Skip the Eggs and Bacon: These High-Protein Breakfasts Are Completely Vegan

Protein offers numerous benefits to our bodies. It’s essential for repairing damaged tissues and cells, and it plays a crucial role in keeping our bones and muscles strong and healthy. Beyond that, protein provides energy, supports the immune system, and aids with several vital bodily functions, including digestion, blood clotting, and nutrient transportation.

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Given its importance, the recommended daily intake for protein is about 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. For instance, someone weighing 140 pounds, about 63.5 kilograms, would need around 51 grams of protein per day. However, protein needs can vary from person to person. Athletes, for example, typically require more protein due to their higher energy expenditure and muscle growth demands.

RELATED: All of These Foods Have More Protein Than Eggs

While many of us likely meet our daily protein goals through foods like beans, tofu, plant-based meat products, and vegetables, there’s more to consider: how important is the timing of our protein intake? Well, research suggests that consuming more protein at breakfast can provide various health benefits.

Should breakfast be high in protein?

Research suggests that having a high-protein breakfast offers several benefits. Firstly, if weight loss is one of your goals, starting your day with a protein-rich meal can help you achieve it. Protein keeps you fuller for longer, reducing the urge to snack throughout the day. Additionally, the body burns more calories when breaking down protein compared to other nutrients, which can support weight management. Protein may also help boost metabolism, further aiding in weight loss.

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Beyond weight loss, eating protein for breakfast helps kickstart muscle protein synthesis, which is essential for building muscle mass. It also provides a sustained release of energy, which helps maintain stable energy levels throughout the morning.

10 high-protein vegan breakfast recipes

Many people turn to eggs for a protein-packed breakfast, but animal products aren’t necessary to get a morning boost of this essential nutrient. Check out some of our favorite vegan high-protein breakfast recipes below.

1 Chia Protein Pancakes With Fresh Strawberries

Approximate protein content: 11 grams per serving

These nutritious chia pancakes are packed with protein, thanks to dairy-free milk (opt for soy or pea for the most protein), spinach, pastry flour, rolled oats, and chia seeds. There are two servings in this recipe, each coming in at about 11 grams of protein.
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2 Chickpea Breakfast Frittata With Hash Brown Crust

Approximate protein content: 12.5 grams per serving

This frittata is made with chickpea flour, which is a high-protein flour choice. It also contains plenty of other protein-packed ingredients, including black beans, nutritional yeast, and hash browns, bringing the entire protein content of this recipe to an impressive 50 grams. This means that one serving (which is around a quarter of the frittata) would work out to roughly 12.5 grams.
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Bailey Ruskus

3 High-Protein Vegan Cottage Cheese

Approximate protein content: 11 grams per serving

This plant-based cottage cheese recipe comes together with a whole block of tofu, dairy-free milk, and nutritional yeast, which brings the total protein content to around 45 grams (especially if the milk used is a high-protein option, like soy). If you enjoyed a quarter of the total yield, this would start your day with just over 11 grams of protein.
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4 Homemade Freezer-Friendly Black Bean Breakfast Burritos

Approximate protein content: 11.5 grams per serving

These freezer-friendly, nourishing breakfast burritos are full of protein-rich ingredients, including extra-firm tofu, black beans, spinach, and nutritional yeast. The whole recipe (for eight burritos) packs an impressive 93 grams—split this into eight portions, and you’ve got just over 11.5 grams a burrito.
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5Tofu Huevos Rancheros With Seasoned Potatoes

Approximate protein content: 21 grams per serving

This flavorful Mexican-inspired breakfast recipe revolves around tofu, which brings around 18 grams of protein to the dish. It also features potatoes, black beans, and avocado, which also build on the overall protein content of the recipe, bringing the entire dish to around 42 grams. The recipe serves two people, so this means you’re each starting your day with an impressive 21 grams of protein.
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Linda Soper-Kolton and Sara Boan

6 Fluffy Vegan Sausage Quiche With Spinach and Asparagus

Approximate protein content: 10 grams per serving

Quiche is usually made with eggs, but it’s easy to make a tasty, protein-packed, plant-based version with ingredients like tofu and cashew nuts. The protein content in this recipe is also boosted by ingredients like vegan sausage (we worked out our calculations using Beyond Meat sausages, which contain around 8 grams of protein per serving), nutritional yeast, frozen spinach, and the pie crust.
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7 Smoky Tempeh, Mushroom, and Roasted Potato Breakfast Skillet

Approximate protein content: 10 grams per serving

Like tofu, tempeh is another great source of soy-based protein. It also brings a nice meaty texture to breakfast and brunch dishes, like this skillet recipe, for example. Other ingredients with protein in this dish include the roasted potatoes, the mushrooms, and some of the vegetables, like the zucchini and the bell peppers. Overall, the protein content works out to just over 40 grams of protein, which means each serving hits around 10 grams.
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The Colorful Kitchen

8Vegan Lox With Homemade Cashew Cream Cheese

Approximate protein content: 26 grams per serving

Cashew nuts are responsible for the big protein boost in this appetizing vegan take on salmon lox, as two cups alone contain around 20 grams. Nutritional yeast, carrots, and dairy-free yogurt help to add a few more grams, bringing the overall protein content of this recipe (which serves one) to a whopping 26 grams.
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9 Cheesy Tex-Mex Tofu Tacos

Approximate protein content: 14.5 grams per serving

Tofu is guaranteed to help you start your day with a big helping of protein. It’s the star ingredient in these flavor-packed Tex-Mex-style tacos, which also pack other protein sources like vegan cheese, corn tortillas, nutritional yeast, and flaxseeds. Overall, the protein content of this entire recipe, which serves four, comes in at just over 58 grams. This means that each portion of tacos boasts around 14.5 grams of the essential nutrient.
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10 Banana Tahini Chia Pudding With Peanut Butter Chocolate Sauce

Approximate protein content: 10.25 grams per serving

Starting the day with something sweet doesn’t have to mean skipping out on protein. This creamy, fruity pudding boasts around 41 grams of protein (around 10.25 grams per serving) thanks to ingredients like tahini, chia seeds, and peanut butter.
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