Wellness+ Nutrition – PURELY PLANTS

Her easy, delicious vegan dishes have won hearts — and stomachs — on social media. Now Chloe Wheatland has released her first cookbook.

When Chloe Wheatland uploaded her first cooking post on Instagram, she never predicted it would help spark a vegan revolution. “I grew up in a household that always valued healthy food, but my journey with veganism really began after watching one too many documentaries on meat consumption,” the 24-year-old model and content creator says.

“My diet was never meat-focused growing up, so I think that helped me adjust fairly easily to a vegan lifestyle. I can’t get over how much better I feel — from general wellness to sleeping habits; even my asthma and allergy symptoms aren’t as severe.”

Cooking delicious, accessible vegan food has been a passion of Chloe’s since her late teens, inspiring her to share her favourite vegan dishes with a wider audience on social media.

“It was purely a hobby at first, and for a while my audience was just my friends; I never thought it would evolve into anything big,” she says.

It wasn’t until Chloe started creating social media for a clothing business that she realised the untapped potential of her cooking account.

“I started modelling at around 17 and still model a few times a week, but my social media job in my early 20s taught me a lot about marketing yourself as a brand and ultimately it gave me the motivation to pursue my passions full-time,” she says.

“I’m quite a spiritual person, so I invested in a life coach, which ended up being a transformative experience.

“I already had an idea of what I wanted to do with my career, but she helped me map things out and be really intentional with my goals.”

Chloe credits the life coach for giving her the final push to leave university and her social media job to put her all into producing cooking content on socials. And so far, that risk is paying off.

Within a few months, @chloeevegan has evolved into a cooking platform of its own, with an ever-growing audience of more than 1 million followers on Instagram and half a million on TikTok.

Chloe’s interest in accessible vegan dishes stems from having limited options in her home town.

Hailing from Mount Macedon in regional Victoria, she found vegan dining options were slim, which forced her to get creative.

“Fruit and vegies have always been an integral part of my diet, and I have a real appreciation for fresh produce. But beyond a smashed avo toast, vegan dishes in Mount Macedon are limited; we don’t even have Uber Eats,” she says.

“Before I moved to Melbourne (in 2024), if I wanted to go out to dinner, it would be an hour’s drive to vegan restaurants and I’d have to research the menu and be sure there were sufficient options to justify the drive.

“A lot of my audience are regionally based or live somewhere where vegan dishes aren’t readily available, so I hope that my recipes can inspire them to get out of their comfort zone and try cooking vegan for themselves.”

Last year, Chloe received a DM on Instagram from a book agent looking to see if she was interested in publishing her debut cookbook. “I genuinely thought it was a spam message at first, but it turned out to be legit,” she says.

“Becoming a Penguin published author is extra special to me because it was always a goal of mine as a kid.”

As for what’s next, the vegan enthusiast envisions more cookbooks and potentially branching into TV.

“I’d love to have a cooking segment, and one day launch my own line of kitchenware or something cooking-related. Anything that can make eating vegan more accessible in the kitchen,” she says.

“I started my vegan cooking platform to highlight that healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring. Plant-based dishes can be tasty, full of flavour and generally just fun to put together. And now I’m hoping to reach an even wider audience with my new cookbook.”

BEETROOT AND CUCUMBER BOWL
Serves 3

• juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 large Lebanese cucumbers,
  shaved into ribbons
• 2 tbsp dill sprigs, chopped
• vegan feta, dill and olive oil, to serve

For the beetroot whip

• 400g can cannellini beans,
  drained and rinsed
• 4 cooked baby beetroot (250g from
  vacuum-sealed pack)
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar

To make the beetroot whip, combine the cannellini beans, beetroot, garlic, tahini, nutritional yeast, balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt and pepper in a food processor. Process until smooth, adding a dash more water if needed to thin. For the cucumber salad, mix the lemon juice, olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the cucumber and dill and toss to coat. To serve, dollop the beetroot whip into shallow serving bowls and top each with the cucumber salad. If you like, top with vegan feta and dill and a drizzle of olive oil. TIP: You can substitute the cucumbers with zucchini in this recipe if you prefer.

CREAMY GREEN PASTA
Serves 4

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 large handfuls baby
  spinach leaves
• 1 cup basil leaves
• ½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
• ½ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp tahini
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 ¼ cup soy milk
• 500g pasta (of your choice)
• vegan parmesan, chilli flakes and
  olive oil, to serve

Soak the cashews in boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add the frozen peas. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly or until thawed. Add the spinach and cook for a further 2 minutes or until wilted. Remove from heat. Combine the peas and spinach, basil, parsley, cashews, nutritional yeast, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, soy milk and a pinch of salt and pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth. The consistency should be thick but pourable. Add more soy milk if needed. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta and transfer back into the pot. Pour the sauce over the pasta. Mix well and cook for a minute or so to heat through. Transfer to serving bowls. If you like, top with vegan parmesan and chilli flakes and a drizzle of olive oil. TIP: Opting for a gluten-free bean pasta, such as those made from chickpea or lentil flour, is a great way to bump up the protein of this dish.