7 High-Protein Breakfast Ideas for Weight Loss

If you’ve been struggling to come up with meals to help support your weight management efforts, high-protein breakfast ideas for weight loss can be just the thing you need. 

Hunger is one of the biggest challenges for people trying to lose weight, especially hunger during work or late in the evening when snacking can ensue. Some observational studies have shown that eating breakfast is associated with better satiety, improved appetite control, and even more restful sleep. This makes sense, considering breakfast is the first meal of the day. It sets the stage for how hungry you will be for the rest of the day.

Here are my dietitian insights for why protein at breakfast is important, and some simple meal ideas to incorporate it into your routine. 

Why Have a High-Protein Breakfast?

Let’s start with an example: you would never accidentally go 12 hours during the day without eating, right? You would feel so uncomfortably hungry. Well, that’s exactly what you are doing to your body if you skip breakfast. 

If you finish dinner, sleep 8 hours a night, skip breakfast and then don’t eat again until lunch, your body is likely starving. This can disrupt your hunger cues, causing you to eat more than you should and making it more difficult to lose weight. 

So, not only is the practice of eating breakfast alone better for weight loss than eating nothing at all, but including plenty of protein in that breakfast is also important. Protein can promote a feeling of fullness, which can help you make it to that lunch break before feeling like you need to reach for an extra snack in the meantime. It can also help keep you from overconsuming during lunch because you just feel so hungry. 

In fact, having a significant amount of protein in all of your meals can help make a weight loss journey feel like less of a chore. Protein is a macronutrient that can also help to slightly bump your resting metabolism when compared to the other macronutrients, which is always a welcome feature of any weight loss journey. 

My Clients' Experiences When They Started Eating Breakfast

When clients come to me for guidance on how to lose weight, I always do what’s called a dietary recall, when I have them take me through a typical day of eating for them. During this recall, if they mention that they skip breakfast, only have coffee for breakfast or have a small breakfast lacking in protein, my job quickly becomes much easier. 

This is because simply adding breakfast, before acknowledging any other food habits, can be the lifestyle change that can make weight loss more simple. This is not only because, as mentioned above, clients notice feeling fuller throughout the day, but they’ve even reported feeling a more positive mood due to being well nourished.

Skipping Meals and Your Mood

Have you ever noticed how cranky you tend to get when you have low blood sugar from not eating? Well, when you skip breakfast, you’ve probably spent half of your day in an “off” mood simply because your brain and body haven’t gotten enough fuel. 

Overeating After Skipping Breakfast

Overall, one big component of weight loss that people struggle with is the calorie deficit as the feeling of hunger is uncomfortable and can result in excessive snacking or meals with a lack of portion control. Eating a high-protein breakfast can be a huge part of preventing these counterproductive habits by simply being consistent with your eating schedule and properly managing your hunger.

What Should Be In Your Protein Breakfast for Weight Loss?

As important as protein is, it shouldn’t be the only component you focus on for your meals. Like all of your meals, you should still take care to ensure your breakfast is balanced. This means having a combination of protein, carbs and a generous portion of fruit or vegetables. 

Yes, you read that right, you can and should have carbs in each of your meals to lose weight. Just try to make sure these carbs are whole grain or high fiber more often than not to get in some key nutrients and also further help promote a feeling of fullness. 

High-Protein Breakfast Ideas For Weight Loss

So, what is a good protein breakfast to lose weight? Meeting high protein needs can be tricky as finding protein foods along with eating it all before feeling too full can take some trial and error. Here’s where I can help, by giving some simple ideas both plant and animal-protein based, you can try to add to a new morning routine. 

You can always get creative with your own additions to boost the protein content even more, just be sure not to go overboard with the calories!

*All nutrition facts are approximate and data has been obtained from FoodData Central. 

1. English Muffin Breakfast Sandwiches / Protein Per Serving: 24 grams

Why waste your money on fast food breakfast sandwiches when you can just make them at home in no time? Plus, with a lot less sodium. You can even make them in bulk, freeze them and reheat them in the oven or air fryer for breakfast meal prep. 

Stack a whole grain English muffin with a turkey sausage patty or Canadian bacon, a slice of low fat cheddar cheese and a fried egg. Add sautéed spinach for added fiber and a veggie 

source. Then all you have to do is add a side of sliced strawberries or peeled tangerines to make it a complete meal. 

2. Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie / Protein Per Serving: 30 grams

Smoothies are a great breakfast option for those who don’t have the time to throw together a full spread or who need to make something ahead to grab for the office. This is a great vegetarian option with some fruit added for extra balance. 

In a blender combine 1½ cups of milk (2% or soy), ½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of grape or strawberry preserves and a banana then blend until smooth. The combination of protein and healthy fats will keep you feeling full all morning long. 

3. Southwest Style Breakfast Burritos / Protein Per Serving: 40 grams

A great combination of both animal and plant protein with a south-of-the-border twist, this is a breakfast that’s both easy to make and portable. Scramble 3 eggs with some chopped bell peppers and cilantro, maybe even some taco seasoning if you’re feeling spicy. 

Then spread it out on a whole wheat tortilla sprinkled with ⅓ cup of cooked black beans and lite Mexican cheese blend. Dip the wrap in a container of nonfat plain Greek yogurt for a sour cream substitute that has even more protein, without the saturated fat. 

4. Turkey Bacon Egg Muffins / Protein Per Serving: 38 grams

For those with a little more time on their hands, here’s another meal prep idea that happens to be portable. Saute chopped turkey bacon in a pan with some baby spinach and mushrooms, then whisk those in with a bowl full of a dozen of cracked eggs and some low fat cheddar cheese. 

Pour them in a greased muffin tin and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until eggs are set. Just 4 of these little guys packs almost 40 grams of protein. Keep the rest refrigerated for the days ahead.

5. Cottage Cheese Fruit Bowl / Protein Per Serving: 41 grams

Cottage cheese doesn’t get the attention it deserves as a breakfast option when you consider how accessible, affordable and high-protein it happens to be. Fill a bowl with about 1½ cups of low fat cottage cheese and top it with your fruit of choice. 

Berries are a safe bet, but I also love halved purple grapes. Then sprinkle in about an ounce of chopped or slivered almonds for some texture and an extra 6 grams of protein.

6. Tofu White Bean Scramble / Protein Per Serving: 22 grams

For all of you vegans out there, we got one for you! Tofu, like most animal proteins, have all of the essential amino acids you need and can make for a satisfying, warm breakfast. Break up about 6 ounces of a block of tofu in a bowl and drizzle with some olive oil, salt, pepper and turmeric for color. 

Then scramble it in a pan to the texture of your liking along with some canned, rinsed white beans. Add in some veggies like chopped sweet potato, kale, and red onion for more fiber to keep you feeling full. 

7. Protein Cereal / Protein Per Serving: ~33 grams

Normally, breakfast cereals would not be an ideal breakfast choice given that most brands have minimal fiber (unless you love Raisin Bran) and protein, which leaves you feeling hungry very soon after you’ve eaten. One hack to help you enjoy cereal again is to blend your cereal milk with your favorite flavor of protein powder like French vanilla or cookies and cream. This way, you can turn normally bland-tasting, high-fiber cereals into something that’s both delicious and satisfying. Just make sure your cereal of choice is low in sugar and your selected protein powder has at least 25 grams per scoop. 

The Bottom Line on High-Protein Breakfast Ideas for Weight Loss

If you’ve ever found yourself asking, “what should I eat for breakfast to lose belly fat?” The answer to that should be something that is packed with some high-quality protein. After all, loss of belly fat doesn’t happen unless you lose total body fat and that can’t happen unless you’re in a calorie deficit. However, being in a prolonged calorie deficit isn’t easy for everyone, as persistent feelings of hunger can make it difficult to keep eating under control.

Breakfast is probably the most important meal to keep consistent to prevent your hunger hormones from going crazy through the rest of the day. When composing your breakfast, do your best to keep the content of quality protein high while still keeping the calories low to remain in a deficit. 

And, of course, don’t forget about some regular physical activity. If you want some breakfast ideas for weight loss that are customized to your lifestyle, food preferences and cooking proficiency, contact me today.