--- title: 6 Best-Ever Quick High-Protein Breakfasts description: From omelet to avocado toast to eggs, here are recipes for the best filling breakfasts that are full of protein. canonical: https://time.com/4217390/high-protein-breakfast-recipes/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-02-12T11:00:25.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:04:37.928Z article:section: Health og:title: 6 Quick High-Protein Breakfast Recipes og:description: From omelet to toast to bento box og:url: https://time.com/4217390/high-protein-breakfast-recipes/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 6 Quick High-Protein Breakfast Recipes twitter:description: From omelet to toast to bento box twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # 6 Quick High-Protein Breakfast Recipes > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Health Matters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Health Matters is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The latest health news and expert advice on living well. Health Matters makes the fast-moving world of health more useful, surprising and human, from the latest science and medical breakthroughs to practical ideas for living better. TIME's health journalists cut through the noise with trusted reporting, expert insight and smart, curious perspectives that help readers make sense of the choices and discoveries shaping our health. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's daily health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free daily newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ## Video: Should I Drink Smoothies? [Watch (HLS stream): Should I Drink Smoothies?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/yaJvnmtl.m3u8) (1:40)  _Published 2015-04-01. Are fruit smoothies good for you? Here's why 3 out of 5 experts said yes._ by [Dana Leigh Smith / Eat This, Not That!](https://time.com/author/eat-this-not-that/) ## Dana Leigh Smith / Eat This, Not That! Feb 12, 2016 11:00 AM UTC by [Dana Leigh Smith / Eat This, Not That!](https://time.com/author/eat-this-not-that/) ## Dana Leigh Smith / Eat This, Not That! Feb 12, 2016 11:00 AM UTC Put down the bread, and step away from the toaster. It’s time to make a change to your morning meal—one that may even help you [lose weight](http://www.eatthis.com/essential-foods-eat-weight-loss). In a recent study of overweight young adults, those who ate a breakfast comprised of 350 calories and 35 grams of protein (about what you’d find in [six eggs](http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/popular-ingredients/hard-boiled-egg-recipes/)), consumed 26 percent fewer calories at lunch than their counterparts who consumed a calorically identical meal with less protein. What makes protein so filling? As it digests, levels of the gut hormone peptide YY increase, sending a signal to the brain that you’ve eaten your fill. Protein also slows down the absorption of carbohydrates, which helps keep blood sugar levels even. Not only does this reduce hunger, it wards off fat storage, improving overall body composition. **_Eat This, Not That!:_**[_56 Best Smoothie Recipes for Weight Loss_](http://www.eatthis.com/10-smoothie-recipes-weight-loss) Though getting 35 grams of protein can be tough, it is possible—and you can still reap many of the same weight loss benefits by hitting the 25-gram mark. Read on to discover six mouthwatering meals that deliver exactly what your body needs for [breakfast](http://www.eatthis.com/best-breakfast-for-you): ### Black Bean Southwest Omelet **You’ll Need:** Eggs, black beans, grilled chicken, spinach, salsa **Protein Payout:** 38 g **Nutrition:** 353 calories, 11 g fat (3 g saturated), 388 mg sodium, 25 g carbs, 6.2 g fiber, 2.5 g sugar Crack and whisk two eggs and cook in a pan or skillet. When the surface of the eggs begin to thicken and no visible liquid remains, add 3 tablespoons [black beans](http://www.eatthis.com/8-superfoods-you-should-eat-every-day), two ounces of pre-grilled chicken and ½ cup of spinach. Fold the omelet in half and allow it to finish cooking. Serve immediately with a small scoop of salsa. **Eat This! Tip:** To reap the most benefits, be sure to consume the entire egg—not just the whites. The yellow is filled with choline, a nutrient that been proven to reduce body fat and BMI. ### Apple Cinnamon Yogurt Parfait **You’ll Need:** Fage 2% Yogurt, an apple, walnuts, cinnamon, honey **Protein Punch:** 27 g protein **Nutrition:** 385 calories, 20 g fat (4 g saturated) 66 mg sodium, 27 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 21 g sugar In a bowl, combine 7-ounces of Fage 2% Yogurt, with half a chopped apple and an ounce of chopped walnuts. Top the parfait with a dusting of cinnamon (one of the [Healthiest Spices on the Planet](http://www.eatthis.com/healthiest-spices-on-planet)) and a drizzle of honey. **_Eat This, Not That!:_** [_35 Things You Don’t Know About Caffeine_](http://www.eatthis.com/caffeine) ### Berry Protein Shake **You’ll Need:** Water, raw spinach, frozen mixed berries, plain low-fat yogurt, vanilla [vegan protein powder](http://www.eatthis.com/vegan-protein-powder-lines-that-are-all-natural) **Protein Punch:** 27 grams **Nutrition:** 354 calories, 4.6 g fat (1.2 g saturated) 338 mg sodium, 48 g carbs 14 g fiber, 28 g sugar Here’s how to prepare the drink: In a blender, combine 12-ounces of water with a cup of spinach, two cups of frozen berries, a half-cup of plain low-fat yogurt and a scoop of protein powder. Combine until smooth. **Eat This! Tip:** No time to whip out the blender? Stock up on some of these [Grab and Go Protein Shakes](http://www.eatthis.com/grab-and-go-protein-shakes), so you’ll always have something slimming to sip in a pinch. ### Avocado Toast With Cottage Cheese and Tomatoes **You’ll Need:** Ezekiel bread, low-fat cottage cheese, avocado, tomato, ground pepper **Protein Punch:** 31 g protein **Nutrition:** 400 calories, 12 g fat (3.4 g saturated) 700 mg sodium, 51 g carbs, 12 g fiber, 3 g sugar We told you earlier that toast was a no go, but this isn’t your typical bread-based breakfast. Made with protein-filled sprouted grain bread and cottage cheese, this meal provides as much of the muscle-builder as nearly four cups of milk! To prepare this savory dish, lay two bread slices out on a plate, top each one with a quarter-cup of cottage cheese, and sprinkle with pepper. Top the cheese with a few slices of tomato and [avocado](http://www.eatthis.com/8-reasons-avocado-perfect-weight-loss-food) (about a quarter of the fruit), then season with another dusting of pepper. ### Breakfast Bento Box **You’ll Need:** Hard boiled eggs, string cheese, almonds, grapes **Protein Punch:** 25 g protein **Nutrition:** 400 calories, 29 g fat (7 g saturated) 344 mg sodium, 15.6 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 9 g sugar If you’re typically not too hungry for breakfast, a bento box is a great option. Since everything is eaten cold, it allows you to slowly pick and graze throughout the morning, as small bouts of hunger strike. Simply pack up two hard boiled eggs, a string cheese (one of these [50 Best Snacks for Weight Loss](http://www.eatthis.com/50-best-healthy-snacks-for-weight-loss)), an ounce of almonds and a half-cup of grapes to hit the nutritional mark. **Eat This! Tip:** Not a fan of almonds? All nuts are a great source of protein and they each provide different health benefits and fat-fighting properties. Check out these other [healthy nut](http://www.eatthis.com/6-best-nuts-weight-loss) varieties to find a suitable swap. **_Eat This, Not That!:_** [_25 Best Yogurts for Weight Loss_](http://www.eatthis.com/best-yogurts-for-weight-loss) ### Pumpkin Pie Smoothie **You’ll Need:** 1% milk, vanilla protein powder, pureed pumpkin, walnuts, cinnamon **Protein Punch:** 36 grams **Nutrition:** 390 calories, 9.4 g fat (3.4 g saturated fat) 295 mg sodium, 44 g carbs, 8 g fiber, 27 g sugar In a blender, combine 12-ounces of 1% milk with a scoop of vanilla [protein powder](http://www.eatthis.com/best-protein-powder-every-goal), ¾ cup of pureed pumpkin, one tablespoon of walnuts and one teaspoon of cinnamon. Combine until smooth. _This_ [_article_](http://www.eatthis.com/healthy-quick-breakfast-recipes-for-fat-loss) _originally appeared on_ [_Eat This, Not That!_](http://www.eatthis.com) ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] Should you drink smoothies? Three out of five of our experts say yes. They're one of the easiest ways to add fruit to your diet, says Joseph Price. His study found that only 4 % of kids ate a serving of fruit when they ate breakfast at school. But with smoothies on the menu, that number jumped to 45 %. Calories from fruit can add up quickly, says Laura Jeffers. So aim for a glass that's 70 % veggies and 30 % fruits. Still, smoothies just aren't that satisfying. People ate 12 % more calories when they drank their food instead of eating it, found a study by Richard Mattes. [ MUSIC ] Two of our experts think fruit smoothies in particular can do some real damage. Blender blades destroy the insoluble fiber in produce, says Robert Lustig. Which means that there's nothing keeping the sugar from being rapidly absorbed. That overwhelms the liver he says. And all that extra sugar might put us on a path to metabolic syndrome and other health problems. Vegetables have far less sugar, so green smoothies are far less of a risk he says. Even though they're insoluble fiber still takes a beating. Smoothies are so new, there's no research on there long term impacts points out Barry Popkin, but he thinks they might be the new fruit juice. Seemingly healthy, but a sugar bomb in disguise. Is contributing to diseases like diabetes. So go ahead and whip up a smoothie. 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