Every man needs protein at breakfast. In fact, consuming roughly 30 grams at your morning meal will optimize muscle growth, and help keep you full until lunch.
But most guys aren’t even coming close to that number. For instance, the average guy consumes two-thirds of his daily protein after 6 p.m., according to research at the University of Illinois.
Perhaps that’s because a high-protein breakfast often means one that’s built around eggs. Lots of them.
And while we love eggs, not every guy does—especially not day after day after day. Looking for other options? Try these 10 new ways to pack more protein into your morning.
Protein Bagel & Lox
Recipe from Michael Roussell, Ph.D., Men’s Health nutrition advisor
Toast a P28 High-Protein Bagel (you can buy these at Wegmans or online here). Top with 2 Tbsp reduced fat cream cheese, 3 oz smoked salmon, and red onion and capers to taste. Makes 1 serving.
614 calories, 82g protein, 28g carbs (4g fiber), 21g fat
Cranberry Nut Oatmeal
Recipe from Michael Roussell, Ph.D., Men’s Health nutrition advisor
What you’ll need:
5 scoops vanilla whey protein ½ cup unsweetened dried cranberries 1 cup slivered almonds 2 cups steel cut oats, rinsed 5 cups water 2 pinches of salt Unsweetened vanilla almond milk (optional)
How to make it:
1. Add cranberries, oats, and water into rice cooker. Turn on rice cooker.
2. Once the rice cooker has finished, stir in 2 pinches of salt, slivered almonds, and vanilla whey protein. Add unsweetened vanilla almond milk to achieve desired texture (optional). Makes 5 servings.
508 calories, 35g protein, 60g carbs (9g fiber), 15g fat
Protein-Spiked Yogurt Parfait
Recipe from Michael Roussell, Ph.D., Men’s Health nutrition advisor
Stir half a scoop of vanilla whey protein powder into a cup of plain Greek yogurt. Top with ½ cup frozen mixed berries, 2 Tbsp sliced almonds, and 1 tsp ground flaxseeds. Makes 1 serving.
361 calories, 32g protein, 21g carbs (4g fiber), 18g fat
Avocado Toast With Smoked Salmon
Recipe from Chris Mohr, Ph.D., R.D. and Men's Health Nutrition Advisor
What you'll need:
2 hearty slices of bread, toasted
4 oz smoked salmon
1/2 avocado, mashed
Sprinkle of sea salt
How to make it:
1. Place bread in a toaster or toaster oven.
2. While toasting, mash half of an avocado in a separate bowl.
3. Top toast with avocado, smoked salmon and sprinkle of sea salt.
478 calories, 21g of protein, 42.2g of carbohydrates (10.75g of fiber), 21g of fat
Crustless Breakfast "Pizza"
Recipe from Chris Mohr, Ph.D., R.D. and Men's Health Nutrition Advisor
What you'll need:
1 cup cottage cheese
1 TBS pesto
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tsp Balsamic vinegar
Sprinkle salt and pepper, to taste
How to make it:
1. Scoop one cup of cottage cheese in a bowl.
2. Top with one tablespoon of pesto and cherry tomatoes.
3. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle salt and pepper
280 calories, 26.62g of protein, 17g of carbs (12g of fiber), 12g of fat
Apple Cinnamon Dutch Oven Pancakes
Recipe from Robert Irvine, host of Food Network’s Restaurant Impossible and author of Fit Fuel: A Chef’s Guide to Eating Well, Getting Fit and Living Your Best Life.
What you’ll need:
6 eggs, beaten
½ cup whole milk
2 scoops chocolate protein powder
½ tsp baking powder
¼ cup flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
2 Tbsp clarified butter
2 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
How to make it:
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the eggs, milk, protein powder, baking powder, flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Mix until smooth and set aside.
2. In an oven-safe nonstick or a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, melt the clarified butter. Add the apples and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Pour the batter over the apples and bake in the oven until puffed and cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes. Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings.
663 calories, 43g protein, 53g carbs (4g fiber), 31g fat
Almond Apple Spice Muffins
Recipe from Michael Roussell, Ph.D., Men’s Health nutrition advisor
What you’ll need:
2 cups almond meal
4 scoops vanilla protein powder
4 whole eggs
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
½ stick butter
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp all spice
1 tsp cloves
2 tsp baking powder
How to make it:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in microwave (about 30 seconds on low heat).
2. Thoroughly mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray or use cupcake liners.
3. Pour mix into muffin tins, making sure not to overfill (about 3/4 full). This should make 10 muffins.
4. Cook for 12 minutes. Makes 5 servings.
484 calories, 40g protein, 16g carbs (5g fiber), 31g fat
Vanilla Orange Protein Pancakes
Recipe from Anna Sward, author of The Ultimate Protein Pow(d)er Cookbook
What you’ll need:
1 medium ripe banana
1/4 cup vanilla whey protein powder
1 Tbsp coconut flour
1/2 cup egg whites
1 Tbsp almond butter
1 Tbsp orange zest
1/2 tsp baking soda
Coconut oil
1 orange
2 Tbsp slivered almonds
How to make it:
1. In a blender or food processor, combine all the ingredients. Add 1 Tbsp coconut oil to a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
2. Ladle batter into 3-inch pancakes and immediately lower the heat to medium. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface of the pancakes, about 1 minute. Flip and cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat with additional coconut oil and batter, if needed. Serve with sliced oranges and slivered almonds. Makes 1 serving.
533 calories, 46g protein, 55g carbs (12g fiber), 19g fat
Chocolate Cherry Super Shake
Recipe from Brian St. Pierre, M.S., R.D., C.S.C.S., sports dietitian and nutrition coach at Precision Nutrition
Blend this:
12 oz water
2 scoops chocolate whey protein
2 cups of sweet dark cherries, pits removed
1 fistful spinach
1 Tbsp walnuts
1 Tbsp ground flax
1 Tbsp dark cocoa powder
530 calories, 56g protein, 47g carbs (9g fiber), 13g fat
Muscle Gruel
Recipe from Michael Roussell, Ph.D., Men’s Health nutrition advisor
What you’ll need:
½ cup hemp seeds
2 cups sprouted grain cereal
¼ cup chia seeds
¾ cup slivered almonds
5 cups plain, low fat kefir
½ cup water
How to make it:
1. Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl.
2. Mix dry ingredients with kefir and cold water. Stir and let sit for about 10 minutes, allowing the chia seeds time to expand so it becomes the consistency of porridge. Makes 5 servings.
478 calories, 27g protein, 54g carbs (12g fiber), 19g fat
