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

The Gold Coast restaurant scene has been quick to catch up to the increasing number of people jumping on board the vegetable train. Thankfully these days, we need not venture far to find our plant-based fix, with a plethora of veg-vibing establishments all vying for our affections.

As the masters of mind-blowingly good meat-free eats, these veritable veggie experts are in a legendary legume of their own.

Cardamom Pod
While we may be guilty of throwing the word ‘institution’ around a little liberally at times, Cardamom Pod (and it’s crew of certifiable whole-food wizards) is a name known the coast over as a haven for plant-based folk and those craving nourishing nosh.

While we sadly bid adieu to the original Broadbeach location (and then a fond ‘hola’ to Nude Amigos in the same spot – coincidentally also offering a considered assortment of vibrant vego options) – thankfully the name lives on through the second Pod residing at Brickworks Ferry Road. Get your fill of creative and colourful all-day eats such as the Buddah Bowl, Blinged Out Avo Benny, and if we really must choose – the French Toast *never* fails. There’s a reason this place has been around for years, go discover it for yourself.
Where: 3/3 Brolga Avenue, Southport

Blendlove
The delightful folk at Blendlove believe nothing is worth eating, if it hasn’t been created with love and let it be known that everything they create there, is worth eating. Co-founders Riki-Lee and Sharlene pride themselves on serving the tastiest, freshest and healthiest plant-based food on the Gold Coast. They whip up their treats in-house without the use of refined sugars, artificial colours or preservatives. Plus, keeping us plied with our daily Blackboard coffee fix earns them a bunch of extra brownie points in our books (guilt-free, sugar-free ones, of course).
Where: 253 Ferry Road, Southport

Falafels
Mermaid’s middle-eastern eatery, Falafels, has since expanded from its initial exclusively meat-free menu, but its primarily plant-based roots remain (as do the legendary falafels we know and love, praise be chickpea).

This small but mighty neighbourhood noshery specialises in fresh and flavour-packed portable bites with a mediterranean focus – all plied with secret-recipe sauces, dips and house pickled veg. The famous hand-crafted falafels have a rep as the best you can get your mitts (and mouth) around on the Coast. Available any which way you like – Plate, Pocket or Salad – aka stuffed in a pillow of pita, or perhaps piled atop a throne of veg, tahini and hummus (or not, for the #hummushaters… we’re told they’re out there… #blasphemy).

A trip to Falafels will give you allll the feel-good feels (namely satisfaction).
Where: Shop 2c/1 Lakeview Blvd, Mermaid Waters

Temple of Spices
Ahhh, vego curry, how we love thee. A wholesome, hearty, hug in a bowl – and for many of us, the gateway dish to discovering that meat-free can be mind-blowingly good, yes? Mermaid’s resident spice slingers, Temple of Spices has quite the rep for treating local diners to incredible Indian eats – including a dedicated menu of main-character vibing veg/vegan dishes to tempt anyone and tantalise every tum. Quell those cravings and chow down on chutneys, coconut rice and your choice of protein swimming in creamy, spice-laden curry – your tastebuds will be happy as Lassi. And for anyone considering skipping the Vego butter? That gets a big yeah, naan from us.

Looking to bolster your meat-free meal with an all-out feast? Spice up your night and split one of the plant-based banquet packs with your Dahl-ing (thank us later).
Where: 2468 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach

Tian Ran Vegetarian
Meaning nature in English, Tian Ran provides the purest of vegetarian and vegan Asian cuisine. Their meals are free from meat, dairy, alcohol, garlic, onions and MSG and they also offer a gluten-free menu. The team are passionate about providing quality food and make their meat substitutes with soy, wheat, yam, seaweed and mushrooms. Serving wholesome helpings of healthful eats made with love, that in no way compromise on flavour or satisfaction – and impressively so, considering the restricted ingredient repertoire. Don’t believe us? Just check their reviews #amustvisit.
Where: 2468 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach

The Milkman’s Daughter
The funkiest little vegetarian joint around is Mermaid’s The Milkman’s Daughter, tucked away on Alfred St and serving up some of the very best (and most stacked vego food). The interior is as cool as they come filled with cascading greenery and terrariums built into tables, you’ll be Insta-snapping up a storm. The entirely vegetarian menu is made up of both all day breakfast and lunch options and my word, will you be hard up to make a choice.

The Farmers Breakfast is a perennial fave among frequents – but you ‘batter’ believe the loaded Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, piled with vanilla turmeric custard, granola, walnuts, passionfruit, berries, pistachios, lemon zest has to be one of the most bonkers brunches going (in the best of ways).
Where: 2/43 Alfred Street, Mermaid Beach

Dalas Kitchen
To the uninitiated, the Dalas Kitchen specialty of salads, sodas and sweets seems to strike the balance of naughty and nice eats – but as it turns out, its just nice.. and nicer – with the latter comprising of sparkling water topped homemade soda syrups and raw sweets.. so get amongst it guilt-free, y’all.

One of adulthoods greatest tastebud revelations remains that salad can be both nourishing and oh-so-satisfying (for those of us who grew up knowing ‘salad’ as sad iceberg and token tomato slices slapped on your plate, anyway). Dalas Kitchen is of course, serving up the former – Nobby’s wholesome eats dispensary delivers our daily veg-vibing, summery side-dish and salad fix, all 100% ready to tuck right in. Because sometimes we need a star salad without that whole cleaning-every-pot-and-pan-we’ve-ever-owned song and dance, right? #exhausting. So go on, grab some of that goodness to-go and get in that daily 2&5 in the most soul satisfying of ways.
Where: 2247 Gold Coast Highway, Nobby Beach and Pavilions, Fifth Avenue, Palm Beach

Greenhouse Canteen
A crew that’s especially keen on their greens, delivering crafted plates of plant focused, whole food eats that are also downright delicious. Their foodie philosophy of ‘sometimes naughty, mostly nice’ – is an approach we can wholeheartedly support, especially since they also happen to serve a killer marg #ourkryptonite (and also something we get around with gusto).

In their ever-tasty eight year tenure, they’ve amassed an army of loyal local fans (both vegans and meat eaters alike) that would follow them *almost* anywhere for their flavour-filled fare. Which is lucky, since they recently relocated little further south, making the move from Miami to Talle… and yeah, we can manage that – anything for our Cauliflower Wings (and coconut marg, lbh) fix.
Where: 268 Tallebudgera Creek Road, Tallebudgera

Govindas
It’s a vegetarian institution on the Coast and if you haven’t been there, you haven’t lived. With everything from Creamy potato bake, saucy layers of veg-laden Lasagne to an array of salads and desserts, there’s always something tasty to try and a line up of people waiting to get in on the goodness. Eat in or takeaway and definitely don’t forget to indulge in the lemon, mint and ginger refresher, it’ll make your day.
Where: 20 James Street, Burleigh Heads and 72 Griffith Street, Coolangatta

Psst – specifically seeking eateries sans animal products entirely? Check out our lineup of the best vegan GC restaurants here.

Words by Kellie Leader.

Dr Libby Weaver is a hub of knowledge on all things health and wellness.

A Nutritional Biochemist, Author and Speaker, her messages embrace a unique three-pillared approach incorporating nutrition, emotions and the biochemistry of the body.

World Health Day falls on April 7th so who better to speak to than the Gold Coast woman with unrivalled wisdom on healthy living. 

It’s World Health Day on April 7th, what is the biggest health problem facing Australians today?

To me wellness means thriving not surviving, yet I have met thousands of Australians who are doing the latter. The pace of our modern lifestyle is unsustainable – people are living in a constant state of stress, demanding more and more of themselves mentally and physically, and over time this compromises their health. Chronic diseases are a huge problem in Australia, and our lifestyle choices – the way we eat, drink, move, think, breathe, believe and/or perceive – play a big role in our risk of developing these. 

You’ve lived on the Gold Coast for a while now, how does our health and fitness rate compared to the rest of Australia?

We’re so fortunate to live in such a beautiful environment that encourages movement (who doesn’t love to walk along the beach or in the bush!) and have access to nutritious fresh foods, including outstanding organic markets. With that said, only 1 in 20 Queenslanders eat enough vegies, so amping up your vegetable intake is something virtually everyone would benefit from.

You’re a Nutritional Biochemist, can you explain what that means and how you got to be where you are today?

It’s funny because in a way I don’t feel like I consciously ‘chose’ this career path. I spent 14 years at university and graduated with a Bachelor of Health Science majoring in Nutrition and Dietetics with honours, and a PhD in Biochemistry. Using my knowledge about how the human body works, I’ve spent almost two decades in clinical practice, helping people with my three-pillar approach to wellness – the biochemical, the nutritional and the emotional.

I believe my purpose is to help educate people about the importance of taking great care of themselves as I am concerned that far too many people live too short and die too long. Quality of life really matters and I want to wake people up to make changes now rather than waiting for a chronic health condition to necessitate that. I have now published 10 best-selling books, I speak regularly at live events all over the world, and I’ve developed a food-based nutritional supplement range called Bio Blends to support people to enhance their health. I feel very grateful to do what I do. 

Why does what we put into our bodies affect our overall health so much? 

The way you feed yourself is the most basic form of self care (love) you can show yourself. The nutrients we absorb from our food are essential for the billions of biochemical reactions that are happening in our body every second. There is nothing in the entire world that can replace a highly nourishing diet.

Yet I have met thousands of people who exercise frequently (and with intensity), especially after making poor food choices with the intention of ‘burning off’ the calories they consumed the day before. But the calorie equation we are taught to follow of ‘calories in versus calories burned’ is out-dated and doesn’t adequately take into account all the aspects that can impact on how our body metabolises the fuel we put into it. No amount of exercise can burn off the effects of a poor-quality way of eating.

Why is getting adequate sleep so important to our health?

Restorative sleep is one of the foundations of good health. Adults require 7-9 hours per night and we cannot fight our biology! Sleep affects everything from our mood, to our memory, our immune system, our skin and our hormonal function. When we are exhausted, everything in life feels more difficult. It impacts the foods you choose, whether you get off the couch and go for a walk or not, the jobs that you would apply for, the friends that you make, your self-talk and the way you speak to everyone you love. The ripple effect of lousy sleep and energy can be significant.

Adrenal fatigue is such a common thing these days, how is it best managed?

Stress reduction is absolutely essential, and nothing activates the ‘calm’ arm of our nervous system better than diaphragmatic breathing. It can literally change your life – and I don’t say that lightly. Any breath-focused practice, such as yoga, meditation, tai chi or qigong is fantastic, as is a nutrient-dense real food way of eating. Taking adrenal supporting herbs under the guidance of a herbalist can also be very beneficial.

What don’t women know about hormones?

Hormonal imbalances have become so prevalent that many women have come to accept that their symptoms (such as PMT) are normal. I like to say that these symptoms are common, but they’re not normal. Many women struggling with hormonal issues feel like their body is betraying them, but challenging symptoms are just your body’s way of communicating that something needs to change – such as the way you eat, drink, think, move, believe and/or perceive. Pay attention to your body’s communication – it has the power to change how you experience health and vitality on a daily basis. 

Gluten – what is it and should we avoid it?

Gluten is a family of proteins found in grains like wheat, rye, barley and oats. Some people have no problems consuming gluten, but many others feel better without it. There may be other substances in grains that impact poorly on gut health for some people, too. People with gut-based symptoms may like to trial a gluten-free diet for a period of four weeks to see if their symptoms resolve, however if they continue the diet for a longer period, it’s essential they consult a nutritional professional to ensure they are meeting their nutritional needs.

What advice do you have for someone who might be looking to start a health and fitness regime, but doesn’t know where to start?

I hear so many women say they don’t have time to cook for themselves or don’t have time to add anything additional to their schedule. It is undeniable we have more on our plates and while I appreciate that many of us are juggling many different tasks and roles daily, there is nothing on this Earth that replaces the power of a nourishing way of eating. In my book Women’s Wellness Wisdom, I wrote about taking responsibility for our nourishment and so many women could benefit simply by prioritising their own health and wellbeing. Preparing real food may take more time, but it is time we have to allow for in our day. When we say, “I don’t have time” for something, what we are essentially saying is “that is not a priority for me”. Sometimes changing what we do requires us to firstly explore our values and priorities. The reality is we cannot compromise our nutrition and expect to still have fantastic health.

Your favorite piece of life advice?

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Thurman

You’re not a Gold Coast local if you haven’t…

Sat on Burleigh Hill on a Sunday afternoon and soaked up the glorious vista and vibes. 

Being a Gold Coaster we have to ask for your favourites…

Beach: Burleigh

Restaurant:  I travel so much for work that when I am home I love to cook my own meals

Café: Wray’s Organics at Palm Beach

Weekend hangout: At home in my vegie garden

Dr Libby’s signature event, Beautiful You Weekend, is coming to the Gold Coast for the very first time this July. For more information click here.