Most mornings start the same way in my kitchen. I open the fridge, pull out the yoghurt and the quark, and put together my all-time favourite protein breakfast bowl I’ve been eating for months now. It may not sound exciting, but it is delicious and feels almost like a cheat meal.

Why I Stopped Eating a “Normal” Breakfast

For years I thought breakfast either meant toast, cereal, or the continental spread. Some of my friends skip it altogether, saying they’re always in a rush. None of that ever left me feeling good by mid-morning. I’d be reaching for something sweet before lunch had even crossed my mind, and I put that down to just being how mornings were.

Finding What Kept Me Full

Once I started paying more attention to protein, that changed. I tried a few different combinations before I landed on this high-protein breakfast I still make today.

It started as a simple quark and yoghurt breakfast, and once I added a scoop of protein powder, it turned into something that holds me over until lunch. Something about mixing quark and yoghurt gives it a thickness, texture and flavour that neither one has alone, and it’s more filling than plain yoghurt ever was for me.

Now I weigh everything out, more out of habit than out of obsession, and by the time I’ve had my coffee, the bowl is already gone. There’s no mid-morning dip sending me straight to the biscuit tin anymore. It took me a while to find a simple, low-carb protein breakfast that keeps me satisfied, and now I don’t think about breakfast at all. I just make it.

What is quark and yoghurt breakfast?

If you’ve never used quark before, it’s a soft, mild fresh cheese, somewhere between yoghurt and cottage cheese in texture. It’s common in the UK and across Europe, but harder to find in America. A quark and yoghurt breakfast works because the two balance each other out: the quark adds thickness and protein, the yoghurt keeps it soft and a bit tangy, and together they hold up far better than either one on its own.

If you can’t get hold of quark, cottage cheese blended smooth in a food processor is the closest swap, and it’ll give you a similar texture in the bowl.

Wooden bowl of curded quark, similar to Polish twaróg, used in a protein breakfast bowl — This is the king of quark I use for my protein breakfast bowl.

NOTE

Quark goes by different names depending on where you are:
UK – Quark
America – not widely sold under any name; closest to quark is a smooth, unsalted cottage cheese or fromage frais
Italy – the closest equivalent is fiocchi di latte, or ricotta, both a bit lower in protein than quark
Germany – Quark
Austria – Topfen
Poland – twaróg
Hungary – túró
Russia – tvorog (творог)
Serbia – beli sir (“white cheese,” a slightly broader term)
Slovakia – tvaroh

What You Need for This High Protein Breakfast Bowl

INGREDIENTS:

Greek yoghurt
Quark (twarog, cottage cheese, tvaroh)
A good quality Why Protein powder (I like chocolate)
Berries
Chopped walnuts or try this SIMPLE LOW-CARB GRANOLA WITH NUTS
A square dark chocolate 70-90% (optional)

Low-carb granola with nuts in a glass jar, some scattered on the table

📝TIP:

The protein powder is optional, but one scoop adds around 25g of protein.

How to Make This Protein Breakfast Bowl

This protein breakfast bowl is just as easy. You don’t need any kitchen skills, and you don’t need to follow it exactly. Adjust the amounts or swap ingredients to suit what you’ve got.

Mix the Greek yoghurt with the protein powder until fully combined.
Stir in the quark until combined.
Top with the berries and chopped walnuts, or swap in a handful of granola for extra crunch.
Add the dark chocolate if you fancy it.

How Much Protein Is in This Bowl

With a proper thick, high-protein Greek yoghurt and quark:
With protein powder: around 45–48g
Without protein powder: around 20–22g

With a standard “Greek-style” yoghurt and cottage cheese or ricotta:
With protein powder: around 40g
Without protein powder: around 16g

A quick way to tell the difference: check the protein per 100g on the label.
A real Greek yoghurt will usually sit around 9-10g protein,
whereas Greek-style yoghurt is often closer to 4-5g.

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Swaps and Variations

This protein breakfast bowl is easy to adjust depending on what you’ve got or what you fancy.

No dark chocolate on hand? A sprinkle of cinnamon does a similar job of making the bowl feel a bit more like a treat.
No quark? Use fiocchi di latte, ricotta, or cottage cheese blended smooth in a food processor.
No protein powder? Leave it out. The bowl still comes in with a solid amount of protein from the yoghurt and quark alone.
Different fruit – swap the berries for whatever’s in season. Sliced peach or plum works well in summer, stewed apple or pear in colder months.
Extra crunch – a handful of my Low-Carb Granola with Nuts works just as well as walnuts, if you want something more textured. You can also add grated coconut or any other nuts.

Close-up of a protein breakfast bowl topped with mixed berries and low-carb granola clusters

How I Eat This Beyond Breakfast

This bowl isn’t limited to mornings in my house.

Post-walk snack – I sometimes make a smaller version after a longer walk, when I want protein but nothing heavy.
Packed for the day – it travels well in a jar with a lid, kept cold, if I’m out for a few hours.
Evening version – occasionally I’ll have it as a lighter dinner, especially in summer when I don’t want anything cooked.

How to Store It

This bowl is best made fresh and eaten within the day, since the berries and granola (if using) soften once mixed in. If you want to prep ahead, keep the yoghurt, quark, and protein powder mixed in a sealed container in the fridge for up to two days.

Add the berries, nuts, and any granola just before eating. It isn’t suitable for freezing, as the texture won’t hold up once thawed.

PROTEIN BREAKFAST BOWL THAT KILLS YOUR CRAVINGS

Looking for more breakfast ideas?

If you enjoyed this low-carb protein breakfast, don’t miss my other easy and delicious breakfast recipes! From pancakes to veggie hash browns, there’s something to match every morning mood.