Not all breakfast choices are created equal. While a hearty morning meal can set the tone for your day, some popular breakfast items pack more calories than you might expect, potentially derailing your health goals. From the rich and savory to the sweet and flaky, these breakfast dishes from around the world are undeniably delicious — but they come with a calorie cost.
Whether you start your day with a classic like eggs Benedict or indulge in a sweet treat like a cheese Danish, we break down the calorie counts of some of your favorite breakfast dishes and offer a few alternatives to help mitigate the caloric impact.
1. Huevos Rancheros
- Serving Size: 1 plate (2 eggs with toppings)
- Calories: 700-900
- Calories from Saturated Fat: 200-300
Is there a better way to start the morning than with a plate of runny egg yolks over tomatoes and cheese on crispy corn tortillas? This hangover favorite matches its high calorie count with layers of flavor and texture. For more protein, you can add chorizo; a side of black beans will increase the meal’s fiber content.
2. Burek
- Serving Size: 1 large piece (200g)
- Calories: 600-800
- Calories from Saturated Fat: 200-300
This savory breakfast (and all-day favorite) from Serbia is hard to resist. Layers of phyllo dough brushed with butter or oil, filled with minced meat or cheese, and finished with a crispy exterior will surely bring a smile to your face. However, the high calorie count means you’ll need to watch what you eat for the rest of the day.
3. Full Irish Breakfast
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 800-1200
- Calories from Saturated Fat: 300-400
It’s not just the Guinness that makes Irish lads strong — it’s their full Irish breakfast: plates of eggs, bacon, sausages, black and white pudding, fried tomatoes, mushrooms, and sometimes potato bread. The main caloric culprit is the black and white pudding, typically made of sausage, but the high protein content of this meal is a good enough excuse to indulge once in a while.
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4. Croissant
- Serving Size: 1 large croissant
- Calories: 350-500
- Calories from Saturated Fat: 100-150
It’s almost criminal that this buttery, flaky French pastry is the definition of empty carbs, but macros don’t lie. Those delicate layers that make croissants so irresistible are the same reason this breakfast go-to is avoided by anyone watching their daily calorie intake. We’re still waiting — with a chocolate croissant in hand — to see if someone comes up with a healthier version.
5. Cornetto con Crema
- Serving Size: 1 large cornetto
- Calories: 300-450
- Calories from Saturated Fat: 100-150
If we’re going to feel guilty about a croissant, then the Italian cornetto deserves a mention, too. Similar to a croissant but lighter and often filled with pastry cream, chocolate, or jam, it’s the butter that jacks up the calorie count (the delicious fillings don’t help either). But when in Italy …
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6. Roti Prata
- Serving Size: 1 large roti
- Calories: 300-400
- Calories from Saturated Fat: 80-120
South Indians and Southeast Asians will tell you that a morning meal of this crispy Indian flatbread with a side dish of vegetable curry is the only way to start the day. Unfortunately, since it is made with ghee (clarified butter), it’s a calorie-dense food with a high fat content. Using whole grain or low-carb flour can help improve its nutritional value.
7. Pancakes With Syrup
- Serving Size: 3 pancakes with syrup
- Calories: 600-800
- Calories from Saturated Fat: 100-150
The next time you crave a plate of fluffy pancakes served with knobs of butter and syrup, you might want to think twice. The decadent breakfast boasts a significant calorie count, even without the syrup.
8. Steak and Eggs
- Serving Size: 1 plate (6 oz steak, 2 eggs)
- Calories: 700-1000
- Calories from Saturated Fat: 250-350
This hearty favorite may not be the lightest in calories, but it’s a filling meal that can keep you going for the day. There’s no avoiding the caloric impact, but choosing a leaner cut of steak (like top sirloin or flank) and organic eggs will certainly help to improve its nutritional value.
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9. Nasi Goreng
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 600-800
- Calories from Saturated Fat: 150-250
This Indonesian breakfast favorite of fried rice cooked with sweet soy sauce, garlic, and spices — all topped with a fried egg — delivers plenty of flavor along with a generous serving of calories. Oil contributes to the high calorie count, so opting for something like safflower oil, which is low in saturated fat, can help make this dish healthier. To increase protein and fiber content, add lean chicken or pork and a generous serving of fresh vegetables.
10. Fried Chicken and Waffles
- Serving Size: 1 plate (1 waffle, 2 pieces of chicken)
- Calories: 700-900
- Calories from Saturated Fat: 200-300
While this Southern comfort staple of crispy fried chicken with a fluffy waffle is extremely tempting, it packs in a ton of calories. You might want to save this for a very special morning.
11. Quiche Lorraine
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 of a 9-inch quiche)
- Calories: 500-600
- Calories from Saturated Fat: 180-240
You can argue that Quiche Lorraine is a protein-rich option to start your day, but the decadent custard made from eggs, cream, cheese, and bacon makes this dish a little too indulgent. For a healthier version, choose low-fat cheese, replace the heavy cream with fat-free evaporated milk, and substitute spinach for the bacon. We promise it’ll still taste great.
12. French Toast
- Serving Size: 2 slices
- Calories: 500-700
- Calories from Saturated Fat: 150-200
We all love French toast, but at 250 calories per slice, it’s not something you can eat daily. Bread soaked in a mixture of eggs, milk, and sugar, then fried in butter, means there’s a lot of fat. That doesn’t include the addition of syrup or powdered sugar, which increases the calorie count.
13. Eggs Benedict
- Serving Size: 1 serving (2 poached eggs, English muffin, hollandaise sauce)
- Calories: 600-800
- Calories from Saturated Fat: 250-300
This weekend brunch staple of poached eggs smothered in rich hollandaise sauce is no friend to a heart-healthy diet. The sauce, made from butter and egg yolks, is high in saturated fat, so if you insist on having this dish, go easy on the sauce or make one using Greek yogurt instead.
14. Biscuits and Gravy
- Serving Size: 2 biscuits with gravy
- Calories: 600-800
- Calories from Saturated Fat: 200-250
For anyone in the South, biscuits and gravy is a no-brainer for its rich, hearty, and comforting flavors. It’s also a dish that can be easily customized: Consider using turkey or even mushrooms instead of sausage for fewer calories and a lower fat content.
15. Avocado Toast With a Poached Egg
- Serving Size: 1 slice of toast with 1/2 avocado and 1 egg
- Calories: 350-450
- Calories from Saturated Fat: 80-120
We hate to break it to you, but avocado toast is not as healthy as you might think. This trendy breakfast option made with creamy avocado spread on a piece of toast and topped with a poached egg can reach 400 calories alone — and that’s without add-ons like a drizzle of olive oil (120 calories), butter (35 calories), or cream cheese (50 calories). Still, because avocado and egg provide healthy fats, this isn’t the worst way to start your day.
16. Chilaquiles
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 600-800
- Calories from Saturated Fat: 150-250
While chilaquiles can be incredibly satisfying, it isn’t the healthiest option for breakfast, as the dish is calorie-dense due to fried tortilla chips, cheese, and crema. To make a healthier version, bake the tortilla chips instead of frying them, and use low-fat cheese.
17. Granola with Whole Milk
- Serving Size: 1 cup granola with 1 cup milk
- Calories: 400-600
- Calories from Saturated Fat: 100-150
On the surface, granola looks like an excellent way to start the day. But it’s the add-ons like nuts, dried fruit, and sweeteners like honey or syrup that can jack up the sugar and saturated fat content. Luckily, this is something you can make at home. Choose nutrient-dense ingredients like oats, seeds, and nuts to make it a more wholesome meal.
18. Cinnamon Roll
- Serving Size: 1 large roll
- Calories: 500-700
- Calories from Saturated Fat: 150-200
Cinnamon may contain antioxidants, but when it’s combined with a soft, sweet pastry filled with sugar and topped with cream cheese icing, it becomes a snack that’s better to avoid. Even without the icing, a cinnamon roll is still about 200-plus calories, which is equivalent to two tablespoons of peanut butter or two whole bananas.
19. Breakfast Burrito
- Serving Size: 1 large burrito
- Calories: 700-900
- Calories from Saturated Fat: 200-300
Bad news: Your breakfast burrito has more calories than a Big Mac. You can blame it on the combination of cheese, meat, and a large tortilla (200 calories alone). For a healthier version, swap the bacon or sausage for leaner proteins like turkey sausage, grilled chicken, or black beans, and wrap it up in a low-calorie tortilla.
20. Cheese Danish
- Serving Size: 1 large Danish
- Calories: 400-600
- Calories from Saturated Fat: 150-200
Starting the morning with a pastry filled with cream sounds delightful, but the subsequent sugar spike won’t be. Made with sweetened pastry dough and often containing added sugars in the cheese filling and glaze, it’s not the best choice if you want to keep your blood sugar levels stable.
