Delicious Protein-Packed Breakfast Ideas to Fuel Your Day
- Erika Doty
- 7 days ago
- 8 min read
Everyone is telling us we need more protein in our diets. And I don't know about you, but if I don't start out the day with a decent breakfast - or worse, my kids don't! - the rest of the day gets totally derailed. So let's start the morning strong with a good healthy (and easy!) dose of protein. This can motivate you to stay on the protein train all day long. And if you fall off...well, at least breakfast was a win.
We reached out to our Babble Panel and our Babble community and collected the following recipes, products and recommendations to help you pack as much protein as possible (without all the other garbage) into your morning.
A Babble Staple: 5-Ingredient Energy Bites
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips (we like the dark kind best)
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup ground flax seed
2 Tablespoon honey
Combine all five ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Place in the refrigerator 15-30 minutes so they are easier to roll. Roll into ~12 bites and store in the fridge for up to a week (they'll never last that long).
Bite-Sized Muffins from Kodiak Pancake Mix
This is SO easy and simple to customize based on what your family likes.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease (or line) a mini muffin pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup of Kodiak Power Cakes mix with 1 cup of cold water until blended.
Fill the prepared mini muffin wells with the batter.
Add your desired toppings like: mini chocolate chips (our personal fav!), blueberries, diced banana, nuts, cinnamon sugar, or cooked crumbled bacon or sausage. Or even leave them plain.
Give each muffin well a little stir with a toothpick to get the "toppings" to mix into the batter.
Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until the muffins are puffed on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let them cool slightly before removing from the pan and serving. Serving suggestion: drizzle of maple syrup and a glass of milk or protein shake.
2 Ingredient Protein Muffins
Babble posted this on Instagram last year and it was a huge hit!
1 Fairlife Chocolate Core Power Shake
2 cups Kodiak Power Cake Mix
Chocolate Chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin. Mix the power shake and cake mix together in a large bowl. Add chocolate chips, if desired. Bake at 350 for about 14 minutes. Let the muffins cool before removing from pan. Best served warm (and with a glass of milk!).
Overnight Oats
A friend brought this to a brunch years ago and I begged for the recipe. It's so easy and keeps in the fridge for about a week. I make it every Sunday and I eat it every morning along side an egg for a complete, protein-packed breakfast.
2 apples, chopped (I prefer green apples since they aren't as sweet and they hold up well)
1 banana, diced (can skip altogether, or skip mixing this in and add as a topper later)
1/3 cup apple juice or orange juice (I prefer apple juice because it's a little sweeter)
1 cup milk or almond milk (almond makes it creamier)
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon honey
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or other dried fruit, chopped)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 cups rolled oats (can sub some of the oats with chia seeds, if desired)
Mix all ingredients EXCEPT oats; stir to combine. Stir in oats. Store in an air tight container. Place in refrigerator overnight (or at least 2 hours). Add extra almonds just before serving to add a little crunch. Or stir in your favorite protein powder (with a little extra almond milk) to add a little extra protein to your meal. Delicious topped with fresh fruit and/or a drizzle of honey.
Note: I have also made this by mixing a few scoops of my favorite vanilla protein powder into the milk/almond milk BEFORE combining all of the ingredients and that works great too.
Breakfast Hash
I have a 13-year-old teenage baseball player in my house, so we are constantly on the lookout for high-protein meals. Because, as I'm told, "It's bulking season!" We found this recipe on Instagram, posted by sports performance coach, Dan Petcash, and it's a regular in our meal rotation. One thing I love about it: You can customize almost all of it to what you and your family will eat, or whatever you happen to have on-hand. Below is how we make it. Here is the original recipe from Dan. We mostly eat this as a breakfast item, but it is also popular in our house as an after-school snack.
1-1.5 lbs ground beef/chicken/turkey
2-3 cups (approx) frozen potatoes - we prefer the Oreida Potatoes O'Brien mix which includes peppers and onions with the potatoes
1 can black beans, rinsed
1/2 cup bone broth
Seasonings: salt, pepper, season-all, sazon seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder
Shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs, beaten (optional, see below)
Heat butter and/or oil in a large skillet. Add meat and potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Once the meat is browned and the potatoes have started to soften, add beans and remaining seasonings and cook for 5-ish minutes. Add bone broth, keep lid off so the liquid absorbs faster. Once most of the liquid is cooked out, sprinkle with as much cheese as you'd like, stir to combine until melted.
You can serve it like this without the eggs, or with an over-easy egg on top (very yummy!). If you want eggs mixed in, add the eggs to the pan at this time and stir constantly until cooked through. Serve immediately - great with salsa, hot sauce and some extra cheese sprinkled on top. Store in air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Note: go easy on the salt to start - some broths are saltier than others.
Breakfast Burritos
Most Sundays I make a big batch of breakfast burritos to keep in the freezer for the week. Again, this recipe is super customizable - I usually throw in whatever I happen to have on-hand (it's a great way to use up some leftovers from the weekend), and it makes grabbing a hearty, protein-packed breakfast super fast and easy during the week.
I just sort of make this up each week, but below is the "recipe"/steps I generally follow:
Heat butter/oil in a large skillet.
Add 1/2 bag of Potatoes O'Brien (find in your grocery's freezer section - it's basically diced potatoes, onions and peppers). Season with salt and pepper. I often also add a few dashes of tajin seasoning here.
Alternatives: cooked rice, leftover potatoes, tater tots (cook in air fryer first, then add when you start assembling the burritos - step 6 below)
Once the potatoes begin to soften, add whatever meat you're going to use.
Last week we had leftover steak from steak tacos plus some meats from our charcuterie board from the night before - I diced all that up and threw it in.
Other good options: Aidell's Chicken Sausages from Costco, diced up deli meats, ground meat, diced ham, tofu and (of course!) bacon.
When all of that is cooked the way you like it, dump in the eggs. I typically go with about one egg per burrito I'm hoping to make (so if I'm aiming to make 8 burritos I'll throw in about 8 eggs). But this depends on a few things: how much meat you added and how big your tortillas are. Beat the eggs before adding to help mix them in.
Once eggs are thoroughly cooked, remove mixture from heat.
Heat a tortilla on a hot, clean skillet - each side for about 20-30 seconds to make the tortilla more pliable. Remove from heat and add a scoop of egg mixture along with a sprinkle of cheese. Wrap up tightly (if you're like me, this will take a few tries every time). Leave the burritos out to cool to room temp before freezing. (Dog owners: Do NOT leave burritos near the edge of the counter for cooling. Those little pups are smart and sneaky!)
To Freeze: Once cooled, wrap each burrito in a paper towel sheet, then wrap again in foil. Place foil-wrapped burritos in an airtight container (or bag) and place in freezer.
To Reheat: Remove from freezer and remove foil, but leave the paper towel in place. Microwave the frozen burrito for 45-60 seconds (depending on how powerful your microwave is). Enjoy!
Smoothies
Another fast, easy way to grab a great shot of protein in the morning. Check out our five favorites:
Breakfast Inspo From Panel Member Alyson
I basically eat the same breakfast every day:
1/2 cup egg whites + 1/4 cup cottage cheese
Add veggies and spices to this. Right now I'm adding: garlic, artichokes, chopped onions, mushrooms, 2 tablespoons mozzarella and 1/2 teaspoon pesto.
I round it off with a slice of Dave's Killer Bread with some butter and homemade strawberry jam
= 33 grams protein
Tip: Try blending the egg whites and cottage cheese (in a NutriBullet) before cooking. Removes the chunks from the cottage cheese without removing any nutritional value.
High-Protein Items from Costco
Egg Bites (refrigerated section)
Egg Whites in cartons
Aidell's Chicken Sausages:
Great to throw in with eggs, breakfast burritos or just by themselves.
In a hurry - wrap one in a paper towel and microwave for 45 seconds on high.
If your Costco carries them, try the Aidell's Chicken Sausages with pineapple and bacon...not as healthy as the chicken & apple ones, but so delicious!
Keep On-Hand
These are three items I always have on-hand!
G2G Protein Bars: These come in a variety of flavors and are literally the only protein bar I can stomach. They are packed with 18 grams of protein per bar. Keep them in the fridge to optimal freshness. Be careful though: These are definitely a meal replacer, not a snack. Each bar has about 300 calories. But it's great when you're on the run and don't have time to stop for a meal. (I use these most when traveling or hiking.)
Isopure Protein Powder: I've tried so many powders and nearly all of them upset my stomach. Except Isopure. I LOVE this stuff! It tastes great by itself and does not upset my stomach (I worked with a nutritionist years ago and told him how these powders upset my stomach and he recommended Isopure and I haven't looked back.)
Hardboiled Eggs: I boil up 5-6 eggs on Sundays and keep in an airtight container in the fridge for the week. They make a great breakfast, snack or salad add-on during the week. (Pro tip: Use older eggs - the shell will come off easier than super fresh eggs.)
Coffee Creamer Alternatives
We asked and you shared! Last week's Babble Question of the Week was, "What is your favorite coffee creamer?" and we got some great answers and some pack some protein power:
Nurri Ultra-Filtered Milk Shake - 30 grams of protein per can
From panel member: "I use half a can as coffee creamer each day. I leave it out at room temperature day to day without issue. It actually tastes better and mixes better at room temp."
Leaner Creamer French Vanilla Coconut Creamer
Chobani White Chocolate or Sweet Cream
Trader Joe's Oat Creamer
Fairlife Milk
Whole Milk (a classic staple)
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