Article

Plant-Based Protein Power: Breakfast Ideas to Fuel Your Day

Published on Thursday, July 06, 2023
by Savannah Duffy

Health & Wellness

It's an age-old question- is breakfast really the most important meal of the day?

The answer depends on the individual, but for plant-based eaters, breakfast is certainly an essential meal of the day. That’s because there are 9 essential amino acids, aka the building blocks of protein, that we have to get from the diet. Not all plant-based protein sources have all 9 essential amino acids, so it is important to get a variety of protein foods in your diet daily in order to meet these needs.

If you are skipping breakfast, it can be an extra challenge to meet your protein needs for the rest of the day. Today, allow me to provide some tips to help you create some plant-based breakfast ideas that will help you to meet your protein goals.

Look for places to sneak protein in.

When it comes to enhancing your breakfast with protein, a great place to start is taking a look at what you are already consuming and enhancing it. There’s no need to fully invent the wheel; we’re just refurbishing the wheel a bit!

Ask yourself questions such as: can you swap regular yogurt for Greek yogurt or stir in a nut butter? Can you exchange the water in your smoothie or oatmeal for soy milk? Can you add beans or tofu to your veggie burrito?

Consider non-traditional breakfast foods.

Honestly, I’ve never been a big breakfast person. It has been a journey as an adult trying to make eating breakfast a habit. I’ve found that it is easier to plan breakfast when I take away the pressure of having to choose traditional breakfast items such as pancakes or cereal all of the time.

I’m not opposed to having last night’s leftovers for breakfast, especially as it shaves a few minutes off of my morning routine by not having to prepare a meal before the mad dash off to work. Plus, I always have a source of protein at dinner, so I know I’m starting my day off with a quality dose!

Check nutrition labels in the grocery store.

Before you roll your eyes at me at the mention of label reading, I’m not suggesting we compare items to restrict ourselves. I’m suggesting the opposite! Check products to see which brands have more protein than others. I know from my journey to find the perfect oatmeal that protein content can vary wildly between products.

My favorite oatmeal has 7g of protein per serving, whereas many other oatmeal options in the store have closer to 3-4g per serving. You’d be surprised how many other products this same principle applies to.

Consider a protein shake or smoothie.

If you prefer to sip your calories in the morning as opposed to sitting down to eat them, or if you just need a great on-the-go option, I suggest considering a protein shake. Great protein sources that you can add to your shake include nuts or nut butters, seeds, dairy or soy milk, peanut butter powder, and even silken tofu!

If you want an even more powerful protein punch, of course, you can add a protein powder to the shake as well. There are many animal-derived and plant-derived powders on the market for you to choose from. The best part of smoothies and shakes is that you can also start your day with a hefty serving of fruits and vegetables as well.

If you’re still struggling to find plant-based recipes you love, Foodguides has you covered with inspiration. Remember- some plant-based eaters still consume eggs or dairy, which you may find in a few of these recipes.