Avocado Toast and Poached Egg
A lighter morning than my usual — proper wholegrain toast, half a ripe avocado smashed with lemon, and one soft poached egg sat on top. About 410 calories and 24 grams of protein. It won’t fill you the way steak and eggs does, and I’ll show you exactly how to build it up when you want more. But on a slow morning, it’s a gentle, balanced start I keep coming back to.
Plate 01 / Finished
I’ll be honest with you up front: this is the lightest breakfast on the whole site, and I’m not going to pretend it’s a protein bomb. Twenty-four grams is a fine start to a day, not a finish line. But there are mornings — the ones after a heavy training block, or when I just want to sit at the window with a coffee and not feel like I’ve eaten a brick — when this is exactly what I want. One soft poached egg, half an avocado smashed with a squeeze of lemon, and a slice of real wholegrain bread underneath to carry it all.
I started keeping avocados in the house properly after I went on TRT in my mid-thirties. Not because they do anything clever for your numbers — they don’t, and I’d never tell you they did — but because they’re an honest source of the kind of fats and potassium I like having on a plate when I’m eating for steady energy through a long day. The toast gives me a bit of fibre and the egg brings complete protein and a hit of B12. It’s three plain things that happen to sit really well together. No medical claim in there anywhere. Just a man telling you what’s on his plate and why he likes it.
The thing most people get wrong is doing it as fat on starch and stopping there — half an hour later they’re hungry again and cross about it. So I do it properly: a good seeded slice with some real protein in it, the avocado seasoned so it tastes of something, and the egg poached soft so the yolk runs into the mash. Once you’ve had that, you understand why people make a fuss. It’s a small, gentle plate. Treat it like one, and build it up when you need more — I’ll show you how, and I’ve got you.
01Who it’s for & when to eat it
This is a light, balanced breakfast that flexes hard depending on what you need from your morning. The toast, avocado and egg stay the same; you steer the protein and the calories with what you add on top.
Trim it down
Use a thinner slice of bread, drop the avocado to a quarter, and poach two eggs instead of one. You actually nudge the protein up and the calories down at the same time — the numbers are in the variations below.
Build it up
Second slice of toast, the whole avocado, two poached eggs, and a spoon of cottage cheese under the mash. That turns a light breakfast into a proper plate without losing what makes it good. Numbers below.
A gentle morning plate
The plate as written, with one honest caveat: it’s lighter on protein than I’d usually run. For a steady-energy morning that doesn’t sit heavy, it’s lovely. Want it to carry you to lunch? Add a second egg or a layer of cottage cheese — see the variations for the maths.
Timing: this is a morning plate, especially a slower one — a weekend, or a rest day when you don’t need a heavy breakfast sitting on you. It also makes a quiet, good lunch. Just know going in that it’s the light option; if you’ve trained hard and you’re properly hungry, build it up before you sit down.
02Ingredients
Makes 1 plate. Cooking for two? Double everything, and poach the eggs in one wide pan with plenty of water so they’ve got room to swirl.
Servings 1 · adjust on the live recipe card- Wholegrain or seeded bread1 slice · 50 g · 1.8 oz
- Avocado, ripe half a medium one75 g · 2.6 oz
- Egg, large fresh as you can get1
- Lemon juice1 tsp · 5 ml
- White vinegar for the poaching water1 tsp · 5 ml
- Chilli flakes optionala pinch
- Black pepperto taste
- Flaky saltto taste
Swaps I actually use: the bread is where you win protein — a high-protein or heavily seeded loaf carries far more than a plain slice, so reach for that. Sourdough is grand too. The other easy win is the protein on top or underneath: a soft second egg, a fold of smoked salmon, or a thin layer of cottage cheese spread on the toast under the avocado, where it disappears into the mash and adds a clean few grams. No lemon? A splash of vinegar in the avocado keeps it green the same way.
03Step by step
Toast it properly first
Get the bread toasting before anything else — you want it a real golden brown with a firm crust. Pale toast goes soggy the second wet avocado lands on it. A good crisp base is the floor the whole plate stands on, so toast it darker than you think.
Magnus says: a sturdy slice holds everything. Limp toast collapses under the egg every time.
Mash it with lemon and salt
Scoop half the avocado into a bowl. Add the lemon juice, a pinch of flaky salt and a grind of pepper, and smash it with a fork. Leave it a bit rough — you want texture, not baby food. Taste it; under-seasoned avocado is the most common way this plate falls flat, so don’t be shy with the salt and acid.
Magnus says: the lemon isn’t optional. It wakes the avocado up and keeps it green.
Gentle simmer, vinegar, a slow swirl
Bring a deep pan of water to a bare simmer — small bubbles rising, not a rolling boil — and stir in the vinegar. Crack the egg into a small cup first, give the water a gentle swirl, and slide the egg into the centre of the spin. Leave it about three minutes for a soft yolk, then lift it out with a slotted spoon. Don’t poke it; the swirl wraps the white around the yolk for you.
Magnus says: fresh eggs poach tidy, old ones spread into rags. That’s the egg, not you.
The quiet protein layer
If you want more protein, spread a thin layer of cottage cheese over the hot toast before the avocado goes on. It melts in a little, you won’t really taste it under the lemon and salt, and it lifts the plate by a clean few grams. Skip it if you’re keeping things simple.
Avocado down, egg on top
Spread the smashed avocado over the whole slice, right to the edges, so every bite has some. Rest the poached egg on a folded piece of kitchen paper for a few seconds to drain — wet egg makes wet toast — then settle it on top of the avocado.
Chilli, salt, eat straight away
Scatter the chilli flakes over, a last grind of pepper and a little flaky salt across the egg, and take it to the table. Cut in while the yolk’s still soft and let it run down into the avocado. Don’t let it sit — this is a plate for eating now.
Magnus says: break the yolk at the table, not in the pan. That run of gold over the avocado is the whole point.
04How to poach an egg that holds
Poaching scares people off, and it shouldn’t. Three things do almost all the work, and once you’ve got them it’s the easiest egg there is.
Use the freshest egg you can. A fresh egg has a tight, firm white that clings to the yolk; an older egg has a loose, watery white that spreads into ragged threads the moment it hits the water. If your eggs aren’t new, crack one into a cup first and tip off the thin runny white before it goes in.
Keep the water at a bare simmer. You want the surface trembling with the odd small bubble, not a rolling boil. A hard boil batters the egg apart. If it’s roaring, drop the heat and wait a moment before you start.
Swirl, then drop into the middle. A gentle swirl pulls the white in around the yolk as it sets. Crack the egg into a cup, lower the cup almost to the surface, and let it slide into the centre of the spin. The vinegar helps the white firm up faster — you won’t taste it once the egg’s drained.
05The spec sheet
Real numbers, calculated — not guessed. The plate as written is one serving, about 220g of finished food. Here’s what that serving and a flat 100g actually give you.
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 410 kcal | 186 kcal |
| Protein | 24.0 g | 10.9 g |
| Carbohydrate | 32.0 g | 14.5 g |
| — of which sugars | 4.0 g | 1.8 g |
| Fat | 24.0 g | 10.9 g |
| — of which saturates | 5.5 g | 2.5 g |
| Fibre | 9.0 g | 4.1 g |
| Sodium | ~0.55 g | ~0.25 g |
Moderate. The avocado and yolk carry most of the calories here, which is what makes a small plate feel a bit more satisfying than the protein number alone would suggest.
Honestly, this is the soft spot of the plate. The fats and the toast pull the ratio down, so if protein is what you’re chasing this morning, add a second egg or some cottage cheese — see the variations.
- Choline~150 mg · 27% DV
- Vitamin B12~0.6 µg · 25% DV
- Folate~115 µg · 29% DV
- Potassium~640 mg · 14% DV
- Vitamin E~2.6 mg · 17% DV
- Selenium~18 µg · 33% DV
Macros are calculated from standard food-composition data and will shift a little with the size of your avocado and the bread you use. Micronutrient figures are estimates against general adult Daily Values. Numbers are for guidance, not medical advice — see our Nutrition Disclaimer.
06Bulk / Cut / TRT variations
One plate, three jobs. The method never changes — you adjust the bread, the avocado, and the protein on top. Macros below are for a full serving.
Lean it out
Thinner slice of bread, drop the avocado to a quarter, and poach egg whites or one whole egg with the avocado scaled back. You keep the running yolk and the flavour but pull the fat and calories right down for a lean morning.
Build it up
Two slices of toast, the whole avocado, two poached eggs, and a spoon of cottage cheese under a generous layer of mash. That’s where this plate finally pulls its weight on protein without losing the easy charm.
Light & balanced
The plate exactly as written: one slice of wholegrain toast, half an avocado, one soft poached egg. A gentle, steady-energy start. Add a second egg if you want it to hold you longer.
07Meal prep & storage
I’ll be straight with you — this is a cook-fresh plate, and there’s no getting around it. Avocado browns the moment it meets air, a poached egg goes rubbery in the fridge, and toast doesn’t keep. But there’s a little you can do to make the morning faster.
Cut and smash it the moment you want it. If you must prep ahead, press cling film right onto the surface and add extra lemon — it slows the browning a few hours, but it’s never as good as fresh.
Always poach to order — three minutes, every time. A fresh soft yolk is the whole reason to make this. Don’t cut that corner.
The only thing you can genuinely keep ahead. A good loaf freezes well sliced — toast it straight from frozen so you’ve always got the base ready.
If you want a TRT breakfast that actually batches for a busy week, this just isn’t one, and I’d rather tell you that than pretend. Keep good bread and fresh eggs in the house and toast and poach to order — it takes fifteen minutes, and it’s so much better fresh that there’s no real reason to do it any other way.
Want a whole week built around food like this?
Drop your email and I’ll send you my free 7-day plan — meals, macros already counted, grocery list written. No spam, no lectures.
No spam. Unsubscribe whenever. See what’s in the plan →
08Common questions
What’s the best bread for this? +
A good wholegrain or seeded loaf, and ideally a high-protein one if you can find it. The bread is where you make or lose the protein on this plate — a heavily seeded or protein-enriched slice can carry several grams more than plain white, with better fibre to boot. Sourdough is lovely for flavour and structure too. Just toast it properly so it holds the wet avocado.
How do I poach the egg without it falling apart? +
Three things: use the freshest egg you’ve got, keep the water at a bare simmer rather than a boil, and stir a slow swirl before you slide the egg in. Crack it into a cup first so it goes in clean and low to the surface, and a teaspoon of vinegar helps the white firm up fast. If your eggs are older and spreading anyway, that’s the eggs, not your technique.
How do I add more protein to this? +
This is the lighter plate on the site at 24g, so a few easy moves push it up. Use two eggs instead of one. Reach for a high-protein or heavily seeded bread. And spread a thin layer of cottage cheese on the toast under the avocado — it disappears into the mash and adds a clean few grams. Stack all three and you’re well past 30g while it still feels like the same gentle breakfast.
Can I use a fried egg instead of poached? +
Of course. A fried egg with a soft yolk works just as well on top — fry it gently so the yolk stays runny to spill into the avocado. It’ll add a touch of fat if you use oil in the pan, so nudge the avocado back a little if you’re watching calories. Poaching keeps it leaner, but cook the egg the way you’ll actually enjoy.
Can I make the avocado ahead? +
Not really, and I’d rather be honest than sell you on it. Avocado browns the second it hits air. If you absolutely must, smash it with extra lemon, press cling film right onto the surface, and use it within a few hours — but cut fresh always wins. It’s a thirty-second job in the morning anyway.
This breakfast lives inside a full week of meals.
Avocado toast is one of the lighter plates in my 7-day TRT plan — a week of balanced, protein-forward meals with the macros counted and the grocery list written. You pick the goal; I do the maths.
See the TRT meal plan →09Pairs well with
Magnus Olafsson
I’m Magnus — twenty years under the iron, from a cold gym in Stockholm to the classic-physique stage, and now mostly in my kitchen in a pink apron. I’ve cut for shows, bulked through winters, and I’ve been on TRT since I was thirty-five. I know what it takes to eat for the body you’re chasing, and I know it shouldn’t come with a side of shame.
Everything here is food I actually cook and macros I actually count. I don’t diagnose, I don’t promise, and I never make a number up. I just feed you well and tell you the truth.
Slim Diet Era shares recipes and general nutrition information. It is not medical or dietetic advice, and we do not provide guidance on obtaining or using any controlled substance. See our Medical Disclaimer and Nutrition Disclaimer.