10 Breakfasts That Pack Fiber Into Every Bite

Your breakfast can make or break the rest of your day. After all, it's called the most important meal of the day for a reason. While you can load up on your favorite sugary breakfast cereals, carby bagels, or pastries, the smarter way to enjoy breakfast is by maximizing your fiber intake as early on as possible. Fiber is an important nutrient found in foods like fruits, vegetables, oats, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Unlike other types of simple carbohydrates (think sugars), fiber takes a long time to digest and break down in the body. As such, it keeps you fuller for longer and will not "spike" your blood glucose in the same way that other carbohydrates will. The amount of fiber you should be eating every day varies (as all nutritional needs do), but in general, it's recommended that adults consume anywhere from 25 to 35 grams of fiber each day.

Some of your favorite breakfast foods may already be rife with fiber — you may just not know it. As such, breakfast is a great time to get ahead on your fiber goals and ensure that your first meal of the day will tide you over until lunch. Here are some of our favorite high-protein breakfast recipes that will help you meet your nutritional goals, without sacrificing flavor.

If you run on a tight schedule, especially in the mornings, you'll love overnight oats. Our recipe brings together a fiber-rific trio of rolled oats, crunchy peanut butter, and dry-roasted peanuts – all great ingredients that will help you start your day on a satiating note.

If you're after extra protein, try adding a scoop of your favorite Greek yogurt. Or, opt for even more fiber by adding a spoonful of chia seeds.

Recipe: Crave-Worthy PB Overnight Oats

You don't have to stick to just sweet ingredients and oatmeal if you're looking to max out your fiber intake at the breakfast table. This savory pancake recipe substitutes wheat flour for chickpea flour, a gluten-free and nutritious alternative.

The savory undertones of this bean-based flour pair well with cilantro, scallions, and feta. It's served with a delicious Greek yogurt-based sauce and will easily become the star of your next brunch.

Recipe: Savory Herb and Chickpea Pancakes

Oats and nuts are about as fiber-rich as it gets. This batch of overnight oats, as its name implies, can be made ahead of time and is perfect for enjoying on the way to work or class.

The recipe brings the two ingredients together with another tasty, breakfast-inspired addition: matcha. The grassy flavor of the green tea powder pairs well with the hearty oats, while the maple-toasted almonds add the perfect amount of nuttiness and sweetness to the dish. Serve with fresh blueberries for extra color and even more fiber.

Recipe: Matcha Almond Overnight Oats

Chai spices are warming, and something magical happens when they're paired with hearty ingredients like chia seeds and almonds. Just like in this breakfast pudding.

The recipe is simple and can be made in two pots. The first is used for steeping the tea bags in milk before simmering the chia seeds in them, while the other is the home of a tasty chai-maple syrup. Serve your bowls with toasted almonds, add a sprinkle of cinnamon, and enjoy.

Recipe: Almond Chai Chia Pudding

Looking for a fiber-forward breakfast for a crowd? Check out this slow-cooker oatmeal, which is flavored with fresh apples and fragrant cinnamon.

The steel-cut oats (not to be confused with old-fashioned or rolled oats) are cooked for about seven hours with the fruit until they soften and infuse with the vanilla extract, nutmeg, and cinnamon. This type of oatmeal has twice as much fiber as rolled oats and won't spike your blood sugar as quickly, making it an excellent addition to your morning routine.

Recipe: Apple-Cinnamon Slow Cooker Steel-Cut Oatmeal

Avocado is a surprisingly good source of fiber; a whole one contains upwards of 10 grams of it. This avocado toast recipe puts the flavor and the nutritional benefits of the fruit at the forefront.

It's topped with tasty asparagus (for even more nutrients) and a soft poached egg for extra protein and fat. This well-balanced breakfast is one that will leave your stomach happy and your Instagram followers jealous.

Recipe: Sourdough Avocado Toast 

Jack Johnson got it right — banana pancakes are the best. This recipe calls for only three ingredients — oat flour (basically ground-up oats), eggs, and banana — and serves as an excellent alternative to carby and heavy flapjacks.

You can always go beyond those three ingredients, though. A fiber-rich granola or sprinkle of nuts, for example, would offer an excellent texture contrast and make every bite more interesting than the last.

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Banana Pancakes

Not all breakfasts are designed to be enjoyed on-the-go, but this one certainly is. It takes all the things you love about oatmeal and turns it into something more portable.

The cookies are rife with fun textures and flavors, thanks to the help of peanut butter, banana, and chocolate chips. You can also add your favorite dried fruit, or use this recipe as a springboard for experimenting with different spices and add-ins. Pack a few away as a snack or enjoy them on your way out the door to work or school.

Recipe: PB and Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

We love breakfasts that not only help start our day on the right foot from a nutritional standpoint, but also those that incorporate in seasonal fruit to supplement their flavor — like this peach and cinnamon overnight oat recipe, which gets its high fiber content from both oatmeal and chia.

It also includes coconut yogurt, which you can always substitute for Greek yogurt or another non-dairy alternative if you prefer. Pile it high in jars or containers and let the ingredients meld together overnight for a flavorful and nutrient-packed breakfast.

Recipe: Peach and Cinnamon Overnight Oats

Meet the Barbie of breakfasts: beetroot hummus toast. This recipe pairs a homemade, beet-infused hummus with a sprinkle of feta and sliced avocado.

It's a colorful start to your morning, and you'll especially love that it can be made easily with canned beets. Reserve some of the extra hummus for dipping later on; its high protein and fiber content makes it a satiating snack to get you over that midday hump.

Recipe: Beetroot Hummus Toast

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