May 3, 20235 min read

4 Veggie-Loaded, Protein-Packed Breakfast Recipes

When it comes to breakfast, I encourage you to have something protein-packed AND veggie-loaded to start your day satiated and with balanced blood sugar. Whether we realize it or not, we make better, more conscious choices the rest of the day when we really nourish ourselves in the morning.

Smoothies with protein powder are a great option for easily ticking both of those boxes

Green Protein Smoothie

2 handfuls fresh spinach or ¾ cup frozen

1 cup milk of choice

1 heaping cup frozen mango

1 tablespoon peanut butter or to taste

1 scoop protein powder of choice, Or ½ cup Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon chia seeds

1 tablespoon ground flax

½ teaspoon vanilla

½-1 cup water or to taste

Instructions

Add milk and spinach to your blender. Puree until smooth and no chunks of greens remain. This step will help ensure that your greens get entirely pureed so that you don't end up with a chunk of spinach in a gulp of smoothie.
Add mango, peanut butter, protein powder, chia seeds, vanilla, and ground flax to the blender. Blend again. Check for desired consistency. If needed, add water ½ cup at a time or some ice and reblend if needed.
Pour into two glasses, and enjoy right away.

(makes 2)

Veggie-Loaded Chocolate Protein Muffins

These muffins are delicious and chocolatey—while also boosted with spinach and butternut squash puree (feel free to substitute sweet potato or pumpkin!). What's more? Eggs AND cooked lentils give these muffins a protein punch and (I swear!) you can't even taste the lentils! While these muffins really hit the spot for breakfast, they also make a GREAT addition to a lunchbox when wanting to add a boost of veggies and protein.

(makes 12)

2 eggs (can sub flax eggs)

⅓ cup maple syrup or honey

½ cup butternut squash puree (or sub with pumpkin puree or cooked & mashed sweet potato)

½ cup applesauce or mashed banana

1 cup cooked and cooled green lentils (about 1/3 cup dry)

¼ cup avocado oil or another neutral oil

1 cup loosely packed spinach or kale

¼ cup milk of choice

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅓ cup chocolate chips or to taste

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375℉ and line a 12-hole muffin tin with liners. Set aside.
In a blender, combine eggs, maple syrup/ honey, squash, applesauce/banana, lentils, oil, spinach, milk, and vanilla.
Blend until mixture is smooth and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa and cinnamon. Stir. Pour contents from blender into the bowl and mix until smooth and matter has an even consistency. Do not over mix, as this will lead to dense muffins.
Finally, fold in chocolate chips.
Portion batter into prepared muffin tin and top with extra chocolate chips if desired.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean and the muffins have an internal temperature of 200℉.
Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy and let cool completely before storing any leftovers in an air-tight container in fridge for about 4 days or freezer for up to 2 months.

Cheesy Broccoli Egg Bake

While you'd suspect the protein from this classic breakfast comes from the eggs and cottage cheese, you'll be pleased to know that the broccoli adds protein too—plant protein! This dish is easy to make and is simple to plug in as part of your weekly meal prep. Just reheat quickly in the AM. Or, if you want a more grab-and-go option, place a slice of the egg bake on an English muffin for an almost instant, veggie-loaded breakfast sandwich.

(makes 8 servings)

1 teaspoon olive oil or avocado oil, plus extra for greasing

2 cups small broccoli florets

Black pepper to taste

salt to taste

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

10 large eggs

½ cup cottage cheese

1 cup grated cheddar

¼ cup snipped chives or sliced green onions optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease a large baking dish (9-by-13 inch) with a teaspoon of oil (or use oil spray if you prefer).
Toss the broccoli with the teaspoon of oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the broccoli in an even layer in the prepared baking dish and cook until the broccoli tops begin to brown, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a blender, blend together the eggs, cottage cheese, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste.
Once broccoli is done, remove the baking dish from the oven.
Stir the cheese and chives/green onions into the egg mixture. Whisk the egg mixture again to make sure everything is well combined then pour it over the broccoli. Sprinkle extra cheese on top, if desired.
Bake until cooked through and the center of the casserole is firm, about 25-30 minutes.
Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, sprinkle with remaining chives/green onions, then slice into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in fridge for up to 4 days.

Notes

Up the veggies! Either add more broccoli or toss in riced cauliflower, or chopped spinach or kale! This broccoli egg bake is a great jumping off point.

Add in your favorite breakfast meat. Cooked breakfast sausage, crispy bacon, or diced ham would be a delight in this breakfast casserole if vegetarian isn't needed.

Skip the blender and mix everything in a bowl. If the texture of cottage cheese doesn't bother you, just whisk everything well in a bowl before adding to to the cooked broccoli.

How to store and reheat This is a great dish to make ahead and keep in the fridge for a veggie-packed breakfast or quick meal any time of day. It will keep, if covered, in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. I like to just cover the whole baking dish with foil for easy storage and then pop it into an oven at 350℉ to warm up for about 15 minutes. I keep foil on to prevent extra browning of the eggs.

Carrot Banana Protein Oatmeal.

If you're looking for a quick yet satisfying breakfast—this is it! In just 15 minutes, this naturally sweetened (thanks to the bananas!) oatmeal gets a boost of veggie goodness from grated carrots. The addition of whisked eggs boosts the protein in this easy breakfast, while adding a lovely, creamy, custard-like consistency!

(makes 2 servings)

1 cup rolled oats

2½ cups milk of choice

1 cup mashed, overripe bananas about 2 medium

1 cup grated carrots

1 Tablespoon chia seeds optional

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 eggs

Instructions

Combine milk, oats and carrots in a pot. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low heat and cook uncovered for 6 minutes.
Add mashed bananas, chia seeds, and cinnamon to the pot, stirring to combine. Cook an additional 2 minutes.
While the oats cook, crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk them very well. This will allow you to easily dump the eggs into the pot all at once.
Once the 2 minutes is up, reduce the heat to low, pour the whisked eggs into the oats and stir them in vigorously! This is an important step, as the egg will cook in clumps if not quickly incorporated into the oats.
Stirring continuously, cook over low heat for 2-3 additional minutes or until the eggs are cooked through.
Top with your favorite nut butter, yogurt, berries, more bananas or a little honey/maple syrup and enjoy warm! Store leftovers in fridge and enjoy within 3 days or freeze in portions.