A breakfast or snack suitable for intensive training combines protein with carbohydrates and is easy to prepare in advance. Think of overnight oats, chia pudding or a shake with fruit, perhaps supplemented with a scoop of unflavoured protein powder (whey or plant-based).
Below are seven specific options: three breakfasts and four snacks, with a short list of ingredients and preparation instructions. They require very little active time in the kitchen, and most can be made the night before or in one go to last for a few days.
What do you eat for a high-protein breakfast as a CrossFitter?
A useful basic recipe is: a source of carbohydrates (rolled oats, fruit, bread), a source of protein (quark, yoghurt, eggs, pulses or protein powder) and a source of fat (nuts, seeds, coconut milk). That combination provides a complete meal without you having to do any maths.
Anyone who trains five times a week generally eats more than someone who is sedentary. That difference lies mainly in the total amount consumed over the course of the day, not in any specific morning routine. If you want to know roughly what your daily protein intake is, work out how much protein you need per day – including a calculation example. You can find out how to tailor your diet to your training goals in ‘Tailoring your sports nutrition to your training goals’.
Why are carbohydrates and protein served together on your plate?
Carbohydrates from your diet are partly stored in your body as glycogen, the stored form of glucose in muscles and the liver. Proteins are broken down into amino acids, the building blocks from which your body builds muscle tissue, amongst other things.
That’s also why protein keeps cropping up in this list. Protein contributes to a growth in muscle mass. Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass. Carbohydrates, meanwhile, provide the energy you need during a workout.
Which high-protein breakfasts can you prepare in advance or in five minutes?
1. Overnight oats
Rolled oats soaked overnight in plant-based milk. You don’t need to do anything else with them in the morning.
- 30 grams of rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon of linseeds
- 1 tablespoon of raisins and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 200 ml plant-based milk and 1 tablespoon quark
- 1 scoop of unflavoured protein powder (whey or plant-based), dosage as per the packet
Mix the oats, seeds, raisins and cinnamon in a bowl. Pour in the milk, stir well and place the mixture, covered, in the fridge. The next morning, add your choice of topping. The full recipe can be found in Ekopura overnight oats.
2. Chia pudding with passion fruit
Chia seeds absorb liquid and thicken to a pudding-like consistency. This happens naturally in the fridge.
- 100 ml coconut milk and 100 ml water
- 3 tablespoons of chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon of rolled oats
- 2 or 3 passion fruits
- 1 scoop of protein powder from the whey range, or a plant-based alternative
Blend everything except the chia seeds until smooth and creamy. Pour into a bowl, stir in the chia seeds until they’re evenly distributed, and leave in the fridge overnight. Recipe: chia pudding with passion fruit.
3. Raspberry and banana smoothie bowl
The only one of these three that you make on the spot, in about five minutes.
- 1 banana and a portion of raspberries (fresh or from the freezer)
- Soya yoghurt
- A handful of cranberries
- Granola as a topping
- 1 scoop of vegan protein powder
Blend the banana, raspberries, yoghurt and protein powder into a thick mixture. Spoon into a bowl and top with granola and cranberries. See raspberry and banana smoothie bowl.
What high-protein snacks do you take with you between meals?
You can make the four below in advance, in one go to last a few days. If you’re mainly looking for options you can take with you without any preparation, you’ll find them in ‘snacks for on the go’.
4. Protein shake with banana
The quickest option of them all. Blend a banana with 250 ml of milk or a plant-based drink and 1 scoop of unflavoured protein powder (whey or plant-based). A handful of rolled oats makes it more filling, whilst a tablespoon of peanut butter makes it creamier. Three other protein smoothies are listed in ‘Protein smoothies to make yourself’.
5. Homemade granola bars
Baking them yourself has one practical advantage: you decide exactly how much sugar and fat goes into them. Ready-made bars vary widely in this respect, so it’s worth reading the label.
- 200 grams of rolled oats and 150 grams of grains or seeds (oat bran, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, linseeds)
- Two handfuls of nuts and a handful of raisins or dried fruit
- 5 tablespoons of spelt flour
- 100 ml honey and 100 ml coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt
- 1 scoop of unflavoured protein powder (whey or plant-based)
First, mix all the dry ingredients together. Melt the coconut oil, stir in the honey and vanilla, and pour this into the dry mixture. Press the mixture firmly into a baking tin lined with baking paper, bake for 20 to 30 minutes at 180 degrees, then cut into bars. Recipe: homemade Ekopura granola bars.
6. Protein banana bread
One batch makes several portions. The bread becomes moister if left in the fridge overnight.
- 3 ripe bananas and 2 large eggs
- 100 grams of almond flour or buckwheat flour
- 50 grams of rolled oats and 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder
- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of salt
- 1 scoop of vegan protein powder
Mix everything together in a bowl, pour the batter into a greased springform tin and bake for 45 minutes at 175 degrees. Recipe: protein banana bread.
7. Nuts and seeds
Not a recipe, but the simplest snack on this list. Nuts and seeds provide protein, unsaturated fats and fibre, and they’re easy to carry in your gym bag. Walnuts and linseeds also contain ALA, a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid. A handful is a typical portion; they’re calorie-dense, so a whole bag goes quickly.
Which protein powder works best in these recipes?
For baking and stirring, an unflavoured powder works well, as it doesn’t overpower the flavour of the recipe. ‘Natural’ is a flavour, not a type: choose the type first (whey or plant-based) and then the flavour.
Whey is a milk protein that dissolves well in liquid. You can read more about this in our guide to what whey protein is and where it comes from. Plant-based powders are usually made from peas, fava beans or rice and have a slightly coarser texture, which is barely noticeable in porridge or banana bread. A more comprehensive comparison of different types of protein powder can be found in ‘Protein Powder Compared’.
When choosing a product, pay attention to the ingredients list: the protein content, the sweetener and the number of additives vary greatly from brand to brand.
Frequently asked questions
How much protein should you consume per meal?
There is no officially recommended amount per meal. In practice, most athletes spread their daily total across three to five meals, simply because it’s easier to eat that way than to consume everything in one go. You can work out your daily total by calculating how much protein you need per day.
Which dishes can you prepare in advance?
Overnight oats and chia pudding can be made the night before and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Granola bars go in an airtight tin, whilst banana bread can be kept in the fridge or portioned out and stored in the freezer. How long something keeps depends on your ingredients and how you store it: check homemade dishes by their smell and appearance, and it’s better to make a small amount that will be eaten quickly. Make smoothies and shakes just before you drink them, as they separate after a few hours.
What plant-based options are there?
All seven ideas can be made plant-based. Replace quark and yoghurt with a soya alternative; soya yoghurt usually contains around 3 to 4 grams of protein per 100 grams. Use plant-based protein powder instead of whey, and in the banana bread, replace the eggs with two tablespoons of linseed mixed with six tablespoons of water. In the granola bars, use maple syrup instead of honey.
What should you eat before and after a workout?
Before a workout, the most important question is what you can tolerate well: many people find it easier to get through a WOD with something small and easily digestible, such as a banana, than with a full meal. Afterwards, there’s no strict time window within which you have to eat; it’s mainly about what you consume throughout the day. If you train early in the morning, one of the pre-prepared breakfasts listed above is the most practical option.
Ekopura protein powder
All the recipes above use a scoop of protein powder. In the protein powder range, you’ll find whey, casein and plant-based varieties, with the full list of ingredients for each powder on the product page. That way, you can see in advance what’s in the sachet and what you’re adding to a recipe.
