Lunch Lady Magazine Explores Food and Family

Lunch Lady has been on my radar for a while for its colourful pages, fun recipes and relaxed attitude. But the fact that it’s a parenting magazine always held me back from reading it. I was glad to find that Lunch Lady isn’t afraid to be a bit different to other motherhood magazines, and it’s a really accessible magazine as a result.

Lunch Lady issue 11 cover with flowers

Lunch Lady, from blog to independent magazine

Created in Melbourne, Lunch Lady might just be my new favourite Australian magazine. But did you know that Lunch Lady was originally a blog? Kate Berry started it when her daughter was being bullied at school for bringing in healthy homemade packed lunches. Her blog was discovered and turned into a magazine with Lara Burke and Louise Bannister of We Print Nice Things, who also print Frankie Magazine.

Reading Lunch Lady is a mouthwatering experience. Lunch Lady turns healthy ingredients into enticing comfort food.

Lunch Lady issue 11 GIF

The best duo: Food + Family

As someone who seriously loves food, reading Lunch Lady is a mouthwatering experience. Lunch Lady turns healthy ingredients into enticing comfort food. The contents list over 20 delicious recipes in issue 11. From savoury eggy bread with bacon, avocado and zatar, to blood orange cinnamon buns with drizzle icing. So often nowadays we sway between extremes with food – either ‘clean’ eating or indulging in junk food, but Lunch Lady balances delicious food and wholesome ingredients with remarkable ease.

Lunch Lady issue 11 flatlay with breakfast food

Lunch Lady issue 11 open on friday recipe

The magazine writes about family with the same balanced approach that it has to food. While children are cherished, they’re not the sole focus of the magazine. Parents write essays that are presented as ‘parent opinions’ with refreshing honesty, realism and humour. It’s hard to imagine any other publication where ‘celebrating our ordinary kids’ is a title you’d come across!

Lunch Lady issue 11 ordinary kids

Lunch Lady issue 11 Honest Reflections

Bold patterns, colours and mediums

Lunch Lady’s textured pages make it feel substantial, almost a book than a magazine. Like Caboodle magazine, it doesn’t shy away from colour, mixing mediums of illustration and photography, and pattern on nearly every page. It’s definitely not the minimalist aesthetic that’s often associated with slow living, parenting and healthy eating.

Lunch Lady issue 11 Backyard Caravan page

Lunch Lady is incredibly inclusive and I can imagine that everyone, from teenagers to grandparents, would enjoy reading the magazine, like I did. It’s not hard to see why. Food and family unites people, whatever the generation.

I bought Lunch Lady issue 11 directly from their website.

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