5 Health Benefits of a High-Protein Breakfast, According to a Nutrition Coach

This article was originally published on Clean Eating.

Breakfast foods are often either carbohydrate-rich, featuring foods like cereals, toast, and bagels, or high in fat, like the classic bacon and eggs. While these foods can fit into a balanced diet, there’s one key nutrient you should focus on: protein. Adding protein to your morning meal can deliver significant benefits, such as moderating hunger.

If you aren’t getting very much protein from your morning meal, here are just a few reasons why you might want to start adding more protein to your breakfasts.

1. Protein Is Essential for Many Bodily Processes

Protein is one of three macronutrients, the others being carbohydrates and fats. Each is important for health, but protein is responsible for building and repairing your tissues, such as skin, hair, organs, blood hemoglobin, and muscles. When it comes to building and maintaining muscle mass, protein is vital. And that muscle mass is crucial for a well-functioning metabolism, healthy aging, and overall daily body functions.

Depending on your current eating habits and goals, you might be getting enough protein. For many people, including those who are active, more protein than the typical recommended minimum will provide more significant benefits.

For the average person, the current recommendations from The Mayo Clinic suggest aiming to obtain 10 percent to 35 percent of daily calories from protein. So, if you’re consuming 2,000 calories per day, between 200 and 700 calories should come from protein sources. That would equate to approximately 50 to 175 grams of protein per day. 

2. Protein at Breakfast Helps Keep Blood Sugar and Energy Stable

Adding protein to your breakfast, along with healthy carbohydrates and fats, will provide a steadier, prolonged energy boost, in part by regulating your blood sugar.

Carbohydrates, particularly those without fiber, can spike your blood sugar, which can make some people feel groggy or sluggish once the spike crashes. Protein, on the other hand, doesn’t significantly affect blood sugar levels, so consuming it won’t spike your blood sugar and lead to energy crashes afterward.

Additionally, protein helps stabilize your blood sugar when you’re eating a high-carb breakfast, such as a bowl of cereal. Protein takes longer to break down in your digestive system, potentially slowing the release of sugars into your bloodstream. This effect can improve your energy levels by providing a constant stream of energy.

3. High-Protein Breakfasts Keep You Full

Research indicates that consuming protein helps keep you feeling full for a longer period. Again, this is primarily due to the slow digestive process for protein. Studies specifically on breakfast have demonstrated that protein-rich morning meals, consisting of around 35 grams of protein, can help you stay full and satisfied for longer than lower-protein breakfasts, which contain around 13 grams of protein.

But there’s more to protein’s hunger-abating powers. Studies show that eating a protein-rich breakfast positively influences hormonal and neural signals that affect how much you may eat during the day.

Hunger hormones influenced by protein intake include ghrelin and peptide YY (PYY). PYY suppresses hunger after a meal and is produced in the stomach and small intestine. Ghrelin increases feelings of hunger by sending messages to your hypothalamus when your stomach and small intestine are empty.

Oh, and if you’re someone who skips breakfast, that habit may contribute to poor diet quality and less nutritious food choices throughout the day, including snacking on foods without much nutritional value that are high in fat and sugar. While eating any breakfast is helpful, higher-protein breakfasts have the most significant impact on reducing evening snacking and improving diet quality.

4. Protein-Dense Breakfasts Help Maintain Muscle

Protein is vital for building and maintaining muscle. Even if you don’t lift weights and have no interest in building big biceps or quads, muscle is crucial for healthy aging and daily functioning.

As you age, muscle mass tends to decline. After the age of 30, you’re likely to lose muscle throughout the rest of your lifespan. Maintaining or building muscle is associated with healthier, more independent aging, reduced disease risk, and a lower risk of all-cause mortality. Low muscle mass interferes with your quality of life as you grow older and reduces your ability to remain physically active.

One proven way to combat muscle loss? Consume enough protein throughout the day. An analysis published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics found that consuming a higher-protein breakfast and lunch helped people get more protein overall. It also spreads protein intake out for optimal absorption and utilization, a detail associated with higher muscle mass in older adults.

According to the American Society for Nutrition, most people get the majority of their daily protein with their evening meal and the least amount with breakfast. However, splitting your protein intake more evenly throughout the day will increase your ability to build and maintain muscle.

5. Your Heart Health May Get a Boost

Skipping breakfast altogether is associated with an inferior lipid profile, which affects your cholesterol levels, triglycerides, and the balance of “good” HDL and “bad” LDL cholesterol. Forgoing breakfast is also linked to increased blood pressure, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome.

A study published in Clinical Nutrition found that eating protein at breakfast is associated with reduced diastolic and systolic blood pressure. A normal, healthy blood pressure range reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, vascular dementia, eye conditions, and kidney disease.

How to Get More Protein at Breakfast

If you’re accustomed to sweeter or carb-based breakfasts, you may wonder how to balance the foods you enjoy with protein.

Meat and animal-based options are likely at the forefront of one’s mind when considering adding protein. Eggs, ham, sausages, bacon, and other traditional savory breakfast foods can boost your protein levels. But it’s wise to watch the sodium and saturated fats in some of these foods, as they can contribute to poor heart health.

Opt for Lean Protein

Look for lean, nutrient-dense options lower in unhealthy fats and sodium, such as eggs and egg whites, turkey bacon and sausage, and lean ham. Eggs are especially beneficial; they’re protein-packed and have been shown to increase meal satisfaction and encourage a healthy body weight compared to eating cereal for breakfast.

Don’t Shy Away From Dairy, Fiber, and Nuts

Dairy is another protein-packed option available in various delicious forms, including Greek yogurt, kefir, skyr, cottage cheese, and filtered, high-protein milk. Dairy also provides vital nutrients, such as calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, and probiotics, that contribute to a healthy gut microbiome, support weight management, aid in muscle maintenance, and promote heart health.

Try adding high fiber and protein-packed nuts and seeds to yogurt, cottage cheese, or smoothie bowls. You can spoon these dairy options into your oatmeal and top them with whole nuts and seeds or butters.

Consume Whole-Grain Foods

If oatmeal or other whole grains are your preferred breakfast, consider adding high-protein grain swaps or alternatives to boost the protein content of your morning meal. High-protein grains include amaranth, quinoa (a seed cooked and eaten like a grain), oats, and spelt. A scoop of whey protein powder can further enhance your bowl.

If You’re Following a Plant-Based Diet, Consider This

Plant-based eaters can create delicious scrambles using soft tofu, sprinkled with a hint of turmeric for added color. Consider adding beans and legumes to your breakfast for a boost of protein, fiber, and essential nutrients like iron and magnesium. While plant-based yogurts are available, they often lack protein. However, you can add protein-rich foods to vegan yogurt using hemp seeds, pea protein powder, or spirulina.