There’s a good reason breakfast is often called the most important meal of the day. It’s the perfect opportunity to start your day with a meal high in protein and complex carbohydrates, helping regulate your blood sugars, keep you full until lunch, and give you the energy you need to tackle whatever the morning throws at you. 

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A high-protein breakfast can also support muscle maintenance and growth, which is especially important if you’re on a weight loss journey or live an active lifestyle.¹ Breakfast meats are a quick, easy, and often delicious way to eat more protein in the mornings, but not all choices are created equal. Choosing lean meat over one high in saturated fat and sodium can help you create a high-protein and healthy breakfast. 

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In this article, we’re breaking down 12 popular breakfast meats to help you choose the healthiest ones to add to your morning meal, highlighting their nutritional benefits and any precautions you may want to consider. 

Key Takeaways 

1. Prioritize lean proteins for a healthy, balanced breakfast that will help stabilize your blood sugars, satisfy you, and keep you full all morning long. 
2. Not all breakfast meats are created equal. Highly processed meats can be excessively high in sodium, saturated fat, and calories while providing less protein per serving than you might expect.

Chicken 

You may consider chicken a lunch or dinner food, but fresh-cooked chicken breasts or thighs are a healthy breakfast meat option that’s quite versatile. Grilled or roasted chicken can be shredded or diced and added to breakfast bowls, omelets, or egg and cheese wraps for a low-fat, high-protein breakfast meal. 

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Chicken breast, especially when cooked without the skin, is high in protein and low in calories, fat, and sodium. It’s also an excellent source of selenium, niacin, and vitamin B6. 

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One half of a boneless skinless roasted chicken breast (86 g) has:⁸ 

Calories: 142

Fat: 3.1 g

Saturated fat: 0.87 g

Sodium: 63.6 mg

Carbohydrates: 0 g

Protein: 26.7 g

Turkey

Turkey is a lean, high-protein substitute for traditional pork-based breakfast meats. While you may already choose ground turkey over ground beef to cut down on fat and calories, the same goes for breakfast meat. Whether you choose turkey bacon or sausage, it usually has less saturated fat per serving than pork, making it a heart-healthy choice that’s often lower in calories. 

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Turkey sausage is high in protein, with less than 2 grams of saturated fat per serving. It’s also a good source of micronutrients like zinc, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. 

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One serving (57 g) of turkey sausage has:² 

Calories: 112

Fat: 6 g

Saturated fat: 1.3 g

Sodium: 379 mg

Carbohydrates: 0 g

Protein: 13.6 g

Salmon

Salmon isn’t a traditional breakfast meat, but it’s a highly nutritious protein that easily fits into your morning meal. While salmon is a great source of protein, it’s also rich in healthy fats, including omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, two nutrients essential for brain health. You can easily add lox or smoked salmon to your scrambled eggs, on top of bagels, or enjoy in a frittata. 

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Adding 3 ounces of smoked salmon to your breakfast gives it a powerful boost of protein, plus you’ll get 73 percent DV of vitamin D and 28 percent DV of omega-3 fatty acids. 

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One 3-ounce serving of smoked salmon has:³ 

Calories: 99

Fat: 3.7 g

Saturated fat: 0.8 g

Sodium: 571 mg

Carbohydrates: 0 g

Protein: 15.5 g

Steak

A lean cut of steak can be an incredibly nutritious addition to breakfast. It pairs well with a vegetable omelet and whole-grain toast. Look for leaner cuts of steak, like sirloin or top round, which offer all the nutritional benefits with less saturated fat and calories. 

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Because steak is fresh meat and not processed like many other breakfast meats are, it’s a good option for a low-sodium diet, especially if you’re light on the seasonings. Besides being a protein-rich meat, steak is also a good source of zinc, selenium, and several B vitamins. 

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One 3-ounce serving of broiled sirloin strip steak has:⁴ 

Calories: 180

Fat: 8.2 g

Saturated fat: 3.2 g

Sodium: 52 mg

Carbohydrates: 0 g

Protein: 24.9 g

Canadian Bacon

Canadian bacon is a healthier alternative to pork bacon, but it looks and tastes much more like ham. While it’s still processed meat, it has more protein and less sodium and fat than other breakfast meat options. 

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A typical 3-slice serving of Canadian bacon has 172 fewer calories, 5.5 fewer grams of saturated fat, and 521 milligrams less sodium than the same amount of pork bacon. 

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One 3-slice (42-gram) serving of pan-fried Canadian bacon has:⁶ 

Calories: 60

Fat: 1.2 g

Saturated fat: 0.4 g

Sodium: 411 mg

Carbohydrates: 0.8 g

Protein: 11.7 g

Ham

Pork can be a delicious protein-rich option to add to your breakfast menu, but it can also be quite high in sodium and nitrates, so choosing your slices wisely is important. Ham can also be a significant source of added sugars if eating honey ham or maple-infused ham.  Pairing ham with a high-fiber breakfast like whole grain toast, oatmeal, or sauteed vegetables is a great way to make this breakfast meat part of a healthy, balanced breakfast. 

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Ham is naturally a rich source of B vitamins, zinc, and selenium, but it can also be high in sodium and phosphorus, which are added during processing. 

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One 3-ounce serving of cured, extra-lean ham steak has:⁵ 

Calories: 104

Fat:3.6 g

Saturated fat: 1.2 g

Sodium: 1,081 mg

Carbohydrates: 0 g

Protein: 16.7 g

Liver

Liver may be the most nutrient-rich, high-protein breakfast meat you can eat. While it’s not a traditional breakfast, it can easily be incorporated into your breakfast. Sauteed with onions and mushrooms, liver can be served alongside eggs and whole-grain toast or enjoyed as a pate on toast. 

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Just one slice of beef liver has 28 percent DV iron, 39 percent DV zinc, over 50 percent DV of several B vitamins, and 697 percent DV of vitamin A. Because it’s so rich in vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin, you’ll want to enjoy liver sparingly. 

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A one-slice (81 g) serving of pan-fried beef liver has:¹⁰ 

Calories: 142

Fat: 3.8 g

Saturated fat: 2 g

Sodium: 62.4 mg

Carbohydrates: 4.2 g

Protein: 21.5 g

Corned Beef Hash

Corned beef hash is a flavorful breakfast meat often paired with potatoes and eggs for a hearty breakfast. Corned beef hash is often found canned with potato but can be made homemade using lean corned beef with a reduced amount of added salt for a healthier alternative. 

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Canned corned beef hash with potatoes is a good source of iron, zinc, and several B vitamins, but it contains half the amount of saturated fat recommended for one day. 

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A one-cup (236 g) serving of canned corned beef hash with potato has:⁷ 

Calories: 387

Fat: 24.2 g

Saturated fat: 10.2 g

Sodium: 972 mg

Carbohydrates: 22 g

Protein: 20.6 g

Pork Sausage

While pork sausage is a common breakfast meat, often enjoyed in links, patties, or even ground, it’s notoriously high in fat and calories. As a highly processed meat, it’s often high in added nitrates as well. Despite the negatives, pork sausage is a good source of several B vitamins, zinc, and selenium. 

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To enjoy pork sausage as part of a high-protein, healthy breakfast, pair one link or patty with a bowl of Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, and whole-grain toast. 

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A serving of 2 sausage patties (54 g) has:⁹ 

Calories: 176

Fat: 14.7 g

Saturated fat: 4.8 g

Sodium: 440 mg

Carbohydrates: 0.8 g

Protein: 10 g 

Pork Bacon

Pork bacon may be one of the least healthy breakfast meats on our list, but it can still be included in an overall healthy diet in moderation. Choosing uncured bacon will often reduce the sodium, and center cuts are often lower in saturated fat. While using bacon as your primary protein source is not advisable (three slices have just 8 grams of protein but 133 calories, 23 percent DV sodium, and 17 percent DV of saturated fat), it can be a great way to add tons of flavor to your breakfast. 

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For a healthy, balanced meal with pork bacon, try crumbling one slice of bacon into an egg and veggie omelet with a side of fruit and Greek yogurt. 

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One 3-slice (24 g) serving of cooked pork bacon has:¹¹  

Calories: 133

Fat: 10.5 g

Saturated fat: 3.4 g

Sodium: 533 mg

Carbohydrates: 0.3 g

Protein: 8.7 g

Meatless Alternatives for a Protein-Packed Healthy Breakfast

Meat isn’t the only way to get protein at breakfast. There are plenty of meatless, high-protein options you can include and combine for a protein-packed meal. Foods like eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, tofu, legumes, nut butters, seeds, oats, and plant-based meat alternatives can add up to a high-protein meal, rich in many other nutrients. 

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This is how much protein you can expect from common meatless breakfast foods: 

• Tofu: 22 grams per ½ cup serving
• Greek yogurt: 20 grams per 7-ounce container
• Protein shake: 15 to 30 grams, depending on the brand
• Cottage cheese: 12 grams per ½ cup serving
• Meatless sausage link: 10 grams per 2-link serving
• Eggs: 6 grams per scrambled egg
• Peanut butter: 7 grams per 2 tablespoon serving
• Oatmeal: 6 grams per cup of cooked oats
• Chia seeds: 5 grams per 1 ounce

Bottom Line

Starting your day with a high-protein breakfast can help stabilize your blood sugar, support energy levels, and keep you feeling full throughout the morning. Lean and healthy breakfast meats include fresh options like chicken, turkey, salmon, and steak or lower-fat alternatives like turkey sausage or Canadian bacon. There are also plenty of meatless, high-protein breakfast foods to include along with or instead of breakfast meats for a balanced, nutritious start to your day. 

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