Derval O'Rourke: a Bank Holiday breakfast burrito

- Plus, tips and tricks for looking after your health while eating out

This breakfast burrito is one of my favourite brunch recipes.

Monday is the day lots of people have been eagerly anticipating — the re-opening of the hospitality sector. I’m thrilled for all of the amazing business owners to be back doing what they love after a very tough year. I’m looking forward to eating out and this week will share my approach to eating mindfully when out and about. For this week’s recipe, it’s my Breakfast Burrito.

Be aware of portion sizes: you know what portions you eat at home so be conscious of the sizes when you are eating out. For me I can overeat on starters and bread but then not enjoy my main course. I try to be mindful of just how hungry I am and then order accordingly. I like to add extra veggies rather than sides of chips or potatoes.

Variety is really important in your diet: different foods give different nutritional benefits. When I'm eating out I tend to order food that I don’t make at home or that I find more challenging to make at home. I order fish a lot or often the vegetarian option when I’m out because I find those are harder to make at home. I love being in a gorgeous restaurant and discovering ingredient or flavour combinations that I would never think of at home.

Your life is about balance: eating is a really social experience and one that you should be enjoying. It’s great to be conscious of what you are eating but it’s really important to be balanced and find joy in your food.

Here's a quick summary for eating out with a healthy approach:

Drink water instead of fizzy drinks.

For sandwiches choose wholemeal bread.

Have salads or vegetables as your side.

Choose main dishes that include vegetables — such as stirfries.

Choose steamed and grilled rather than fried or sautéed dishes.

If main courses in the restaurant are way bigger than what you would normally eat, order two starter portions.

Ask for your sauce on the side and use as much as you need.

Try broths and tomato-based sauces as they are healthier than creamy sauces.

Choose lean meats such as chicken and turkey. If you don’t cook a lot of fish at home, take this as an opportunity to eat some tasty fish.

Fitness Tip: On days where you know you will be dining out, plan a long brisk walk, or a home workout so you can really enjoy your trip to a fabulous restaurant.

Wellness Tip: We haven’t been dining out in far too long, so aim to make this time screen-free. It can be very easy to pick up your phone frequently out of habit but try not to look at it throughout your entire meal out. You will find the experience more relaxing.