Quick Healthy High Protein Breakfast Ideas

Starting the day with a high protein breakfast helps to set the tone of the day’s eating. Protein for breakfast helps to alleviate hunger throughout the rest of the day. Have you ever had cereal for breakfast and midway through the morning at work your stomach is growling and you can’t wait for lunch? Having a protein rich breakfast will help prevent this from happening. Protein is more satiating and helps to prevent hunger hormones. Some examples could be:

• Eggs – A breakfast of 3 eggs with 1/4 c of cottage cheese added and a side of turkey bacon
• Breakfast burrito – Scrambled eggs with turkey bacon and shredded cheese wrapped in a high fiber/low carb tortilla
• Greek yogurt bowl – Full-fat Greek yogurt, 1 Tbsp melted peanut butter, fresh/frozen berries with an optional scoop of protein powder. Additional add-ins could be chia seeds, ground flax seed, apples, cinnamon, drizzle of honey or swap nuts for the peanut butter

Eggs are a great source of protein for breakfast. An egg has 6 grams of protein. Many of us are used to eating 2 eggs for breakfast, while this is a step in the right direction, it is not nearly enough protein. A good rule of thumb is to aim for around 30 grams of protein per meal. So you can increase the protein by adding an additional egg or egg whites for a lower calorie option. Omelettes filled with bacon, sausage, or ham and a variety of veggies such as onion, mushrooms, peppers and spinach are great options for a healthy protein and fiber rich breakfast.

Full fat dairy such as Greek yogurt or cottage cheese with fresh or frozen fruit can be a great alternative for breakfast. There are so many options that can be added to these bowls to boost protein and fiber to help satiate our hunger. Some options could be: hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds (whole or ground), unsweetened coconut, cacao nibs, or nuts. If you want to increase the protein even more, you can add a scoop of protein powder.

If you are looking for a quick on-the-go breakfast, a protein smoothie can be a great choice. Blending frozen berries, protein powder, nut butter, spinach, chia seeds, and milk or almond milk yields a healthy delicious breakfast.

Once you know the building blocks of a healthy protein rich breakfast you can taylor your own creations to suit your taste. It can be a fun challenge to see how many different combinations you can invent. The options are limitless. Starting the day with an energy-filled breakfast will leave us feeling inspired to eat healthy throughout the day and start our journey toward a healthy lifestyle.