There's some conventional cliche wisdom about what an excellent start to your day includes. One is making the bed. The other? Breakfast is supposedly the most important meal of the day. While the jury's still out on whether breakfast is actually the most important meal, it's clear that consistently eating nutritious foods is critical. However, consuming the healthiest breakfast possible can help you start things off on the right foot.
"Breakfast is a great way to set the tone for your day," says Sarah Wagner, RD , a registered dietitian with Memorial Hermann . "A morning meal provides the opportunity to include a variety of nutrients and really fuel yourself for everything you have to do that day. It helps maintain your energy and focus throughout the day and curb overeating or mindless snacking later in the afternoon or evening."
What's a healthy breakfast? Registered dietitians dug into crucial components of one and shared how to enjoy their picks for the healthiest breakfast foods.
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What's a Healthy Breakfast?
Ultimately, there's no one-size-fits-all pick for the healthiest breakfast. The devil is in the details (as in critical nutrients that can help you build a better first meal), explains Julia Zumpano, RD, LD , a registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Human Nutrition . Zumpano also recently helped design the Cleveland Clinic Diet app that provides food and fitness tracking and education. She says that the ingredients to a healthy breakfast include:
- Protein aids in satiety, blood sugar management and building and maintaining muscles, tissues and organs. It also boasts B vitamins.
- Fat slows digestion, helps with blood sugar management, and provides essential fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K. Some fats have inflammation-reducing omega-3s.
- Fiber, which slows the rate of glucose going into your bloodstream, helps you poop (sorry, not sorry) and keeps you feeling fuller for longer.
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The 5 Healthiest Things To Eat for Breakfast, According to RDs
1. Overnight oats
A healthy breakfast that takes shape while you sleep? Yes, please. Zumpano loves combining overnight oats (fiber), Greek yogurt (protein), unsweetened nut milk, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg and chia seeds. She tops it with chopped apples (vitamin C and antioxidants), chopped walnuts (omega-3) and a teaspoon of raw honey for a nutrient-dense meal that's ready when you wake up.
2. Sweet and savory toast
Wagner opts for quick breakfasts on workdays. Part of that efficiency? She does not make herself choose between sweet and savory healthy things to eat for breakfast.
"Sometimes, I’ll go on a toast kick and eat one sweet and one savory toast for breakfast," Wagner says.
She'll put an avocado, fried egg and hot sauce on one slice of whole-grain bread. The other will include peanut butter and homemade chia seed jam made with berries. "The two toasts provide about 20 grams of protein, 10 to 15 grams of fiber and some healthy fats from the avocado," Wagner explains.
3. Greek yogurt, ground flax seed and berries
Annette Snyder, MS, RD, CSOWM, LD , a registered dietitian with Top Nutrition Coaching , likes to combine Greek yogurt, ground flax seed and fresh or frozen berries.
"There’s protein and calcium in the yogurt, heart-healthy fat and fiber from the flax and antioxidants and various minerals like potassium and magnesium," Snyder says.
4. Veggie frittata
One registered dietitian whips this up about once per week.
"I make a big veggie frittata to use up all my leftover veggies and roast some potatoes to serve on the side," shares Edwina Clark, MS, RD, CSSD , a registered dietitian and owner of Edwina Clark Nutrition . "The combination of protein, veggies and carbs keeps me full for hours, and it’s a weekend ritual I’ve come to love."
5. Chia seed pudding
Yes, you can have pudding first thing in the morning—in fact, it's one of the healthiest breakfast foods. Zumpano recommends this recipe.
"Chia seed pudding has plant-based omega-3 and fiber," she says. She tops it with banana slices (potassium and soluble fiber), natural peanut butter and unsweetened coconut flakes (healthy fats and potassium).
Breakfast Foods to Minimize
No foods are completely and forever off the table. However, certain foods aren't exactly the healthiest breakfast foods. Clark recommends minimizing the consumption of processed or fatty meats like bacon and sausage and foods with high amounts of sugar, like some cereals and baked goods.
"While the occasional slice of bacon is fine, regularly consuming fatty meats such as bacon and sausage may contribute to elevated cholesterol and heart disease risk," Clark says. "Sugary cereals and baked goods tend to be light on fiber and protein and typically don’t provide the same long-lasting satiation as a nutrient-dense, balanced breakfast."
Also, the sweet stuff (sugar) isn't so sweet long-term. "Consuming added sugar in excess is associated with obesity, diabetes, heart disease and various other chronic conditions," Clark says.
Related: What Happens To Your Body If You Eat Eggs Every Day
Can I Eat Eggs Every Day?
"Eggs are safe to eat every day," Zumpano says. Surprised? You're probably not alone. Eggs can cause quite a food fight. While the quintessential breakfast food has long had a reputation for raising cholesterol, more recent research, including a 2024 study of 140 people, calls that into question. That study was funded by Eggland's Best (notably funded by Eggland's Best However, a more extensive 2020 review and meta-analysis of more than 130K people that did not have a conflict of interest linked moderate egg consumption of up to one egg per day with potentially lower cholesterol.
"Eggs are a nutritious food and a pretty lean protein option," Wagner says. "The general heart-healthy recommendation is to stick with an average of one to two egg yolks per day or less, but you don’t have to have one at a time. If you want to have two to three eggs two to three times per week, that’s fine. "
However, some people may want to limit egg consumption.
"If you have high cholesterol that is poorly controlled, your doctor may recommend you eat less," Zumpano says. "Egg yolks are limited due to their cholesterol and saturated fat, although they provide essential nutrients such as choline, zeaxanthin and lutein. Eggs whites are a good source of protein and can be eaten as desired."
Next up: 'Blue Waffle Disease' Sounds Pretty Terrifying—but What Is It?
Sources
- Sarah Wagner, RD, a registered dietitian with Memorial Hermann
- Julia Zumpano, RD, LD, a registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Human Nutrition . Zumpano also recently helped design the Cleveland Clinic Diet app that provides food and fitness tracking and education
- Annette Snyder, MS, RD, CSOWM, LD, a registered dietitian with Top Nutrition Coaching
- Edwina Clark, MS, RD, CSSD, a registered dietitian and owner of Edwina Clark Nutrition
- Prospective evaluation of fortified eggs related to improvement in the biomarker profile for your health: Primary results from the prosperity trial. JACC .
- Egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease: three large prospective US cohort studies, systematic review, and updated meta-analysis . BMJ .
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