The Breakfast Mistake That’s Wrecking the Rest of Your Day, According to a Dietitian

If you’ve ever eaten what you thought was a solid lunch and then found yourself elbow-deep in the snack cabinet an hour later wondering what went wrong, the answer is probably protein. Or more accurately, the lack of it. 

Registered dietitian and certified personal trainer Rachael DeVaux sits down with Dr. Will Cole on The Art of Being Well and makes a pretty compelling case that most of us have been building our plates completely backward. From why your breakfast is betraying you to the full-fat dairy comeback your inner child has been waiting for, here’s what she wants you to know. 

Most Women Are Not Eating Enough Protein—Here’s Why

Most women are eating about half the protein they actually need

DeVaux says the average woman is getting somewhere around 50 to 60 grams of protein a day. Her recommendation? A minimum of 100 grams, ideally one gram per pound of body weight, especially if you’re active. That gap between what most people are getting and what they should be getting explains a lot of the brain fog, the 3 p.m. crashes, the sugar cravings, and the feeling of being hungry all day no matter what you eat.

“Once people really do make that change and make protein a really major part of their plate, that’s when they start feeling the difference,” she explains. “It’s going to be like a light switch.”

Breakfast is where you’re probably blowing it

Think about what most mornings actually look like: cereal, toast, a banana, maybe some OJ if you’re feeling fancy. That’s basically a dessert plate cosplaying as a meal. Your body burns through all of it in about an hour and then spends the rest of the morning screaming at you from the inside. 

DeVaux suggests aiming for 25 to 40 grams of protein before you leave the house. “So many people are going for more of a carb-heavy breakfast,” she says. “And they see it with their blood sugar later on, or they feel it. And they’re not as focused. They’re more hangry. They’re more irritable.” Nail the protein at breakfast and the rest of the day genuinely gets easier.

Just because it says ‘protein’ on the label doesn’t mean it’s good for you

The protein renaissance is real. It’s in cold foam, cereal, candy bars, basically everything at this point. But DeVaux says you still have to actually flip the package over and read what’s in it. “So much of what people are being targeted by now is like the high-protein Pop-Tarts,” she says. “Okay, it’s ultra-processed ingredients. There’s artificial colors and flavors and so much added sugar.”

Her two “pivotal points” she likes to make as a dietitian:

1. Eat more protein from whole food sources
2. Eat less added sugar

That’s it. If you only focus on those two shifts, everything else starts falling into place.

The 3-day tracking trick that shows you exactly where your gaps are

DeVaux isn’t a fan of long-term calorie counting or obsessive macro tracking. She actually removed calories entirely from her cookbook because she thinks they create a negative relationship with food. But she does have a tip for people that do want to start eating a healthier diet: track only your protein for three normal days.

“It’s going to give you a lot of insight into kind of the pockets that you can start filling with more protein,” she says. “And then you can kind of focus on, you know, ‘Which times of day could I be eating more protein? Oh, is that also when I’m kind of experiencing more brain fog or low energy or more irritable?’”

You’re not tracking to punish yourself. You’re tracking to connect the dots between how you eat and how you feel.

Full-fat dairy is back and dietitians are on board

If you grew up in a household where skim milk was considered a health food and fat-free yogurt was a “smart choice,” the vibes have officially shifted. DeVaux says full-fat dairy gives you more omega-3s, more conjugated linoleic acid, more vitamins and minerals, keeps you fuller for longer, and just tastes better. “People need to realize that full fat is going to help keep you full for longer,” she says. “It’s going to taste better also.”

The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans literally flipped the food pyramid upside down in January 2026, putting protein, dairy, and healthy fats at the top and whole grains at the bottom. They now specifically recommend full-fat dairy with no added sugars over low-fat options, which is a complete reversal from what we were all told growing up.

Easy places to make the swap:

• Full-fat Greek yogurt instead of fat-free (way more protein per serving too)
• Whole milk in your coffee or smoothies instead of skim
• Real butter or ghee for cooking instead of spray oils
• Full-fat cottage cheese as a base for pancakes, dips, or just eating straight out of the container at midnight (no judgment)

If you’re ever unsure about how much protein you personally need or whether a dietary shift makes sense for your body, don’t be afraid to talk to a registered dietitian or your doctor. Your FYP isn’t a medical professional no matter how confident that girl with the ring light sounds. 

Want to hear the full conversation? Tune into The Art of Being Well, available wherever you listen to podcasts.

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