5 high-protein breakfasts to kick-start your day

Breakfast is brain-food that gives you the fuel you need to hit the ground running in the morning. Reaching for carb-heavy breakfasts may be habitual, but could result in your stomach grumbling sooner and have you going for high-fat or high-sugar snacks.

Instead, try high-protein breakfasts so you stay fuller for longer. To help you feel inspired in the kitchen, we’ve provided five of our favourite high-protein breakfasts.

Egg white breakfast cups  

Egg whites are 90% water and 10% protein, and account for around 67% of the protein found in eggs. With 3.6 grams of protein in each egg white, plus leafy spinach and juicy Roma tomatoes, these breakfast cups are not only delicious but have less than 50 calories!

Ingredients

• 2 cups spinach (60 g)
• 1 Roma tomato
• 2 cups egg white (480 mL)
• salt (to taste)
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Macro: 12 grams of protein, 136 calories.

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C
2. Lightly grease a muffin tin
3. Then divide the spinach equally across 6 cups
4. Dice the tomato, then fill the cups with the tomato and egg whites.
5. Season with salt and pepper
6. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the whites have set

Serve hot.

Oatmeal protein pancake

Protein shakes are great and all, but there are other ways to up your protein intake. These nutrient-packed pancakes feel just that little bit naughty.

Keep things simple by mashing banana, eggs, oats and a touch of cinnamon. Top it with low-fat Greek yoghurt, chia seeds or fruit for that extra oomph.

Ingredients

• 1 medium ripe banana
• 2 large eggs
• ⅓ cup oats
• ¼ tsp cinnamon

Macro: 17 grams of protein, 355 calories.

Instructions

1. Mash bananas in a bowl with a fork
2. Add the eggs and mix until well combined
3. Put the oats in a blender and blend until fine
4. Add the blended oats and cinnamon to the banana. Mix and stir well
5. Heat a skillet over a medium heat with a dash of vegetable oil
6. Pour ¼ cup of the mixture into the skillet, cook on one side for about 1.5 minutes, then turn and cook on the other side for about 1 minute (or until golden brown on both sides)

Serve (with or without maple syrup) and enjoy.

Overnight oats with blueberries

Avoid the morning madness by whipping together your oats the night before. Delicious, nourishing and easy to make, you can keep things interesting by swapping in different berries, fruits or even a scoop of protein powder.  

Ingredients 

• ½ cup oats
• ½ cup Greek yogurt (go for low-fat, high-protein)
• ½ cup milk
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• ½ cup blueberries

Instructions

Combine all ingredients – minus the blueberries – in a glass jar and put it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, top it with fresh blueberries and enjoy.

Macro: 25 grams of protein, 395 calories.

Strawberry coconut protein smoothie

Refreshing, fruity, and high in protein and fibre, this strawberry coconut protein shake is a great post-workout fix. All you need to do is blitz the ingredients in a blender and you’re good to go.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 cup  coconut milk
• 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground flax seed

Instructions

Add ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend until it’s smooth. Add extra coconut milk if it’s too thick.

Macro: 21 grams of protein, 270 calories.

Green shakshuka

Who said breakfast had to be boring? Perfect for feeding the family, this recipe is packed with green goodies and a good protein hit.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 leeks, washed and sliced
• 100g bag baby spinach
• 250g frozen peas
• 2 large garlic gloves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• Small pack parsley, roughly chopped
• Small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
• Small bunch of mint, leaves picked and roughly chopped, reserving a few leaves to garnish
• 8 medium eggs
• 150 natural yoghurt
• 1 tbsp harissa
• Flatbread (to serve)

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a wide, shallow frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leeks with a pinch of salt and cook for 4 mins until softened. Add handfuls of spinach to the pan, stirring until wilted.

Stir in the peas, garlic, cumin, herbs and some seasoning. Cook for a few mins until it smells fragrant, then create four gaps and crack two eggs into each. Cover and cook for 10 mins or until the whites are set but the yolks are runny – they will carry on cooking slightly as you take them to the table.

Season the eggs with flaky sea salt, dollop a spoonful of the yogurt interspersed with the harissa, and scatter over a few mint leaves. Serve with a pile of flatbread for dipping.

Macro: 22 grams of protein, 337 calories.

Need a helping hand to get started?

Unsure what nutrients are best for your body? Come talk to one of our personal trainers about your fitness goals. They’ll be able to walk you through personalised recipes and fitness ideas tailored to your lifestyle.