The Best Breakfast Recipes for Bulking: Quick, Easy, and Healthy

I’m a naturally skinny guy with a small stomach, and I wake up without much of an appetite. If I force down a big bulking breakfast, I tend to feel sluggish for a few hours. But if I skip breakfast, I fall behind on calories, and my stomach is small, so I have a hard time catching up later.

So, what I like to do is start with a light protein shake. Super quick, easy, and healthy, and I feel light and fresh afterwards. Then I give my appetite some time to wake up, and I have a smoothie or a snack a couple of hours later. That’s how I built all of my muscle.

I’ll give you both of those recipes, and then I’ll give you some other classic bulking breakfasts that have been popular with clients over the past 15 years.

What to Eat for Breakfast

There are a few ways to approach breakfast while bulking. You need to get into a calorie surplus, but you have all day to do it. That means you can start with a huge breakfast, a light breakfast… or no breakfast at all. Let’s go through some options:

• Intermittent fasting is an option, but it doesn’t usually work very well for bulking (full article). Skipping breakfast doesn’t have a consistent positive or negative impact on body composition or health, making it a viable option for people who prefer it. But if you’re falling behind on protein or calories or micronutrients, or if you don’t feel good, or if you don’t like it, then try the next option.
• If you want a light breakfast, try having a light breakfast shake. I’ll give you the recipe in a second. This shake feels just as light as intermittent fasting, and the theobromine in the cocoa gives a caffeine-like surge of energy. You also get ahead on protein, and you get some super healthy polyphenols. It isn’t super high in calories, but you can make up for that later, when your appetite kicks in.
• If you lift first thing in the morning, try having a light protein shake with a fruit (like a banana). It can also help to have a bit of extra fluid. Being fully hydrated improves lifting performance. It’s okay if that fluid is caffeinated.
• If you do cardio first thing in the morning, try doing some of it fasted. Definitely have some fluid beforehand, and it’s okay if some of that fluid is caffeinated, but save the calories for afterwards. I do almost all of my cardio this way, but even just once per week is great. You can start eating as soon as you finish. I have a light shake afterwards.
• If you like having a big breakfast, absolutely go for it, especially while bulking. It’s perfectly healthy to have proportionally more of your calories in the morning. And if it saves you from needing to eat a big meal right before bed, it might even improve your sleep.

I’ve gotten my best bulking results from having a light protein shake or smoothie for breakfast. Not because those are the best bulking breakfasts of all time, but because they’re healthy, high in protein, rich in nutrients, and work well with my appetite. Other guys are the opposite, waking up ravenous, eating massive, high-calorie bulking breakfasts. Both approaches work equally well.

Let’s start with those two recipes I use, and then we’ll dive into some other popular bulking breakfasts. All of these are tried and true, tested on thousands of clients over the past 15 years.

The Beastly protein Shake

The idea here is to have a super simple, healthy breakfast shake that gets you ahead on protein and doesn’t have you falling behind on calories. This is what I’ve been having for breakfast for the past year. It’s super easy, light, and fast, and it works great for bulking, cutting, and recomping.

Here’s the recipe:

• 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder (like whey).
• 8 grams of unsweetened cocoa powder.
• 2 grams of camu camu powder.
• 5 grams of creatine.
• Room temperature water.

That gives you roughly:

• Calories: 260 kcal
• Protein: 52 grams
• Carbs: 8 grams
• Fat: 4 grams
• Fibre: 3 grams

Whey is a convenient, effective, and easily digested source of protein, and it also has calcium, potassium, phosphorous, and a couple of B vitamins. It tends to improve health and digestion, mostly by promoting muscle growth and fat loss (study). Having 2–3 scoops per day is totally fine (full article).

Cocoa is a really easy and healthy way to add more calories, turning this into a proper bulking shake. It tastes good, too. It makes the protein shake more bitter and intense, giving it a more macho flavour.

Perhaps more importantly, cocoa is rich in flavonoids, a powerful polyphenol. These flavonoids reduce inflammation and help you produce more nitric oxide (NO). This improves blood vessel function, reduces blood pressure, gives you better muscle pumps, and improves glycemic control and blood lipids (meta, meta).

Cocoa is also a rich source of micronutrients, including magnesium. And the theobromine (similar to caffeine) gives you a smooth and long-lasting surge of energy, helping you wake up.

Camu camu is a fruit that’s naturally rich in vitamin C. Most people don’t eat enough vitamin C for their general health (90 mg), and physically active people benefit from about twice as much (200 mg). A couple of grams of camu camu powder gives you a few hundred milligrams of vitamin C (the amount you’d get from eating a few oranges or bell peppers). That’s more than enough to optimize your athletic performance and health (study).

Vitamin C is also an important part of collagen production, which is great for your connective tissues, skin, and hair (study, study, study, study).

Creatine improves athletic performance, muscle growth, and brain health, and some creatine researchers think it might improve energy in the morning. I’m skeptical of that claim, but I hold onto a small glimmer of belief so that I can get the placebo effect.

Water at room temperature so that it’s warm enough for all of the cocoa to dissolve easily when mixed. Having plenty of fluid in the morning tends to be a good thing, so I’d use a big glass.

If you want more carbs or if you’re having the shake before a morning workout, you can pair the shake with some fruit. I have a banana.

The Bulking Breakfast Smoothie

The idea here is to quickly blend up a bunch of healthy foods into a bulking breakfast smoothie that’s quick and enjoyable to drink. Smoothies digest easily and help to build a stronger digestive system, making them perfect for guys with meagre appetites, digestive issues, and small stomachs. They aren’t very filling either, shifting most people into an effortless calorie surplus (full article).

Ingredients

• 1 banana
• 4 frozen strawberries (about 100 g)
• 1 tbsp almond butter
• 1 tbsp flax
• 1 scoop protein powder (like plain whey)
• 1 handful fresh spinach
• 1 cup (250 mL) milk

That gives you roughly:

• Calories: 505 kcal
• Protein: 37 grams
• Carbs: 54 grams
• Fat: 19 grams
• Fibre: 10 grams

You can swap out whatever ingredients you want. You can use peanut butter, chocolate whey, and add 8 grams of unsweetened cocoa powder. Maybe you toss in a couple of grams of camu camu powder. Or you could swap the whey and milk for plant-based protein powder and soy milk.

I usually swap out the whey protein for Greek yogurt or kefir, use half a cup of frozen mixed berries instead of strawberries, and use ultra-filtered milk, with a tablespoon of honey for good measure.

The other nice thing about smoothies is the spinach, which is often touted as a superfood because:

• It’s high in folate, vitamin K1, and lutein, all of which are amazing for your brain. One study found that having a daily serving of spinach slowed brain aging by 11 years (study). A handful per day is enough to get those benefits.
• Spinach is one of the richest sources of nitrates, which dilate blood vessels, improve blood flow, lower blood pressure, and boost lifting and cardio performance (study, study, study, study). A handful gives you about half your daily dose of nitrates.
• It’s also rich in beta-carotene, which your body converts into vitamin A. This protects your skin against UV damage, improves skin hydration, and gives you a healthy glow (study). A handful gives you half your daily dose of beta-carotene.
• It lowers your risk of heart disease and cancer, reduces inflammation, gives you better blood sugar regulation, and improves eyesight (study, study).

There are a ton of great smoothie recipes. We have a few more here.

Healthy, High-Calorie Bulking Cereal

The idea here is to turn a simple bowl of cereal into a proper bulking breakfast. The trouble is that most cereal is made for kids, designed to be tasty instead of nutritious. Then it gets patched up with some vitamins so that it can be marketed as a meal instead of a dessert. I don’t think you need to eat a perfect diet while bulking, but we can do much better.

A slightly better approach is to find processed cereal that’s made from decent ingredients and enriched with protein. Maybe you find it in the organic section, or maybe you order it online. Magic Spoon is the most famous example. It’s still heavily processed, though, and it isn’t very high in calories. Not quite ideal for bulking.

And then there’s muesli, which is made from minimally processed whole foods. It’s a mix of oats (and other whole grains), dried fruits, nuts, and seeds. Sometimes it will have some chocolate and spices. Sometimes it will have some honey, turning it into more of a granola. This is what I eat now (though usually before bed instead of after). This is a proper, nutritious, high-calorie bulking meal.

Bob’s Red Mill makes a popular muesli, but my favourite is an English brand called Dorset. The dark chocolate cherry flavour is amazing. No sponsorship or anything. I just really like it.

Here’s how I like to do it:

• 1 cup (140 g) frozen berries
• 1 ½ cups (175 g) muesli cereal
• 1 ½ cups (355 mL) milk

That gives you roughly:

• Calories: 868 kcal
• Protein: 44 grams
• Carbs: 134 grams
• Fat: 18 grams
• Fibre: 17 grams

You can use whatever type of milk you like (including plant-based milk). I like to use the ultra-filtered, high-protein milk (like Fairlife). You don’t need that much protein while bulking, but getting a few extra grams from your milk is pretty handy.

Muesli is full of whole grains, nuts, and seeds, which most of us could use more of. Nuts and seeds are some of the most nutritious sources of fat, and they’re also high in fibre and antioxidants. Bodybuilders like them because they’re rich in minerals that are famous for promoting testosterone production (like magnesium and zinc).

If you’re deep in a bulk and need more calories, you can increase the serving size, but that can be tough. Only so much fits in a bowl, only so much in your stomach. So, I like to add ¼ cup of dark chocolate chips, bringing that to 1,150 calories with 47 grams of protein. You could also cut back on the berries to free up more space, if you want.

If you’re cutting, you can do a cup of muesli (half a cup less) with an extra half a cup of frozen berries, giving you 700 calories with 39 grams of protein. The extra berries give you more volume and micronutrients without many extra calories. That way, you still get a big, filling meal.

Overnight Oats

The idea with overnight oats is to prepare a big, healthy bulking breakfast ahead of time, during a moment when you have some extra motivation. That way, when you wake up feeling tired and maybe rushed, your breakfast is waiting for you in the fridge.

Making overnight oats is also way easier than making regular oatmeal. You mix the ingredients together in a bowl or mason jar, pour in the milk, and let it soak overnight. No cooking needed. The milk will soften the oats while you sleep.

If you like to meal-prep, you can make a few of them all at once. They keep for a few days in the fridge. If you want to make a week or two’s worth of breakfasts, you can organize the dry ingredients in a bunch of mason jars, then pour in the milk the night before.

Here’s a simple recipe:

• ⅓ cup (80 mL) milk
• ¾ cup (140 g) Greek yogurt
• ¾ cup (70 g) old-fashioned oats
• 1 scoop (28 g) vanilla whey protein
• ½ cup (80 g) frozen raspberries
• A dash of cinnamon (optional)
• A sprinkle of granola (optional)
• A tbsp of chia seeds (optional)

That gives you roughly:

• Calories: 590 kcal
• Protein: 53 grams
• Carbs: 69 grams
• Fat: 10 grams
• Fibre: 13 g

The recipe is incredibly flexible. The oats and milk make the base. Feel free to swap around everything else. Whatever fruits and spices you like. Maybe a sprinkle of nuts or seeds.

With this recipe, we’re using regular milk and getting the extra protein from whey and Greek yogurt. You could just as easily use high-protein milk and skip the whey. Or you could use plant-based milk with plant-based protein powder.

When I need more bulking calories, I like to add some dark chocolate chips, maybe a little jam, and then some peanut or almond butter. I especially like the natural peanut butter and strawberry jam from Costco. The peanut butter is just peanuts, and the strawberry jam is mostly strawberries.

If I’m trying to cut back on calories, I’ll usually make a parfait instead, mixing together some 1 ½  cups of frozen berries with 1 ½ cups of no-fat Greek yogurt and a ¼ cup of granola, giving just under 400 calories with 30 grams of protein. The berries are a bit hard to eat when they’re frozen, but that’s good. It makes the meal last longer and feel more satisfying.

More Bulking Breakfast Ideas

I’ve given you all of my favourite bulking recipes. Those are the ones I eat. Those are the ones that are the most popular with people we’re coaching through our bulking program.

But there are tons of great bulking breakfasts you can make. Here are some more ideas:

• Mexican Eggs: 3 large eggs, a cup of black beans, some salsa, and a fruit to cleanse the palate. 530 kcal with 34 grams of protein.
• Bodybuilder Oatmeal: Half cup dry oats with 1 scoop vanilla whey, 1 sliced mango (or apple, peach, etc), 1 cup ultra-filtered milk, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp chia seeds, dash cinnamon. That gives you 588 kcal and 50 grams of protein. If you need more calories, mix in some peanut butter.
• Severed PB&J: Two pieces of whole-grain toast, separately, each with 2 tbsp of peanut butter and 1 tbsp jam. Keeping it unsandwiched keeps the toast from feeling oppressively dry and allows for more peanut butter. Serve with 1 ½ cups of milk or soy milk. That gives you around 835 kcal with 44 grams of protein. 
• Vacation Cheese: I like to mix a cup of cottage cheese with a tablespoon of proper strawberry jam (made from mostly strawberries). Even better if there’s some rhubarb mixed in. But you can also make a fancy vacation version: 1 cup of cottage cheese, 1 oz (2 tbsp) of pineapple juice/liquid, ½ cup of sliced pineapple, and a scoop of vanilla protein powder. Fresh pineapple is great, but this is much easier to make if you get those cans of pineapple in liquid. 375 kcal with 50 grams of protein.
• Tofu Toast: 1 block of tofu (300 g), 1 cup of sautéed vegetables (like spinach, bell pepper, onion, garlic), and a slice of whole-grain toast, maybe with some avocado on it. 600 kcal with 50 grams of protein.
• Latte: A venti latte from Starbucks is 250 kcal with 16 grams of protein. You can get even more protein by making your own lattes with ultra-filtered milk. Coffee is quite healthy, by the way, as long as you keep it far away from your bedtime.

If you want more, we have a full nutrition guide and recipe book included with our Bony to Beastly Bulking Program and Legends: Health & Aesthetics Program. We’ve got more breakfast recipes (like a homemade protein bar you can prep in bulk), and we’ve also got a bunch of great options for lunch and dinner, including our favourite meal-prep meals (where you cook a dozen servings at once).

We take this stuff seriously. We aren’t just trying to give you generically healthy bulking meals, we’re trying to give you enough of every macronutrient and micronutrient you need to build muscle, burn fat, improve your health, enhance your appearance, and maximize your performance.

We can help you eat a great diet, whether you like intermittent fasting, low-carb, eat a plant-based diet, or have digestive issues (like IBD or GERD). Our nutrition guide and recipe book are great places to start, but both of these programs also come with one-on-one support in our online coaching community.

Alright, that’s it for now. Feel free to drop a comment if you have any questions.