7 High-Protein Breakfasts That Aren’t Eggs
There comes a point where every post about protein reaches the same conclusion, that is, eggs. And I get it, because eggs are inexpensive and simple to prepare, and they taste great. However, when your goal is to eat a true dose of protein at breakfast daily, and by age fifty you should be doing just that, the egg routine gets old very quickly.
Three eggs provide approximately 18 grams of protein, clearly not enough to help you retain muscle mass as you age, and there are only so many mornings a person can face a scramble.
Therefore, below are 7 ways to create 25 to 30 grams of protein for breakfast without cracking open an egg in the process. Most can be made in less than ten minutes, and nearly all can be prepared ahead of time, because the biggest obstacle to creating a high-protein breakfast isn’t the recipes themselves. It’s your early-morning self, who will always choose toast over the high-protein option if you have to think.
| Breakfast | Protein | The night before |
|---|---|---|
| Loaded Greek yogurt bowl | ~27g | Nothing, it builds in five minutes |
| Cottage cheese toast | ~25g | Nothing, about four minutes |
| Overnight protein oats | ~30g | Mix the jar before bed |
| Protein smoothie | 25-30g | Nothing, about four minutes |
| Smoked salmon plate | ~26g | Nothing, the twelve-minute treat |
| Protein pancakes | ~28g | Batter keeps for two days |
| Chocolate chia protein pudding | ~25g | Whisk it, and it sets overnight |
1. The loaded Greek yogurt bowl (about 27g)
Approximately 20 grams of protein come from one cup of plain Greek yogurt, prior to adding any additional ingredients. Add flavor and texture with two tablespoons of hemp seeds (6 more grams) plus some berries and granola for crunch, and enjoy your new favorite breakfast bowl. Purchase the plain version, since it generally costs less than the flavored versions and allows you to regulate how sweet you want it with honey or fruit, rather than purchasing additional sugar.
2. Cottage cheese toast, sweet or savory (about 25g)
Place three quarters of a cup of cottage cheese atop one slice of hearty whole grain toast, and now decide whether you want sweet or savory. Savory: sliced tomatoes with black pepper, everything bagel seasoning, and olive oil. Sweet: sliced peaches or berries with a cinnamon sprinkle. The whole grain toast adds several grams of its own, the cottage cheese provides almost twenty, and preparation takes merely four minutes, including admiring what you did.
3. Overnight protein oats (about 30g)
Mix together half a cup of oats, one scoop of vanilla protein powder, one tablespoon of chia seeds, and milk in a jar prior to going to bed tonight. Tomorrow morning upon waking it will be pudding, essentially, and that’s not even close to the best part, which is that you prepared your breakfast while last night’s dishes were soaking. The oats and chia add fiber that burns off slowly until lunchtime, and the total lands around thirty grams.
4. The smoothie you already know about (25-30g)
A smoothie is likely the fastest way possible, and we went into detail on five examples in our high-protein smoothies guide, so I’ll simply state this much: build on top of a scoop of protein powder or cottage cheese, add fat and fiber, limit the fruit, and it’ll keep you full until lunch each day. Prep time is about four minutes, and only one blender cup needs rinsing afterward.
5. Smoked salmon plate (about 26g)
Smoked salmon contains roughly sixteen grams of protein per three-ounce serving, and it makes me feel like I’m dining at a luxury hotel on an ordinary Tuesday morning. Place smoked salmon on toasted whole grain bread topped with a quarter cup of cottage cheese instead of cream cheese (adds another seven grams), then top with sliced cucumber, capers if you have them, and pepper.
This one is designed for the days where you may have twelve minutes instead of eight, and it gives the day a sense of accomplishment as well.
6. Protein pancakes not requiring lab work (about 28g)
Combine one cup of cottage cheese, half a cup of oats, one scoop of vanilla protein powder, a splash of milk, and a teaspoon of baking powder until a smooth batter forms, and cook like regular pancakes in a buttered skillet. The batter remains good stored refrigerated up through two days, so making it Sunday night covers Monday morning also.
They’re soft, they take syrup nicely, and no person eating them will notice that there is cottage cheese inside, which I believe would be among the most complimentary things any batter could ever receive.
7. Chocolate chia protein pudding (about 25g)
Whisk extremely well together two tablespoons of chia seeds, one scoop of chocolate protein powder, a tablespoon of cocoa, and a cup of milk, and store it in the refrigerator overnight prior to enjoying the next morning as a pudding-mousse consistency. Fresh raspberries placed on top provide the appearance that you’ve managed to get away with something. Make two containers at once. Tomorrow you’ll want more.
A pattern worth stealing
All seven options use the identical three powerhouses: Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, protein powder. Keep those three staples stocked in your kitchen and nearly anything remaining in the household can become a twenty-five-grams-of-protein breakfast, which obviously matters far more than any specific recipe individually, due to the fact that the mornings destroying habits are typically those having no plan.
Use some rotation with these options, prepare the overnight versions whenever feasible, and your breakfast becomes the meal functioning most directly toward the results you want. An enormous turnaround for the meal formerly referred to as “toast.”
