Is it going to be hard to find protein for breakfast? I keep reading about everyone eating pastries and that Europeans don't eat eggs and breakfast meats like we do in the U.S. If I eat all those carbs with no protein, I'll turn into a zombie and then my energy will crash in about an hour.
Thanks

Bring a jar of peanut butter or those JIF peanut butter cups/Skippy in a tube with you for your protein boast. My daughter has a problem not having protein especially for breakfast and we have always used the above whether we were in India,Paris or Turkey. Good luck!

Thanks dutyfree, that's a great idea. Do they offer anything like cheese or yogurt for breakfast?

I think it depends on where you're going to be.
If you're going to be at a big international hotel with a breakfast buffet then you will have many choices.
If you're staying in a vacation rental then you can buy everything you want at the grocery store.
Smaller hotels seem to offer "continental" (coffee and toast), but sometimes have cheese and yogurt. Again, it depends on the country. Europe is a diverse place. I found Central European hotels to offer more breakfast choices than those in Italy, France and Spain. There, you won't find much diversity in hotel breakfasts or many places to go out to breakfast as you will in the US. Most little bar/cafes only offer coffee and pastry too.
You can buy yogurt and keep it in your hotel if your room has a fridge.
I also sometimes bring protein bars and nuts with me to snack on.

usually can get yogurt, or soft-boiled eggs. I second the pb, also if your room has a frig, you could buy an aged salami, or some cheese. I need protein in the am & usually have a big breakfast because I run, run run & don't stop til late afternoon.

We find even most small hotels and B&B's serve yogurt, cheese and usually a sliced meat like salami. Warning about the peanut butter - don't put it in your carryon. Ours was confiscated as a "liquid".

I usually stay in an apartment or a hotel with a fridge. I keep cheese, meats and other goodies for breakfast. I've also gone out to casual cafes for breakfast and they usually served omelets..often with cheese.

Margy

Connie - which country are you going to? There's no such thing as a typical 'european' breakfast.

It also depends where you are staying. Cheapo places you naturally won't get much. Expensive places you'll have quite a spread.

But in any case, probably 80% of the 'continental' breakfasts I've had have included cheese and cold meat like salami. Yoghurt is very common too (especially in Greece, served with honey, mmmmmmmmmm).

In Germany, at modest 2* and 3* hotels, you often get a wonderful breakfast buffet with many protein choices, included in the room price. So it really does matter where you are going.

If you can't get what you want at your hotel, and if you can't stock groceries because your have no in-room fridge, you can find drinkable yoghurt or yoghurt smoothies in all sizes at supermarkets or neighborhood stores.

Having travelled all over Europe the past couple of years, I can't think of any hotels that did not serve cheese, meat or yoghurt.

Yes, which country ?

In France & Italy, modest hotels sometimes just serve pastries and bread. Medium priced hotels up usually have (not very exciting) cheese, cold meats and sometimes boiled eggs. Germanic countries are big on cheese and cold meats & fish. In the UK and Ireland a cooked breakfast involves mainly (fried) protein - eggs, bacon, sausages (usually containing some breadcrumbs), black pudding, etc; plus sometimes an option of a smoked fish like kippers.

Connie,

I suffer from low blood sugar and can't OD on carbs for breakfast or lunch or I also have no energy.

Most hotels I've stayed in in Europe have yogurt and quite often sunflower seeds or some type of seed or nut. The bread is often a whole grain and many times there is cheese and sliced meat although I don't like to start my day with cheese and I don't love salamis and such (too salty).

Many hotels also have a muesli of varying quality that you can add to the yogurt. Better hotels will also have a bowl of soft-boiled eggs on a buffet. Also, for a few Euros, most places will make you eggs if they aren't on the buffet - you just need to ask.

I usually bring along a few small bags of nuts of some sort on my trips. Easier than PB and you can sneak them into your yogurt or cereal. Plus, I like to have a ziploc of them in my purse in case I get too past my normal meal time and start to feel lousy or cranky.

Your thread made me smile, since I'm always harassing my teenagers to "eat some protein for breakfast." I'm sure they'll mention this obsession in my eulogy someday

gruezi

Thanks everyone for great ideas.

PB sounded good but I am doing carry on only. Might try anyway. I have a few protein bars and I'll add nuts. Surely, I can buy more there.

I'm glad to know I can ask for eggs even if they aren't on the menu--can't hurt to ask.

Gruezi, you know exactly how I feel. I never leave home without some nuts in my purse/car. I don't want to miss one second of Europe by being a zombie.

We'll be in Paris, Rome, Florence, CT and Switzerland and we're staying in smallish hotels--don't think we'll have a fridge but maybe we can find some things at the grocery store that don't have to be refrigerated.

Thanks again, everyone.

Connie,

If you ask for eggs, say you just want eggs. Some hotels will try to sell you on omelettes, potatoes, toast, etc so they can charge you. Be firm, just eggs please, and you won't pay much at all.

Have fun!

gruezi

ps I just found out walnuts are about the healthiest nut esp for women. I usually prefer almonds or pecans but I've switched for the health factor.

In something like an Ibis Hotel, the breakfast buffet includes unlimited cold cuts, cheese, yogurt, etc.

Well I live here in the US and we never have heavy, greasy egg and bacon breakfasts. Frankly, I don't know how to swallow that stuff at 7am. All I can manage is toast or cereal. And that goes for most people I know. (Brunch is different since you're actually having that at lunch time.)

But - to each is own.

If this type of breakfast is so important to you - check out what your hotel offers (some places have hard-boiled eggs - and in northern europe there are often buffets - but cold with meats and cheeses).

Or - you can ask the hotel what places in the neighborhood serve that type of breakfast.

NYtraveler, I never said anything about greasy eggs and bacon. I just said I need a little protein for breakfast--not just coffee and pastry. Yogurt, cheese, nuts, peanut butter

You obviously know nothing about what kind of diet people with low blood sugar need. Frankly, I think everyone would feel better with a little protein to start the day. You get longer lasting energy instead of quick energy that fades quickly in a short period of time.

The JAR of peanut butter will NOT get past TSA. I've had mine taken away.
I'm a combo of vegetarian/vegan/macro and eat some fish. I'm allergic to dairy, except butter, so can't get the protein from dairy foods. So,in the old days...not that long ago...I'd always pack the jar of peanut butter and with no problem. Plus, I used it often when my the airline would forget my special meal on those 18-plus hour flights and I lived off of peanut butter and rolls.
I can't live off of all that sugary/high carb food in Europe either. I don't eat like that at home. I've lived in Europe for summers for over two decades, but stick to my dietary plan.
BUT, there's hope as far as the peanut butter goes. Go to the Container Store and buy the 1 ounce size, glass jars and stuff them with peanut butter. Then declare them at TSA. I've gotten them through each time that way.
The Container Store also has 3-ounce size, glass spice containers with the shaker tops. Just take the shaker top off and use the jar and other top. That way you can carry more peanut butter as the jar is larger. Three ounces is tops for TSA unless things have changed. The 1-ounce sized style glass jar is made only in 1 and 4 ounce size. I know this since I buy a lot of these jars and just went out looking for more last weekend for a friend who has a 3-year old that she has to travel overseas with this sumnmer. She needs to pack food for the child who has various, serious food allergies. Happy Travels!