If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Maybe it’s not the most important in terms of nutrition; no particular meal has a monopoly on importance there. Every meal should be equally nutritious. But breakfast does set the tone for the rest of the day, with regard to your metabolism, so it’s a good idea to make it count. Follow these five steps to put together a healthy breakfast that supports your weight loss plan.

Focus on protein. Protein keeps you feeling full, and prevents sharp upticks and crashed in your blood sugar. Center your breakfast around protein to rev up your metabolism and prevent energy slumps or cravings mid-morning.

Focus on savory flavors, rather than sweet. We’ve been conditioned to reach for muffins or donuts first thing in the morning, but that’s actually the worst thing you can do for your metabolism. Simple carbs like white flour and sugar just give you a quick burst of energy, followed by a crash. You’ll only end up craving more sugar by your morning break, and feel more tempted to sabotage your weight loss plan. Add healthy fats like avocado to your protein-based breakfast, for a meal that’s both filling and delicious.

Add fiber. A bit of fresh fruit or raw veggies will help you get more fiber into your diet, which keeps you feeling full and aids in healthy digestion to boot.

Avoid drinking your calories. Many coffee drinks are loaded with fat and sugar, and contain enough calories to serve as an entire stand-alone meal! Stick to plain black coffee if you can.

Plan ahead. It can be easy to fall behind schedule in the morning, and feel tempted to grab fast food instead of making a healthy breakfast. Prep your meal the night before, by making crustless quiche or overnight oats. Or, at least chop your veggies and have all of your omelet ingredients ready to go. Set up your coffee maker or tea kettle, too.

A healthy breakfast makes a great start to your day. But if you’re having trouble putting together a successful weight loss plan, give us a call and we’ll be happy to offer input on all your meals.