“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”.
I heard this sentence many times in my childhood.
Is that just fictitious or is there any scientific evidence behind it?
If you think about breakfast it stands to reason.
The human body needs energy to perform its tasks and functions. You supply energy to your body while eating. Our nutrition determines how we perform, feel and are capable to get things done.
Without a proper diet, you won’t have the ability to give one’s all. Feeling weak, tired or out of focus.
We all know that. Some days are brighter and others inferior. But that’s normal. Just as in the gym or at work. Some days feel like nothing can vanquish you. Neither weights are too heavy nor tasks too challenging.
Nutrition really is key to performance, happiness, and joy.
But, certainly, there are other factors that exert tremendous impact as well.
Especially sleep duration and quality can do wonders if came off badly for some days.
Regular exercising benefits our general health in many ways. Just to mention some of them briefly, stress release, increased cognitive capability, and enhanced memory is shown to be influenced by regular exercise.
In all objectivity, breakfast determines how we start into the day. It provides the basis for all following activities, tasks, and challenges.
For that reason, we want to have nutritious breakfast in the morning to be the best version of ourselves over and over again.
Fair enough, but what about the scientific field? Is there any evidence that underpins that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”?
Breakfast has proven multiple benefits for our health. Improved brain function, including concentration and language as well as enhanced memory to name but a few (1, 2).
On that note, I want to share with you some of my favourite breakfast meals. All of them are high in protein, contain vitamins and other essential nutrients to start your day right. It only takes about 5-10 minutes to prepare them until the culinary delight is eatable.
Why do we need so many proteins?
To put it simply, proteins consist of amino acids and are the fuel for our muscles. Proteins are the most important component of all life.
Proteins are a major component of cellulars, hormones, and enzymes. They significantly influence the resilience of the human body’s organs and histoids (3). Furthermore, proteins are essential for a functioning immune system (4).
Apart from that, it’s not a novel scientific breakthrough that we need proteins to build muscles. Especially athletes who exercise regularly have higher demands (5).
Basically, proteins fulfill crucial functions and tasks within our body which is why you should pay attention to supply your body with sufficient proteins.
Proteins can be found in vegan, vegetarian and omnivore diets. Myths like “how do you even get proteins as a vegan” are complete nonsense.
Each diet has its advantages and disadvantages. There are no such things as a perfect way of living. No right or wrong. Just as life is not only black and white, nutrition is neither.
Here’s a little cause for thought.
Nutrition isn’t just black or white. What works best for you depends on many aspects like your genetic, allergies, preferences and so on.
I lived as a vegan myself while traveling for 6 months. Did I lose weight? Nope, I did not. Did I lose muscles? Maybe a bit, maybe not. Hard to say, but if that’s the case it cannot be blamed on the vegan diet.
While traveling in New Zealand it was hard to find gyms in small towns, villages and especially off the road. But nevertheless, we did Calisthenics as often as possible to keep our bodies fit.
Don’t be too strict with yourself. Sometimes it can be good, even necessary to make exceptions. You don’t lose muscles if you take one week off the gym. You don’t get fat if you drink a couple of beers once a week or dine out with your peers.
Certainly, you should be disciplined, committed and focused. Ambitious, passionate and consistent. But at the end of the day, it’s your life. We only have this one life, so where would be the point to relinquish on things that we love?
There is no point in that, particularly if you can combine both and live your life to the fullest.
In order to not digress too far, let’s get back to our topic. Easy, fast and protein-rich delicious breakfast meals, here you go.
Curd Fruit Combo
Currently, I am eating this almost every day in my diet. I cannot get too much of it, it’s just too good.
What do we need for it?
Ingredients:
- Low-fat curd (cheese) 500 grams (equals one package)
- Protein powder 20 grams (vanilla or any other taste)
- One banana
- Two kiwis
- Frozen berries 250 grams (I use a mix of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries)
- A bit of water
- Cinnamon powder
Certainly, you can use other quantities, this is just the way how I am doing it.
If you prefer other fruits just replace them, that’s only personal preference. I really love the combination of banana, blueberries, vanilla, and cinnamon.
You could even add some more fixings like coconut flakes or nuts. Use the curd as your foundation and be as creative as you want to be. There are endless possibilities to try.
How to prepare it? (5 minutes)
First and foremost, put the curd into a bowl and mix it with just a bit of water. This will give us a more creamy consistency.
Secondly, add protein powder of your favourite taste. Scramble a couple of times until its a nice, creamy coherent mass.
Thirdly, now it’s time to finalize our delicious protein curd. Depending on your own preference, add cinnamon powder and scramble it again.
Almost done, guys. I am already hungry while writing these sentences…
Fourthly, take the banana, the kiwis and frozen berries out of the fridge. Chunk them into appropriate pieces and add them into the curd.
Scrambling once more and you’re done! This approximately takes you about only 5 minutes for a delicious, highly nutritious and protein-rich breakfast meal to energize and start your day right.
What about the nutritional value?
Nutrition facts:
- Calories: ~700kcal
- Proteins: ~85 grams
- Carbohydrates: ~70 grams
- Fats: ~5 grams
These nutrition facts refer to the abovementioned quantities. If you use other quantities it obviously varies.
But, here you go with the first fast made, protein-rich breakfast meal idea!
A lot of proteins, some carbs, almost no fat and a lot of vitamins make you kickstart into your day!
Oatmeal Combo Bowl
This meal is one of my all-time classics. Whether if you’re on diet, bulk. For breakfast, lunch or even dinner. It just tastes awesome.
What do we need for it?
Ingredients:
- Oats / Oatmeal 150 grams
- Rice milk 200 ml
- An apple
- Almonds 20 grams
- Mixed Nuts 50 grams
- One banana
- Coconut flakes 15 grams
- Protein powder 20 grams (vanilla)
How to prepare it?
It even gets more simple compared to the first meal. If you have all ingredients ready to hand it might not even take you 5 minutes.
To start, we take the oats and put them into a bowl. Now add protein powder on top and scramble until its spread through all the oats.
After that, take the coconut flakes and put some fingertips into the bowl. You can also use a kitchen scale to weigh the quantities precisely. That’s, as always, up to you. Once more scrambling.
Either you start cutting the banana and apple or add the nuts into the bowl doesn’t matter at all. Make your choice and add everything together into the bowl.
Lastly, put about 200 ml of rice milk on top and you’re meal is ready! How much milk you actually need depends on how you like your cereals. If you’re that type of persons who like their cereals afloat in milk then you might have to use more. I normally prefer my cereals to just swim a bit.
What about the nutritional value?
Nutrition facts:
- Calories: ~1500 kcal
- Proteins: ~60 grams
- Carbohydrates: ~100 grams
- Fats: ~50 grams
This breakfast option is more or less an allrounder. High in calories, proteins, carbs and fats for those folks who need a larger breakfast and want to build some more mass.
If you’re on a diet, you should adjust the quantities and replace things like coconut flakes and the high amounts of nuts.
Try to use different fruits, flavors, and fixings. This meal definitely energizes you for an upcoming gym session, long work day or any other tasks.
Chicken Avocado Rucola Sandwich
After we had cereals and curd recipes, let’s get something for the bread lovers out here.
Who doesn’t like a nice, delicious sandwich? Especially toasted with fresh salad and tomatoes. Just amazing.
What do we need for it?
Ingredients:
- Two slices of whole grain or any other grain bread/toast
- One avocado
- One tomato
- Chicken breast 100 gram
- A pinch of salt and pepper
- Some rucola leaves
- Curry powder
- Olive oil
How to prepare it?
To begin with, I put the toasts/bread into the toaster. If you prefer fresh bread instead of toasted one, that’s totally viable as well.
In the meantime, open the avocado and cut the tomato into small slices. Now, take the chicken breast and roast it for a couple of minutes in a pan with some olive oil. Add spices according to your requirements and preferences.
I enjoy most of my chicken with a lot of curry powder. Some salt and pepper on top and you’re ready to go.
Keep an eye on your toast to save it from getting burned. I wish I could say this never happened to me, but the toaster we currently have in my shared flat sees some things a bit differently.
However, after the toasts and chicken are done we can continue and step into the final stage.
Take the avocado and put the creme on top of the toasts and spread it evenly. Now you can put the roasted chicken breast on top. Add the tomato slices and some rucola leaves.
Finalize with additional spices and flavors, if wanted. If not just put the second toast on top and your breakfast is ready once more.
A dream for all bread lovers. Especially due to the rucola and tomatoes the whole sandwich gets a nice, fresh and crispy taste.
What about nutritional value?
Nutrition facts:
- Calories: ~700 kcal
- Proteins: ~30-35 grams
- Carbohydrates: ~25 grams
- Fats: ~30 grams
Decent amount of calories and equally proteins, carbs and fats. This meal contains everything you need to start your day right! It not only tastes good but also strengthens you for upcoming challenges.
Once again, you can replace certain ingredients and change things as you please. These recipes are just the way I am used to and how I enjoy them.
Protein Berry Smoothie
This is something particularly for people who cannot eat as much in the morning but nevertheless want to get a nutritious breakfast.
It’s for sure more convenient and easy to drink your meal than eating it. Make your choice and give it a try.
What do we need for it?
Ingredients:
- Low-fat curd 500 grams
- Some water 200 ml
- Two bananas
- Frozen berries 250 grams
- An apple
- Cinnamon powder
- Coconut flakes 20 grams
Especially people who dislike longer preparation times will love this recipe.
Most importantly, you need a blender for this recipe otherwise you might need to switch to other recipes from above.
Start filling 200 ml of water into the blender, then add one package of low-fat curd cheese on top.
After cutting the bananas and the apple into pieces, put them together with the frozen berries into the blender. Now you can fiddle about with flavors like cinnamon or whatever you like to include and finally add some fingertips of coconut flakes.
The last step, blenderize everything until you are satisfied with its consistency.
Your protein-rich berry smoothie is waiting to get consumed to build up your muscles!
What about nutritional value?
Nutrition facts:
- Calories: ~900 kcal
- Proteins: ~65-70 grams
- Carbohydrates: ~80 grams
- Fats: ~20 grams
One of the benefits of smoothies or fluid meals is that you can consume a lot of calories which feel like nothing compared when eating a “normal” meal.
Whether you evaluate that positively or negatively depends on your current goal. Particularly, for people who want to gain muscles and who have difficulties eating enough, shakes can make the difference!
You can go fancy without limits. Peanut butter, dates or honey. Oats, oil or nuts. These are all high-calories foods that you can add into your shake to let the calorie amount go skyrocket.
This way much less effort is required to get to your daily caloric requirements.
Scrambled Egg Humus Toast
Lastly, I choose another classic breakfast but a bit more exotically than usual.
Everyone love eggs. Whether scrambled, fried or hard-boiled. Eggs are universally usable.
I am presenting you the first mentioned variation, the scrambled egg.
What do we need for it?
Ingredients:
- 4 eggs
- Two slices of whole grain bread or any other grain toast/bread
- One tomato
- Spicy Hummus
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
How to prepare it?
First and foremost, take the eggs and open them. Whether you put them into a separate bowl and scramble them or you just open them at the edge of the pan and put them in, that’s up to you.
Whichever option you choose, start to fry them with a bit of olive oil.
In former times, I was used to the first option, but by now I switched to the second approach. Presumably out of convenience and effort. If we’re honest, who likes to do more work than required? Exactly, human always strive for the most convenient way.
In the meantime, put the bread/toast into the toaster as far as they are golden brown and cut the tomato into slices.
Add some spices to your preference on top of the eggs and scramble them as much as desired.
As soon as the scrambled eggs are done, we can proceed with the final step.
Take the spicy hummus (or whatever type you like) and spread it homogeneous on top of both slices. Add the eggs and tomato slices on top and finalize it with some more salt and pepper, if required.
Done. Whether you take it to work as a snack or lunch, breakfast or later in the day, that’s totally up to you.
What about the nutritional value?
Nutrition facts:
- Calories: ~650 kcal
- Proteins: ~45 grams
- Carbohydrates: ~30 grams
- Fats: ~35 grams
Another delicious choice to start your day with. This is an easy made 700kcal snack with almost 50 grams of protein, relatively few carbs, and decent fats.
The Bottom Line
For all these recipes applies the same. You can eat them whenever you like throughout the day. Use them for meal prep or breakfast as intentionally thought.
If you have allergies or dislike certain ingredients, feel free to replace them and adjust the recipe to your personal appeal.
You can likewise modify the quantities to your current nutritional goal. Whether you want to gain or lose weight. Build or maintain muscles or if you need more or fewer proteins, carbs or fats, just experiment and try out different things.
Which recipe does appeal to you the most? What are your favourite breakfast meals?
Share your recipes with us in the comments below!
I hope you enjoyed this article with 5 high protein breakfast meal recipes.
Happy cooking and bon appetit!
Cheers,
Claas
