How to Build a 30g Protein Breakfast

Kate Slatter

Sep 9

3 min read

Image shows high protein Greek yoghurt, seed and fruit breakfast

Breakfast is one of the first places I look when someone wants to increase their protein.

Not because I think we all need to start weighing yoghurt before we’ve even had our first coffee, but because breakfast is very often where protein gets forgotten.

Toast, cereal, porridge, fruit, perhaps something grabbed on the run. There is nothing inherently wrong with those foods, but depending on how you build the meal, you can arrive at lunchtime having eaten surprisingly little protein.

So rather than changing your entire diet, why not start with one meal?

Try building somewhere around 25–30g of protein into breakfast a few times this week.

There is nothing magical about exactly 30g. Your individual needs will vary, but it can be a useful practical target for many people and can make reaching your overall protein intake easier.

Start with what you already like

This is where I think we sometimes go wrong.

You don’t need to invent an entirely new breakfast that requires 14 ingredients, three bowls and a Sunday afternoon meal-prep session.

Take something you already enjoy and improve it.

If you like yoghurt, start there.

A good Greek yoghurt with berries, a little protein powder and chia, flax, hemp or pumpkin seeds can easily become a substantial protein breakfast. It takes minutes, tastes good and it’s something I genuinely eat myself.

If you like porridge, keep your porridge.

Try making it with milk or unsweetened soya milk rather than water, add some Greek yoghurt after cooking, perhaps some seeds, or mix in a little protein powder. Suddenly, the breakfast you already enjoy is doing much more for you.

Another really practical option is overnight oats. Rolled oats with Greek yoghurt, milk or soya milk and chia seeds can be prepared the night before. If you need a little more protein, add some protein powder.

It’s quick, portable and, importantly, looks like a breakfast somebody might actually want to eat.

If you prefer something savoury, two eggs with smoked salmon on a slice of good seeded or wholegrain toast is another easy way to build the meal. Or add cottage cheese to scrambled eggs.

You’re not asking the eggs to provide all the protein on their own.

And then there are mornings when you simply need breakfast to leave the house with you. A smoothie made with Greek yoghurt or protein powder, milk or soya milk, berries and perhaps some chia or flax can be incredibly useful.

It doesn't need to be beautiful. It needs to work.

Eggs are fantastic, but know what they give you

This is one area where people are often surprised.

Two eggs generally provide around 12–14g of protein.

That’s a good start, but it isn’t necessarily a 30g protein breakfast.

So rather than eating an enormous pile of eggs, think about what you can put alongside them.

Smoked salmon. Cottage cheese. Seeded toast. Perhaps beans if that’s what you enjoy.

It’s the combination that gets you there.

And don't ask nuts to do all the work

Nuts and seeds are wonderfully nutritious and they absolutely contribute protein.

But they’re usually better as additions rather than your main protein source.

Sprinkle pumpkin seeds over your yoghurt. Add chia to overnight oats. Add nut butter to a smoothie.

Use them to build the breakfast, rather than relying on them as the main protein source.

Try this for one week

I wouldn’t change every morning.

Pick three breakfasts this week and see if you can get somewhere around 25–30g of protein into them.

Then notice.

Was it actually difficult? Did you enjoy it? Did the meal keep you satisfied? Which breakfast was easiest to repeat?

The breakfast you can happily make again next Tuesday is probably more useful than the nutritionally perfect breakfast you make once.

One meal at a time.

Not sure what your overall daily protein target might look like? Read How Much Protein Is Enough?

Want an easier way to build lunch and dinner too? Read Protein Anchors & Boosters.

Thank you for taking the time to read 'How to Build a 30g Protein Breakfast'. If there are any other topics that you'd be keen to hear more about, I'd love to know. Please drop me an email at hello@kateslatter.com.