What is the healthiest breakfast? 10 easy picks and a simple formula

The short answer: the healthiest breakfast is one that pairs protein, fiber and a little healthy fat with as little added sugar as possible. Plain Greek yogurt with berries, oatmeal with nut butter, and eggs with whole-grain toast all fit. No single food is best for everyone, so pick two or three you like and rotate them.

Most advice on this question lands in the same place: protein and fiber keep you full, while sugary and highly processed breakfasts do not. The picks below follow that formula, and each can be made in under 10 minutes or prepped ahead.

The 3-part formula for a healthy breakfast

1. Protein: eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, tofu, beans, nut butter or milk.
2. Fiber: oats, whole-grain bread, berries, apples, chia or ground flaxseed, vegetables.
3. Healthy fat: nuts, seeds, avocado or nut butter, in a small portion.

If your breakfast has at least two of the three, it is already a strong one. Consumer Reports suggests aiming for roughly 24 to 35 grams of protein at breakfast and gives one example: a cup of Greek yogurt with a quarter cup of almonds comes to about 33 grams.

10 healthy breakfasts that follow the formula

1. Plain Greek yogurt with berries and nuts. Choose plain and sweeten it with fruit. Greek yogurt has about double the protein of regular yogurt, according to WebMD.
2. Oatmeal with nut butter and fruit. Old-fashioned oats cook in a few minutes and hold you longer than instant packets with added sugar.
3. Overnight oats. Mix the night before, grab and go in the morning.
4. Eggs with whole-grain toast and vegetables. One scrambled egg has about 6 grams of protein, per WebMD. Add spinach or peppers for fiber.
5. Breakfast tacos. Scrambled egg, peppers, salsa and avocado in a corn tortilla, which WebMD notes can be made ahead and frozen.
6. Whole-grain toast with nut butter. A simple option when you want something light before a morning workout.
7. Smoothie with plain yogurt or nut butter. See our healthy smoothie recipes for combinations that are not mostly juice.
8. Cottage cheese with fruit. High in protein and ready in a minute.
9. Egg muffins or egg bites. Bake a batch on Sunday and reheat through the week.
10. Beans, tofu or tempeh scramble. A good plant-based protein breakfast for people who skip eggs and dairy.

More ideas by goal: high-protein breakfast, low calorie breakfast, keto breakfast, vegan breakfast ideas and quick breakfast ideas.

Healthiest breakfast by goal

Breakfasts that look healthy but are not

WebMD flags several breakfasts that are easy to overestimate: breakfast burritos (high in fat and sodium), a bagel with cream cheese (fine as a weekend treat), flavored non-dairy creamer and sugary cereals. Consumer Reports offers a cereal checklist: 5 or more grams of fiber, 3 or fewer grams of fat, 8 or fewer grams of sugars and 140 milligrams of sodium or less per serving. For yogurt it suggests 20 grams of sugars or less per serving.

Fruit juice is another one to watch. Consumer Reports suggests keeping it to about 4 ounces a day and eating whole fruit instead.

Do you have to eat breakfast?

Not necessarily. Research on whether eating breakfast helps with weight loss is mixed, and people differ in appetite and schedule. If you are hungry in the morning, a protein-and-fiber breakfast is a good choice. If you are not, you can wait. Anyone managing diabetes or another health condition should follow their clinician's advice on meal timing.

A sample week of healthy breakfasts

This rotation uses only four main ingredients bought once (oats, yogurt, eggs, tortillas), so it stays simple to shop for. Swap in cottage cheese or a tofu scramble if you prefer them.

Common mistakes with "healthy" breakfasts

• Choosing flavored yogurt: it can carry far more sugar than plain yogurt topped with fruit. Check the label against the 20-gram guideline above.
• Relying on granola or cereal bars: many are mostly sugar and have little protein, so you are hungry again by mid-morning.
• Skipping protein: toast and juice is quick but light on staying power. Add an egg, yogurt or nut butter.
• Drinking your breakfast without a plan: a smoothie of only fruit and juice is mostly sugar. Add yogurt, nut butter or oats to balance it.

How to make a healthy breakfast easier all week

• Prep one breakfast for the week: a jar of overnight oats or a tray of egg muffins takes about 20 minutes on Sunday.
• Keep a short shopping list: plain yogurt, oats, eggs, frozen berries, nut butter, whole-grain bread.
• Plan breakfast with dinner: write it into the same weekly plan in the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99), and save the combinations your family likes in the Family Recipe Binder ($6.99).

For the bigger picture, our meal planning guide shows how to fit breakfast, lunch and dinner into one weekly plan. For general healthy-eating basics, Nutrition.gov describes healthy eating as built on vegetables, fruits, protein, grains and dairy.