They say that when a baby learns to do something, they do it repeatedly. Apparently this includes cooing what sounds like 'coco' through the baby monitor between 4.30 a.m. and 5.30 a.m. Eventually, my disgruntled hubby stumbled into the nursery in the hope of soothing Chloe back to sleep.

However instead of peace being restored all I heard was a lot more 'coco!' followed by 'good job you're cute….'

I imagine he may have been happier if Chloe was attempting da-da, but it turns out that she was trying to say 'Coconut', the name of her babysitter's cat. Oh well.

In the end, we popped Chloe into bed with us, hoping she'd drift off – which she did, but only after smacking us in the face with her fluffy bunny toy and trying to prise our eyes open. Of course by the time she gave in and fell asleep, I was then fully awake.

So instead of catching another hour, I lay there mentally making a shopping list.

I don't usually do grocery lists. I'm sure I'd be much more organised if I did, but as produce in Bermuda is so variable and as stock levels are a little unreliable, I just tend to make it up as I go along.

However, with visitor season in full swing and as I now have my brother and sister-in-law staying in the wake of my mum, there are certain things I have to remember. And the top priority is biscuits.

Biscuits – or cookies – are my brother's preferred source of nutrition. Party rings, digestives and hobnobs are all firm favourites and left to his own devices, they'd form 99 percent of his diet. He once famously ate 22 biscuits all in row, without even flinching. No nausea, no headache, no 'I'm never eating biscuits again!' And annoyingly, he's also about as lean as you can get.

However, an avid-foodie, he also loves to try new things, and last time he was here we impressed him with our spaghetti squash. He'd barely stepped off the plane this time when he requested it – and ever keen to dilute the biscuits, of course I agreed.

The nice thing about spaghetti squash is that it's a really easy and simple way to liven up a boring rotation of rice-potatoes-pasta at dinner time. If you tend to struggle to steer your family away from biscuits and to eat their veggies, this is a fun option that may get you a good response.

Spaghetti squash looks just like a paler version of pumpkin or butternut squash when you cook it, but once it's done, it comes apart into strands that you can wind round your fork just like spaghetti.

It's also very low in carbs and glycaemic load compared to potatoes, rice and pasta, so a good evening option for those trying to lose weight.

However for children who need something more calorie dense, try serving up another wholesome carb too – such as beans, wholegrain bread, wholewheat pasta or brown rice.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Preheat the oven to 400 F

Wash the outside of the spaghetti squash and cut in half lengthways

Scoop out the seeds in the middle of each half

Brush the flesh with olive oil and sprinkle with a little cayenne pepper

Place in a roasting dish and roast for approximately 30 minutes. You may need to re-brush with olive oil once, to prevent it drying out.

Run a fork along the inside of the squash to separate a little of the flesh into strings. If the strings separate easily and are nice and tender when eaten, then it is done.

Serving suggestions

Scoop out the strings with a fork and create a bed of 'spaghetti'. Serve with , bolognaise, baked fish or chicken and lots of green vegetables, or

Stuff each half with some chili (turkey, lean beef or try Amy's black bean chili as a veggie option.) Serve in a bowl with green salad.

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 is a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist. She can be contacted at clinicalnutrition@gmail.com