The problem is that so much "high protein breakfast" advice starts and ends with eggs. So on the mornings they're a no from me (and let's be honest, on the mornings I simply do not have it in me to cook), I need options that are just as filling, without an egg in sight.

Here are five I come back to again and again. All quick, all filling enough to actually get you to lunch, and not a scramble in sight.

What actually keeps you full

One quick thing first, because it's the difference between a breakfast that carries you to lunch and one that has you snacking by ten. Aim for a bit of protein, some fibre and a little fat. Protein and fibre are the filling ones, and the fat makes it satisfying in the mouth. You'll notice every idea below leans on at least a couple of those. That's the trick, not the specific food.

1. The Greek yoghurt bowl

Start with a big scoop of thick Greek yoghurt, low fat ideally as it has more protein. Add fruit, something crunchy like granola or toasted nuts and seeds, and a drizzle of honey or nut butter. Two minutes, no cooking, and it holds me for hours. Want even more protein? Stir a little protein powder through the yoghurt before you top it.

2. The grab-and-go smoothie

For the mornings you don't get to sit down. Blend milk or yoghurt, a banana, a handful of frozen berries, a spoon of oats and a scoop of protein powder or nut butter. The oats make it more filling than it looks, so it actually holds you over instead of leaving you starving by ten. Pour it into a keep cup and go.

3. Cottage cheese toast

The underrated one. Pile cottage cheese onto a piece of grainy toast and take it sweet or savoury. Sweet: honey, banana or berries and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Savoury: sliced tomato, cracked pepper, a pinch of salt and some herbs. A good hit of protein, fruit or veggies at breakfast, who are we? But weirdly moreish.

4. Peanut butter and banana on grainy toast

The thirty second classic, and a classic for a reason. Grainy toast, a good layer of peanut butter, sliced banana on top. Add a sprinkle of chia or hemp seeds if you want to bump the protein and fibre. Simple, filling, and the kids will eat it too.

5. Chia pudding

If overnight oats are your thing, chia pudding is their easy cousin. Stir three tablespoons of chia into a cup of milk with a little yoghurt and something sweet, then leave it in the fridge overnight. By morning it's thick and pudding-like. Top with fruit and nuts. The swelling fibre of the chia combined with the sweet kick of the fruit

And when all else fails

Last night's dinner. I mean it. Leftover chicken and rice, a bowl of soup, whatever's in the fridge. There's no rule that says breakfast has to be breakfast food, and a proper feed beats skipping it every time.

The best breakfast is the one you'll actually eat, on the mornings you actually have. Keep a couple of these in your back pocket and those chaotic starts get a whole lot easier. And if it's an egg day for you? Have the eggs. This is just for when it isn't.

Love, Leah x

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