My Top 5 Go To PROTEIN PACKED Breakfasts!

If you have been around the fitness/wellness scene for a while you have probably heard of the importance of protein in your day to day.

If you haven't (or to recap), some of the reasons it is so important:

• Muscle Build & Repair especially as we get older

• Boosts your immune system

• High energy (caloric) expenditure

• Hormone regulation

• Increases satiety
  

The list goes on. If you want to deep dive, here are two of my fav podcast episodes with Funk'tional Nutritionist Erin Holt:

• How Much Protein Do We Actually Need

• Protein Intake & Building Muscle Mass

If nothing else please take this away... 

We need protein. For most of us ... we need a lot more than we're getting right now.

Current scientists and researchers studying protein agree the goal to aim for is 1 gram of protein for every pound of ideal body weight. (ie if you weigh 130lbs you're goal would be 130 grams of protein)

I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, or protein coat it (mmm nevermind), this can feel intimidating at first. A great place to start is aiming for 100g per day.

But don't stress. Remember small changes over time are a sustainable way to continue compounding over time healthier habits.

One of the gentlest and most manageable tricks for getting adequate protein? Getting 20-40 grams with all three meals of your day.

The average American is currently backloading their protein. We have little to no protein at breakfast (when it is arguably one of the most important times of day in terms of stimulating muscle protein synthesis) and big ol protein-heavy dinner.

So let's start with bashing through the standard American Diet's Breakfast of tan-colored bread-based food, and talk about getting PROTEIN!

Here are 5 of my all-time FAV recipes for breakfast that are LOADED with Protein.

The best part? They are easy & fast. 

Plus! 

A lot of them share the same ingredients so you don't have to drop an entire paycheck on 9000 ingredients you'll only use a pinch of and end up tossing!

EGG BOWLS

These puppies are so easy it isn't even fair.

All you need for this one are eggs, veggies & rice.

It's a pick-your-own adventure!

Personally, I like to batch-cook rice then we have it as a carb for multiple meals.

We also use frozen veggies. They store longer, are fresher than store-bought "fresh veggies," often times less expensive for more and there is an array of veggies - so lots of different nutrients.

I fry 3 eggs, stir fry the veggies with liquid aminos, and throw it on top of 2/3 c of rice. BOOM.

Protein: 18-21g depending on egg size

PROTEIN PB&J OATMEAL

This one is my FAVORITE for mornings before runs and heavy lifts. The original recipe is from Erin Holt (the above nutritionist) as a great option for stabilizing blood sugar, and I modified it for extra protein!

What you need: Oatmeal, 3 eggs, frozen berry of choice, Organifi Protein (it's our protein powder of choice - super clean, well-sourced, bioavailable, AND VEGAN!), nut butter.

Start by making the oatmeal (specific instructions are on the bag). About 2 minutes in add 3 eggs (I like to whisk mine ahead of time because they blend better). About 1 minute after add 2/3 cups of frozen berries (berries are high in nutrients and antioxidants and frozen is more nutrient dense than fresh), 1/2 scoop Organifi Protein, 1 tbsp of nut butter. 

I find that I have to cook this for a slightly longer time than recommended on the back of the bag because of the frozen berries. Eyeball to finish, once it has desired texture let sit for 1 minute before enjoying!

This puppy is 28-31g of protein between the eggs and Organifi.

For a vegan alternative: Skip the Eggs and go full scoop of Organifi! (20g protein)

SMOOTHIE

I'm not talking about 100-calorie water and protein powder...I'm talking sustainable meal chocked full of nutritional GOODNESS!

This one is VEGAN!

It is another choose-your-own-adventure style...think fruit base, liquid of choice, nuts of choice, greens of choice...you can add avocado for texture and extra nutrients, frozen riced cauliflower, canned pumpkin, cooked sweet potato...the list goes on.

This particular one looks weird but is SO YUM.

We do about 1 c of water or oat milk, tons of frozen greens (2-3 fistfuls. I like spinach or power greens frozen - they tend to have less intense flavor profiles), 1/4 c of walnuts, 1 c of blueberries, 1 scoop of Organifi and I blend till smooth. Mine is really basic these days...but I have been known to F around with some smoothie ingredients so stay tuned for another day!

Protein ends up being around 20g with the Organifi!

Yogurt Treat

Shout out to my mom on this one! She is the QUEEN of yogurt treats...the rest of us are lucky if we can keep up!

Yet another choose your own adventure! Some fixings not pictured here are cacao powder (really any adaptogen: maca, lion's mane, etc), chopped nuts, apple or banana, splash of oj or coffee, chocolate chips.

Our fam's go-to is 1 cup of Chobani WHOLE FAT (we're out of the 90s yall - we need fat for a ton of reasons. Among some are brain health and vitamin absorption...kind of a big deal) Greek Yogurt, 1 tbsp of nut butter, 1 scoop of Organifi Protein, 1/2 cup of blueberries.

For a fun summer bonus - pre-make a few and toss em in the freezer for ice creamy treats!

Total Protein: 36g with Greek yogurt & organifi!

To make Vegan use a nondairy yogurt!

QUICHE CUPS

This takes the most time up top, BUT you make multiples so there are generally leftovers!

 Preheat oven to 375* and line muffin tin (optional...it just makes clean up easier)

Saute about 2 cups of finely chopped broccoli (and any other veggies you're into) until they are soft enough to stick a fork into.

Whisk 10 eggs together and add 1 cup of shredded goat cheese (or any cheese) and about 1/4 cup of oat milk (or other nondairy milk).

Chop up deli meat.

Once broccoli is soft, sprinkle it loosely into muffin tins filling about 1/3 of the muffin liner. Add chopped deli meat about another 1/3 full. If you want it very veggie add a few more broccoli pieces on top of the meat. Fill each tin with the egg mixture until just below the top.

Cook for roughly 20 minutes until the top is cooked through (it's okay if there is a little wiggle).

We usually have some of the fixins left over so we scramble it up and eat the scramble while we wait for the rest to cook 😂

Protein: Roughly 10.6g per muffin!

And just like that!

5 easy, nutrient-dense, protein-mypacked breakfasts for you to try!

I would LOVE to hear how these go for you, and please feel free to share any of your favorite breakfasts...Let's be real...I am a sucker for a yum breakfast.

 **Quick Side Note: Since initially writing this blog, we have switched to an ultra-clean Whey protein called Naked Whey because it has a higher amount of Leucine (the amino acid we need to stimulate muscle protein synthesis). Organifii is still the best choice in my book if you need a VEGAN protein.