High-Protein Fiber-Filled Chocolate Breakfast Parfait: Start Your Day with This and Feel the Difference
The first meal you eat is arguably the most important one—but it’s the one that most people want to think the least about. If you are trying to avoid the drive-through, sugary cereals, or unsatisfyingly small breakfasts, you’ve come to the right place.
This tasty breakfast bowl is high in protein and fiber, so you can keep your blood sugar stable and set yourself up for a great day. Imagine what you’ll do with balanced energy and fewer cravings for carbs and sweets!
This recipe combines crunchy-textured chia seeds, your favorite plant-based or whey protein powder, powdered peanut butter, rich cocoa powder, Greek-style yogurt, and non-dairy milk (or dairy if that’s what you like).
But for real, I challenge you to try this recipe at your first meal for 30 days and see what happens. Lots of people are hopping on the popular 303030 TikTok trend of getting at least 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking and then taking a 30-minute walk every day. Honestly, I’m kind of a fan of anything that gets people moving and eating right in a sustainable way. This recipe is delicious enough to eat most mornings, so why not give it a try?
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How much protein is in this recipe? Also, how much should I get?
This recipe contains 34 grams of protein. That’s a great head start on your protein needs for the day.
Speaking of that, everyone has different protein needs, which can mostly be based on activity level and goals. A good place to start is to aim for 0.6 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight as a baseline and go up from there. My recommendation for most of my fitness clients is closer to 1 gram per pound of their goal bodyweight. Check out the protein needs chart at the bottom of the post for more details.
How much fiber will I get from this recipe vs how much should I get per day?
This recipe contains 19.1 grams of fiber if you use the same protein powder I use. which will get you ahead of what most people do. Most U.S. adults get fewer than 15 grams of fiber per day, versus the 28-35 grams recommended by most nutrition coaches. Within the functional medicine world, some practitioners encourage people to get 35-50 grams or higher per day, as a way to keep stable blood sugar and feed the intestinal microbiota. Read more about Why Fiber is F-ing Fantastic.
What’s In It
Why Chia Seeds?
Chia seeds are packed with fiber and protein. Here’s the nutritional breakdown for 2 tablespoons (which is approximately 1 ounce or 28 grams) of chia seeds:
Protein: 4.7 grams
Fiber: 10.6 grams
So in just 2 tablespoons of chia seeds, you'll get a significant amount of fiber and protein to enhance your parfait. The fiber will help with digestion and keep you full, while the protein will provide an extra boost to help power you through your day. Plus, all those other nutrients and omega-3s are just icing on the cake.
I just found these Amazon Fresh organic chia seeds, which would be a perfect choice if you need to stock up your supply. Remember to keep them in the fridge so they keep longer!
Protein Powder: It’s Not Just for Bros
Protein powder gets a bad rap as a supplement that you can only have in a protein shake. Not fair, dude. The truth is that protein powder is a versatile ingredient that can boost the nutritional profile of lots of things you already cook or bake from brownies to overnight oats.
Ideally, you should choose a protein powder based on how reputable and ethical the brand is cross-referenced with how delicious it is. Here are the protein powders I’m really into right now:
Most protein powders contain around 20g or protein per serving, or around 10g for collagen peptides. This recipe calls for a half-serving of traditional protein (whey or plant-based), which works out to 10 grams or so. If you are modifying it to use collagen protein, look to use a helping that gets you about 10 grams of protein.
Peanut Butter Powder for Peanut-Boosted Power
People sometimes hate on peanuts, but the truth is this: they are not only delicious—they have some not-so-obvious qualities, too! Here’s the nutritional breakdown for 2 tablespoons (16 grams) of PB Fit Peanut Butter Powder:
Protein: 8 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Adding peanut butter powder to your parfait can give you a nice protein boost and some fiber, which can help keep you full and satisfied. Plus, it adds a delicious peanut butter flavor without all the added fat and calories of traditional peanut butter. Sounds like a win-win to me!
We have been using PB Fit powdered peanut butter. I like that it is organically grown, so I can cut down on the pesticides and herbicides that make their way into the food chain.
Cocoa Powder: Because You Deserve It
Although it’s not bringing a whole lot more protein or fiber, every little bit counts. Plus, it’s flavorful and full of polyphenols! Here’s the nutritional breakdown for 1 tablespoon (approximately 5 grams) of unsweetened cocoa powder:
Protein: 1 gram
Fiber: 2 grams
Adding cocoa powder to your parfait can give it a rich, chocolatey flavor with a bit of protein and fiber to boot. Plus, it’s a great source of antioxidants and can satisfy your chocolate cravings without adding too many extra calories.
If you plan to eat this parfait regularly, it makes sense to buy a larger quantity of high-quality cocoa powder. Try to avoid “budget” brands here, since they are typically higher in heavy metals. If you buy in larger quantities, it brings the price down. Check out this bag of Terrasoul Fair Trade raw organic cocoa powder if you’re looking for a good value on high-quality cocoa.
Greek Yogurt
Half a cup (about 100 grams) of Greek yogurt typically contains around 10 grams of protein. It's a great source of high-quality protein and adds a creamy texture and tangy flavor to your parfait. Plus, it's rich in calcium and probiotics, which are beneficial for your bones and digestive health. Did you know that it is ideal for long-term health that we eat fermented foods at least once a day?
What’s Your Milk of Choice?
What people use as their milk of choice is their business. Personally, I prefer to find something as unprocessed as possible, especially if it’s non-dairy milk. It is common for food companies to fortify non-dairy milk with synthetic vitamin B12, which isn’t easily absorbed or used in the body and can even throw off your lab tests. One non-dairy milk that I love these days is Oatly Super Basic Oat Milk (their regular oat milk has the synthetic vitamins I mentioned, so watch out), which is super simple and great for recipes.
Toppings Make It Look Pretty and Taste Crunchy
Add things like slivered almonds and dried fruit to make this otherwise butt-ugly parfait nice to look at. after all, we eat with our eyes! Plus, a tablespoon of chopped cherries adds another gram of fiber, and the same goes for a tablespoon of chopped or slivered almonds. Every little bit counts!
Ideas:
How to Modify It
Let’s say you have some dietary restrictions, as many of us do. Whether it’s a food allergy or you are just following a special diet like Paleo, Keto, Low-Carb, Dairy-Free, etc., here are some suggestions to modify it
Swap it out:
Paleo modifications: Use collagen peptides for the protein, Barney Butter powdered almond butter instead of peanut butter, and cultured coconut yogurt instead of Greek yogurt (FYI—it won’t have as much protein as Greek yogurt).
Keto modifications: Leave out the dried fruit, you should already have enough fiber to counteract any carbs that happen to be in the other ingredients.
Dairy-free modifications: Use cultured coconut or cashew yogurt and use plant-based protein or collagen peptides for the protein. You may not end up with as much protein, due to losing a few grams from the Greek yogurt, but at least your guts will be happy! And don’t worry, it’s still packed with protein
Peanut-free modification: Barney Butter powdered almond butter instead of peanut butter.
Gluten-free and celiac-safe: Be sure to check the labels. As far as I know, all the ingredients I have listed are gluten-free and celiac-safe, but companies change production methods all the time. Stay aware and check labels!
…And Here’s The Actual Recipe
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. chia seeds
2 tbsp. PB Fit powdered peanut butter
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 scoop protein powder (I use this one)
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/4-1/2 cup milk or non-dairy alternative
1 tbsp. slivered almonds
1 tbsp. chopped dried unsweetened tart cherries and/or mango
Instructions:
Combine the powders and wet ingredients in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Start with 1/4 cup milk and add more until it gets to the desired texture. Add the optional nuts and fruit right before serving.
FYI: You can prepare this dish several days ahead of time or right before you eat it. Just know that the chia seeds will expand with moisture and have a slightly different boba-like texture. Some people love that kind of thing.
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What are Your Protein Needs?
Remember earlier in the blog post when I made a general recommendation about what I tell most clients and then mentioned that there’s more info later in the post? Well, here it is!
Below is a handy chart I made to help you figure out what kind of protein needs you have! This tool, plus lots more is part of my Nutrition Roadmap course that I created to help people eat better, which you can access here.
