Takeaway could well be the greatest thing ever invented and if wasn’t so bad for you, you’d probably get it every day right? WELL GUESS WHAT! According to this very article, takeaway food doesn’t have to be bad for you and that could be the greatest news ever not invented.

Here’s a list of the top 9 restaurants offering healthy takeaway options. Happy days.

Raw Energy, Coolangatta and Burleigh Heads
Located on the corner of Marine Parade in Coolangatta is Raw Energy, a healthy food and lifestyle café that started on the Sunshine Coast. Their focus is on fresh food, served fast in a funky environment. Raw Energy’s got you covered, offering anything from healthy smoothies or juices to macadamia and lentil burgers, YUMM!
Where: 110 Marine Pde, Coolangatta 

The Pocket
If you haven’t been there yet, put this one on your ‘to do’ list! The Pocket in Burleigh’s Connor Street is an absolute favourite amongst locals and offers a great range of healthy take away options (with an extensive vegetarian/gluten free menu). The Pocket aims to be a conscientious restaurant serving locally sourced, wholesome food, often using produce grown by owners David and Michelle.
Where: 13 Connor St, Burleigh Heads

Marie Anita’s Gluten Free Health Cafe
Marie Anita’s offers a solely gluten free and sugar free menu designed to provide dairy free, vegetarian, vegan, and raw alternatives. With the aim to source from local suppliers and to use as much organic produce as possible, Marie Anita’s challenges the image of healthy eating.
Where: 2364 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach

Greenhouse Canteen & Bar
A personal favorite is Greenhouse Canteen & Bar, the holy grail of all healthy food. With the motto ‘anything you can do, we can do vegan’ they’re onto something, because they are busy every day of the week. But not to worry, they do take away, too! All produce are sourced from trusted suppliers and farmer’s markets – food is medicine and it should nourish the mind, body and soul. Amen!
Where: 1916 Gold Coast Hwy, Miami and 1/140 Griffith Street, Coolangatta

BSKT Cafe
BSKT Cafe (Biscuit) was founded with the belief that people care about their health. They just needed the right place to deliver these health options in an indulgent and accessible manner.
All products are designed to inspire through nutritional quality, taste and a global conscious. Made from high quality plants and free from refined sugar and anything artificial. All products are hand crafted with love using traditional methods busting the myth Vegan and Paleo products can’t be delicious as well as nutritious.
Where: 4 Lavarack Rd, Mermaid Beach

The Shack Superfood Cafe
The name says it all, the Shack Superfood Café in Nobby’s is a health freaks paradise with real and fresh food that tastes great and is nutritious! On offer is quinoa, acai, smoothies and juices, breakfast, takeaway lunch and dinner boxes, plus tea and coffee. If you are looking for a hassle free, convenient and easy takeaway option look no further and go give the team at the Shack a visit.
Where: 2221 Gold Coast Highway, Nobby Beach 

Cardamom Pod
Cardamom Pod in Broadbeach is a vegetarian and plant-based restaurant inspired by the art of creative and tasty cuisine. With an extensive salad bar and delicious hot meal options such as curries or lasagne, Cardamom Pod is the perfect place to get some tasty and healthy takeaway, and word on the street is there are opening one in Brickworks! But be warned, their desserts are out of this world, especially the raw peanut butter cups.
Where: 2685 Gold Coast Hwy, Broadbeach 

Govindas
Govindas is without a doubt one of the most popular vegetarian, eco-friendly take-away restaurants on the Gold Coast. They offer a variety of pure vegetarian foods (vegan and gluten free options available) including vegetable dishes, basmati rice, dhal, potato bake, samosas and a variety of salads, desserts and drinks. Veggies are sourced locally and all dishes are prepared daily using the freshest produce. The buffet style approach lets customer create their own meal at reasonable prices. YUM.
Where: James St, Burleigh Heads

Giri Kana Cafe
The Giri Kana Cafe is a fresh take on vegan and vegetarian food, with a wide selection of freshly made vegan / vegetarian items (many organic and gluten free options also), including an extensive dessert menu. Their emphasis is on fresh and wholesome foods, which are good for the body, as well as the mind and spirit – and to this end, food is cooked with love and devotion. Try one of their signature tofu or vegie burgers served on turkish bread or as a gluten free option the Open Burger on rice. All so good!
Where: Cnr of Nind St and Gold Coast Highway, Southport 

Words by Kirra Smith

Seems like 2020 isn’t a total bust after all.

Gold Coasters, we have been saved by the humble potato – a beautiful, versatile vegetable that brings us happiness in oh so many ways.

The latest of which is that Mr Potato has opened up in Palm Beach so you can eat life-changing, loaded roast potatoes every day forever. See, things are looking up.

The newbie can be found on the Gold Coast Highway opposite Balboa, all white with pops of bright pink and orange, greenery of course and a sign that reads like the story of our lives with unchecked boxes next to single and taken and a ticked one next to the words ‘eating potatoes, getting fit, setting goals, hustling, building an empire, loving life and being grateful’. Check.

If Mr Potato says it’s okay, we’re going with it.

The premise of the place is fresh, fast, healthy loaded potatoes and could there be anything better? We think not.

It’s the work of South Australian gal Shanay who now calls Palmy home and we are very happy about it.

Now, to the potatoes.

There’s a menu from which you can choose pre-thought out potato toppings but first, you must decide whether you want an IQ spud (25% less carbs than your average white potato) or a sweet potato.

Then there are topping options like The Lady Peeler with a choice of protein, spinach, bacon, roast capsicum, quinoa, tabouli, avocado and salsa and The ‘Aussie’ Tator with beef ragu, bacon, kale-slaw or coleslaw, beetroot, carrot and pineapple and The Medi-tator with tofu cauliflower, peas n corn, red onion, kale-slaw, avocado, salsa, vegan sour cream and vegan cheese.

All of which we tasted and all of which are absolute taste sensations.

Of course if you’re more of a choose-your-own-adventure type, you may opt to load your own with protein, healthy toppings, cheese and sauces. What a time to be alive.

To drink, there’s organic kombucha, cold pressed juices and soft drink and yes, it’s all on UberEATS if you’re in the area.

Looks like summer is going to be spent eating so many potatoes we turn into a potato. How good.

LOCATION: Shop 2, 1136 Gold Coast Highway, Palm Beach
HOURS: 10.30am until 9pm daily

Words and photos by Kirra Smith

Vegan eats have certainly had a glow-up in the last little while. Not particularly surprising when you consider the number of hard-working venues serving up epic plant-based dishes even the most intense meat lovers among us will adore. Because of this, it was only a matter of time before full-blown vegan restaurants on the Gold Coast were a thing. Whether you’re a carnivore at heart or vegan by nature, that’s beside the point: these eateries are for everyone — creating knock-out tasty food. Period.

Here’s a list of the very best so you may indulge your inner plant lover anytime you please.

Plants and Me
When it comes to eating a delicious plethora of vegan eats — which you’re hard pushed to discern from their meaty equivalent — Plants and Me is a place you need on your radar, stat. Operating primarily as a café, you’ll also discover a lunch menu worth dropping everything for with multi-coloured burgers (think green and red brioche-style buns) dyed with veggie colouring, all the way to a kaleidoscope of the very best looking fruit juices and smoothies. They have also just started making their own selection of incredible meat (free) pies — so good you won’t even know the difference.
Where: 4/20 Scarborough Street, Southport 

i like ramen
Serving up more mouth-watering vegan dishes than you can poke a chopstick at, i like ramen is one of the most beloved venues (vegan or otherwise) on the Gold Coast. They’ve created ramen dishes that are as good as (if not better than) any other you’ll sample, plus goodies like baos, burgers and personal faves Panko Crusted Mushrooms and Kimchi Potatoes we’d sell our souls for. Oh, and there’s a slew of epic cocktails too.
Where: 2251 Gold Coast Highway, Nobby Beach

Greenhouse Canteen
One of the OG vegan restaurants on the Gold Coast, Greenhouse Canteen’s menu is as good as it gets. They’ve got a botanical bar so that you can order a selection of vegan cocktails, wine or beer and the space is always packed with good vibes. To eat, we’d go for the Jackfruit Enchiladas or the Eggplant Moussaka. Also, if you feel like eating at home, Greenhouse has takeaway packs along the lines of Kentucky Fried Jackfruit. Ohhh yesss!
Where: 1916 Gold Coast Highway, Miami

Goodness Gracias
Goodness Gracias has long been a vegan favourite on the Gold Coast, serving plant-based Mexican food in a vibrant Palm Beach space. Eat-in or takeaway and choose from delicious eats like burritos, tacos, nachos and plenty of tasty sides and salads. We’re regulars here, and it’s always tasty and of the highest quality. Plus, who doesn’t love Mexican food? Nobody is who!
Where: 1114-1116 Gold Coast Highway, Palm Beach

Lord of the Fries
If there is one thing we can get behind, it is a fast-food venue made up primarily of potatoes. Precisely what is happening at Lord of the Fries – all of the vegan fries, peeps. Not only those crispy, delicious gifts from God, though, Lord of the Fries is also serving up Veggie Burgers, Onion Rings (Lord of the Rings), Vegetarian Nuggets and Vegetarian Hot Dogs and everything is kosher and Halal. One taste, and you’ll be a big fan: no contest.
Where: Paradise Centre, 8 Cavill Avenue, Surfers Paradise

The Hidden Cherub
After close to 2 years of operation, a relative newbie to the vegan Gold Coast scene is a little tucked away laneway bar/plant-based eats venue: The Hidden Cherub. The Miami bar is decked out with a sleek, industrial-esque look, greenery dripping from the walls and black and white striped bench seating. While the drinks here are the main event, the entirely vegan packed food menu is filled with delicious share plates, burgers, tacos, salads and sides. In terms of burgers, there’s a Spicy Fried Chick’n, The Californian, and The Classic. Tacos come in combos like Tempura Cauliflower, Chick’n in Abodo sauce and Three Bean. Mouth-watering goodness.
Where: 2/29 Lemana Lane, Miami

Cardamom Pod
Cardamon Pod at Southport and Broadbeach has long been a favourite amongst Gold Coasters (and influencers), offering both vegetarian and vegan choices. On the menu, you’ll find dishes like Apple Pie Pancakes, a Snickers Acai Bowl and a Blinged Out Avo Benny, to name a few, plus plenty of raw treats, organic coffee and gluten-free options too. All dishes are almost too pretty to eat.
Where: 1/2685 Gold Coast Highway, Broadbeach & 3/3 Brolga Ave, Southport

Plant-Based Cafe
This cafe opened in Paradise Point last year and quickly became a massive hit amongst the locals. Every single dish is stunning, and — yes, you guessed it — you’re going to want to sample them all. For example, the California Dreamin’ burger is next-level with a stacked crispy ‘chikn’ fillet on a bed of American-style slaw with all the trimmings. So tasty. There are smoothies, coffee and acai bowls, too, and it’s the perfect spot for a brunch date, vegan-style.
Where: 1/2 Grice Avenue, Paradise Point

Easy House Vegetarian Restaurant
Easy House has been around for some time and is as much-loved as it’s always been. The menu consists of Asian vegetarian and vegan dishes, and it’s all flavour-packed and fresh. The XO Noodles are to die for, and the dumplings are one thing you could eat every day forever. Don’t miss out on this one.
Where: 90 Markeri Street, Mermaid Beach

Doko Demo V
Offering an entirely vegan wholefoods-based menu, Doko Demo V is the work of Head Chef Jared Peck. The menu ranges from breakfast through to lunch and dinner and is bursting with beautifully prepared dishes that are both healthy and of the eyes-are-bigger-than-your-belly variety. The Lamb Souvlaki is a fave with marinated greek plant-based lamb, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, smokey bbq, mint yoghurt in a wholemeal wrap. YUM.
Where: 1908 Gold Coast Highway, Miami

Izakaya Midori
You’ll find a trove of plant-based Japanese food at Izakaya Midori in Reedy Creek. There are dishes like Tofu Chocolate Gâteau, Creamy Corn Croquettes, Spicy Lime Karaage and Tempura Tofu to name a few. You can also grab things to takeaway. Should we mention their vegan cheese Party Animal Platter? Need we say more?
Where: 50 Woodland Drive, Reedy Creek

Lovechild Kitchen and Bar
REOPENING 4TH NOVEMBER: Stay tuned to see what the team at this popular vegan spot in Mermaid Beach have been working on! You’re promised to be impressed with the tasty selection of burgers, tacos and cocktail selection very soon…
Where: Shop 1C / 2375 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach

Words by Alex Mitcheson.