With the pandemic turning our working and eating routines on their heads it’s no surprise some of us fall into a meal-time rut.

Eating regularly and not skipping meals is important for many reasons. Regular meals help punctuate the day, especially if you are unable to get out of the house often. As well as the usual reasons we hear (keep healthy, fight off sickness, keep energy levels up, keeps our minds working, boost our mood), it also gives us more opportunities to nourish our body.

High quality, regular meals help keep us at our peak on our maternity journey, whether optimising nutrition for fertility, when you are growing your baby or juggling the demands of a new baby in your life.

There’s a reason that “enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods from the five food groups every day” is one of the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Eating a variety of foods from the 5 major food groups provides a range of nutrients to the body, as well as keeping your diet interesting with different flavours and textures. Because different foods provide different types and amounts of key nutrients, it is important to choose a variety of foods from within each food group. As a bonus, choosing a variety of foods will help to make your meals interesting, so that you don’t get bored.

Need some lunch idea inspiration? Reward your palate and boost your energy levels by choosing from these 7 alternatives to sandwiches. Lifestyle Maternity’s Principal Dietitian, Dr Shelley Wilkinson, shares some healthy lunch ideas in this article.