Breakfast: Common Questions
The first meal of the day, and the one where most people are shortest on protein.
Last revised
Breakfast: the questions people actually ask, answered from published guidance.
Key takeaways
- Useful breakfast protein target: 20-30g
- Greek yoghurt, 200g: about 20g protein
- Most useful single change: Put 20 to 30g of protein into breakfast.
- Commonest mistake: Flavoured yoghurts, which can carry as much sugar as a pudding.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to get help" below apply to you.
What is Breakfast?
The first meal of the day, and the one where most people are shortest on protein.
Why does it matter?
Muscle protein synthesis responds to each meal rather than the daily total, so a carbohydrate-only breakfast wastes part of what you eat later.
Useful breakfast protein target for Breakfast?
20-30g.
Greek yoghurt, 200g for Breakfast?
About 20g protein.
Two eggs for Breakfast?
About 12g protein.
Cottage cheese, 200g for Breakfast?
About 24g protein.
What is the single most useful thing to do?
Put 20 to 30g of protein into breakfast.
What is the most common mistake?
Flavoured yoghurts, which can carry as much sugar as a pudding.
When should I see a doctor?
Speak to a GP or dietitian before raising protein substantially if you have chronic kidney disease. If you have an egg or dairy allergy or coeliac disease, adapt rather than assume these are safe. If thinking about food is causing distress, contact your GP or the Beat helpline on 0808 801 0677.
Where to go next
- Breakfast: Common Questions Answered
- Breakfast: Just the Figures
- Breakfast — the reference entry
- Snacking: What Published Guidance Supports
- The Evidence on Vegetarian and Vegan Diets, Without the Hype
When to get help
Speak to a GP or dietitian before raising protein substantially if you have chronic kidney disease. If you have an egg or dairy allergy or coeliac disease, adapt rather than assume these are safe. If thinking about food is causing distress, contact your GP or the Beat helpline on 0808 801 0677.
Where this comes from
- British Nutrition Foundation — protein
- NHS — The Eatwell Guide
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.
