I have three irrational fears in life. The first is of public toilets. Specifically ones where you can’t reach the door once you are sitting down.

At some point I must have been involved in an embarrassing incident because I am always afraid that someone will burst in. The worst toilets are the ones where you can’t test if the door is locked, without actually unlocking it again in the process. One of the perks of having kids is that they can come in and stand guard. Most mums of small children long to be able to pee alone. I am the complete opposite. They’re not going to do it when they are teenagers though are they? I’m going to have to get a grip.

Next fear: headlice. We haven’t had them yet but I am pretty sure when we do The World Will End. Both my girls like a bit of drama. All hair brushing involves screeching and eye-rolling. I could brush their hair with a maxipad and they would still tell me hurts. Now imagine I have to use a teeny tiny comb for hours. Kill me now!

Final fear: throw-up bugs. It’s not so much the vomit itself, but the anticipation of it that’s the problem. Realising that my child just spent all day play-fighting and sharing snacks with a now-vomiting classmate makes me want to cry. So when I had an e-mail from one school about nits, and the other school about norovirus (literally within minutes of each other), you can imagine my reaction. At least I wasn’t in a public toilet at the time. So far, we have held out. We had a close call with the headlice but all suspicious-looking debris turned out to be either sand or glitter.

All this has thrown me into a bit of a tailspin. Obviously the LH has been away for this special episode of domestic bliss, so that has complicated matters too. I may be the nutritionist but he is the cook!

Now the girls are bigger we are eating together more and more, but we do eat alone a few nights a week. That’s when we have something a bit more adventurous. This recipe is one of them.

I absolutely love pad Thai but, although I am not completely against takeout, I love the squeaky clean nature of this recipe. It keeps all of the flavour but knocks it into a salad for a delicious and light summertime option. It’s simple to do and the flavour of the dressing is sweet, tangy and intense — without a nasty chemical in sight. The salad base is really flexible — just use what you have in the fridge although the bean sprouts are key for the “pad Thai” experience. Next time you are tempted to get takeout, try this instead. Enjoy!

Ingredients (serves 4): 1 zucchini, sliced into very thin strips with a vegetable peeler; 1 carrot, sliced into very thin strips with a vegetable peeler; 2 cups of washed bean sprouts; 1 small red pepper, sliced into thin strips; 1 small yellow pepper, sliced into thin strips; 4 spring onions chopped finely; 1 small mild chilli, deseeded and finely sliced; ¼ cup freshly chopped cilantro; 3/4 cup crushed peanuts or cashews (raw or lightly roasted)

Dressing: Juice from one small lime; 1 tbs light olive oil or coconut oil; 1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt; 1/4 cup coconut milk; 1 tbs maple syrup (more or less, to taste); 1 tbs of tamari sauce (wheat free soy sauce)

Preparation: 1. Combine the dressing ingredients in a glass jar with lid and shake; 2. Prepare all salad ingredients (aside from the nuts) and toss in a salad bowl; 3. Just before serving, pour dressing over salad and toss again; 4. Serve and scatter each portion with the crushed nuts.

• 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 is the managing director of Natural Ltd and a fully qualified nutritional therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the UK. Please note she is not a registered dietitian. For details, go to www.natural.bm or call 236-7511 or Facebook: www.facebook.com/nutrifitandnaturalnutritionbermuda