The Best Breakfast Foods for Runners
39 packaged foods to kick start your workout—and your day.
We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Handsome Brook Farm Pasture-Raised Eggs?
Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Make sure the first meal of your day has protein, fat, and carbs to give you energy, keep you feeling full, and ramp up your metabolism. Even if you’re short on time, you can whip up a healthy, nutritious breakfast like this bowl of steel-cut oats (slide 5) with berries (slide 39), almonds (slide 4), and milk (slide 30).
The foods here, like all of our Best Packaged Foods for Runners, were selected with help from our panel of experts: Alissa Rumsey, M.S., R.D., spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics; Kelley Pritchett, Ph.D., R.D., sports nutrition professor at Central Washington University; Emily Edison, M.S., R.D.; and Marni Sumbal, M.S., R.D. (Let RW help you start the day on the right foot! Get a carefully curated selection of our favorite items when you subscribe to the new Runner’s World Box.)
Note: Runner's World editors independently select the products we feature. If you choose to purchase a product from one of our affiliate partners, we earn a commission from the sale, which helps fund all the other work we do.
Hilarys Apple Maple Veggie Sausage
Fry up these tasty links, free of chemical preservatives.
Buy it: Amazon · Applegate.com
Applegate Natural Good Morning Bacon
Cured naturally with just salt and celery powder, this breakfast favorite is made with leaner pork shoulder so each crispy slice has about a third fewer fatty calories than “the other guy.”
Buy it: Amazon · Applegate.com
Bob’s Red Mill Organic Quick Cooking Steel Cut Oats
This heart-healthy, quick-cooking variety has all the benefits in half the time.
Buy it: Amazon
CleverFoodies Scramble Rancheros
This veggie-and-bean base adds vitamin A, vitamin C, and iron to your muy delicioso What Is a Shoey.
Buy it: CleverFoodies.com
Crunchies Strawberries
Freeze-drying preserves nutrients and flavor, and you can feel like an astronaut when you add these natural sweets to your oatmeal, yogurt, ice cream, or trail mix.
Buy it: Amazon
Fry up these tasty links, free of chemical preservatives
This blend of nutritional powerhouses includes oats, quinoa, dried mango, almonds, and matcha green tea powder.
Buy it: Amazon
Jones All-Natural Golden Brown Fully Cooked Chicken Sausage
Toss mix right into the blender for a quick smoothie.
Buy it: Amazon · Earthboundfarm.com
Health - Injuries
This hot-sweet North African chili paste can punch up any sausage or plate of scrambled eggs. Try it in dips, soups, and atop grilled meats.
Buy it: Amazon
FAGE Total 2% Greek Yogurt
Load up on gut-friendly probiotics and protein with Greek yogurt. (The first ingredients should always be live cultures.)
“Fage yogurt is my breakfast 90 percent of the time. The texture is so good, and it has loads of protein.” —Jessica Ni Murphy, Managing Director
Health - Injuries
Just add water to this mix of whole-grain oat flour and whey protein (along with real bananas and hazelnuts) for a nutrient-packed short stack.
Buy it: Amazon
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These morning muffins are made with sprouted whole grains, known for the amino acid lysine (not often found in grains).
Buy it: Foodforlife.com
Green Mountain Farms Greek Cream Cheese
What happens when Greek yogurt meets cream cheese? A higher protein spread with about half the fat and a little tang. Whipped for easy spreading, apply liberally to morning rounds or rye crackers and top with smoked salmon.
Buy it: FranklinFoods.com
Bobs Red Mill Organic Quick Cooking Steel Cut Oats
Packed with protein and choline (to keep your brain sharp), these eggs, from pasture-raised chickens, tout high levels of vitamins E and D.
Buy it: HandsomeBrookFarm.com
Hilary’s Apple Maple Veggie Sausage
With just the right amount of spices and maple sweetness, these plant-based patties are packed with flavor and have a real sausage texture.
Buy it: HilarysEatWell.com
This veggie-and-bean base adds vitamin A, vitamin C, and iron to your
Your muscles and midmorning hunger pangs will appreciate the 14 grams of protein in each half-cup serving.
Buy it: Amazon
Toss mix right into the blender for a quick smoothie
Nuke these links, free of mystery ingredients for quality protein.
Buy it: JonesDairyFarm.com
Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter
Made from grass-fed cows for a rich and creamy spread.
Buy it: Kerrygoldusa.com
Matthew Kadey, M.S. R.D. is a Canada-based registered dietitian and nutrition journalist with two decades of experience in reporting about food and nutrition for dozens of print and online publications. Kadey is the author of Rocket Fuel: Power-Packed Food for Sports + Adventure. He is also an adventure cyclist and creator of several bikepacking routes in North America and beyond. Find him at matthewkadey.com, @rocketfuelfood
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