Healthy Breakfast Healthline is an online resource where visitors will learn how to make a nutritious breakfast from everyday ingredients that are readily available. They’ll also learn about nutrition facts, get information on health conditions, what happens for example if one doesn’t eat breakfast and receive guidance on how to maintain a healthy diet.
What Are the Healthiest Breakfasts?
Breakfast is more than just eggs, bacon, and toast, or funny-face pancakes with strawberry lips. It’s the meal that breaks your overnight fast. The first food you put in your body each day can set you up for success … or a downward spiral.
A healthy breakfast helps you control your weight and blood sugar and gives you nutrients that help your growth and development, along with your sense of well being. A bad breakfast has other plans: It messes with your metabolism and may cause weight gain.
There’s a big difference between a bowl of berries and a biscuit covered with sausage gravy. Break your nightly fast with healthy foods and start your day off strong.
Oatmeal + fruit + nut butter. The best breakfasts have carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats, and fiber. In this combo, the oatmeal gives you complex carbs and fiber, keeps your blood sugar under control, and helps maintain an ideal balance of bacteria in your gut. The nut butter adds protein and healthy fats. The fruit tops it off with fiber and vitamins, plus it gives your breakfast a sweet taste. Avoid pre-packed oatmeal mixes that have added sugar and use old-fashioned oats instead.
Prep tip: Make your oatmeal with reduced-fat milk instead of water to give yourself a calcium boost.
Breakfast tacos. Tacos in the morning? Now that’s a reason to get out of bed. Your body needs protein all day long — not just at dinner. One scrambled egg has 6 grams of protein to build and maintain lean muscle and to help you feel full longer. Throw in some bell pepper for minerals and vitamin C, and fold it into a corn tortilla if you want to keep gluten levels low. Top with fresh salsa (tomatoes are anti-inflammatory) and a slice of avocado for B vitamins and “good” fats.
Prep tip: If you don’t have time to stand around and sauté every morning, make a big batch of breakfast tacos a few nights before, freeze them, and reheat as needed.
Greek yogurt and berries. A healthy breakfast has a low glycemic load. This means it doesn’t spike your blood sugar and then give you that dreaded mid-morning crash. In this dish, berries add natural sweetness, fiber, and vitamins. Greek yogurt has calcium, B vitamins, belly-friendly bacteria, and double the protein of regular yogurt for roughly the same calories. Stick to the plain version, since flavored ones have added sugars.
Prep tip: A great grab-and-go option, Greek yogurt and berries are easy to throw together in the morning or the night before. Add a few nuts for added protein, healthy fats and fiber.
Whole-grain toast and nut butter. If you work out in the morning, this breakfast puts high-grade fuel in your tank. Whole grains cut your risk of obesity (and the long-term diseases that come with it), and nut butter adds protein to get you through that last set of sit-ups.
Fresh fruit salad. Sure, it’s easier to crack open a bottle of fruit juice than to cut up a bunch of fruit, but you won’t get as many benefits. You’ll miss all the fiber that keeps your bowels healthy and lowers cholesterol. In a study of apples vs. apple juice, nutrients and antioxidants found in the apple were missing in the juice. Stick with the real thing.
Prep tip: If you don’t plan to eat your fruit salad right away, mix in a little lemon juice to keep apples and pears from turning brown.
Smoothies. A simple smoothie is a healthy smoothie. Stick to fruit, plain yogurt or nut butter, and maybe a little wheat germ for extra vitamins, minerals, and protein. That way you’ll avoid the saturated fat and added sugars that you’ll get if you use fruit juice, flavored yogurts, or whipped cream.
Prep tip: Frozen fruit is best, but skip the melons. They’re too watery and don’t always play well with other fruits.
Breakfast sandwich. Eggs aren’t the only way to pack protein into your breakfast. If you don’t like sweet stuff in the morning, make yourself a sandwich. Two slices of whole-wheat bread with some lean meat, lettuce, tomato, and a slice of low-fat cheese will pump you full of protein and vitamins and keep you feeling full all morning.
Healthier Fast-Food Breakfast Options – Healthline
Making time for a healthy breakfast when you have a busy schedule isn’t always possible. Sometimes, you may therefore find yourself at the closest drive-through, grabbing something on your way to work.
Fast food is often thought of as unhealthy, and for good reason — most options will cost you lots of calories, saturated fat, added sugar, and sodium. Fortunately, healthier choices are available.
We researched popular fast-food restaurants to find you 11 healthier fast-food breakfast options.
If you’re looking to monitor your calorie intake, there are several options out there.
These two breakfasts are both under 300 calories. Keep in mind, though, that they may not be as filling as a higher calorie meal. If you’d like, add a fruit cup for a few extra calories, nutrients, and filling fiber.
You’ll also notice a few other breakfasts on this list that fall under 300 calories.
1. Dunkin’ Donuts Veggie Egg White Omelet
The veggie egg white omelet is filled with healthy veggies and assembled with cheddar cheese on a multigrain thin. One serving contains (1):
- Calories: 290
- Fat: 13 grams
- Saturated fat: 5 grams
- Carbs: 27 grams
- Fiber: 5 grams
- Sugar: 4 grams
- Protein: 17 grams
- Sodium: 550 mg
2. McDonald’s Egg McMuffin with no butter
The Egg McMuffin is a popular breakfast choice, and if you order it without butter, it’s less than 300 calories. With butter, the calorie count of the sandwich is just a little higher at 310 calories. One Egg McMuffin without butter contains (2):
- Calories: 280
- Fat: 11 grams
- Saturated fat: 4.5 grams
- Carbs: 30 grams
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Sugar: 3 grams
- Protein: 17 grams
- Sodium: 750 mg
Avoiding meat can sometimes make ordering out more difficult, especially when also trying to get enough protein. These vegetarian meals include healthy veggies and plenty of protein from egg whites.
3. Panera Bread Avocado, Egg White, and Spinach Sandwich
This sandwich has a serving of spinach, as well as avocado, which has healthy fats and fiber that can help keep you feeling full for longer. One sandwich contains (3, 4):
- Calories: 360
- Fat: 14 grams
- Saturated fat: 6 grams
- Carbs: 39 grams
- Fiber: 5 grams
- Sugar: 5 grams
- Protein: 19 grams
- Sodium: 700 mg
4. Starbucks Spinach, Feta, and Egg White Wrap
This wrap is a little lower in calories, but still packs 20 grams of protein, another nutrient that can help keep you feeling full. The sodium is pretty high, though, so try to balance it out with lower sodium meals throughout the day (3).
Additionally, consider grabbing some fresh fruit along with your wrap to make it a more filling, balanced meal. One wrap contains (5):
- Calories: 290
- Fat: 8 grams
- Saturated fat: 3.5 grams
- Carbs: 34 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Sugar: 5 grams
- Protein: 20 grams
- Sodium: 840 mg
Oatmeal is a great breakfast option because it’s packed with nutrients like filling fiber and other vitamins and minerals. The suggestions below are also appropriate for individuals looking for low sodium meals (6).
5. Panera Bread Steel Cut Oatmeal with Strawberries and Pecans
Steel cut oats are the least processed kind of oats. They contain slightly more protein and fiber than rolled oats.
Panera Bread’s steel cut oatmeal is topped with pecans and strawberries, which may help reduce your risk of heart disease and other conditions (7, 8).
One serving of Panera Bread’s steel cut oatmeal contains (9):
- Calories: 360
- Fat: 15 grams
- Saturated fat: 2 grams
- Carbs: 52 grams
- Fiber: 9 grams
- Sugar: 17 grams
- Protein: 8 grams
- Sodium: 150 mg
6. Starbucks Classic Oatmeal
This plain oatmeal is a perfect healthy base that you can jazz up however you’d like.
The oatmeal on its own is low in calories, so we recommend adding some fresh or dried fruit and nuts for added fiber and healthy fats to round out the meal. Without toppings, one serving of the oatmeal contains (10):
- Calories: 160
- Fat: 2.5 grams
- Saturated fat: 0.5 grams
- Carbs: 28 grams
- Fiber: 4 grams
- Sugar: 0 grams
- Protein: 5 grams
- Sodium: 125 mg
Smoothies are super convenient for busy mornings, but they’re often loaded with sugar and empty calories. These fast-food smoothie orders include a good amount of protein without the added sugar, making for a filling, drinkable breakfast on the run.
7. Smoothie King Lean1 Vanilla
This smoothie gets its sweetness from bananas and includes both almonds and protein to make it a complete meal filled with healthy fats, fruit, and protein. It has just 22 grams of carbs, so if you’re limiting carbs, this can be a great choice.
If you’re not a fan of vanilla, the chocolate and strawberry versions of this smoothie have similar nutritional contents. Try adding spinach or kale for an extra boost of greens that you’re unlikely to even taste.
One 20-ounce (591-mL) vanilla smoothie contains (11):
- Calories: 240
- Fat: 10 grams
- Saturated fat: 3 grams
- Carbs: 22 grams
- Fiber: 4 grams
- Sugar: 8 grams
- Protein: 21 grams
- Sodium: 320 mg
8. Jamba Juice Protein Berry Workout Smoothie
Packed with berries and bananas, this smoothie comprises mostly natural sugars. It’s also low in fat and sodium.
As a bonus, this smoothie can be ordered with either whey or pea protein and is blended with soy milk, making it appropriate for plant-based diets. One 16-ounce (473-mL) smoothie contains (12):
- Calories: 300
- Fat: 1 gram
- Saturated fat: 0 grams
- Carbs: 52 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Sugar: 41 grams
- Protein: 19 grams
- Sodium: 115 mg
Healthiest Foods To Eat for Breakfast
From eggs to oatmeal, these healthy breakfast staples and mix-ins provide the energy and nutrients you need to start your morning.
The next time you rush out the door in the morning without something to eat, consider this: Skipping breakfast can set you up for overeating later in the day, according to Johns Hopkins. A healthy morning meal, on the other hand, provides energy, satisfies your appetite, and sets the stage for smart decisions all day long.
“You want to aim for a breakfast that combines good carbs and fiber with protein,” said Erica Giovinazzo, MS, RD, a nutritionist in New York City. Luckily, you’ve got plenty of delicious, easy-to-find options. Here’s a look at the 19 healthiest breakfast foods, along with tips from nutritionists for making them even better for you.
Oatmeal
The old-school breakfast option oatmeal is filled with nutritional benefits. Oats contain beta-glucan, a type of fiber that’s been shown to help lower cholesterol when eaten regularly, according to a review from 2019 in Frontiers. Need another reason to dig in? Oats are also rich in phosphorus, magnesium, thiamine, and zinc, according to Harvard Health.
Steel-cut oats, which take about 15 minutes to cook, contain less glycemic load than rolled oats or instant varieties, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Glycemic load is how much and how rapidly a carbohydrate food raises blood sugar levels, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Overall, oatmeal is a healthy choice. Just avoid the flavored kinds, which can be packed with sugar. Instead, sweeten your bowl with milk and a bit of honey, and top with fruit and nuts.
Greek Yogurt
This tangy, creamy type of yogurt is loaded with calcium and boasts plenty of protein to keep you feeling full throughout the morning, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Your best bet: Choose a plain, nonfat variety, and add some fruit to give it some sweetness and flavor (and a dose of added nutrition).
“I love Greek yogurt because it’s really quick and easy,” said Giovinazzo. “You can always take it with you on your way out the door.”
Grapefruit
Grapefruit made the healthy breakfast list because it’s hydrating, filling, and packed with immunity-boosting antioxidants. According to Johns Hopkins, the high-fiber content of grapefruit breaks down the sugar slowly, making this fruit an excellent choice for those with diabetes who are monitoring their blood glucose levels.
“For a well-rounded breakfast, pair it with protein—such as yogurt or an egg,” suggested Giovinazzo. But check with your healthcare provider first if you take any medications, as grapefruit and grapefruit juice can interfere with some prescription drugs, according to Johns Hopkins.
Bananas
There’s nothing like a banana at breakfast to keep those mid-morning cravings at bay. The yellow fruit—especially when they still have a touch green—are one of the best sources of resistant starch, according to a 2019 review from Nutrients. Resistant starch is a healthy carbohydrate that keeps you feeling fuller longer, according to the Johns Hopkins Patient Guide to Diabetes.
“Slice it up and add it to cereal or oatmeal,” advised Giovinazzo. “It will add natural sweetness, so you may not need additional sugar.”
Thanks to a healthy dose of potassium, an electrolyte that helps lower blood pressure naturally, bananas are a particularly good choice for people with high blood pressure, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.