How to Turn Coffee into a Healthy Meal for Breakfast

Do you drink coffee in the morning but skip the rest of breakfast? I used to do that, but by 10:00am I was starving! There aren’t any calories or protein in coffee so it doesn’t fill you up, and it’s not healthy to go all morning without calories.

So I found a way to make coffee filling and healthy! It’s also quick to make in the morning for when I’m running out the door to work.

{ Post contains affiliate links. Shoutout to Kristie at Mom life Chronicles for the inspiration. }

Ain’t nobody got time for breakfast

There are people that have breakfast as a family and make eggs, pancakes, and bacon. On WEEKDAYS. I know, right? Who are these people? I am not one of them. I like to sleep until the last minute or until Toot forces me to get up.

My morning routine doesn’t consist of cooking anything. I’m lucky if I get my lunch packed.

That’s why I had to come up with a way to turn my coffee (the only part of breakfast I absolutely need) into a full meal.

Coffee + Protein shake mix = Coffee with protein and vitamins!

Choose your coffee

Iced coffee is my favorite to mix with protein powder. I like International Delight Mocha. I’ve also tried their vanilla and caramel iced coffee. The light version has fewer calories but the regular isn’t that bad if you can’t find the light.

Cold brew is another great option! You can make your own with , or you can just buy .

I don’t recommend hot coffee but if you want to brew coffee and let it refrigerate overnight, that would work. Add all of your extras like sweetener and cream before refrigerating.

Choose your protein shake mix

My husband and I use Nature’s Bounty protein shake mix. I use the vanilla in my coffee, and B uses the mixed with milk.  It’s literally the same ingredients as Shakeology by Beachbody but only 79 cents per ounce instead of $3.42 per ounce. (Shakeology is $130 a month!)

You can do Subscribe and Save on Amazon for the Nature’s Bounty protein powder. We have two chocolate and one vanilla on our Subscribe and Save and it’s less than $35 per month.

You can use any kind of protein shake mix. Just make sure it’s not super calorie packed. You don’t want a 600 calorie breakfast. Protein shake mixes with vitamins are a good choice. Gotta get the vitamins in wherever you can!

Choose your shaker bottle

I have two different kinds of shaker bottles. I prefer . I think it mixes better. And it’s slightly shorter than . My husband doesn’t have a preference.

I like to have different colors so I know which ones are mine and which ones are B’s. The wire ball shaker bottles come in lots of different colors.

You can use a blender if you would rather do that, but that’s something else you have to clean.

What’s the secret recipe?

Really the ratio of coffee to powder is up to you. I add a splash of water to the iced coffee to thin it out a little for the powder to mix better. You can use ice if you want, but I would add it after your powder is mixed with the coffee. Otherwise it’ll clump.

My usual ratio:

• 12oz of light iced coffee
• 1oz water
• 2.5 scoops of Nature’s Bounty protein shake mix

Shake until well blended. If you have clumps of powder still left, add more water or coffee.

Prepare the night before if needed

The protein shake mix and coffee I use work well for refrigerating overnight. It doesn’t taste any different. Just colder!

I’ve even left it over a weekend in my office fridge and it will still fine on Monday. If you’re a meal prepper, you can fill your fridge with coffee protein shakes for the whole week.

Do you drink coffee for breakfast?

Let me know in the comments below! Also let me know what kind of coffee you drink with protein powder and how you like it!

You also might like: