100 High Protein Breakfast Ideas
Yup, that's right: 100. Something for everyone!
Today’s email was supposed to be five high protein breakfast ideas, but I got carried away and here we are. What’s up with me and the lists this week? I’m not going to waste a lot space explaining why a high protein breakfast is important. Here’s the gist: it will give you more energy, help balance your blood sugar, reduce cravings, improve your mood, fire up your brain health, help you build and maintain muscle mass, get your hormones in check, and so so much more. Basically, it will improve your life. If you really want to get into it, better understand your protein needs, and the benefits of prioritizing it, check out the protein deep dive I posted a while back. I’m also happy to answer questions in the comments section.
Alright, who’s hungry? Let’s go!!
Smoothies
Add milk + protein powder of choice to all smoothies. For protein powder recs see this post. These would all taste great with a vanilla protein (or a plain one with some added vanilla if you fancy).
Peanut butter, banana, cacao powder, cauliflower rice, chia seeds
Cucumber, almond butter, chia seeds, spinach
Mango, matcha, avocado, ginger, spinach, flax seeds
Instant coffee, banana, almond butter, flax seeds
Raspberries, almond butter, chia seeds, spinach
Strawberries, beets, coconut yogurt, hemp seeds
Apple (peeled and sliced), peanut butter, cinnamon, cauliflower rice, flax seeds
Cherries, almond butter, cacao powder, cacao nibs
Peach, tahini, spinach, flax seeds
Cherries, lime juice, lime zest, greek yogurt, chia seeds
Mint, avocado, cacao nibs
Cacao powder, cacao nibs, raspberries, almond butter, spinach, chia seeds
Celery, kale, cucumber, ginger, lemon, avocado
Blueberry, basil, almond butter, chia seed
Cucumber, banana, spinach, chia seeds, coconut yogurt
Banana, coconut, turmeric, chia seeds
Peanut butter, raspberry, cauliflower rice, chia seeds
Mixed berries, Greek yogurt, spinach, chia seeds
Banana, ginger, spinach, chia seeds, avocado
Chai, banana, ginger, cauliflower rice, almond butter, cacao nibs, chia seeds
Pineapple, kale, ginger, avocado, coconut flakes
Pumpkin, almond butter, chia seeds, pumpkin pie spice
Banana, kale, tahini, ginger, cardamom
Strawberry, mint, spinach, coconut yogurt, cacao nibs
Eggs
Note: One egg has 6-8 grams of protein.
Scrambled eggs with cottage cheese and greens
Breakfast tacos with bacon and spinach
Classic French omelette with herbs and a green salad
Breakfast quesadilla (I love a Siete tortilla for this!)
Avocado toast with smoked salmon and a fried egg
Steak & eggs
Scrambled eggs with kale, mushrooms, and goat cheese
Frittata (here are 20 ways — I won’t list them all, but I’m also not counting all 20 as part of this 100)
Sausage and kale hash with a fried egg
Scrambled eggs with spinach and Ezekiel toast (not gluten free, but 5 grams of protein per slice!)
Thai omelette (use avocado oil)
Hard boiled eggs
Shakshuka
Breakfast burrito (here’s a pretty healthy one!)
Breakfast grain bowl (brown rice, fried eggs, chickpeas, kale, pickled red onions, feta, herbs)
Egg bites (You could make these a million ways, just like the frittata)
Feels eggy but doesn’t have eggs
For those of you who don’t do well with eggs. Please do me a favor and don’t buy the fake eggs. They’re terrible. Try these recipes instead.
Chickpea frittata (I’d add feta or edamame beans, or serve with smoked salmon to increase the protein a little)
Tofu scramble breakfast tacos with salsa and avocado
Oat-y things
The idea is to capture the warmth and texture of oatmeal without being straight up oatmeal (too many carbs, not enough protein).
High protein, low carb oats (obvi—I can’t stop talking about this one)
Chia pudding (ditch the maple syrup, add collagen powder)
Overnight oats (you can make my high protein oats recipe overnight by placing the mixture in two individual containers and using milk instead of water)
Grain-free hot cereal (page 103 in Foodwise)
Congee (something like this)
Savory oatmeal with eggs and feta (I’d recommend 1/4 cup dry oats, two+ eggs, feta and/or edamame beans for extra protein)
Yogurt
Greek yogurt has a higher concentration of probiotics and protein. One serving has 15 grams of protein. Buy organic, grass-fed, unsweetened like Stoneyfield Organic and Maple Hill when possible. Sheep’s milk yogurt is a good option if you’re sensitive to cow’s milk. If using nondairy yogurt, you can add a protein powder, but it def changes the taste.
Yogurt with granola and berries (this is my favorite granola, it adds 6 grams of protein and has minimal sugar)
Greek yogurt with flax seeds, chia seeds, almond butter, and banana
Sheep’s milk yogurt with peanut butter, pineapple, and coconut flakes (sounds weird, tastes good)
Savory Greek yogurt with cucumbers, Kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, sea salt, and mint
Cottage cheese
One cup of cottage cheese has 14 grams of protein, and also probiotics. I like Good Culture and get the double cream (yeah, baby!). Here are some topping ideas.
Bananas and chopped almonds
Avocado, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper
On toast with tomato, basil, sea salt and olive oil (put in the toaster over or under the broiler if you want something extra special)
Blueberries and walnuts
Salsa, avocado, and black beans
Crepes
I love this buckwheat crepe recipe (it’s gluten free, too), but you do you. Here are some filling ideas, both savory & sweet.
Smoked salmon, goat cheese, chives
Tomato, mozzarella, basil
Prosciutto, eggs, arugula
Greek yogurt, berries, granola
Greek yogurt, peanut butter, banana, cacao nibs
Sautéed mushrooms, goat cheese, eggs, and spinach
Pancakes
My basic banana pancake recipe is on page 103 of Foodwise. Add a scoop of collagen powder for even more protein if needed. Not to be a buzz kill, but I don’t add maple syrup and I don’t miss it. Here are other ideas to top your pancakes (or add inside).
Blueberries and coconut yogurt
Swap the bananas in the recipe with apple sauce and serve with greek yogurt and cinnamon
Chocolate chips and raspberry chia jam (I love Chia Smash)
As is with a couple slices of bacon
Peanut butter, banana slices, and greek yogurt
Pineapple, coconut yogurt, coconut flakes
Meaty (& fishy) breakfasts
Sorry I couldn’t think of a more attractive heading, but these are good ideas.
Breakfast sausage and greens
Sausage hash with sweet potato and kale
Ground turkey, sautéed mushrooms, spinach, and onion with spices (smoked paprika and cumin would be divine)
Smoked salmon, cream cheese, toast or 1/2 a bagel, side salad
Smoked salmon on toast with hummus, red onion, and dill
Breakfast bowl (this one looks delish to me)
And some veggie versions.
Tempeh breakfast sausage with sautéed greens
Tempeh breakfast hash with red peppers, mushrooms, and kale
Spiced quinoa cakes (page 137 in Foodwise)
Coffee + Bread/Pastry
Yes, we’re going there. My coffee has over 20 grams of protein, so sometimes I’ll savor it alongside one of these delicacies.
Banana bread (page 201 in Foodwise)
Nut & seed protein bread (page 191 of Foodwise) with Chia Smash or chocolate hazelnut spread (page 212 in Foodwise)
Ezekiel toast with peanut butter and banana
Ezekiel toast with almond butter, blueberries, and cinnamon
Carrot apple snack muffin (page 207 in Foodwise)
Simple Mills boxed muffin with nut butter
Nontraditional breakfast foods that would be great for breakfast
Because who said breakfast was only smoothies, eggs, and oats?
Chicken soup
Lentil soup
Bone broth
Egg salad on toast or with Ella’s Flats
Quinoa and tofu bowl with edamame beans and sautéed greens
If you’ve made it far enough down the list to be reading this, congratulations. You now have zero excuses not to eat a nourishing, protein-rich breakfast. And for what it’s worth, I didn’t even get into waffles. It’s 10pm and I now am swimming with high protein waffle ideas that I need to try — expect another list soon. And please forgive any typos. It’s past my bedtime, and my Amazon prime is about to get lit. Need a waffle iron for the weekend.
xx Mia
Just ordered the book….
This is an amazing list! What options do you favor for very little ones? We do a lot of eggs and Greek yogurt, but I’d love to have more quick/easy proteins that don’t require adding any powders.