THE first thing I do when I've booked a holiday is look up the guide books to locate the best local restaurants, street food, cafes and everything in between.

There is no greater pleasure for me - and, probably, many others - than dining al fresco with good company. Food and wine taste so much better in the sunshine and fresh air.

But, following a remark by my angry desk neighbour, that I sound like a horse when I scoff down apples (fair point), I thought, we should all try a lot harder to change our dietary habits and eat more like our European counterparts.

I sometimes wonder what I've become when, each day, I eat a shop-bought sandwich and swig a fizzy drink in front of my computer instead of stepping away from my desk.

It's even worse when it's hot food. My colleagues who have no interest in smelling my lunch when they're getting on with work.

And it's just downright cruel to bring in a salt-and-vinegar-soaked chip supper. Cue: salivating and tummy rumbling.

It's a nasty habit, this desk munching, and I'm not the only one who does it.

In Spain, France and Italy, lunch is something to be savoured, not hurried away like it's a stolen treat.

It's not even necessarily about what you eat. You can still savour a plate of mac and cheese or a BLT, but try sitting at a dining table and taking your time.

A wee tipple and a siesta at lunchtime wouldn't go amiss either.

Us Brits are obsessed with food habits. If it's not the Atkins, it's the Alkaline diet or it's so-called clean eating.

The confusing name of 'eating clean' is one thing - I'm pretty sure the food I eat isn't out of date, the plates aren't dirty and I make sure I scrub my tatties before cooking.

But the reality is daunting too.

After consulting the Eating Clean for Dummies website, I gather it's about avoiding processed and refined foods, cooking from scratch each day, and not reaching for the Maltesers when you're having an afternoon slump.

Easier said than done. I like the idea but I think changing the way we eat - not what we eat - would have a more positive impact on all our lives.

Of course, it's best to eat a balanced diet but it's not easy to channel Gwyneth Paltrow, who only eats organic, and can afford to.

I'm not ashamed to say I enjoy takeaway curries a little too often - but I am embarrassed at the speed at which I eat them.

Oh, and maybe the leftover curry in the morning is a bit 'dirty'?

We can't always be sunning ourselves but it would be helpful to bring our food holiday habits back home. Of course, the wine is optional.