Easy protein breakfasts for a small appetite
Photo: Antoni Shkraba / Pexels
Plenty of us don't feel like eating first thing, and a big breakfast can feel like a chore. The good news is that a small one can still do real work, if you pick the right few things for the bowl.
What the science says
The UK reference figure for protein is 0.75g per kilogram of body weight a day, which works out at about 53g for someone weighing 70kg. A consultant dietitian quoted by Good Housekeeping suggests including a source of protein at each main meal, rather than chasing a precise number (Good Housekeeping UK (opens in a new tab)).
Spreading protein out matters because many of us save most of it for the evening. University of Reading researchers note that most people eat the bulk of their protein in one meal, and that spreading it more evenly across the day appears to help muscle. They suggest breakfast, lunch and snacks as good places to add some (Frontiers in Nutrition, 2026 (opens in a new tab)). That paper is a UK survey and focus-group study of people's attitudes, so treat it as a pointer, not proof.
Small breakfasts, real protein
Amounts are rough estimates from the dietitian's figures. Check your packs.
| Breakfast | Roughly |
|---|---|
| 150g Greek yoghurt with fruit | 15 to 17g protein |
| Porridge made with milk, with 150g yoghurt stirred in once cooled | 20 to 25g |
| Two eggs on wholemeal toast | about 13g from the eggs |
| Cottage cheese on toast, topped with tomato or fruit | varies, so check the tub |
Ways to make it easier
- Make the porridge richer, not bigger. Use dairy or soya milk instead of water, then add the yoghurt.
- Boil a batch of eggs on Sunday. They keep in the fridge and go with toast or a handful of cherry tomatoes. Supermarkets are catching on too: The Grocer reports pre-boiled and poached eggs now sold in Tesco (The Grocer (opens in a new tab)).
- Bake bites once. Our egg and spinach muffin bites reheat in a minute.
- Add seeds and fruit. Protein plus fibre keeps a small bowl satisfying. Our skyr pot takes about three minutes.
- Eat in two goes. If a whole breakfast is too much, have a yoghurt when you get up and toast with egg mid-morning.
If you really can't face food
Don't force it. Start with something small and soft, like a few spoonfuls of cottage cheese or a glass of milk, and build up. If you're often skipping meals or your appetite has dropped, mention it to your GP.
One small habit
Pick one protein you'll always have in the fridge, such as a tub of plain yoghurt, and put a spoonful of it on whatever you already eat in the morning. That is enough to start.
Handy kit
- Small lidded pots for yoghurt and overnight oats. View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)#ad / affiliate
- A silicone mould for batch-baked egg bites. View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)#ad / affiliate