LIVING | BAYLEN LANE
Some mornings, the best breakfast isn't complicated.
It's quick, satisfying, made with real ingredients—and easy enough to put together before work or on a morning when you simply don't feel like cooking anything elaborate.
This easy egg and avocado toast has become exactly that kind of breakfast.
A whole small avocado is spread directly onto toasted bread and topped with two sunny-side-up eggs, with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper to finish it.
That's it.
No complicated recipe. No long list of ingredients. And no meal prep the night before.
Just a warm, satisfying breakfast you can have on the table in minutes.
Why We're Thinking More About Protein After 40
Protein has become one of the biggest conversations in women's wellness—and there's good reason to pay attention to it as we get older.
Protein provides the building blocks our bodies use to build and maintain muscle. That's particularly relevant in midlife, when preserving muscle becomes increasingly important. Harvard Women's Health notes the importance of prioritizing protein for women in midlife, while research has found that breakfast is commonly the lowest-protein meal of the day for older adults.
That doesn't mean every breakfast needs to become an elaborate high-protein production.
Sometimes it's simply about looking at what we're already eating and asking:
How can we make this meal a little more nourishing?
Eggs make that particularly easy. They're a source of high-quality protein, and research has specifically examined eggs as an accessible protein source for supporting muscle health as we age.
Easy Egg & Avocado Toast
Serves 1
What You'll Need
- 2 eggs
- 1 whole small avocado
- 2 slices of your favorite bread
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- A little butter or oil for cooking the eggs, if desired
How to Make It
Toast two slices of bread until they're as golden and crisp as you like them.
While the bread is toasting, cook two eggs sunny-side up. We like the whites completely set while leaving the yolks beautifully golden and a little runny.
Cut a small avocado in half, remove the pit and scoop the avocado directly from its shell.
Instead of preparing a separate avocado mixture, simply spread the fresh avocado directly over the warm toast.
Place one sunny-side-up egg over each slice.
Finish with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
And breakfast is ready.
Why This Combination Works So Well
Part of what makes this breakfast satisfying is that it isn't relying on just one ingredient.
The eggs provide protein, while avocado contributes predominantly unsaturated fat along with fiber. Choosing whole-grain bread can add additional fiber and nutrients.
It's also a combination that's already recognized as an easy way to increase the protein in avocado toast: Cleveland Clinic recently recommended adding two eggs and choosing whole-grain bread as one simple high-protein breakfast option.
But what we may like most about this breakfast is its simplicity.
Healthy eating can start to feel surprisingly complicated. We're constantly hearing about macros, supplements, meal timing and the latest food rules.
This is a reminder that nourishing yourself doesn't always have to be complicated.
Make It Your Own
Once you've made the basic version, there are plenty of easy ways to change it without turning breakfast into a project.
Try a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for heat, everything-bagel seasoning for extra flavor, fresh tomato when it's in season, a handful of arugula beneath the eggs, or your favorite whole-grain or seeded bread.
If you're specifically trying to increase your personal protein intake, you could also serve it alongside another protein-rich food such as Greek yogurt or cottage cheese.
Protein needs aren't identical for everyone, so we wouldn't suggest that every woman needs to hit an arbitrary number of grams at breakfast. In fact, a recent systematic review found that evidence about the specific effects of morning protein timing on muscle outcomes remains uncertain. What matters more is looking at your overall diet, activity and individual nutritional needs.
A Better Breakfast Doesn't Have to Be Complicated
There's a tendency to think that eating better requires a complete overhaul of what we eat.
We don't think it has to.
Sometimes it's two eggs.
A fresh avocado.
Two pieces of toast.
And ten quiet minutes to sit down and actually enjoy breakfast.
For busy mornings, that's our kind of Living Well.
Simple. Nourishing. Delicious. And easy enough to make again tomorrow.
Find more simple recipes and ideas for living well after 40 at BaylenLane.com.