9 GLP-1 Chili Recipes Loaded with Protein and Fiber

Total time: 6 hours 15 minutes | 329 calories, 34g protein, 10g fiber per serving

Make this one if hitting your protein target has been hard. A serving has 34 grams, more than any other recipe here, and it comes from shredded chicken breast and great northern beans. White chili is a little different from the red kind you're probably picturing. Instead of tasting deep and smoky it comes out bright and slightly tangy, thanks to tomatillos, lime, and cilantro. The prep is easy. Everything goes in the slow cooker, it cooks unattended for 6 hours, and you end up with 8 servings and 10 grams of fiber in each one.

Total time: 4 hours 15 minutes | 246 calories, 12g protein, 13g fiber per serving

If fiber is what you're after, this is where you'll find it. Four cans of cannellini beans cook down slowly until some of them break apart on their own and thicken the dish, which gives you a texture that tastes creamy despite there being no cream or cheese in the recipe, and green chiles, cumin, and oregano keep it from being bland. The 13 grams of fiber per serving put it second only to our tomato bean chili, though it's the lowest in protein here at 12 grams. That's an easy thing to change if you want to. Stir a couple of cups of cooked shredded chicken into the pot in the last half hour and the protein climbs considerably without affecting the taste.

Total time: 3 hours 20 minutes | 134 calories, 20g protein, 5g fiber per serving

Nutritionally this is the most efficient recipe on the list. You get 20 grams of protein for 134 calories, a better ratio than anything else here, and the reason is the 99% lean ground turkey breast, which is about as lean as ground meat gets. The usual problem with meat that lean is that it dries out, but a few hours in the slow cooker with onion, red and green peppers, and canned tomatoes keeps it tender and gives the sauce more body than a 3-hour cook would suggest. It's also remarkably low in sodium at 108 milligrams a serving, so if you're following a low sodium diet on top of everything else, this is an easy one to keep in the rotation.

Total time: 1 hour | 329 calories, 30g protein, 4g fiber per serving

Texas chili is made without beans, so if you've ever heard someone insist that beans have no place in chili, this is the recipe they're defending. Instead of ground meat it uses flank steak cut into chunks, resulting in a texture much closer to a stew than a soup. The seasoning is interesting too. Alongside the expected chili powder, cumin, and paprika, there's a teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder and half a teaspoon of cinnamon. You won't specifically taste either one but you'll notice that the chili has a depth you can't quite account for, while chipotle peppers in adobo supply some heat. With 30 grams of protein a serving, it's second in protein only to the white bean chicken chili, and since there are no beans in it, it's the obvious choice if you’re not a fan of beans.

Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes | 220 calories, 23g protein, 10g fiber per serving

If you only make one chili from this list, make this one. It's the most balanced recipe of the group, with 23 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber for 220 calories, and it tastes like chili should. There's 95% lean ground beef, kidney beans, tomatoes, cumin, and chili powder, and nothing in it will surprise anyone at the table. If you’re watching your sodium, you’ll be happy that this version comes in at 140 milligrams a serving by using no-salt-added tomatoes and beans. But with 4 tablespoons of minced garlic and a couple of jalapeños, you’ll more than make up for the taste even without the salt.

Total time: 1 hour | 208 calories, 21g protein per serving

Butternut squash in chili is less of a leap than it sounds like. Cut into half-inch cubes and cooked with lean ground beef, celery, and onion, it holds its shape instead of dissolving into the sauce, so every few bites you get something soft and faintly sweet against all that spice. The contrast is what makes it work, and it's enough to make a familiar dish feel new. This recipe also makes 10 servings, more than anything else here, which makes it the one to cook when your goal is a full freezer or you’re feeding a crowd. There are 21 grams of protein in 208 calories, although fiber is on the low side at 2 grams, so top with avocado or serve next to something green to up the fiber content.

Total time: 1 hour | 167 calories, 19g protein, 9g fiber per serving

Pumpkin chili may sound like an oddity, but you’ll find that the canned pumpkin purée thickens everything into a silky base, and its sweetness settles underneath the chili powder and jalapeño in a way that rounds off the sharp edges. Nobody would identify the taste as pumpkin without being told and nutritionally it's one of the better bowls in this collection, with 9 grams of fiber from the pumpkin and beans, and 19 grams of protein for only 167 calories.

Total time: 30 minutes | 175 calories, 19g protein, 4g fiber per serving

The ingredient list here is short—ground turkey breast, onion, red pepper, cumin, canned tomatoes, and kidney beans, and that's about it. It won't have the layered depth of a chili that simmered for an hour, but it's still delicious and makes 8 servings with 19 grams of protein in each. A teaspoon of hot sauce goes in toward the end, which is just enough to wake the whole thing up without making it too spicy, though you can add more if spicy is what you're after.

Total time: 30 minutes | 264 calories, 15g protein, 15g fiber per serving

No other recipe in this collection comes close to this one on fiber. A single serving has 15 grams, which is somewhere around half of what most adults need in a day, and it gets there from a mix of diced tomatoes, red kidney beans, tomato paste, and a handful of spices. Protein lands at 15 grams as well, which is respectable for a dish with no meat in it. The recipe suggests finishing each bowl with nonfat plain Greek yogurt and a little shredded cheddar, and it's worth doing, because the yogurt adds protein and takes the edge off the heat at the same time. This recipe only makes three servings, so double everything if you want leftovers. Since there's no meat in it, it’s also one of our more popular vegetarian GLP-1 recipes.