I know I am biased, but I am a little in love with Miles Market at the moment. Allow me to let you into two little secrets! First, those incredible flowers by Sally at the door — I know they seem expensive but that’s the same for all imported flowers in Bermuda — just think what it takes to get them here to our little rock. But if you look closely, in among the luxury bunches, are a few little ones labelled “Flowers20”.

These are just $20 and have some mini roses, baby’s breath and some other lovely bits! They are just enough to put a smile on the face of a friend, or pop on your own table without feeling overindulgent. I love this nod towards accessibility and how it means I can bring a gorgeous pop of colour home.

Next up — the meat/fish counter. You can always rely on Miles butchers for good steak but the price may make your eyes water. Keep an eye on the shelves for their steak tips though. You get the same quality but at a fraction of the price and you can make the most incredibly tender stir-fry.

It’s not always available but you will feel like you have won the food lottery when it is! And yesterday, after a bumper delivery of fresh local tuna, Dulip told me I should try their coconut, chilli and lemon marinated kebabs.

Boy was I not disappointed. He suggested I just sear them and they were absolutely melt-in-the-mouth amazing. That was dinner made in minutes as I already had leftover rice in the fridge and a box of leaves ready to go (seriously, it took me ten minutes.)

Note: these won’t always be available either as it depends when they catch has come in. But if you don’t see them in the counter or on the shelf, just ask one of the staff for an accurate heads up!

Anyway, I do often find myself overcomplicating dinner sometimes. I think it’s because we love Thai, Mexican and Italian food, and I love to start from scratch. This was a good reminder for me that it doesn’t have to be complicated and to let someone else do most of the work! And lots of our grocery stores are good at that — at prepping meat/fish so dinner is halfway to being ready.

However, I thought I’d give you a few quick notes on sides and portions so that you can keep these kind of grab and go options nice and healthy.

Rice — the better options

If you are serving something on a bed of rice, try and stick to the total serving of rice being ¼ of your plate or no more than 1 cup (cooked). Ideally, eat most of your protein and veggies first, which helps to prevent the carbs hitting your digestion and then bloodstream at full speed.

A slower journey is better as it results in more sustained energy and less pressure on your insulin response. In addition, left over and reheated rice is better for you. This is because when rice is chilled, some of the digestible starch turns into resistant starch, which essentially slows glucose release even further.

And another easy step? Choose Basmati rice over American long grain rice as it has a lower glycemic index (again, better for your blood sugar!)

Improving on the white/beige carbs

Even though I served this with rice, I could have gone one step better! Swapping a white/beige carb (e.g. rice, white potatoes or pasta) for a colourful carb, gives you the same great energy but

also an additional dose of antioxidants. Antioxidants are commonly found in foods with vibrant pigmentation; they are good for age defence and for boosting your immune system. Examples of antioxidant-rich carbs would be butternut squash, pumpkin, sweet potato (the orange ones), carrots and beets!

Your vegetable sides

Except in rare circumstances, I always suggest clients eat half a plate of greens or non-starchy vegetables at dinner. These keeps carb portions under control and improves fibre and antioxidant intake.

Examples include all the green leaves and all the green vegetables. But they also include cauliflower, red cabbage, peppers, onions, tomatoes and mushrooms. So if green veggies are not your thing — or if you are just plain bored, you can easily mix things up.

One of my favourite veggie sides for summer is this Hong Kong Confetti Salad. It’s a little time intensive but it keeps so well in the fridge that it’s worth it and if you have a kitchen gadget that juliennes vegetables for you then it will be a breeze.

This recipe is available at Miles deli and it’s delicious but try doing it at home too. The advantage of home prep for this is that because you will eat it more instantly, the red cabbage won’t bleed into the other vegetables and the colour mix is just gorgeous! Try it and see!

Hong Kong Confetti Salad (serves 4)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp sesame seeds

1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

2 tsps sesame oil

2 tsps lime juice

1 tbsp honey

1.5 tbsps fresh ginger, peeled

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 medium carrots, shredded

1/2 small red cabbage, cored, cut cross wise, sliced into very narrow ribbons and then separated

1 yellow bell pepper, deseeded, cut length wise and the sliced into the thinnest strips possible

1 red bell pepper, prepared as the yellow pepper

1/2 medium sweet white onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings

1/2 cup (packed) fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over a medium heat until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, lime juice, honey, ginger and cayenne. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl combine the carrots, cabbage, bell peppers, onion and cilantro. Toss thoroughly to mix well.

4. Add the dressing then toss again, til evenly coated.

5. Garnish with the sesame seeds and serve.

• The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION, BNTA is a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the Britain Join Catherine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nutrifitandnaturalnutritionbermuda or instagram @naturalbda