What a Nutritious Breakfast Looks Like at 300, 400 & 500 Calories [Infographic]

By Elle Penner, MPH, RD

May 18, 2017

What a Nutritious Breakfast Looks Like at 300, 400 & 500 Calories [Infographic]

No matter what your calorie goal is, making a nutritious breakfast should be a regular part of your morning: It gives you a boost of energy after a long night’s sleep and helps keep those mid-morning hungries at bay. Here’s what a nutritious breakfast might look like at three different calorie targets: 300, 400 and 500.

Keep in mind you can have Options 2 and 3 for 300 calories or less with minor modifications. For the breakfast sandwich, simply omit the cheese. Eyeing the egg scramble? Just skip the toast and cheese. Scroll to the bottom for more information on how to make both.

Elle Penner, MPH, RD

Elle is a nutrition and wellness writer, recipe developer, blogger and nutrition consultant whose favorite things include her camera, carbs and quality time with her toddler. For more from this busy mama, check out Elle’s lifestyle blog or connect with her on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.

Amanda Jayne Fuller

My breakfast is around 520 calories. I have 50g porridge oats, 200ml milk, 100ml water. Then I add 15 almonds, omega seeds and chia seeds. I add honey and cinnamon for sweetness. Sets me up for the morning and the gym .
Mellatrixa

#smoothielife
- Jan
  
  I love me some peanut butter and banana on toast but my smoothies have more protein and are quicker to gulp down before work.
Steve Martinson

And the comedy of carb errors continues in the MyFitnessPal blog posts. SMH.
- Amanda Jayne Fuller
  
  What do you mean?
  - Edival
    
    He means MFP pushes excessive carbs which hinder weight loss in the name of “health”.
    - Amanda Jayne Fuller
      
      I must admit I thought 50% of carbs sounded a lot. But I guess it works for some .
    - Afghan Kush ♠ ᴠᴇʀɪғɪᴇᴅ
      
      where in the article do they talk about weight loss? This is a fine diet for anyone training. Want to lose weight? burn more calories when you exercise and reduce carbs. Cardio. Cross train. Repeat.
      - karinagw
        
        Not in the article, but it is tagged as a weight loss article not a training article. But, it is a fairly useless infographic without amounts. Me, I have no problem with carbs even on weight loss, but that’s because I know me and what works.
- John P. Muller
  
  Depends on what you’re doing, right? Some people will need more carbs than others.
  - Jim Herring
    
    Maybe the biggest issue above with the carbs is they are bread, more highly processed than fruit, which will cause a blood sugar spike. But the amount above is not bad. And bread is better than sugar. The Fruit is the better carb. It takes a couple hours to process Fructose.
    I find the fat a little heavy and protein low. From a holistic Dr. I learned this approach.
    Use this: 1 serving each = 9-13g carb, 7g Protein, 3.5g fat.
    So, 4 servings each = 40g carb, 28g Protein and 14g fat. Would be close to 400 calories.
    You convert carbs, proteins and fat at different rates so this balanced meal should keep your blood sugar level, and keep you satiated 5-6 hours.
  - Katie
    
    Exactly – I’m 5’8 & 115 pounds – my PT told me to eat a lot & he’s tracking it through this app, cuz the only way I’m not gna b a stick figure is by repairing my muscles by eating, so they can grow – so what works for you, may not work for others — everybody has a different plan, point blank – & if you really want to know portions, get a nutritionist or a personal trainer so they can tell you what YOU need for your personal goals
- Afghan Kush ♠ ᴠᴇʀɪғɪᴇᴅ
  
  Weight loss and training for races are 2 different approaches. This article is fine for someone who still eats carbs and is training. For people like myself who are athletes training and need to maintain fitness.
  
  Carbs aren’t evil, just like anything. use in moderation.
  
  SMH @ you.
- Xeos
  
  MFP ignores the science behind lowering carb intake. I have no idea why. They even cast doubt on net carbs… it’s disappointing. We need a modern authority on diet and fitness that understands the modern science behind macros
Amanda Jayne Fuller

Sounds nice, never tried protein powders. Thankyou
CVG

So… this post means nothing without saying how MUCH peanut butter, or avocado, or banana… come on. You’re a FOOD LOGGING company. This picture is meaningless without listing quantities.
- Mark Cheplowitz
  
  Agreed!!
- Amy
  
  I was thinking the same thing!
- patsy
  
  Me too – very irritating!
- Gary
  
  Well, one piece of bread with peanut butter on it and one full banana is roughly going to come to about 300 calories.
- Alexa_Ness
  
  Good point – My slice of peanut butter banana chia seed toast looks way more substantial than what’s pictured here.
- Paul Boisvert
  
  1 toast is 90 cal,
  1 tab sp peanut butter is 100 cal
  1 small banana is 90 cal .
  1 tsp chia 20 cal
  total 300 cal
starsandspice

Black coffee?? Never!!! Black coffee would do me in, a splash of milk never hurt anybody.
- Jan
  
  Ditto. People act like it’s a choice between espresso forever and a Frappuccino™ every morning. Sorry I’m not going to drink garbage-water just to save that 25cal in a splash of almond milk.
  - Lee Mac
    
    Nobody is forcing you to watch your calories. No need for a scene. I’m with Gary I like my coffee black.
- CalgaryAnimal
  
  Black coffee is never ever going to happen ever!!!
  - Liza
    
    Love drinking my coffee black no cream or sugar. I use to be a big equal fan and creamer and one day I stop using them and could taste the coffee verses the add on’s.
    - CalgaryAnimal
      
      My mom went black a few years ago, I might give it a go for a week and see. Guess it’s much easier to taste differences in the beans flavour…
- Gary
  
  Because you don’t like the taste of black coffee? Drinking it black is the only way I like it, I love the full flavour of coffee.
- Lynnette Scales
  
  Coffee, I know, Right !!! One packet of Truvia or half packet will not kill anyone either.
Mark Cheplowitz

I just don’t understand why these nutritionists that are proposing caloric meal recipes/guidelines can’t seem to provide at least 1 recipe without bread!! (or without carbs!!) And ditto on CVG’s comments!!
- Mario
  
  even in a balanced diet you need carbs, good carbs… and of course in the right amounts
  - Jayne Daley
    
    Yes and if you have Brocken your leg you can’t eat hardly anything ☹️
  - Honest Avy
    
    But you don’t need bread for carbs. So it would be nice to have some breadless options.
  - roadsplat
    
    you don’t need carbs at all.
Jasmine Buescher Clemmons

My low carb breakfast of choice is Egg Beaters with Morningstar Crumbles, Onions (if I have some) and a small sprinkle of cheddar cheese (1/8 cup). 220 cal, 9 carbs, 8 fat, 29 protein. I do generally have to add some SF Creamer to my coffee, but this breakfast sticks with me all morning and takes only a few minutes to cook. Now if I could only find a portable lunch besides a salad that would work as well. 🙁
- Christina Tarnate
  
  Jasmine I have an amazing solution that has worked for many of my clients I work with as a health and wellness coach. 🙂 The hardest is when we are away from home and in a hurry!
Sharong

Am I the only one looking at this and saying “what do I do at 10am when I’m starving”?
RW Young

What exactly is a “simple egg sandwich”?
- Gary
  
  The picture looks like an english muffin with egg, cheese and avocado. Which off the top of my head would indeed be about 400 calories on average.
Jan Hogle

And the war on fat continues. This is an example of the kind of diet that has been promoted for decades now, and it is upside down. Fat is not the enemy (well, except for trans fat) and carbs are not your friend. It is certainly true that “your mileage may vary” but modern nutritional research indicates that carbs should be the small top of the food pyramid and fats should be on the wide base for at least half the population.
Janet

Hi, it all boils down to, no sugar, no bread, no butter, no cake, no fat. No sitting all day.
Steve Rollin

Thankfully I have watched BBC videos showing one on Tour de France cyclists’ breakfasts and another on a Welsh Rugby Player’s breakfasts. None of these examples would have been suitable for these athletes.

Also no surprise Poliquin recommends differently for fat loss, weight training and strength gains than any of these poorly selected breakfast examples.
.
Useless article stuck in backward thinking about what a breakfast should be. Each to their own, but I suggest much wider reading than this article to understand what to have as a breakfast to suit the way and reason you train.
Rolf

and worse: the white bread > bad fast carbs = refined sugar. replace that with rye bread, take eggs and spinach and you have an awesome breakfast for 230 cal
Ai Van Hoe

So hapy to see that so many people understand the way off advertising … They use oure mind, everyday!
Gary

I like to have 2 breakfasts. Breakfast one is overnight oats with chia seeds, raisins and blueberries. Breakfast two is two thick slices of back bacon and 3 eggs.
ron bates

have done this and to the black coffee tea/ water with fine metabolism excellent purring / now in tough with basic wear and tear/
Rolf

Welcome to the future and check that the competion is miles ahead (and slim lol)

Eat this breakfast for 4 weeks and step on the scale…..good luck
NateHiggers

i somewhat doubt that you get 19 grams of proteins from the 400 kal breakfast, sammich with egg and avocado + strawberries? The egg is about 8-9 grams of proteins (large one), some little protein in the bread and nearly none in the rest, how to you get to 19 grams?
Adam85

This looks like it’s just for ladies who want to be slim? What about say plans MMA style physiques which need to talk into account energy to burn + not losing strength??
Gordon Paulsen

I prefer a breakfast with high protein (at least 25 grams) to maintain muscle mass and stave off hunger till lunchtime.
1 grass fed burger pattie 125g
1 slice wholewheat toast
teaspoon of butter
Rooibos tea with 100ml skim or low fat milk
Protein 29g
Carbs 27g
Fat 14g
370 calories.
Honest Avy

I’m definitely going to try this, so thanks for sharing.
Tina Louden Teel

I find 300 calories in the am won’t hold me until lunch. But I love a tbsp if peanut butter and banana right after early morning workout (my pb is 85 cal per tbsp, and 100 for a med banana). Then I eat 2 hard boiled eggs with siracha about 10 am! Mmmmm….. so my total is about 350. Works great! If you’re logging you only need to look at the calories and portions to get the meal in whatever range you want for your individual needs. I think this is an article to give you ideas, and a ballpark of caloric impact. The rest is up to you!
David

Peanut butter is not something I would contemplate whilst on a calorie controlled diet ?? But I’m English and peanut butter is not as popular here…

What a Nutritious Breakfast Looks Like at 300, 400 & 500 Calories [Infographic]

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What a Nutritious Breakfast Looks Like at 300, 400 & 500 Calories [Infographic]

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