if you can develop the habit i really recommend calorie counting. it was the only thing that finally worked for me; i was really surprised how many calories i was taking in before and didnt realize.
oatmeal is a great breakfast for weight loss, it's a lot healthier than boxed cereal and more filling. if you dont have time in the morning you can make overnight oats (i have to be at work at 6:30, these are a lifesaver)
And you don't have to obsessively track calories. Just knowing how calories dense some foods are will give you pause. For example: It takes about 1 hour of moderate intensity walking to burn 300 kCal, that's like 5 Oreo cookies. So if you're a person with a sweet tooth you inhale those in less than a minute.
Gosh I know how hard quitting nicotine is, I'm so proud of you for doing it.
As for losing weight, find music, places and possibly even people you could walk with. As long as it's not jogging or running, having friends along for the walk can really help with the motivation.
For food, you don't necessarily need to eat less, but switch around what you eat. (More small meals sound like a good idea too.) A lot of veggies so you feel full, and add a healthy mix of protein, fats and carbs. But from what you wrote, you sound like you're on a good path already.
You'll do great 
Absolutely agree with this. But if you find yourself without interesting new places or people to walk with, try to find other reasons to do it beyond just the walk itself. It helps me to have a goal, even if it's not an important one. I'm going walk until I've listened to three more chapters of the audiobook I only listen to while walking. I'm going to walk to the coffee stand near the beach instead of grabbing one from somewhere closer. I'm going to take a picture from the top of that hill - that sort of thing.
As for the nicotine it's tough but it's extremely worth it. It took me two serious, big attempts after lots of little ones.
You might not have to deal with this (I don't know how long you've been smoking and everyone's different) but don't get disheartened if after being smoke-free for a while you feel crappy or like your lungs aren't great right away. When I finally quit and hadn't smoked for a few month I then had a couple of months of constantly getting chesty coughs, crappy breathing etc. It felt shit, but my doctor explained it like this - my lungs built up a layer of shit from smoking and they were finally getting rid of it now I wasn't smoking, but sometimes bits of that shit get kicked loose as you break it down, causing the body's reaction. It can feel counter intuitive, but sometimes feeling crap actually indicates progress.
You can do this and it's so very very worth it.
seconding the counting of calories! just looking up the calories of some snacks n such is very eye opening and can be habit changing.
i also brush my teeth to help stop mindless snacking, which works as a good habit even when it doesn't lol...
I know this might not be a directly helpful thing, but if you're looking to start walking more, find places you like to walk. It can be an extra bit of encouragement to help keep getting up and going.
With that, always keep an eye out for new spots. Even if you feel like you can't do it yet, make that part of your goal. Keep going, because it all builds up to this, and then the peak after.
Park trails can be fun walks, but maybe practice on the trips to the mall first. Something about a hike on some dirt or woodchips tires a person out faster, and I say this as a runner.
Proud of you friend! Nicotine is a hard one to quit, your lung capacity will definitely start returning as you get further away from it.
If you are quitting smoking and trying to loose weight at the same time, get some nicotine gum or patches
Nicotine is an appetite suppressant, you'll be fighting an uphill battle if you try to do both at the same time
Actually for me it's the complete opposite, when I smoke or vape I end up binge eating a lot.
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