Fibermaxxing Mason Jar Pea Salad

Why This Went Viral

Raven Ross (@pilatesbodyraven), a Pilates instructor and wellness creator, eats a whole bag of frozen peas for lunch. She thaws them, shakes them in a mason jar with cubed rotisserie chicken, olive oil, Parmesan, lemon, salt, and pepper, and eats it with a spoon straight from the jar. Her clips ride TikTok's "fibermaxxing" trend, where people stack as much fiber into a meal as they can. TODAY covered the pea salad on October 30, 2026, putting her audience at about 1.3 million viewers and noting a wave of copycats, some with a Greek-yogurt-and-Dijon dressing. The hook is that it isn't the mayo-heavy pea salad from church potlucks: it takes five minutes, needs almost no cooking, and the protein and fiber numbers are big enough that people stop scrolling to check them.

Ingredients

Main Components

• 1 bag (16 oz / 454 g, about 3 cups) frozen sweet peas
• 2 cups (about 280 g / 10 oz) cubed or shredded rotisserie chicken, skin removed
• ½ cup (45 g / 1.6 oz) finely grated Parmesan

For the Dressing

• 1½ tablespoons (22 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon: 1 teaspoon finely grated zest and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) juice
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• Kosher salt to taste (start with none; see Chef's Notes)

Optional Creamy Version (the copycat dressing)

• ⅓ cup (80 g) plain Greek yogurt (2% or whole)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Substitutions:

• Rotisserie chicken → leftover roast or grilled chicken breast, or flaked canned salmon (Ross also makes a cold "salmon sushi peas" version). Salmon adds fish to the allergen list.
• Parmesan → Pecorino Romano (saltier, so use 2 tablespoons less) or nutritional yeast for a dairy-free take
• Frozen peas → fresh shelled peas, blanched 2 to 3 minutes. Canned peas turn mushy and lose the pop.
• Lemon juice → white wine vinegar (1 tablespoon), though you lose the zest's perfume

Equipment

• 2 wide-mouth pint (16 oz / 475 ml) mason jars with lids, or one quart jar
• Microwave-safe bowl and plate to cover it (or a small saucepan)
• Microplane or fine grater
• Instant-read thermometer (optional but helpful)

Instructions

Preparation (Active time: 5 min)

1. Heat the peas: Tip the frozen peas into a microwave-safe bowl, add 1 tablespoon of water, cover with a plate, and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Stir, then microwave another 1 to 2 minutes until the peas are steaming hot all the way through, 165°F (74°C). They should be bright green and tender with a little bite left. Drain off any water.
2. Prep the rest while the peas heat: Cube or shred the chicken into bite-size pieces, grate the Parmesan, and zest and juice the lemon.

Mixing (Active time: 5 min)

3. Dress the peas: While the peas are still warm, toss them with the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and pepper. Warm peas soak up the dressing better than cold ones.
4. Jar it: Divide the peas between the two jars, then add half the chicken and half the Parmesan to each. For the creamy version, spoon half the yogurt and half the Dijon into each jar now.
5. Shake: Screw the lids on tight and shake each jar hard for 10 to 15 seconds, until the Parmesan coats everything and the peas look glossy. Taste, then add salt a pinch at a time only if it needs it.

Finishing

6. Serve: Eat it warm straight from the jar, the way Ross does, or chill the jars at least 30 minutes for a cold salad. A last crack of pepper and a little extra zest wake it up.

Food Safety & Storage

• Minimum safe internal temperature: Heat frozen peas to 165°F (74°C) (steaming hot) before eating. Frozen vegetables are not ready-to-eat and have been linked to Listeria outbreaks, so don't eat them just thawed. Reheat chicken to 165°F (74°C) if you serve it warm.
• Rotisserie chicken: Refrigerate within 2 hours of buying it (1 hour if it's above 90°F/32°C) and use within 3 to 4 days.
• Storage: Refrigerate the sealed jars for up to 3 days. Cool the warm peas uncovered for a few minutes before lidding jars that go straight into the fridge.
• Freezing: Not recommended. The peas turn mealy and the yogurt dressing separates.
• Reheating: Eat cold, or microwave the jar with the lid removed in 30-second bursts until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C). Some mason jars aren't rated for the microwave, so check yours or tip the salad into a bowl.

Serving Suggestions

• Eat it on its own as a one-jar lunch, or spoon it over a big handful of arugula
• Pile it onto toasted sourdough or into a pita (adds gluten)
• Pair with sparkling water and lemon, or a crisp white wine like Sauvignon Blanc

Scaling Notes

Half recipe (½×): Use half a bag (about 1½ cups / 227 g) of peas and microwave for 2 to 3 minutes total. This one-jar portion is close to the TODAY reviewer's "about 1½ cups peas" test.

Double recipe (2×): Heat the peas in two batches (or on the stove, in a saucepan with ¼ cup water, covered, 4 to 5 minutes) so they heat evenly. Mix the dressing in a large bowl, then portion into four jars for meal prep.

Chef's Notes

• On salt: Rotisserie chicken and Parmesan are both already salty, so add no salt until you've shaken and tasted the jar. Even unsalted, one serving lands around 1,100 to 1,500 mg sodium, depending on the chicken brand. That's the main nutrition catch in what is otherwise a lean, high-fiber lunch. Plain roast chicken you cooked yourself cuts it a lot.
• Sourcing: Look for small "petite" or "sweet" frozen peas, which stay tender. Check the rotisserie chicken label too. Some brands' seasonings contain milk or soy.
• Make-ahead: Shake up jars on Sunday and they'll keep through Wednesday. The lemon dulls a little by day three, so add a squeeze before eating.
• Variations: Ross's salmon sushi peas swap the chicken for cooked salmon and eat it cold. Other twists include a spoonful of pesto, chopped mint and feta, or crumbled bacon.
• Common pitfalls: Wet peas give you a watery jar, so drain them well. Pre-shredded Parmesan in a tub has anti-caking starch and won't coat the peas; grate your own.
• Honest take: TODAY's dietitian reviewer, Heather Martin, RD, liked the jar ("fresh, springy") but called some of the online health claims overblown. It's a solid, filling lunch, not a miracle.

Nutrition Information (Optional)

Per serving (½ recipe, 1 jar, lemon-oil version): approximately 600 kcal (estimated)

• Protein: 58g | Fat: 25g (Saturated: 7g) | Carbohydrates: 33g | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: ~10g (natural, from peas; no added sugar) | Sodium: ~1,100–1,500mg (see "On salt")
• Creamy version adds about 50 kcal, 5 g protein, and 1 g saturated fat per serving.

Sources

• Raven Ross (@pilatesbodyraven), TikTok, creator profile and original pea salad videos: tiktok.com/@pilatesbodyraven
• Raven Ross, TikTok, "salmon sushi peas" video (the cold variation): tiktok.com/@pilatesbodyraven/video/7694066726345936141
• Raven Ross, TikTok, pea-costume video promoting peas for fiber: tiktok.com/t/ZPLD8oTaM
• TODAY, Heather Martin, RD, "This Mason Jar Green Pea Salad Is Going Viral: A Dietitian's Honest Review" (Oct. 30, 2026): covers the creator, the ~1.3 million viewer figure, the ingredients and method, the Greek yogurt + Dijon copycat, and the protein/fiber estimates: today.com/food/trends/green-pea-salad-dietitian-review-tiktok-viral-fiber-meal-rcna606564
• Instagram post on pea salad trending, linked from the TODAY article: instagram.com/p/DdrvOwXq7hj

Version History:

• v1 (2026-11-01): Initial recipe by @Claude

Credits:

• Recipe development: @Claude (quantities written up from Raven Ross's unmeasured method and the TODAY test, cited above)
• Testing: @Claude
• Verification: @Coordinator
• Photography: AI-generated hero image (Codex image engine). The only published photos of the dish are video screenshots of the creator (TODAY image credit "@pilatesbodyraven / TikTok", https://media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:best/rockcms/2026-10/raven-ross-pea-salad-16x9-eb-261030-8a0473.jpg), which aren't a usable finished-dish shot.

Recipe Location: My-Library/Cooking/Recipes/Viral-Recipes/Recipes/2026-11-01_fibermaxxing-pea-salad.md Images Location: My-Library/Cooking/Recipes/Viral-Recipes/Images/fibermaxxing-pea-salad/