I’m the kind of one who gained’t eat breakfast except it may be prepared in 5 minutes or much less. Which means I rely lots on stuff like cereal, microwave oatmeal, and smoothies—or, to be trustworthy, I overlook I’m purported to eat totally, till I discover myself abruptly ravenous a pair hours later.

Whereas my fast breakfasts actually are handy and supply a quick vitality increase from carbohydrates, they lack the protein I have to efficiently keep away from feeling like a uncooked ball of nerves earlier than lunch time. As a meals author and avid house prepare dinner, I’m properly conscious that the basic egg muffin—merely whisked eggs combined with veggies and baked in a muffin tin—has all the time appeared like an effective way to avoid this: Eggs are loaded with protein…proper?

Properly, form of. One giant egg brings in six grams, so even for those who’re taking in two full ones together with your egg muffins, you’re nonetheless solely getting 12. And specialists usually suggest about 15 to twenty grams of protein at breakfast that will help you keep happy, Maxine Yeung, MS, RD, founding father of The Wellness Whisk, tells SELF. It’s no surprise I discovered myself hungry shortly after consuming a pair. What’s extra, the considered the limp, yellow lumps ready for me in my fridge didn’t precisely make me need to soar away from bed within the morning.

Then a brand new risk got here to my consideration. Scrolling by means of Tikok, I discovered house cooks whipping up egg muffins with about double the protein due to the assistance of considered one of my favourite components: cottage cheese.

And you can take it so some ways, like candy (say, this chocolate chip model or this feature with blueberries) or savory (as an illustration, with olives and rosemary for a Mediterranean spin or pesto and tomatoes for Italian flavors).

I used to be feeling the savory route, so I made a decision to attempt a broccoli, spinach, and turkey sausage quantity from Nicole Addison, RD. It promised ample protein (a whopping 16 grams per muffin, whereas conventional variations normally come within the six to eight vary), and to additionally assist me in one other space I typically battle with—consuming extra greens earlier than midday.

I deliberate on prepping and freezing a batch of those to eat for breakfast all week lengthy, however I may simply see myself whipping them up within the morning with how shortly they got here collectively. All in all, prep took me simply 10 minutes whole and—for those who’re utilizing pre-chopped veggies—you can do it in even much less time.