OK, wedding dress season is upon me and it’s getting serious now. I’ve practised staying at the same weight and can manage it, but the battle of the bloat is on!

I have always struggled in this regard and know that I simply do better with less carbs in my life. This is a desperate shame as I am so very fond of potatoes. Mashed, baked or sautéed into hash browns, potatoes are my happy place. I also love all other carbs including fruit, beans, lentils, rice, carrots, pumpkin, beets (the list goes on!) but the humble potato has a special place in my heart. Is it any wonder I ended up with an Irishman?

However, I am acutely aware that this is the very definition of a First World problem. We’re getting married at the end of September in Budapest so I’m getting excited and feeling very lucky. I am especially grateful that almost everyone in Hungary speaks wonderful English. This is a relief as Hungarian is impossibly tricky and unrelated to almost any other language on Earth. Despite having Hungarian family and visiting a lot through my childhood, I didn’t really pick up any more than “thank you”, “yes” and “no.”

I did start to feel guilty about that last year, once we settled on a Hungarian venue, so I began Duolingo. That has taken me down a very odd road and although I can now say “that is a tall lamp” and “this is a green apple”, I haven’t really learnt anything handy for wedding planning. Perhaps I shall just learn to say “I do” and call it quits. (Actually I just looked this up and Hungarians simply say “yes” to give their consent during marriage vows, so I have known how to do this since I was five! I shall probably continue the Duolingo though as I live in fear of the Duo owl and his passive aggressive notifications.)

Anyway, let’s circle back to the wedding dress. I need less carbs for a while and I find it especially effective if I reduce them at night. It can get a bit dull though if you just have basic protein and veggies on repeat, so I try and be as creative as I can. This week, I discovered this delicious zucchini and sun-dried tomato side. It’s pretty quick and easy, gives the zucchini tons of flavour and aside from the chickpea flour (oh and the honey in the dressing) it’s very low carb. I had this on the side of rotisserie roast chicken and it was ah-mazing. It would also be delicious with fish.

If you wanted to go entirely plant-based it would be great on top of a bed of quinoa, perhaps with some additional pumpkin seeds and edamame for extra protein. To make it even more substantial, vegetarians could add some feta and vegans could add some diced avocado. All good options.

Quick tip: make sure you get the sun-dried tomatoes that are marinated in olive oil. Those are the softest and most tasty.

I’ll be back over the next few weeks with more summer side ideas. We’ll keep them light!

Sun-dried tomato and roast zucchini salad (serves 4)

Gluten free, dairy free, vegan

Ingredients:

3 large zucchini, rinsed, dried and sliced

2 tbsps chickpea flour

¼ tsp white pepper

½ tsp salt

½ tsp red chilli flakes (optional)

¼ - ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced

8 tsps pine nuts

Fresh basil, handful

Dressing:

Extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and honey – shaken together in equal measures. Salt and pepper to taste.

Method:

1, Preheat the oven to 400F and line two large baking sheets with baking paper.

2, Prep your dressing by combining the olive oil, lemon juice and honey in a jar and shaking vigorously. Season to taste. Set to one side.

3, Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan on the stove top or in a baking dish in the oven. Keep a careful eye on them so you don’t overdo them. You just want them lightly toasty. I did mine in the oven before I roasted the zucchini and they just needed two mins.

4, Add the chickpea flour, white pepper, salt and chilli flakes to a large bowl. Mix well. Add half the zucchini slices and toss to coat lightly. Lay the slices on one of the baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining zucchini, making more coating if need be.

5, Bake the zucchini for ten minutes on each side, or until lightly golden brown and slightly crispy in patches! Leave to cool.

6, One cool, transfer the zucchini to a large plate. Decorate with the sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts and fresh basil. Drizzle with the dressing and enjoy.

• 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 Britain. Join Catherine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nutrifitandnaturalnutritionbermuda or instagram @naturalbda.