You have probably heard that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”.  Regardless, you may be one of the many Canadians who find themselves in the line-up at Tim Horton’s, looking for anything to silence their grumbling stomach!

Research has shown that including protein in breakfast promotes satiety, which may help promote weight loss and prevent weight-gain 1, 2, 3. However, we are accustomed to eat high protein foods mainly at lunch and dinner. Hence, some of us find it challenging to eat a protein-rich breakfast.
Aiming for a nutritious breakfast that provides 15 grams of protein or more is a good target for an average person.  In this post, I have listed 10 protein-rich ingredients to include in your breakfast. Remember that it is important to ensure variety in your diet!

1. Eggs

Nutrition:

Serving: 2 eggs

154 kcal

6 grams protein

Good source of vitamins D, B12, B6 and A

Ideas:

• Egg and Avocado Toast
• Vegetable frittata
• Breakfast egg burrito
• Scrambled eggs with vegetables

2. Greek Yogurt (2%)

Nutrition:

Serving: ¾ cup

120 kcal

16 grams protein

Very good source of calcium

Ideas:

• Yogurt parfait
• Yogurt Banana Split
• Smoothie
  

3. Cottage Cheese (2%)

Nutrition:

Serving: ¾ cup

146 kcal

20 grams protein

Very good source of calcium and vitamin B12

Ideas:

• Cottage cheese cups
  

4. Nut Butter (all natural)

Nutrition:

Serving: 2 Tablespoons

188-200 kcal

7-8 grams protein

5-8 grams monounsaturated fats

2-4 grams polyunsaturated fats

2-3 grams fibre

Very good source of magnesium

Ideas:

• Nut butter and whole-grain toast
• Peanut butter and fruits
  

5. Nuts and Seeds (Mixed, Raw)

Nutrition:

Serving: ¼ cup

160-200 kcal

5 grams protein

3-13 grams monounsaturated fats

2-13 grams polyunsaturated fats

2-9 grams fibre

Ideas:

• Add nuts to porridge, cereal, and yogurt parfaits
  

6. Hemp Seeds

Nutrition:

Serving: 2 Tablespoons

107 kcal

6 grams protein

6 grams polyunsaturated fats

2 grams fibre

Very good  source of manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin and iron.

Ideas:

• Sprinkle hemps seeds on toast, porridge, cereal, and yogurt parfaits

7. Chia Seed

Nutrition:

Serving: 2 Tablespoons

130 kcal

6 grams protein

6 grams polyunsaturated fats

10 grams fibre

Good source of calcium and iron

Ideas:

• Chia pudding
• Sprinkle chia seeds on toast, porridge, cereal, and yogurt parfaits

8. Tofu

Nutrition:

Serving: ½  cup

94 kcal

10 grams protein

Very good source of calcium and iron

Ideas:

• Tofu pockets
• Tofu omelet

9. Milk

Nutrition:

Serving: 1 cup

124 kcal

8 grams protein

Very good source of calcium and vitamin B12

Ideas:

• Use milk to prepare porridge
• Smoothies

10. Oats

Nutrition:

Serving: ½  cup

150 kcal

5 grams protein

4 grams fibre

Good source of iron

Ideas:

• Porridge
• Muesli

If you are interested, look for more nutritious recipes at Cookspiration!

References

1. Greco, E., Winquist, A., Lee, T. J., Collins, S., & Lebovic, Z. (2017). The Role of Source of Protein in Regulation of Food Intake, Satiety, Body Weight and Body Composition. J Nutr Health Food Eng, 6(6), 00223.
2. Westerterp-Plantenga, M. S., Lemmens, S. G., & Westerterp, K. R. (2012). Dietary protein–its role in satiety, energetics, weight loss and health. British journal of nutrition, 108(S2), S105-S112.
3. Blom, W. A., Lluch, A., Stafleu, A., Vinoy, S., Holst, J. J., Schaafsma, G., & Hendriks, H. F. (2006). Effect of a high-protein breakfast on the postprandial ghrelin response–. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 83(2), 211-220.