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These 20 High Protein Breakfast Ideas are perfect for anyone looking to get their day started on the right foot. They’re healthy, packed with flavor, and super easy to make.
The Best High Protein Breakfast Recipes
I always feel my best when I have a breakfast that’s full of protein, and it carries me through for the rest of the day. These are 20 of my favorite high protein breakfast ideas to get you started.Some are sweet and others are savory. Some are quick and easy to make, and others are restaurant quality. But I know you’ll love them all!
Why Is a High Protein Breakfast Healthy?
Having a large amount of protein in your first meal is good for you for a few reasons.
- Gives you energy. Protein helps give your body energy. When you have a large amount of protein in the morning, it gives you an energy boost that will last for much of the day. Unlike some other sources of energy, protein doesn’t spike your blood sugar. That allows you to sustain your energy for a longer period of time.
- You’ll feel full. Protein is satiating and makes you feel full for longer than many other macros. That helps you regulate your appetite instead of snacking all day long. That’s because protein takes longer to digest than carbohydrates or fats, leading to increased satiety and decreased cravings for unhealthy foods.
- Helps build muscle. Protein consumption after a workout is important for supporting muscle repair and growth, reducing muscle soreness, and increasing metabolism.
- Improves heart health. Just eating breakfast can be very good for your heart. But studies have linked high protein breakfasts in particular to better heart health.
How Much Protein Do You Need?
Your protein intake will depend on your body, weight and your fitness goals. A good rule of thumb is that you should be eating at least 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight. However, you’ll probably need more protein than that if you’re exercising a lot. I personally eat my goal weight in protein or at least 100 grams per day since I exercise, and am looking to gain muscle.
How Do Fit All That Protein in Your Day?
I usually divide the protein by how many meals I will have. For example, if I eat 4 times a day, I will eat roughly 30 grams per meal.
Here are a few tricks for easily adding some extra protein when making breakfast.
- Add eggs and egg whites. Eggs are an excellent protein source and are very popular in breakfast foods. An easy way to get more protein is to add eggs to a recipe. If a recipe already has eggs in it, you can add extra eggs or some egg whites. Add it to your bagel or English muffin or on top of your avocado toast!
- Throw in some lean meat. Chicken and turkey are great for high protein breakfasts. These lean meats are healthy and light and will leave you feeling good. But they’re also packed with protein. You can add ground meat or sausages to pretty much any savory breakfast recipe.
- Add some nuts and seeds. If you’re making a smoothie bowl, smoothie, pancakes, etc, you can easily bump up the protein by topping it with some nuts or seeds. Nuts and seeds like chia and flax seeds are a good source of protein, and are also delicious! Nut butter and peanut butter are also great options.
- Add cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is a great source of protein. One cup cottage cheese contains about 19 grams of protein. I add it to my scrambled eggs, fritatta, lasagna roll ups, or just enjoy a savory cottage cheese bowl as a meal.
- Protein Powder. Whether you use whey protein, pea protein or collagen, adding protein powder to smoothies and shakes is an easy way to increase your protein.
20 High-Protein Breakfast Recipes You Need to Try
These protein-packed breakfast ideas are a mixture of savory and sweet recipes. They’re all easy to make, packed with fun flavors, and most importantly, full of protein. Whether you’re gluten-free, dairy-free or vegetarian, there’s plenty of options to choose from.
Cottage Cheese Scrambled Eggs
Add some cottage cheese to your scrambled eggs for an easy high-protein breakfast. The results are fluffy eggs with over 17 grams of protein per serving!
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High Protein Waffles
These high protein waffles are made with cottage cheese, oat flour and eggs. So good you'll never make them any other way!
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Cottage Cheese Egg and Sausage Frittata
Frittatas are packed full of eggs, and usually cheese, so they’re already high in protein. But this recipe takes it to the next level, by also adding cottage cheese and chicken sausage. It’s bursting with protein, and also flavor!
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Savory Cottage Cheese Bowl
This is one of my go-to breakfasts because it’s incredibly healthy and easy to make. Creamy cottage cheese is topped with fresh veggies and bright seasonings. Simple, vibrant, and totally delicious.
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Cacio e Pepe Frittata with Lemony Yogurt and Arugula Salad
This is a combination of two famous Italian dishes: cacio e pepe (a pasta dish with black pepper and parmesan cheese), and frittata (a baked egg dish). It’s packed full of eggs, cheese, and Greek yogurt, so it’s loaded with protein. It’s a fun protein-heavy twist on some popular Italian recipes.
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15-Minute Protein Chia Seed Cereal
Need a vegan high protein option, this recipe couldn’t be more simple. It only has four ingredients: berries, chia seeds, almond milk (or any other type of milk), and protein powder. You can use pea protein to make it plant based.
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Egg White Muffins with Turkey Bacon, Cottage Cheese, and Veggies
Meal prep these delicious, high-protein Egg White Muffins with turkey bacon, cottage cheese, and veggies for a quick breakfast on the go. Topped with cheddar cheese, they are delicious!
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Banana Nut Protein Oats
This protein-packed bowl of oatmeal, sweetened with ripe banana and just a touch of maple syrup, uses vanilla protein shake, egg whites to add more protein and make the oats creamy.
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Crustless Sausage and Spinach Quiche
This quiche recipe skips the crust, and gets straight to the protein: there’s eggs, turkey sausage, two types of cheese, milk, and half and half. Nutmeg and fresh spinach balance out the rich dairy, making this a well-rounded breakfast.
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Freezer Breakfast Burritos
These freezer breakfast burritos, stuffed with scrambled eggs, scallions, bell pepper, bacon and cheese, are a great way to start the day! Make them ahead and freeze them for meal prep so you can have them ready any day of the week.
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Mushroom-Spinach Scrambled Eggs
It goes without saying that eggs are a popular ingredient for high-protein breakfasts. Not only are eggs themselves high in protein, but they go so well with vegetables and other healthy ingredients. This recipe has mushrooms, spinach, and onions, plus a little bit of cheese as well. It's super healthy, but tastes like something you'd want to order at a fun restaurant.
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High-Protein Enchilada Scrambled Eggs
This recipe isn’t just high in protein, it’s also super high in fiber. And best of all, it only takes 5 minutes to make! Plus, it’s enchiladas for breakfast … what’s not to love? You get all the pleasure of a fun Mexican feast, but all the benefits of a healthy, high-protein breakfast.
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Lox and Eggs With Onions
If you want a high-protein breakfast that will make you feel like you’re out at a fancy restaurant, then this is the recipe for you. Smoked salmon and eggs screams “gourmet,” but it’s also an incredibly healthy pairing with two great sources of protein.
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Bacon Spinach Breakfast Casserole with Gruyère
You won’t find very many breakfast recipes that are more delicious than this one. Bacon, eggs, and gruyère is a perfect combination of rich, protein-filled ingredients. Spinach and shallots add freshness to the party, while milk adds a little extra protein.
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Zoats or Zucchini Oats
Zucchini oats might be an unconventional pairing, but trust me when I say that they work very well together! Imagine a piece of zucchini bread, but in oatmeal form instead. It’s fun and fresh, and has a lot of protein thanks to the addition of egg whites.
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Huevos Rancheros
Huevos rancheros is a famous Mexican breakfast, and it happens to be very high in protein. This recipe has lots of eggs and cotija cheese, and is bursting with spice and flavors. You can easily play with the recipe to add extra protein, or some additional fresh vegetables.
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High-Protein Zucchini Omelet
Omelets are one of my favorite breakfast foods. It's an easy and delicious way to eat a lot of eggs, and you can fill them with any other high-protein ingredients that you want. This recipe is made with mostly egg whites, and also has some parmesan cheese. It’s also full of fresh veggies!
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Chorizo Breakfast Bowls
These breakfast bowls are so quick and easy to make, and can easily be prepped the day before. To keep it on the lighter and healthier side, this recipe uses turkey chorizo, which pairs perfectly with the avocado, eggs, and potatoes. For such a healthy recipe, this dish is exploding with rich flavors.
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BLT Egg Sandwich
A BLT, but for breakfast? Who could ever say no to that? This is basically a traditional bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, but with the addition of a fried egg. And it’s every bit as good as it sounds.
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Crustless Ham and Cheese Quiche
Ham and cheese is a perfect combination, and it’s also one that’s high in protein. But it gets a lot more high in protein when you add it to a quiche with eggs, milk, and half and half. It’s a timeless recipe, but also a high-protein breakfast.
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Tropical Chia Pudding Breakfast Bowl
This easy, high-protein, Tropical Chia Pudding Bowl has 18 grams of protein, it's creamy and delicious, made with chia seeds, Greek yogurt, mango and kiwi.
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Looking For More Healthy Breakfast Ideas?
I hope you try out these high protein breakfasts. If you want some more breakfast recipes to try, make sure to check out my recipe finder, where you can find so many other healthy breakfasts to make. Overnight oats, yogurt chocolate chip muffins, sweet potato egg cups are just a few of the recipes you’ll find.
