High protein breakfast
Many people eat most of their protein at tea time and little in the morning. Build a breakfast and see how it compares with a full meal's worth for your weight.
Your details
Protein in your breakfast
20 g
A little under a full meal's worth
- Two eggs13 g
- Two slices of wholemeal toast7.0 g
- A full meal's worth for you21 to 28 g
- A day's reference for you (0.75 g per kg)52 g, so breakfast gives 37%
- Over your other 2 mealsabout 16 g each to reach the day's amount
Most of us eat less protein at breakfast than at tea. Moving some to the morning can help you feel full until lunch.
The working
A meal's worth for you
Studies on muscle suggest about 0.3 to 0.4 g of protein per kg in a meal is a useful amount. At 11 st (69.9 kg) that is 21 to 28 g. Two eggs (12.5 g) on two slices of wholemeal toast (7 g) gives 20 g, just shy; add a glass of milk and you are there.
Your day
Older muscles and the rest of the day
From 65, muscles respond best to a little more protein at each meal: about 0.4 g per kg (Moore and colleagues, 2015), so 28 g at 11 st. The UK reference for adults is 0.75 g per kg a day (52 g at 11 st), and experts on older adults suggest 1.0 to 1.2. The eggs on toast above (19.5 g) give 37% of 52 g, leaving about 16 g for each of two more meals.
Ideas
Easy protein breakfasts
| Breakfast | Protein, roughly |
|---|---|
| Greek yogurt, berries and a spoon of peanut butter | 19 g |
| Porridge with milk and a glass of milk | 18 g |
| Two eggs, toast and smoked salmon | 31 g |
| Cottage cheese on toast | 17 g |
| Beans on wholemeal toast | 15 g |
Typical values; check your labels.
Why bother?
Fullness and muscles
A protein rich breakfast helps many people feel fuller through the morning. Spreading protein across the day also suits muscle building and older adults, who benefit from regular doses rather than one big one.
Read with care
What this cannot tell you
- Kidney diseaseExtra protein may not suit you; ask your GP.
- AllergiesSwap foods to suit egg, milk or nut allergies.
- Exact brandsYogurt protein varies a lot between brands.
Questions
Common questions
How much protein should breakfast have?
Around 20 to 30 g is a common target for adults, roughly 0.3 to 0.4 g per kg of body weight.
What is a quick high protein breakfast?
Greek yogurt with fruit and nuts, eggs on toast, or porridge made with milk.
Is a protein shake a good breakfast?
It can be when you are short of time, but whole foods bring fibre and other nutrients too.
Sources
- Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA. How much protein can the body use in a single meal? J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2018
- Morton RW et al. Protein supplementation and resistance training: meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med 2018
- Moore DR et al. Protein intake for muscle in older versus younger men. J Gerontol A 2015
- Bauer J et al. Evidence based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people (PROT-AGE). J Am Med Dir Assoc 2013
- UK composition of foods integrated dataset (CoFID)
Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.
If food feels hard
If eating, weight or food is on your mind a lot, you are not alone. Your GP can help, and Beat has a free helpline on 0808 801 0677 (England, weekdays 3pm to 8pm).
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