Mexican nutritionist urges families to swap processed breakfasts for three simple options

Ana Bertha Pérez Lizaur recommends fruit, vegetables, beans and whole foods for children, while saying a daily egg is healthy for most people.

A leading Mexican nutritionist has urged families to make breakfast simpler, more balanced and less dependent on processed foods, offering three easy options for children as she appeared in Mérida for World Food Day events.

Ana Bertha Pérez Lizaur, a master of health sciences and a former adviser to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, told Diario de Yucatán that parents should aim for three basic habits: eat more fruit and vegetables, replace sugary drinks with unsweetened options or plain water, and increase physical activity. She made the remarks during an interview at the University of Yucatán’s medical school.

Pérez Lizaur said meals should follow the principles of Mexico’s “Plato del Buen Comer”, which calls for half the plate to be fruit and vegetables, with the other half divided among cereals, legumes and a smaller portion of animal-based foods. Her first breakfast suggestion was the simplest of all: include some fruit, such as mamey, mango, mandarin or orange, on the child’s plate.

If a child prefers vegetables instead of fruit, she said breakfast can be built around eggs with spinach, cactus paddles or Swiss chard, plus beans and one or two tortillas, depending on age. She added that younger children may need just one tortilla, while secondary school pupils could eat three or four, helping them stay satisfied and less likely to buy unhealthy snacks at school.

Her second suggestion was a mollete, a split roll topped with beans and, if the budget allows, a little cheese, served with pico de gallo or simple tomato and onion. A third option was enfrijoladas filled with mushrooms, covered in bean sauce and finished with a little grated cheese. María Luisa Ávila Escalante, who coordinates the nutrition degree at the University of Yucatán, said the dish is similar in spirit to the Yucatecan papadzul, and noted that local versions can also be filled with shredded beef, scrambled egg or ball cheese.

The two specialists also addressed a question that frequently divides parents: whether children and adults can eat eggs every day. Pérez Lizaur said one egg a day is healthy for most people, while teenagers can eat two because they need more protein. Ávila Escalante said the right amount depends on age, activity and health status. Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic Health System have both said that, for most healthy people, eggs can fit into a regular diet, with limits mainly relevant to those who have cardiovascular disease or particular cholesterol concerns.

Pérez Lizaur’s broader message was that variety matters as much as portion size. Rotating between eggs, beans and other protein sources, she said, gives families a better chance of meeting nutritional needs. For busy parents, her advice was straightforward: keep breakfast practical, include whole foods, and make sure children leave home well fed rather than hungry for processed snacks.