Best Healthy Breakfast Ideas for Sustainable Weight Loss

If you’re on a weight loss journey, breakfast is likely going to be part of it!

We Always hear “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” and while I think every meal is – what I CAN agree with is that what we choose to eat in the morning sets you up for the rest of your day – if you’re intentional here, you’re likely to be intentional for the rest of the day. Depending on the foods we choose to eat we can start the day on the right foot with multiple health benefits: balanced energy, feeling great physically and mentally, support weight loss, or the opposite.

But sometimes making the shift from our traditional Standard American breakfast (cereal, muffin, bagel) to a breakfast that supports health AND weight loss can be challenging, so I’ve combined my tips, ideas and favorite recipes below that have helped me lose over 35 lbs. and keep it off for over 8 years.

P.S. This site contains product affiliate links. We may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links – at no cost to you!

The not-so-ideal Breakfast

Have you ever had just a muffin, bagel or donut for “breakfast?” (I put that in quotes because is that really a meal?)

If so, you were likely tired and hungry an hour or so later, even if it fit into your calories and macros. And when you were ready to eat again…you probably wanted more of what you started your day with….starch and sugar. When it comes to breakfasts that are good for health AND weight loss – there are a few other pieces to the puzzle.

What makes a breakfast healthy AND good for weight loss?

Many times for weight loss we just think about reducing our calorie intake or being in a calorie deficit, which is important but there is actually more to it than that, especially if you want to work towards overall health, balanced energy levels, truly looking and feeling your best.

It’s not just about the quantity of foods we’re eating, but the quality, how and why we’re eating them.

Healthy Weight Loss Breakfast Tips

Healthy Breakfast Tip 1: Make it Balanced 

A balanced breakfast contains a combination of the 3 main macronutrients:

• Protein (chicken, fried egg, egg whites, beef)
• Healthy fats (olive oil, olives, coconut, nuts, seeds) and
• Clean carbohydrates (fresh fruit or frozen fruits, vegetables/leafy greens, unprocessed whole grains if you tolerate them)

Grab my free sample meal plan and eating guide with macronutrient breakdowns here.

A good option of a balanced breakfast would be something like a green protein smoothie with spinach, berries, peanut butter, chia seeds and protein powder.

Eating for blood sugar balance in addition to the tips below helps to stabilize blood sugar levels, minimize insulin and cortisol spikes, helps to balance your energy, reduce cravings throughout the day, minimize fat storage, lower body fat and belly fat, contributes to hormonal balance, can reduce inflammation and much more.

Healthy Breakfast Tip 2: Portion Control + Not Overeating

While we typically relate this to weight loss, there’s no benefit to consuming more food than our body needs for fuel.

A great way to gauge whether you’re overeating or not – is to pay attention to how you feel before, during and after a meal.

• Were you hungry, and how hungry?
• How did you feel when you were done?

The goal is to eat the right amount for your body, eat when you’re truly hungry (feel hunger pains and would eat chicken and broccoli or another “boring” food) and stop before full.

If you aren’t quite sure if/when you’re hungry and the right calorie intake for you – a tracker like MyFitnessPal can be super helpful and eye opening in the beginning to not only track how much you’re eating, but the vitamins, minerals and nutrients you’re actually getting. The other thing to take a look at is how often you’re eating and snacking throughout the day outside of meals and when you’re not hungry.

In general (although everyone’s caloric/energy needs are different) a breakfast around 500 calories or so with a balance of protein, carbohydrates (with fiber) and healthy fats is fairly standard. According to Cleveland Clinic, the average adult woman burns ~2000 calories in a day, so if we subtract 2-300 from that number for weight loss and divide for 3 meals a day, we get to roughly ~500 calories a meal expecting we have a snack/coffee/beverage or two outside of that.

Healthy Breakfast Tip 3: Choose Whole, Unprocessed Nutrient dense foods

We want to choose foods that actually fuel us and have high nutritional value – protein, carbohydrates (including fiber), healthy fats and vitamins and minerals, so we can make sure to get in the essential nutrients to reach our health goals and maintain them, and feel our best along the way.

How to tell if a food is nutrient dense and/or a whole, clean food:

• Look at the nutrition and ingredient label
  • Is there protein? (the more the better – I recommend trying for 20-30g+ meal)
  • Is there fiber? (the more the better – 5-10g/meal is great)
  • Does it contain healthy fats? (watch for hydrogenated oils)
  • Is there added sugar, and if so – how much? (I try to keep breakfast under 10g of sugar, especially if it’s added)
  • When you total the protein, fiber and healthy fats, is it at least 75% of the carbohydrates (can help you determine if the food(s) are balanced or not)
  • When looking at the ingredient label – ideally we are looking for foods with 1-3 ingredients, or made from a variety of whole food ingredients, with minimal or no preservatives or additives.
    • A good rule of thumb is to consider if you were making something from scratch at home – would you add the ingredient in? If you aren’t sure what something is – google it! I always say if you brain doesn’t understand it our gut definitely won’t either.

Healthy Breakfast Tip 4: Go for high protein 

Benefits of eating a high protein breakfast:

• Satiety and Appetite Control: Studies have shown that a high-protein breakfast increases feelings of fullness and reduces hunger, leading to decreased calorie intake throughout the day. Source: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
• Weight Management: A higher protein intake is associated with better weight management. Protein helps increase the thermic effect of food (TEF), meaning it burns more calories during digestion. Source: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
• Muscle Preservation: Consuming adequate protein in the morning supports muscle preservation. It’s crucial for maintaining muscle mass, especially in individuals engaged in resistance training. Source: Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
• Blood Sugar Control: A high-protein breakfast can help regulate blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of glucose spikes and crashes. This is particularly beneficial for individuals with PCOS, with a weight loss goal, insulin resistance and/or diabetes. Source: Diabetes Care Improved Focus and Cognitive Function: Protein provides amino acids that support neurotransmitter function, which can enhance cognitive performance and concentration. Source: Nutrients
• Enhanced Macronutrient Balance: Combining protein with carbohydrates and healthy fats in your morning meal helps maintain steady energy levels and supports overall nutritional balance. Source: Advances in Nutrition
• Reduced Unhealthy Snacking: A high-protein breakfast decreases mid-morning snacking on sugary or high-calorie foods, which can be linked to better weight management. Source: Obesity
• Long-Lasting Energy: The sustained energy from a high-protein breakfast can lead to increased alertness and productivity throughout the morning. It may even help get you to gym or to get that workout in when you don’t feel like it! 
• Source: Nutrients
• Increased Thermogenesis: Protein’s higher thermic effect can contribute to weight loss by increasing calorie expenditure during digestion. Source: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
• 1Better Muscle Repair and Growth:– A protein-rich breakfast supports muscle repair and growth, especially for those who engage in physical activity. Source: Nutrition & Metabolism

Healthy Breakfast Tip 5: Follow a meal template

Focus on filling in the macronutrient groups (protein + clean carbohydrates + healthy fats) with whole foods – you can do this anywhere and everywhere.

See my eating guide for a template and food group lists to make this super simple. For example – if Im traveling and want to quickly grab breakfast from a grocery store or gas station and am filling in using #1 – I can grab a epic bison bar, berries, kale chips and cashews. Typical breakfast? Nope! But it works.

Healthy breakfast tip 6: Watch your brain

Our brain will use every chance it gets to give you a reason or excuse to not have a healthy breakfast or follow your eating plan.

When we can get good at mindfully eating, paying attention and watching our brain we can intentionally decide not to listen to it and follow through with our plan. For example – you wake up late and you have the thought – you won’t be able to cook you’ll have to grab something at Starbucks. Even IF you don’t have the time to cook, there is something that will follow the above guidelines you can choose – if you want to.

Healthy Breakfast Tip 7: Don’t Overcomplicate it

A healthy breakfast that supports our weight loss goals doesn’t have to be fabulous, gourmet and exciting every single day (an argument I have with my twin sister alllll the time) sometimes we just need to eat and can focus on that versus making it perfect every time.

If we can learn to be ok with simple and good, it’s a whole lot easier to be consistent with real life – and then when we have the opportunity or time to make something elaborate and exciting – we can take it, but we don’t NEED it to be successful.

Healthy Breakfast Tip 8: Think of breakfast as just your first meal of the day

If you struggle to eat a high protein breakfast or to find an option that’s not highly processed or sweet, think of breakfast as just your first meal of the day instead of “breakfast.” I know when I decided to have more savory breakfasts vs. cereal or oatmeal all the time (for blood sugar balance) it was challenging in the beginning. But after a little while I got used to it and then eventually that’s all I wanted! We train our tastebuds just like we train our brain and body. The more we eat (or don’t eat) something the closer we are to building a habit.

My Favorite Breakfast Options for Weight Loss and Maintenance

• Green smoothies! Check out my Protein Powered Green Smoothie , Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie or Peaches & Cream Green Protein Smoothie
• Blueberry Collagen Steel Cut Oats + kale chips
• Sweet Potato Avocado Toast
• Coconut Collagen Yogurt (My favorite brand is Cocojune yogurt and Vital Proteins Collagen) or Greek Yogurt w/Berries Hemp Seeds and Nuts
• Bacon Veggie Omelette
• Veggie Hash + eggs or breakfast bowl (This can also be prepped ahead with soft or hard-boiled eggs )

Try out some of the above tips and ideas and let me know what you think! If you need help creating a healthy lifestyle plan you actually stick to – book a health coaching call here.

Start building these mindset and nutrition habits with me and feel better in one week with my free 7day health reset!