Start Your Day Right With 6 High Protein PCOS Friendly Breakfasts

For my “cysters” living with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and looking for breakfast ideas to help regulate your hormones and suppress symptoms, well, I’m here to help!

I’ve got here in this post, 6 high protein PCOS friendly breakfast dishes that will help you start your day off right. Each of these meals is easy to prepare and packed with nutrition, protein, and flavor to support your health and dietary goals. From a savory egg bake to an easily customisable yogurt and fruit bowl, you're sure to find a breakfast dish that suits your taste and lifestyle.

I grew up eating a lot of carbs and saw proteins as that extra you had to kind of add on the side. But now I know better, thanks to PCOS. But the best part is, I would have needed this anyway, because proteins are so important!

Importance of high protein breakfasts in PCOS

Breakfast is such an important part of a healthy nutritional regimen, and even more so for women with PCOS. Starting your day with foods that are high in protein and low in carbs is essential for keeping blood sugar stable, insulin levels normal and providing the energy you need to start your day off right. And that’s a major advantage you’re giving yourself right at the start of your day.

I learnt from experience and now I’ve put together a quick guide for you for those nights when you wonder what to prepare for breakfast, or those mornings where you’re simply stumped. This list of 6 high protein PCOS friendly breakfast dishes are not only delicious and nutritious, but they’ll keep your energy levels up all morning long. The fat components in these recipes help slow your digestion and keep you feeling fuller for longer. So you don’t have to go crazy during your lunch hour!

Incredible PCOS Friendly Breakfasts: 6 Fiercely Delicious High Protein Dishes!

Plus, they're all tailored to fit within a calorie-restricted PCOS diet, if that’s your jam. So, get your morning off to a great start with these delicious, healthy, and PCOS-friendly breakfast recipes!

On a packed schedule? Here are 3 time-saving dishes you can whip up the night before or on the morning of:

Yogurt, Fruit & Granola cup/bowl

two cups of yogurt, fruit and granola parfait with a spoon on the cup

An easy breakfast staple, healthy and delicious. I usually make this for the children as well. Simply layer:

your favorite greek yogurt (preferably unsweetened because the fruits will provide some sweetness)

fruit combos (I like a nice berry combo - strawberries, raspberries and blue or blackberries for the magnesium, fiber, potassium and vitamin K). You can work with diced apples, bananas, pineapples, kiwis, mangoes. I could go on!
Granola or a mix of grains and seeds you have handy in your pantry. I like to use granola or any nice combo of chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, coconut shavings, cashew nuts and even peanuts!

green smoothie

Here’s an easy green smoothie recipe here on the blog you can use. I also have a similar green smoothie recipe here on the blog.

Some people like their smoothies in cups, and more runny so they can sip them through a straw, but for me there’s just smothing about scooping it with my spoon out of a wide bowl. Using a bowl also helps me see all my toppings as I scoop them up! so yum!

Basically, you want to blend your smoothie in the following formula:

For every cup of leafy greens (like spinach, kale, arugula, carrot tops, beet greens and microgreens), add:

half a cup of seasonal fruit - want your smoothies cold? Freeze your fruits overnight before blending in the morning!
one cup of liquid - water, fresh fruit juice or substitute with one of the liquid proteins below
half a cup of protein (could be your favorite protein powder, seeds, nuts or nut milk) and
one teaspoon of fat (avocados, nuts, nut butters or seeds).

Ideally, you’d need 1-2 cups of greens for one serving of this deliciousness so you can multiply the formula above by 2 and get the same proportions.

Overnight Protein-packed Chia pudding

glass cup filled with chia seed pudding topped with strawberries, granola and seeds, depicting a healthy PCOS friendly breakfast option

I featured this one on my instagram a while back. It’s easy. But you need to think about it the night before 🙂

Soak ⅓ cup chia seeds in 1/2 a cup boiling water for 5 minutes
Add 1.5 (1 and 1/2) cups greek yogurt
Add 1.5 (1 and 1/2) cups nut milk
Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Add 1 tablespoon maple syrup or coconut sugar
Soak Overnight
In the morning, add toppings (fruit, nuts, seeds as desired)

Got a bit more time? Maybe a friend and family hangout on a weekend morning where you’re cool to hang out in the kitchen and prepare a decadent indulgence?

Then try these 3 warm/ hot dishes:

Egg, Avocado & Smoked Salmon Sandwich on grain bread

typical pcos friendly breakfast - salmon avocado poached egg sandwich

This is the perfect freestyle recipe on this list. Literally, just make a sandwich! 🙂

Here’s my process:

For one sandwich (2 slices of bread or one bagel), I like to use a grain bread or bagel
Slather the slices in some cream cheese or butter
Slice or mash half a large sized avocado
Layer with a couple slices of smoked salmon
Top with a poached egg or sliced boiled egg
Garnish with some pepper flakes, green onions, sliced tomatoes, dry parsley or any other herb or veggie of your choice.

Bacon egg cups

Five pieces of baked bacon wrapped eggs, garnished with chilli flakes and fresh parsley

This is one of the simplest warm breakfasts on this list. Literally 3 ingredients, a muffin pan, your oven and a lot of deliciousness.

It can be refrigerated and warmed, so really good for meal prepping for the week!

For 6 egg cups:

Simply preheat your oven to 350 degrees F 175 deg Celsius.
Heat up 6 bacon slices (in an air fryer or pan/ griddle for 5-7 minutes until they are half-cooked)
Wrap each slice along the edges of your greased muffin liners or tin
Crack an egg into each one, right in the center of the bacon-lined liner or tin
Bake for 14 minutes (if you like your egg yolks soft) or 17 minutes (if you prefer them harder)
Once you bring them out of the oven, season with chili flakes and grated parmesan. I like to use some yummy truffle parmesan in mine!

Baked Spinach, Egg, and Feta Cheese cups

4 baked egg cups with spinach and feta cheese on a white ceramic plate

So healthy, so easy and so yummy! Also a good meal prep candidate, as you can refrigerate it in a sealed container and warm up when needed.

For 6 cups, you need a handful of spinach (cut up). I prefer fresh spinach but some people use frozen spinach as well. For frozen spinach, ¾ cup is a good portion. Remember to squeeze out all the moisture from the spinach using a cheesecloth or paper towel.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F 175 deg Celsius.
Beat 6 eggs large until frothy
Fold in your spinach, ⅓ cup of feta cheese, seasoning (onion powder, garlic powder, salt and black pepper) You can add any other toppings you need - bacon, tomatoes, sausages etc.
Pour evenly into your greased muffin liners/ tins
Bake for 20 minutes
Scoop out of the tins and enjoy!

You really don’t have to sacrifice taste or nutrition when you have PCOS. It;s not a zero sum game, even if it feels that way at first. Eating right when living with PCOS can be overwhelming, but that’s why I’m here to share info on the right high protein pantry staples and meal planning tips. I have found that having a variety of high protein pantry staples on hand has helped me manage my PCOS.

Here are my 2 quick tips for making sustainable change with breakfast:

Be sure to always have (depending on your taste/ preferences) eggs, tuna, salmon avocados, nuts, high-fiber cereal, yogurt, seeds and greens in your fridge/ pantry.
Try spending 5-10 minutes in the evening prepping for your breakfast. Your body will thank you for it!