YEAH, SURE, BREAKFAST is the most important meal of the day. But if that breakfast is just a crumbly cereal bar and a banana, how important is it, really?
What makes breakfast really important isn’t just that you’re eating it—it’s what you’re actually eating. An important breakfast sets down the foundation of the day. The meal is critical for ensuring that you’re spreading out your nutrients throughout the day so you can build muscle, maintain energy, and otherwise keep your body humming in its most optimal state.
And what’s kind of wild is that considering how PROTEIN is everywhere these days, research shows that people aren’t eating enough of the nutrient at breakfast. There are two drawbacks to that:
- Eating enough protein at mealtime helps you fill up more quickly at that meal, and feel fuller for longer after that meal is over. Both of these benefits can lead to less caloric intake over the course of a day, a factor that can lead to weight loss.
- Total daily protein intake is essential for muscle growth and
maintenance. Not enough protein at breakfast puts you in the hole for the rest of the day, and if you’re trying to hit a set amount of protein, you may have to recoup protein later in the form of (pause for tastebuds to recoil) shakes and/or bars.
So let’s amend the famous line: “A high-protein breakfast is a very important meal, every day.”
To help you hit our suggested minimum of 30 grams of protein at every meal, which includes at breakfast, we’ve pulled together 30 delicious, nutrient-packed recipes that are as awesome as they are easy to make. And they’re all courtesy of longtime recipe developer Julissa Roberts.
We’re talking about meals like:
- Breakfast Burgers
- High-Protein Banana Pancakes
- Loco Moco
- Berry Cheesecake Smoothie
- Chicken Chilaquiles
- Chorizo Potato Omelet
And if that menu preview sounds good to you, well, all you have to do is download the rest in handy PDF form.
Food styling by Simon Andrews. Prop styling by Maeve Sheridan.
