Nutrition
•Vegan and Gluten-Free Options in Bentleigh
The Acai Affect
What a vegan or coeliac diner can eat at 339 Centre Rd
We wrote this because "is it vegan?" and "is it gluten free?" deserve a written answer rather than a guess at the counter.
We have deliberately kept this to items we can confirm. For the full, current list of plant-based items, see our vegan options page, which reads from the live menu. If something is not named below, treat it as unconfirmed and ask us in person or on 0450 478 933. We would rather lose an order than guess about someone's coeliac disease.
Is acai itself vegan and gluten free?
Yes, on both counts, and it helps to know why.
Acai is the fruit of the Euterpe oleracea palm, processed into a frozen pulp. A peer-reviewed compositional study of acai pulp describes a fruit unusually high in lipids for a berry, along with fibre and anthocyanins.
So the base is a fruit. It contains no dairy, no egg and no wheat. What changes the picture on any acai bowl, anywhere, is what goes on top and what the base is blended with. That is where vegan and gluten-free bowls are won or lost, and it is why the honest answer to "is your acai vegan?" is that the acai itself is, and then we should talk through the specific bowl you want.
What we can confirm
Mango Chia Pudding. Dairy-free and vegan. The menu does not label it gluten-free, so if you are avoiding gluten, ask us before you order. It is a light breakfast or an afternoon thing rather than a full meal.
Mushroom Roast Pumpkin Toastie. Vegan, and a hot savoury option rather than a sweet one. It is a genuine lunch, not a token plant-based item added to keep one person in a group happy.
Peanut Butter Banana Toastie. Vegetarian. We are listing this separately because vegetarian and vegan are not interchangeable, and blurring them is one of the more annoying things cafes do. If you are strictly plant-based, ask us about this one rather than assuming.
Build Your Own Acai Bowl. The most flexible option if you are eating to a restriction, because you choose what goes on it rather than us modifying a set recipe. Tell us what you are avoiding before you choose, and we will tell you what works.
Coconut Apple Warm Bowl. Worth a specific mention because it sits close to the vegan line: acai and oats blended with coconut milk, topped with coconut yoghurt, fresh apple, walnuts and cinnamon. Coconut milk and coconut yoghurt are both plant-based. The bowl contains oats, so it isn't gluten-free — see below. Ask us to confirm it's vegan.
Why oats matter if you are avoiding gluten
This is the part people are most often surprised by.
Healthdirect's guidance on coeliac disease states that the only available treatment is maintaining a strict, lifelong gluten-free diet, and it lists gluten as being found in wheat, spelt, rye, barley and oats. Oats are on that list. So an oat-based item is a genuine consideration, not a technicality, even when nothing wheat-based is involved.
Our toppings: what we can now tell you
Three of the dry toppings we keep on the counter are labelled, so we can be specific about them:
- Gluten-free granola. Our granola jar is labelled gluten free. If you are avoiding gluten but not managing coeliac disease, this is the topping other cafes often rule out; here you don't have to. It is scooped in our shared kitchen, so if you have coeliac disease, ask about cross-contact first.
- Buckini. Activated buckwheat. Despite the name, buckwheat is not wheat and is not a gluten grain — it is a seed. It is what gives our bowls that toasted crunch.
- Chocolate buckini. The same thing, with chocolate. Worth knowing this one is the sweeter option of the two.
We also use coconut yoghurt, which is plant-based, and a range of fresh fruit toppings.
The protein boost is certified vegan
If you want protein added to a bowl, smoothie or any hot or iced drink, we use PranaOn Power Plant Protein — Australian-made, plant-based and certified vegan. So adding protein does not take a vegan order off the vegan list. Just ask at the counter. If you are adding it after training, what to eat after a workout covers what the evidence says about protein and recovery, and how much of it you are likely to need.
One thing worth flagging in the other direction: collagen is not vegan. If you are plant-based, ask for the plant protein rather than a collagen add-in.
Questions worth asking us, and anywhere else
Healthdirect's guidance on a gluten-free diet is blunt about the mechanics of cross-contamination: gluten transferred accidentally from one food to another, separate toasters, a clean spoon for spreads, and telling staff straight away when you are eating out.
We are not going to tell you our kitchen is something it is not. What we will do is answer honestly on the day. The questions that get you a useful answer:
- Is this item toasted, and what else is toasted alongside it? Our menu includes the Sourdough Avocado Toastie, the Ham Cheese Tomato Toastie and the Tuna Cheese Melt Toastie, so this is a real question worth asking.
- Does this topping contain oats or wheat? Per the healthdirect list above, oats count.
- Can you use clean equipment for my order? Ask before we start, not after.
- Which items involve no bread at all? Ask us, and ask about the toppings as well as the base.
If you are managing coeliac disease rather than a preference, a carefully specified Build Your Own Acai Bowl is the order we would point you towards — with the cross-contact question raised directly with us first.
The trade-off we should be upfront about
An acai bowl is not automatically a light meal, and vegan does not automatically mean low sugar.
Acai pulp on its own is a fruit. What sits on top of it, and what it is blended with, determines the sugar in the finished bowl. The Better Health Channel page on sugar cites the World Health Organization recommendation on limiting free sugars as a proportion of total energy intake, and advises choosing foods with naturally occurring sugars such as fresh fruit while limiting foods high in added sugar. A vegan bowl can still be a sweet one — is an acai bowl actually healthy? goes through where that sugar comes from, topping by topping.
The other honest limitation is that plant-based eating needs planning beyond a single meal. The Better Health Channel's page on vegetarian and vegan eating notes that strict vegans may need close to double the dietary iron of non-vegetarians, that vitamin B12 requires attention, and that some vegan diets can fall short on protein. A vegan toastie and a chia pudding make a good lunch. They are not a nutrition strategy, and if you are newly plant-based it is worth a conversation with a GP or an Accredited Practising Dietitian rather than a cafe.
Ordering, and where to find us
You can see the current range and order pickup on our menu, and the vegan options are listed here. Delivery runs through Uber Eats and DoorDash. If you have a coeliac-level requirement and are ordering delivery, put the detail in the order notes — but understand that notes are a request rather than a guarantee, and phoning us is more reliable.
We are at 339 Centre Rd, Bentleigh VIC 3204. See our current opening hours before you visit. If you are unsure whether we can feed you, ring 0450 478 933 before you order rather than after.
Quick reference
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Mango Chia Pudding | Dairy-free and vegan. Not labelled gluten-free |
| Mushroom Roast Pumpkin Toastie | Vegan |
| Peanut Butter Banana Toastie | Vegetarian |
| Build Your Own Acai Bowl | Customisable — tell us what you avoid |
| Coconut Apple Warm Bowl | Contains oats, so it isn't gluten-free. Ask us to confirm it's vegan |
| Granola topping | Labelled gluten free (shared kitchen) |
| Buckini / chocolate buckini | Buckwheat, not a gluten grain |
| PranaOn protein boost | Certified vegan, Australian-made |
Always ask us about preparation if you are managing coeliac disease rather than a dietary preference.
This article is general information only and is not personal dietary advice. If you have coeliac disease, a food allergy or another health condition, speak with your GP or an Accredited Practising Dietitian.
