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Nutrition Crash Course

Meals · Recipes

High-Protein Breakfast Meal Prep: 4 Make-Ahead Recipes

Four make-ahead high-protein breakfasts: overnight oats, egg muffins, freezer breakfast burritos and cottage cheese pots. Each recipe shows servings, protein per serving and how to store and reheat it safely.

Estimated per serving, from USDA FoodData Central values.
MealProteinEnergyTime
Greek yogurt overnight oats28 g≈410 kcal5 min
Spinach, pepper & cheddar egg muffins24 g≈290 kcal30 min
Egg & black bean breakfast burritos26 g≈460 kcal25 min
Cottage cheese, berry & almond pots29 g≈270 kcal5 min

No cook · Vegetarian · Meal prep

Greek yogurt overnight oats

Two jars made the night before. Thick yogurt does most of the protein work.

Serves 2 About 5 min

Protein
28 g
Energy
≈410 kcal
Carbs
59 g
Fat
8 g
Fibre
≥10.3 g

Estimated per serving from USDA FoodData Central; fibre is a minimum because one ingredient has no USDA fibre value. Brands and portions change the numbers.

Ingredients

  • 100 g rolled oats (dry)
  • 300 g plain fat-free Greek-style yogurt
  • 200 ml 1% fat milk
  • 20 g chia seeds
  • 150 g blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Cinnamon or vanilla to taste (not counted)

Method

  1. Divide the oats, chia, yogurt and milk between two jars and stir well.
  2. Top with blueberries, seal and refrigerate overnight.
  3. Stir before eating; add a splash of milk if too thick.

Storing & reheating: Keep sealed in the fridge (0–5°C) and eat within 2 days, inside the yogurt and milk use-by dates.

USDA entries used for this recipe

Freezer-friendly · Vegetarian · Meal prep

Spinach, pepper & cheddar egg muffins

Twelve muffin-tin omelettes: three per serving. Good cold or reheated.

Serves 4 About 30 min

Protein
24 g
Energy
≈290 kcal
Carbs
5 g
Fat
20 g
Fibre
≥1.4 g

Estimated per serving from USDA FoodData Central; fibre is a minimum because one ingredient has no USDA fibre value. Brands and portions change the numbers.

Ingredients

  • 12 medium–large eggs (about 600 g without shells)
  • 120 g spinach, chopped
  • 1 red pepper (150 g), diced
  • 60 g cheddar, grated

Black pepper, pinch of salt, oil spray for the tin (not counted)

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Lightly oil a 12-hole muffin tin.
  2. Divide spinach and pepper between the holes.
  3. Whisk the eggs with pepper, pour over the vegetables and top with cheese.
  4. Bake 18–22 minutes until fully set in the centre with no runny egg.

Storing & reheating: Cool, then refrigerate within 1–2 hours. Keep in the fridge (0–5°C) and eat within 2 days. Or freeze portions straight away; defrost in the fridge and reheat once until steaming hot throughout.

USDA entries used for this recipe

Freezer-friendly · Vegetarian · Meal prep

Egg & black bean breakfast burritos

Wrap, chill, then grab one each morning.

Serves 4 About 25 min

Protein
26 g
Energy
≈460 kcal
Carbs
41 g
Fat
21 g
Fibre
≥6.9 g

Estimated per serving from USDA FoodData Central; fibre is a minimum because one ingredient has no USDA fibre value. Brands and portions change the numbers.

Ingredients

  • 8 eggs (about 400 g without shells)
  • 240 g cooked black beans, drained (about 1 tin)
  • 4 large flour tortillas (about 200 g)
  • 60 g cheddar, grated
  • 100 g red pepper, diced
  • 2 tsp olive oil

Salsa, chilli flakes, salt and pepper (not counted)

Method

  1. Soften the pepper in the oil for 3–4 minutes.
  2. Add the beaten eggs and scramble until completely set; stir in the beans to warm.
  3. Divide between tortillas, top with cheese, roll up tightly.
  4. Cool, then wrap individually.

Storing & reheating: Cool, then refrigerate within 1–2 hours. Keep in the fridge (0–5°C) and eat within 2 days. Or freeze portions straight away; defrost in the fridge and reheat once until steaming hot throughout. Microwave until steaming hot all the way through.

USDA entries used for this recipe

No cook · Vegetarian

Cottage cheese, berry & almond pots

The quickest prep here: spoon, top, chill.

Serves 2 About 5 min

Protein
29 g
Energy
≈270 kcal
Carbs
20 g
Fat
10 g
Fibre
3.7 g

Estimated per serving from USDA FoodData Central. Brands and portions change the numbers.

Ingredients

  • 400 g low-fat (1%) cottage cheese
  • 150 g blueberries
  • 30 g almonds, chopped

Method

  1. Divide the cottage cheese between two pots.
  2. Top with berries; keep the almonds in a separate small container so they stay crunchy.

Storing & reheating: Keep in the fridge (0–5°C) and eat within 2 days, inside the cottage cheese use-by date.

USDA entries used for this recipe

Food safety for meal prep

The UK Food Standards Agency advises cooling cooked food and refrigerating it within 1–2 hours, keeping your fridge at 0–5°C, and eating leftovers within 2 days (48 hours) or freezing them. Reheat food until steaming hot throughout, and reheat it only once after freezing.

A simple prep plan

  • Sunday: bake the egg muffins and roll the burritos. Refrigerate two days’ worth and freeze the rest.
  • Every two days: mix a fresh batch of overnight oats or cottage cheese pots.
  • Each morning: defrost in the fridge overnight, then reheat until steaming hot, or grab a cold jar.

Want ideas for later in the day? See high-protein lunch ideas.

More ideas: the high-protein meals hub has all breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes in one place.

How we calculated the nutrition

  • Each ingredient weight was multiplied by its per-100 g values in USDA FoodData Central (retrieved 2026-10-10), then summed and divided by the number of servings.
  • Weights are for the state of the USDA entry: cooked meat, fish, rice and pasta; drained tinned beans. Raw meat loses water when cooked, so cooked weight is lower than raw weight.
  • Seasonings, garlic, herbs, lemon and stock are not counted, so totals leave out their energy and any salt they add; stock cubes and many tinned foods can add noticeable salt. Energy is rounded to the nearest 10 kcal, other values to the nearest gram.
  • These are estimates. Your brands, portions and cooking method will differ; check labels or use our Food Calorie Calculator for your own ingredients.

Put this into practice

Protein per 100 g, compared fairly.

Highest protein foods

Further reading & sources