25 High-Protein Breakfast Ideas To Keep You Full Until Lunch

A high-protein breakfast helps keep you full and supplies lasting energy. Experts recommend about 20-30 grams of protein at each meal.

Make a smoothie and add walnuts, nut butter, chia seeds, or flaxseed for extra fiber and heart-healthy fats.

Tip: For a protein boost, use cow’s milk, soy milk, or pea milk as the liquid. You can also add protein powder, including vegan options.

Add whisked eggs and mix-ins to a muffin pan to make egg muffins. Each large egg has 6 grams of protein.

Tip: Add cheese or lean meat for extra protein and onions, peppers, and spinach for fiber. Fiber is a carbohydrate that helps manage blood sugar.

Top a breakfast pizza with eggs, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella or goat cheese, basil, and spinach.

Tip: You can add chopped tofu for protein. Go with a whole-wheat pizza crust for added fiber.

Mix one part chia seeds with four parts milk. One ounce of chia seeds contains 4.7 grams of protein. It’s a source of healthy fats, antioxidants, fiber, minerals, and vitamins.

Tip: Mix in walnuts and peanut butter for extra protein. Add cinnamon or honey, and top it with fruit for fiber.

Cheddar cheese has 4 grams of protein per slice, and Swiss cheese has 6 grams per slice. Add two slices of cheese to whole-grain bread.

Tip: Add sliced tomato and spinach for more fiber.

Use low-fat or non-fat Greek yogurt, which has 10 grams of protein per 100 grams. Greek yogurt also provides calcium for bone health.

Tip: Top with granola for carbohydrates, fruit for fiber, chia seeds for healthy fats, and sliced almonds for protein.

Add equal parts old-fashioned rolled oats and milk or Greek yogurt.

Tip: Top with mixed nuts for protein, healthy fats, and fiber.

Warm a whole-grain tortilla. Top it with beans, scrambled egg whites, or a hard-boiled egg (use tofu if you are vegan).

Tip: Sprinkle in scallions, salsa, and avocado. Serve with roasted potatoes and onions for carbohydrates.

Top avocado toast with crumbled feta cheese, which has 19.7 grams of protein per 100 grams.

Top whole-wheat bread with peanut butter for about 7 grams of protein per 2 tablespoons. The bread provides about 4 grams of protein per slice.

One cup of low-fat cottage cheese provides 24 grams of protein. It’s also a source of calcium.

Tip: Cottage cheese primarily contains saturated fat. Keep saturated fat to no more than 10% of your daily calories.

Top a bagel with cream cheese, smoked salmon, and capers or dill for flavor. 

Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids, which improve heart health and decrease inflammation. It’s also a source of iron and vitamins A and D.

Quinoa has 8 grams of protein per cooked cup.

Tip: Top quinoa with eggs, tofu, or beans for more protein. Add avocado for fiber and healthy fats.

A mushroom and cheese quiche can serve several people or last you a few days.

Mushrooms have fiber, minerals, and vitamins. Cheese adds more protein and calcium, and the crust gives you carbohydrates for energy. 

Prepare scrambled eggs with black beans, onions, and peppers. Add them to flour or corn tortillas and top with salsa, avocado, and sour cream.

Tip: Swap the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt for more protein and less saturated fat.

A tofu scramble is a plant-based protein alternative to scrambled eggs.

Tofu has been shown to lower:

• Cholesterol
• Heart disease risk
• Menopause symptoms
• Osteoporosis risk

Top whole-grain toast with hummus, tomatoes, cucumbers, arugula, chopped kalamata olives, feta cheese, and Za’atar spices.

 Frozen or made from scratch, top your waffles with fruit, ground flax, chia, or hemp for fiber.

Tip: If making from scratch, choose a nut-based flour. It contains more protein than wheat.

You can purchase protein pancakes or add protein powder to pancake batter to make them from scratch.

Tip: Use nut flour for the batter for more protein. Top them with nut butter for an additional boost.

Top a granola bar with nut butter for a source of plant-based protein.

Tip: Pair it with a side of fruit for a balanced meal.

Add black beans, eggs, or cheese to a breakfast burrito for plant-based protein.

Tip: Opt for sweet potatoes for fiber and antioxidants or avocado for healthy fats. Serve with salsa for flavor.

Add kefir to the smoothie, which has 9 grams of protein per cup. Kefir also contains probiotics, or beneficial live cultures that support gut bacteria.

Tip: Add nuts and seeds as toppings for more protein.

Mix oats, peanut butter, chia seeds, flax seeds, chocolate chips, honey or banana, and protein powder. Combine them until you form balls. Stick them on a baking sheet and store them in the fridge.

Scramble eggs with spinach and black beans. The eggs provide 6 grams of protein each, and the black beans offer 7 grams per half cup.

Warm a tortilla in a pan, sprinkle with cheese, and add the egg mixture. Press the tortilla into a quesadilla. Let it cook until it is golden brown.

Use oats, eggs, baking powder, and milk to make an oatmeal bake.

Tip: Add protein powder and pumpkin puree or blueberries, then top it with nut butter for more protein and flavor.