chopped fruits of your choice (berries, mango, kiwi, apple, dragon fruit, etc.)
• ¼ cup chia seeds
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Optional: splash of lemon juice

Method

1. Add the chia seeds to a bowl and pour in 1 cup of water.
2. Let the mixture rest for about 10 minutes, allowing the chia seeds to swell and form a gel-like consistency.
3. Stir in the orange juice, honey, and lemon juice until well combined.
4. Drizzle the mixture over the chopped fruit and toss gently to coat evenly.
5. Refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes before serving for the best texture and flavour.

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