by Peter Barclay
In recent years, we’ve seen chatbots move from simple FAQ-answering tools to full-fledged conversational companions capable of offering emotional and even spiritual support. Religious chatbots, for instance, now provide scripture passages, moral reflections, and empathetic listening for people seeking spiritual strength.
But what if we took that same idea and applied it to one of the most important and often most challenging aspects of modern life — eating healthfully?
Specifically, could a chatbot be designed to encourage people to follow a Whole Food Plant-Based (WFPB) lifestyle? Could it incorporate the wisdom of nutrition advocates like Dr. T. Colin Campbell, or mindset-shifting concepts from The Pleasure Trap by Dr. Douglas Lisle and Dr. Alan Goldhamer? And could it do so with the same supportive comfort people sometimes receive from a faith-based digital assistant?
The answer, it seems, looks like a very emphatic YES — and perhaps even more effectively than we realise.
Ongoing encouragement
The Whole Food Plant-Based dietary pattern emphasises unprocessed plant foods — vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Strictly speaking, it excludes animal products, salt, refined oils, and processed foods. Research by Dr Campbell and others has linked WFPB eating to reduced risk of chronic diseases, improved longevity, and better overall well-being.
Yet, even for people convinced of its benefits, adherence can be hard. We live in a food environment saturated with highly processed, calorie-dense, refined foods that appeal to our evolutionary wiring.
Lisle and Goldhamer’s The Pleasure Trap describes this as a modern peril: our brains evolved to seek concentrated calorie sources for survival, but in today’s world, that instinct drives us toward unhealthy choices. Those authors note:
“We have inherited an ancient operating system… What was once an advantage for survival is now the greatest threat to our health.”
This is why WFPB eaters often struggle. Even with clear knowledge, motivation can wane in the face of cravings, social pressures, convenience foods, and habit loops.
The reality is that dietary change is rarely a single decision — it’s a collection of thousands of micro-choices, day after day. And that’s precisely the territory where a chatbot, built for encouragement, could shine.
Religious parallels
Religious chatbots have gained popularity over the past few years. From Christian bots that offer daily scripture and prayer prompts to Buddhist bots guiding through mindful reflections, they provide both informational and emotional scaffolding for people on a spiritual journey.
These bots tend to offer:
- Frequent reinforcement — Daily pings, verses, or reminders.
- Empathetic listening — Responding to doubts, fears, and personal struggles with validation.
- Guidance grounded in a worldview or philosophy — Applying the teachings of a text or tradition to specific life situations.
- A sense of companionship — Creating the feeling of not being alone in one’s path.
The needs of someone on a dietary change journey are surprisingly similar. A WFPB chatbot could be the dietary equivalent of a spiritual mentor — not to preach, but to support.
I took this further and asked MaxAI what an encouragement bot of this type might do. Its response:
“Imagine a chatbot — let’s call it PlantPath — designed for WFPB adherence. Each day, PlantPath could send:
- Inspirational quotes from health authors: For example, Dr. Campbell’s line from Whole that, “The future of medicine lies in preventing disease with nutritious food, not treating disease with pharmaceuticals.”
- Reinforcement of core principles from The Pleasure Trap, reminding users that cravings for processed food are not a personal weakness but “a predictable biological response to artificial stimulation.”
- Recipe ideas that match the user’s kitchen inventory, making healthy eating practical, not just theoretical.
- Encouraging nudges like: “You’ve fed your body real nourishment today — and your future self will thank you for it.”
- Empathy for setbacks: If a user admits, “I slipped and ate pizza with dairy-based cheese last night,” the bot might respond: “One choice does not erase your progress. Let’s plan a breakfast tomorrow that moves you forward again.”
The immediacy of chatbot support — available 24/7, without judgment — could make daily commitment more achievable.”
Where our recognised WFPB movers and shakers were concerned, a WFPB chatbot would need to draw on the philosophical and scientific frameworks espoused by the movement’s recognised authors and speakers, rather than merely quoting them extensively.
The challenge here is that motivation is rarely constant. A chatbot could help sustain motivation between other touchpoints like reading books, watching documentaries, or attending plant-based cooking classes, either in person or online.
Fear of judgement
Many people resist dietary coaching out of fear of judgment. A chatbot offers safe disclosure — you can tell it you ate ice cream without fearing disappointment from a human coach.
In my view, perhaps one of the biggest factors in its favour has to do with the problem of information overload. It’s nearly impossible for individuals to maintain constant access to immediately useful high-level information on any given subject, but a bot can. So, instead of reading a 400-page book before taking action, users could get bite-sized educational moments exactly when they’re facing a food choice – assuming they tap before they gobble, of course!
As many of us know, the decision to follow a WFPB diet can be isolating — family members might not understand, friends may serve meals that conflict with these values, and mainstream culture often mocks plant-based eaters. This social friction can be surprisingly similar to what people experience when joining a new faith or philosophy.
Religious chatbots help address this by:
- Offering words of reassurance.
- Reinforcing the higher purpose or value system behind actions.
- Providing a sense that “someone” is walking with you.
A WFPB chatbot could offer that same comfort through alignment of actions and values: if your dietary choice is part of a broader commitment to health, environmental stewardship, or compassion for animals, the chatbot can remind you of that larger purpose when daily life pulls in other directions.
The reverse side is that some people might become overly dependent on the chatbot, rather than developing inner resilience. Just as in religious practice, mentorship is useful but can’t replace lived conviction.
Data privacy concerns might also be an issue. Talking about one’s diet means revealing sensitive health and lifestyle patterns. Ethical chatbot design must safeguard such data. And, unlike established books or medical guidelines, chatbot responses are generated dynamically and could contain errors unless strictly curated.
Emotional limitations
This is not a fantasy discussion, but it can have real-world outcomes – good and bad. Chatbots have emotional limitations. A chatbot can simulate empathy, but it can’t truly feel empathy—a distinction that matters to some users.
For me, any worthwhile chatbot in this field would need to have grounded responses in recognised research from reputable sources and be able to adjust to a user’s stage of change, experience level, and goals.
It would need to use author guidance respectfully — paraphrasing, contextualising, and linking to original sources. And what value would there be in it if it were no more than the food police on your phone?
A good chatbot in this area would need to focus on the benefits gained, not punish people for the occasional ‘bad’ food choice they might make. Ideally, it should integrate with real human support by enabling connections to human dietitians or community groups when needed.
But, just as religious chatbots have become virtual companions for people seeking meaning and moral grounding, the future may hold health-based companions that walk with us through every cafeteria line, grocery aisle, and late-night craving. Advances in AI will make it possible for such a bot to remember your unique challenges, celebrate your milestones, and gently nudge you back on track when life pulls you away from your chosen path.
Imagine a chatbot that not only gives you a recipe for oil-free lentil soup but also tells you:
“Remember what Dr. Lisle says — you’re not weak for wanting processed food; your brain is simply responding as designed. The victory is in recognising that and making a choice aligned with your long-term health.”
With thoughtful design, that kind of comfort and encouragement could be as powerful for lifestyle change as adherence to devotional apps are to the faithful.
