Top tips for avoiding excess baggage

Taking a well-deserved holiday abroad? Here’s how to enjoy it healthily, says Kim Jones

- AMY PACKER

Big buffet breakfasts, long lazy lunches, alcohol on tap and overeating to get your money’s worth at an all-inclusive resort… it’s easy to overindulge on holiday. Here, our experts reveal how to enjoy what you eat without piling on extra pounds.

ORDER LIKE A NEW YORKER (AND WE DON’T MEAN PORTION SIZES!)

“Ask for sauce and dressing on the side when you’re eating out so you can control how much you add to your meal,” says Rachael Sacerdoti, personal trainer and founder of wellness programme It’s So Simple (itssosimple.co.uk).

“A serving of French dressing can add 294 calories and 3g of sugar to a salad.

“If you can’t see what you want on the menu, don’t be shy to ask if the kitchen can cook it for you. Small changes to a dish can make a huge difference to the nutritional composition of a meal. Swap a burger bun for some crisp iceberg lettuce leaves or ask if the restaurant can swap fried fish or chicken for grilled.”

BEWARE AT BREAKFAST

It can be easy to graze your way through a seven-course breakfast, warns Rachael, so have a good idea what you want before heading to the breakfast bar. That way you won’t be tempted by everything on offer.

Avoid the sugary cereals, pastries and processed sausages and think outside the breakfast box. “I often opt for smoked salmon and salad doused with fresh lemon juice and freshly ground pepper,” says Rachael. “It’s a protein-rich decadent breakfast that I would never have at home.”

ASK ‘WHERE’S THE PROTEIN?’