Irene Lezcano, dietitian-nutritionist: "We live in an obesogenic environment"

Graduated in Human Nutrition and Dietetics at Unizar, Irene Lezcano (Aniñón, Zaragoza, 1994) is part of Alex Sola Fisioterapia y Bienestar.

Let's start at the beginning, is breakfast the most important meal of the day?

It doesn't have to. It is not essential to eat if you are not hungry. It can be a good opportunity to include good quality foods. If so, go ahead. If, on the other hand, your breakfast consists of foods rich in sugar and of low quality, you should consider it.

Did we have a bad breakfast?

A good part of the population already consumes the recommended daily dose of free sugar, 25 grams according to the WHO. When it comes to breakfast, bad choices are often made.

I suppose this has to do with the increase in obesity.

There are several factors that intervene. We live in an obesogenic environment that has caused the loss of the hunger and satiety mechanism. We are surrounded by food and alcohol and many times we do not eat because we are hungry but because of the pleasure it brings us or because of the situation in which we find ourselves. And, on top of that, these foods are usually not fruits and vegetables, but ultra-processed and ultra-palatable products.

What do you have to look for to get your shopping list right?

We must differentiate between fresh, processed but healthy and ultra-processed foods. These use large amounts of sugar, fats such as palm oil and salt. Sometimes brands use marketing that confuses the consumer, so we must look at the list of ingredients: if any of these appear, in any of their forms, it is better to leave them where they were.

What is the key to a balanced diet?

Above all, that you like it, that you can take it long term. It doesn't help if your resolutions start in September and you have to return to them on New Year's Day. From there, the basis is that they are fresh foods.

And the vegetarian diet, is it healthy?

Any type of diet will be healthy as long as it is well planned. The only deficiency that someone following a vegan or vegetarian diet may have is vitamin B12, and this can be solved with supplementation.

Let's talk about myths, which is the most dangerous?

All in which a food ends up being restricted or prohibited out of fear. There are those who, for fear of gaining weight, stop consuming carbohydrates, legumes, and fruits; foods that are actually nutritious and necessary.

I've read that orange juice is more fattening than beer...

The first one may have more calories, but what matters here is the quality of the food. Compare an alcoholic drink with a juice... Of course, it is much better to eat the whole piece of fruit.