Our retirement was supposed to open the door to adventure, travel and new experiences, but a string of looming health issues threatened to slam that door shut.
Faced with the possibility that our retirement might be shaped more by medical appointments than mountain trails or sailing our yacht, my husband and I decided to research how to actively protect our health.
What began as curiosity quickly turned into commitment.
Two years ago, we adopted a Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB) way of eating (alongside regular exercise). The results? Across the board improvements in health markers, weight, energy levels and day-to-day wellbeing. This is particularly noteworthy given we are over 65 years old.
Eating more vegies has led to great health results for the author. IMAGE Pilipp Romanovski
Our decision wasn’t driven by ideology or trends. It was driven by science and a desire to remain healthy and active.
A WFPB diet is sometimes described as veganism with intent. Like vegan diets, the WFPB diet excludes meat, fish, dairy and eggs and processed food. It differs from a vegan diet in what it actively prioritises: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, while avoiding highly processed foods laden with oil, salt and added sugar.
In practice, it means a baked potato instead of chips, brown rice instead of white, wholemeal sourdough over refined bread and home-made bean burgers rather than freezer-aisle veggie or fake meat patties. WFPB eating takes a little more effort but the returns in health and vitality are extraordinary.
The challenge is eating out
Cooking WFPB meals at home is one thing. Dining out, however, is where theory meets reality. And while many Queensland cafes and restaurants such as Spirit House in Yandina and Nurcha at Kawana offer great Plant Based Whole Food meals, most restaurants and cafes do not.
Australian food culture — like much of the Western world — still centres heavily on meat, poultry, fish, cheese, eggs, cream and refined carbohydrates. White rice, white pasta, white bread and fried potatoes dominate menus. For those of us eating plant-based for health, navigating restaurants requires flexibility, diplomacy and occasionally, a sense of humour.
The good news? The landscape is changing.
Many restaurants now clearly mark VG (vegan) and V (vegetarian) options and hospitality staff are increasingly accustomed to dietary variations. Between gluten intolerance, food allergies, IBS and other health needs, requesting modifications to your meal has become entirely normal. A vegan at the table rarely raises an eyebrow these days. Even on international flights, vegan meals (if pre-ordered) are now standard.
Some restaurants and cafes offer great plant based options IMAGE: Unsplash Media
Practical strategies that actually work
We travel a lot and spend a few months every year in Europe so I had to find ways to eat WFPB in a variety of restaurants, cafes and food cultures.
I learned a little preparation goes a long way:
- Check menus online before booking. Platforms like HappyCow can be useful, particularly in unfamiliar cities.
- Call ahead. A quick phone call the day before asking what’s possible for a vegan diner often prompts thoughtful — sometimes impressive — chef creativity. More than once, we’ve been delighted by a custom dish (that wasn’t on the menu) invented by a creative chef.
- Scan breakfast menus for sides like toast, mushrooms, tomatoes, beans, avocado and greens for you to create easy plant-based combinations.
- It’s OK to order two or even three sides instead of a main.
- Modify vegetarian dishes. Removing cheese or eggs and substituting vegetables is usually straightforward.
Confessions of a polite rule-breaker
And then there’s my most controversial tactic: I bring my own supplements.
That’s right, when we go out to eat, I carry small zip-lock bags of cooked beans and starchy vegetables, mini-cans of beans and packets of nuts. During two years of travel across Australia and overseas, no restaurant manager ever marched over to scold me. My daughter’s early horror has softened into amused resignation.
Adding cooked black beans or lentils to a vegetable meal makes it more satisfying. IMAGE Rimsha Noor
My supplements are simple: cooked beans or lentils, brown rice or potato, chopped nuts or seeds, sometimes a little homemade pesto. Breakfast versions might include baked beans or cooked oats. These can quietly transform a sparse side salad into a satisfying, nourishing meal.
It’s OK to supplement when dining out. Maybe in smaller servings than pictured. IMAGE: Vivienne Wynter
I have discovered that once plates are delivered and drinks topped up, wait staff rarely scrutinise what happens next. They don’t notice a customer discreetly adding a few extras to a meal. It means when dining with friends happily demolishing their parmi and chips, I add my WFPB supplements and replace silent resentment with satisfaction.
Even pizza is doable: a vegetable pizza minus cheese, topped with black beans, becomes what my daughter affectionately calls ‘Mum’s salad pizza’. It’s delicious, filling and entirely plant-powered.
It doesn’t hurt to ask
You may be surprised at the WFPB options in restaurants and cafes. Ask for brown or wild rice: many Mexican and Japanese restaurants offer it these days. Many pizza restaurants offer wholemeal and thin pizza crusts. Or customise from the menu. If animal protein tacos or burritos are on the menu, ask them to hold the meat, chicken or fish and add tofu, mushrooms, extra beans or guacamole. At a Vietnamese restaurant, you might order their tasty stir-fried green beans and toss in a handful of cashews or walnuts.
A handful of nuts or seeds can transform a vegetarian meal. IMAGE Maddi-Bazzocco
Perfectionism might not be the goal
This approach isn’t about perfection. It’s about stacking the odds in your favour. We are not zealots about our diet and once a month I eat a pizza with a processed base. I don’t plan to give up my minimal consumption of chocolate and coffee. The goal is for most of our food to be WFPB.
Overall, eating Whole Food Plant Based at home and dining out means our lives are not limited. In fact, our lives have been expanded by discovering all the possibilities and creative options for enjoying this way of eating at home, on the road and in restaurants.
It’s an exciting new culinary adventure, that comes with health benefits.
For more info, including the science backing WFPB eating check out www.NutritionFacts.org
IMAGE of ‘salad pizza’ at top of story by Sheri Silver
