Although the saying “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” is debatable and the research about whether this is true is also mixed, it’s still an important meal to focus on. I’d argue that every meal is equally important, especially while on a vegan or plant-based diet, because each is a chance for us to fuel ourselves with good nutrition. But, alas, in this post, I’ll be focusing specifically on breakfast. And not just breakfast in general but ways to ensure that your first meal of the day is providing you with a good source of plant-based protein.
Starting the day with an optimal amount of protein is key for many reasons:
It will keep you feeling full for longer
It helps ensure that you’ll meet your protein needs for the day
It may help you have better overall gut health
If you work out early in the morning, it helps replenish the protein stores you broke down during your routine
Protein needs are very individualized and the myth that vegans, and other plant-based eaters, don’t get enough protein is 100% untrue. However, I do see in my own practice that many of my clients don’t start the day with an adequate amount of protein at breakfast. This is due to relying on meals like avocado toast, oatmeal, granola with vegan yogurt (notoriously low in protein), using low protein non-dairy milks like oat or almond, and opting for sweeter options like pancakes.
My goal is for you to have at least 15 g of protein or more with breakfast as this is a good amount to get started with.
Here are some easy, quick options to either add to your breakfast that you currently have now or to try a new idea.
How can you add?
If you love avocado toast, you’re most likely getting around 5 g of protein from it depending on the type of bread you use. We can easily get this amount tripled by adding to the toast itself as well as having something on the side.
To the toast itself, you can mash in white navy beans and/or hemp seeds. With some lemon juice, this has a really nice flavor. All together, these will get you to about 20 g of protein.
Still on avocado toast, you can add a side of tempeh bacon or add it on top of the toast, or even make a sandwich with a vegan english muffin instead of bread. This will give you 15 g of protein if you use about 3.5oz of tempeh.
If you’re making oatmeal, swap the water for soy milk which has one of highest amounts of protein for non-dairy milk at 7g per cup. Add peanut butter and chia seeds as well. You’ll likely get up to 15-20 g of protein with these swaps and adds.
Love a morning smoothie? Ensure your protein is higher by using soy milk as well as adding ¼ -½ cup of oats, 3T hemp seeds or chia seeds, and 1-2T of peanut butter. You’ll get well over 20 g of protein this way…without the use of protein powder!
A yogurt parfait with granola and fruit can be higher protein depending on which yogurt you use. Coconut or standard almond-based yogurts are extremely low in protein at about 2-4g per serving. However, there are some great higher protein options on the market that you can try. I am a big fan of the Kite Hill Greek yogurt which has 17 g of protein per serving (compared to their normal yogurt which has 4g per serving). You could add a nut butter and/or chia or flax seeds to your parfait to get the protein up even more.
Oldies but goodies
You can never go wrong with a delicious tofu scramble which will usually give you at least 20g of protein for breakfast. I know that sometimes making tofu scramble might seem daunting in the morning when you’re busy getting ready and out the door. There’s always the option to make a big batch on a slower morning and have leftovers for the week. Or, go for one of my favorite quick recipes by Nora Cooks, the best tofu scramble. This makes two servings so you’ll still have some left for another day or to share with someone else!
Other ideas for tofu scramble include making a breakfast quesadilla with it or a breakfast burrito. I love making extra breakfast burritos in advance with beans and veggies and then freezing them to have for days on end. This recipe is similar to the one I usually make. Bonus points for the extra gut-boosting fiber that you can add to these dishes like beans and veggies!
Thinking outside the box
There’s standard oatmeal, and then there’s savory oats. If you add lentils and nutritional yeast to a dish like this, you can get 20 g of protein. This option sounds divine and has a ton of veggies too!
Instead of tofu scramble you can try making a chickpea flour omelet which is great if you’re allergic to or don’t tolerate soy. The recipe below has 19 g of protein and a whopping 16 g of gut healthy fiber!
Chickpea Omelette with Asparagus
Serves: 1
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Chickpea Flour
1/2 cup Water
1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
1/4 tsp Turmeric
1/8 tsp Sea Salt
1 1/2 tsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup Asparagus (trimmed, chopped)
2 tbsps Fresh Dill (chopped)
½ Avocado
1 stalk Green Onion (chopped)
Directions:
In a medium bowl, add the chickpea flour, water, nutritional yeast, turmeric and sea salt. Whisk well to combine. Set aside.
In a skillet over medium heat add the oil and the asparagus. Cook, turning occasionally until the asparagus is fork tender, but still crisp, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove and set aside.
In the same skillet, add more oil if necessary. Over medium heat, pour the chickpea omelet mixture and move the pan around to ensure it covers the skillet evenly, in one layer. Let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown on the bottom. Add the asparagus to the omelet, then fold in half over the filling.
Gently, remove the omelet from the skillet and place on a plate. Top with dill, sliced avocado and green onion.
Speaking of chickpeas, you could make a chickpea hash with chickpeas, onions, potatoes, and spinach which will give you 16 g of protein.
Finally, back to toast but in a much different way: white bean puree with mushrooms on toast. Perfect for savory lovers of breakfast and gives you 18 g of protein. This would also be great with a side of tempeh bacon for an extra boost of protein as well as fermented food to help the good bacteria thrive in your gut!
For your gut health
In addition to protein for your gut, there are other ways to ensure that you’re starting the day off well for your overall gut health. Consider always adding a good fiber source to your breakfast like a cup of berries, half a cup of oats, a side of beans, a fiber-rich veggie like broccoli or potatoes, and seeds like chia, flax or hemp. Added bonus points for fermented breakfast additions like a good quality plant-based yogurt, tempeh, or even sauerkraut which happens to be delicious as a topping to avocado toast.
Bottom Line
Starting the day off with a good source of protein is great for your satiety, energy, food choices for the day, and gut health. There are so many ways to get adequate protein in with the first meal of the day from added seeds, beans, tofu, tempeh, nut butter, nutritional yeast and chickpeas. No protein powder even required!
