Last Friday, I popped over to the UK with the children to visit family. All being well, we land back on the rock tonight! A flying visit and the time has gone too fast. We’ve mainly been at home with my mom and stepdad, but we have fit in a safari park adventure and a few little trips to the shops.

You know what Bermudians are like when it comes to shops! But unusually, all the girls wanted to visit was the biggest bookstore we could find.

They are seriously into reading right now – Chloe is working her way through one fantasy after another and Belle is following suit.

At night, I hear their jet-lagged voices chattering into the early hours of the morning, telling each other what’s going on in their stories.

It’s so sweet and makes such a nice change from a few years ago – the era when I felt like a full-time referee, navigating one sibling battle after another!

As for me, I know it sounds terribly boring but I have been wandering the aisles of Waitrose and the Marks & Spencer food halls, marvelling at bunches of tulips for £3 and huge boxes of berries for a pound!

After the girls and I loaded everything we had been craving into our trolley, I approached the checkout with dread …. only to think they’d made a mistake when I saw the total.

I feel hugely lucky to live in Bermuda and I wouldn’t swap it for the world, but gosh …. the food prices have been rocketing lately (well, for a long time really!)

At home, I’ve started trying to make my own versions of some of favourite snacks to see if it helps with the cost.

Once I have figured out a recipe for a homemade GoMacro bar (high protein version) I will let you know!

Meanwhile, I’ve discovered that making our own trailmix is helpful, although the cost at the outset can feel pricey.

Ultimately it works out more cost-effective on a per portion basis to make your own …. but buying large bags of everything at the beginning may be a burden on your immediate budget.

If this is the case, try making this with a few friends, sharing the ingredients and the result.

It splits the outlay and gives you an opportunity to try it and see if it’s something you really do want to make a lot of.

While trail mix is easy to make and ridiculously flexible (because really, you can throw in whatever you like) there are a few things I have done here to try and make it more healthy than the norm.

Firstly, while the fats in unroasted or lightly roasted nuts can be very healthy, ultimately they can also be very calorie dense.

This means that trail mix is a brilliant snack for when you are active, but perhaps less so if you are having a sedentary day.

By replacing some nuts with roasted chick peas (or roasted edamame) you still get tons of fibre and protein, but you go much lighter on the fats.

The roasted chick peas add an amazing crunch too! I love the Saffron Road brand (Miles and other grocery stores) but they are pretty widespread in the healthy snack aisles.

I’ve also included 16 Brazils (two per portion) as they provide a brilliant dose of the mineral Selenium - a valuable antioxidant that is often low in many people’s diet.

Walnuts are often overlooked but are a great source of omega 3 (wonderful for you brain and nervous system.)

Pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc (immunity, hormones) and almonds/sunflower seeds are full of vitamin E (heart healthy.)

I’ve omitted peanuts which are often high in nut mould and are more inflammatory in nature.

As for the sweet stuff, try and make the chocolate chips dark, but it doesn’t really matter too much.

All the protein from the nuts/seeds will help to balance out the sugars from the chocolate (and the dried fruit too.)

I do try and choose organic raisins (as grapes are often heavily contaminated with pesticide) but that’s not essential, especially if cost is prohibitive.

While this isn’t cheap to make, the nutrient “bang for your buck” is huge – packing in plenty of protein, fibre, good fats and tons of micronutrients compared to hyper-processed, nutrient poor options such as candy or chips.

Give it a try and feel free to make your own version. Just go for variety and get those crunchy chick peas in. Enjoy!

Healthy trail mix (on the lighter side!)

Ingredients: (makes 4 cups, 8 portions)

1 cup roasted chickpeas (sea salt) (eg, Saffron Road) or roasted edamame

½ cup raw walnuts

¼ cup raw almonds

16 raw Brazil nuts

¼ cup cup raw pumpkin seeds

½ cup raw sunflower seeds

½ cup dark chocolate chips

½ cup organic raisins or other dried fruit (ideally sulphite free)

Splash of low sodium tamari soy sauce (gluten free) or coconut aminos

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 170F (yes, nice and low!!)

2. Pop the raw nuts (not seeds) on a baking sheet and sprinkle with a splash of tamari sauce / coconut aminos. Toss them gently so everything has a touch of tamari. Bake in the oven for 25 mins until a little toasty. Remove from the oven and cool.

3. Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl and store in an airtight glass jar (such as a mason jar.) If you need help keeping portions under control, try pre-portioning it into smaller containers.

• 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 UK She works at Waterfront Wellness in Bermuda. Join Catherine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nutrifitandnaturalnutritionbermuda or instagram @naturalbda