Getting more protein into breakfast

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With food restrictions. I’m starting ADHD meds and have been advised by the prescriber to eat more protein in the morning. This will be challenging.

I can now eat almonds after a successful food challenge test but still need to test other nuts.
I don’t eat meat, fish, eggs and try not to eat UPFs too often so wouldn’t add protein powder to anything. I did try some once and it gave me terrible stomach cramps over the few days I tried it. I have IBS and my gut did not like it at all. I don’t think I could stomach cooking anything beyond porridge on a school day morning and don’t have loads of time. I’m very active and need carbs at breakfast otherwise I feel faint by 9am. adding Greek yogurt to porridge wasn’t a pleasant experience and if I have yogurt for breakfast it’s not enough to keep me going. The school run is a 3 mile round walk and it’s hilly.

I’m currently eating leerdammer and breadsticks. I’ve had 18g protein from the cheese. I’ll have hummus and breadsticks for lunch as always. Dinner I’ve no idea. Maybe vegetable soup.

I don’t think I’ll succeed at this especially as the meds are likely to decrease my appetite.

What could I eat?!

Plain pea protein powder isn't UPF and you can add it to porridge in modest quantities.
do you like tofu? Tofu scramble on toast is a good breakfast.

Seeds/nuts on porridge. Stir through peanut butter. Maybe retry a different protein powder and stir a small amount through the porridge as well? I also react to protein powder, but find small amounts okay. I generally hit 32g of protein at breakfast doing all of the above.

I have full fat Greek or Grrek style yogurt with hemp seeds and mixed seeds and nuts and a little maple syrup.

On the days I need a little extra I blend cottage cheese and stir a tablespoon in.

Just Greek yogurt by it's self wouldn't keep me going either but the mixture i have can keep me going to mid afternoon if it looks like I'm going to be busy over lunch time.

Hummus for breakfast is fine.

Beans. Beans on toast, mexican beans, home made baked beans - make a batch at weekend & reheat.

Have porridge and then yoghurt separately, you don't have to eat them together!

The example of a day is very limited and low protein. Would you do overnight oats? Couple of tablespoons of oats, some milk, Greek yogurt, chia and linseeds for extra bulk/fibre, grated apples and then whatever fruit/nuts/honey/nut better etc you like. I add a scoop of protein powder. Best you will likely get if you don’t eat eggs and don’t want to cook. I make them on a Sunday and stick at the back of the fridge then get out when I get up to come to room temp.

Can you eat beans. They add a bit of protien to soup and its pretty easy to make your own baked beans that aren't upf.
Tofu
Add loads of seeds to thing
Lentils added to your vegetable soup.
Roast the chickpeas to give a different texture

You might need to eat non uk breakfast stuff. It thailand they hsve a breakfast soup which is rice (not protein but just thinking in a different way)

I do greek yoghurt, boiled eggs and roasted tomatoes. I cook the eggs and tomatoes on the weekend/night before and then just heat up in the morning.

With such a restricted diet OP there is nothing to say you have to eat 'breakfast foods' at breakfast, you can have leftovers from the night before no problem. How are you with beans as they are high in protein, make up some chilli and have a breakfast burrito, you can make these up and freeze then just heat up in the morning if you like.

Try adding peanut butter or nuts to the top of your porridge, I do a teaspoon of protein powder mixed in to give a little flavour as I can't add sugar.

Chia pudding is definitely good for protein. You can make the cold version overnight in the fridge with almond milk or hot version in the microwave. Add raspberry jam or maple syrup for flavour too.

Do you eat eggs in things or not at all?
I use a pea protein that’s not as high in protein as the whey products but it doesn’t trigger my IBS. I chuck it in pancake batter, porridge or soup. Greek yogurt with fruit and protein granola would keep you going longer than just yogurt.

Mushrooms?

Could you have a protein drink? You say you're short of time and the walk to school is reasonably long and hilly. How about putting a protein drink in a camelbak and sipping that on the way to and from school?

Try adding pearl barley, lentils, beans, baked tofu - whatever works for you - to the soup for added protein.

Seeds, ground flax (x2 table spoons - cheaper do do it yourself with a coffee grinder)

quark is a sort of yogurt / cheese that has more protein than cottage cheese

Pea protein is upf free - I have with soya or almond milk (tastes nicer) - it’s a bit grim sometimes but you can add cinnamon and coco and some honey if needed. More palatable when the milk isn’t cold! With soya it can be around 30g

But I add that to the other things in my breakfast as I’m doing a lot of resistance training.

I also use pea as it doesn’t affect my tummy as whey does.

Take a look at Emma Bardwell on Instagram- she has a recipe book for 30g of protein in every meal and often has recipes on there. Chia seeds, cottage cheese, chicken, tuna feature heavily in my diet but she's more nuts, beans and pulses as well.

DS is on Elvanse and really struggles with appetite - he does have a protein shake but struggled to find one that didn't make him nauseous. He thinks it's the creatinine that has that effect so is trying to find one that has a lower amount and also isn't pea protein which has quite the after taste. He also had to jog himself into thinking it's been 12 hours and the Elvanse has gone, now he must eat, because he's not feeling hungry. He did lose about 10kg when he started and there wasn't much of him to start with so is on a mission to gain/retain.

Edamame?

Chicken sandwich - grill a chicken breast when you are cooking then night before (you could probably do2 or 3 days worth - or just roast a chicken and use that) and make in the morning - wholemeal bread.

Can somebody think of a suitable punishment for posters who only read the thread title rather than the whole OP?

OP does not eat meat, eggs or protein powders! A chicken sandwich won't do.

Your diet is already quite restricted if you won’t eat meat, fish or eggs. I think you need to loosen the belt and be less restrictive. You will need UPFs to make up what you are missing. You can fill your boots with loads of fruit and veg and nuts and seeds. But you’ll need to add in more tofu and seitan and things like gram flour pancakes and yoghurt and protein powders if you want to up your protein.

Gram flour pancakes- chillas- are a great idea. Also Indians eat chickpea and bean curries for breakfast as well.

potentially as whey has caused ibs. I found pea doesn’t

Do you eat eggs in food? If so a pancakes with Greek yoghurt and milk really gives you a good portion of protein in in the morning while also providing carbs?. You can add either fruits or savoury toppings.
I normally add some grounded linseeds into it as well.

Otherwise overnight oats with Greek yoghurt. You can add Chia seeds and linseed to give you more protein in as well.

But I think you will struggle without fish and meat unless you add protein powder to your meals.

Pea protein was the problem with the protein powder I tried. I don’t eat beans, they give me terrible digestive issues. Sadly I don’t like curry either. I’ll happily eat pumpkin and sunflower seeds as a snack if they are lightly salted. I think it might be a case of cheese and nut and seed snacks rather than changing meals. I tend to eat the same things each day. I could add a babybel to lunch.

Googling high protein vegan sources/ recipes / meals can often point you towards some base ideas which you can add high protein dairy sources to. Fat free options tend to have more protein but you can balance that out with cheese as it’s thought there’s more nutrients in the fat.

Chat gtp is useful here. Just work out a basic idea and amounts to find out how much protein.

You can ask it to make suggestions but add prompts such as “no meat, eggs or fish” etc

pumpkin seeds are high Protein and you could also grind these in a coffee grinder to add to porridge. Grinding may mean you absorb more. Almonds tend to pass through your digestive system undigested and it depends on how much you chew them - here again ground almonds might mean you absorb more of the protein there. Not cheap but a good coffee grinder could help.

All these is also really good for female hormones!

Chia seeds are nicer in either fat free yogurt or kefir - you need a bit of liquid to help them swell. Their texture is the most challenging thing and I found this the best way.

Maybe try overnight oats? dry porridge oats, greek yoghurt and berries? make the night before so it's ready for the morning? you can also add almonds and chia seeds to?

Do you eat tofu or quorn? if so you could make salads with this and add rice, spinach, cheese, hummus and/or a dressing with greek yoghurt? pomegranate is good to add to salads also and again nuts are always a good addition and avocado.

As a high protein snack, maybe some apple slices or peppers/cucumber/celery and hummus or cottage cheese.