• The most important breakfast habit to develop if you want to lose weight is, drumroll, please... Kim Rose, RDN, CDCES, a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified diabetes care and education expert in Central Florida, says it's as simple as having breakfast.

• "Many of my customers skip breakfast and have a minimal lunch believing they're 'doing good,' but doing so just makes losing weight more difficult," she explains. "By dinnertime, they're starving and feed on anything in sight, continuing late into the night."

• Rose teaches her customers why having a well-balanced breakfast every day will help them lose weight, and if they embrace that practice, they typically have a lot more success.

Why eating breakfast helps you lose weight

Eating a nutritious, well-balanced breakfast offers you the energy you need to get through the day.

• First and foremost, breakfast refuels your body and mind after a night's fast. That is why deciding what to eat for breakfast is as crucial as deciding to have breakfast.

• You want a well-balanced breakfast that has all three macronutrients—protein, fat, and carbohydrates—to provide energy gradually throughout the morning.

• "That sets the tone for the remainder of your meal," Rose explains. "If you have a hearty breakfast, you'll adjust your calorie intake for the remainder of the day and be less likely to nibble constantly. Furthermore, you'll have the opportunity to burn off those calories throughout the day rather than ingesting them at night when your body is shutting down and you're more prone to store them."

Breakfast feeds your brain, allowing you to make informed eating choices.

• "Contrary to common assumption, carbohydrates are healthy for you; they are your brain's main source of energy," Rose explains. "As a result, carbs should be included in every breakfast."

• A significant study on school children has shown that not having a well-balanced breakfast has a detrimental influence on children's academic performance. And the same is probably true for grownups. According to Finnish research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating eggs for breakfast daily improves cognitive performance in middle-aged males.

How to build the perfect breakfast

• Because she emphasizes the importance of breakfast composition for weight reduction, we asked Rose to share her favorite quick-and-easy dish for a morning meal that incorporates the three macronutrients: On top of avocado toast is an over-easy egg.

• "The egg provides lean protein, avocado provides healthy fat, and whole-grain bread provides carbs and fiber," she explains. "Easy. On the bread, mash some avocado, place a fried egg on top, and season with black pepper, smoky paprika, and salt. It's fast and filling."

But what if there's no time to cook?

• We're a fast-paced bunch, especially in the morning. When you're rushing out the door and only have time to grab a prepared muffin, how can you make eating a decent breakfast a habit? "In the morning, we consume a lot of easily available carbs that are poor in fiber and contain added sugars," Rose adds. "'What macronutrient can I add to that muffin to make it a more well-balanced meal?' Perhaps some low-sugar peanut butter, fruit, or a hard-boiled egg."

• The law of subtraction is used by the majority of dieters. It is preferable to apply the law of addition. On Sunday, boil a half-dozen eggs to have them ready for the week." For breakfast, make a whey protein smoothie. Check out our book The 7-Day Smoothie Diet by the editors of Eat This, Not That! for a complete diet regimen focused on whey and plant-based protein smoothies, replete with tasty recipes.