High-Protein Breakfasts Under 300 Calories

Looking for a low-calorie, high-protein breakfast idea? If you’re trying to lose weight or control hunger, years of research have shown that getting more protein in your morning meal is the way to go.

So, I’m sharing my favorite morning meal that provides high-quality carbs, healthy fat, and a protein boost. This is the low-calorie breakfast I eat every day. It’s easy to prepare, can be made in advance, and provides over 20 grams of protein for under 300 calories. If you’re not a fan of my favorite meal, check out the list of other high-protein, low-calorie breakfast ideas.

Is 300 Calories Enough for Breakfast?

Three hundred calories can be enough for breakfast, but it really depends on your preferences, your lifestyle, and your goals. The best way to figure out the right number of calories for you is to take your daily calorie goal and divide it up between meals and snacks according to your activity level and schedule throughout the day.

For example, let’s say that your goal is 1800 calories per day. You usually work out at lunchtime and like to enjoy a light breakfast, a light lunch, a few snacks, and a big dinner at the end of the day. You might divide your calories like this:

• 300-calorie breakfast

• 250-calorie snack before workout

• 300-calorie post-workout smoothie

• 250-calorie snack

• 700-calorie dinner

As an option, you might skip one or both of the snacks and add those calories to your dinner “budget.” If your workout is later in the day, you may want to load up on calories at lunch to have enough energy for exercise.

Of course, a 300-calorie breakfast may not work for everyone. You may want to increase breakfast calories if you:

• need to consume more calories to maintain your weight

• are trying to gain weight

• are very physically active in the morning

• find that you get hungry before lunch

• can’t consume enough calories later in the day (your schedule is busy or foods are not available)

Remember that your caloric intake at a single meal matters less than the total number of calories you consume throughout the day. If weight loss is your goal, you’ll need a calorie deficit of about 500 calories per day to lose about one pound per week.

My Favorite High-Protein 300-Calorie Breakfast

If you like both sweet and savory foods in the morning, this combination will make you happy. I eat this almost every day. You can tweak any component of the meal to suit your own tastes.

• 1/3 cup egg whites, scrambled in one teaspoon olive oil topped with 3 tablespoons salsa

• 1/3 cup steel-cut oats, cooked

• Fruit smoothie (1/2 banana + 1/4 cup raspberries + 1/2 scoop protein powder + 1 cup water)

If you make this recipe as indicated, you’ll consume 291 calories, 10g fat, 31g carbs, and 22g protein. But feel free to jazz it up any way that you like. If you don’t like egg whites, use whole eggs and prepare them however you like. Add sauteed veggies to the eggs. or on the side. Top the oatmeal with brown sugar if you like, or use different fruit combinations in the smoothie.

You can prep the entire meal in advance, but I like to have ingredients prepped, and then I cook it when I am ready to eat. I make a big batch of oatmeal once per week and then grab a scoop when the eggs are cooking. I also have frozen fruit ready to go in my freezer, so the smoothie takes just a minute to blend.

More High-Protein Breakfasts Under 300 Calories

If you don’t like my favorite breakfast, try one of these other options to get your protein fix in the morning:

• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese + 1/2 cup blueberries + 6 almonds: 251 calories, 7g fat, 18g carbs, 30g protein

• 1 cup cooked oatmeal + 1/2 scoop protein powder + 2 tablespoons brown sugar 245 calories, 4g fat, 18g protein

• 1/2 English muffin + 1tablespoon peanut butter + 1 banana: 266 calories, 9g fat, 44g carb, 7g protein

• 1 slice whole grain avocado toast + hard-boiled egg: 239 calories, 14g fat, 19g carbs, 11g protein

• 3 scrambled eggs + 1/2 cup spinach + 1/2 red bell pepper 236 calories, 15g fat, 5g carbs, 20g protein

If you are looking for more meal prep ideas or high protein recipes, pick up a copy of Macro Diet for Dummies for all of the tips, tricks, and easy hacks to get your macro tracking plan going.