If you’re skeptical about subscribing to meal kit delivery services, you should read more about Purple Carrot and Green Chef. In this article, I will tell you all about where to begin looking for the ideal meal kit match of your dreams.

The most popular benefit of subscribing to a meal kit delivery service is you save hours and hours spent in the kitchen. The three words anyone hates when it comes to home cooking are prep, prep, and prep. Meal kits are designed to reduce how much time you spend meal prepping and dealing with leftovers.

You can select healthy recipes with nutritious ingredients and wholesome flavors. Meal kit services offer a variety of diet recipes including low-calorie and low-carb meals, along with different protein options such as vegetarian, vegan, seafood, meat, and poultry recipes.

Should You Try Meal Kit Delivery Services?

The convenience and ease of a meal kit delivery service achieve a lot more than saving your time when it comes to shopping for groceries, deciding which meals to cook, and then finally cooking them from scratch!

Meal kit delivery services also save you money in the long run and are far healthier than ordering takeout food when you don’t have time to cook your meals every day.

Another thing that hinders you from enjoying a good homemade meal could be your disinterest in cooking the meal itself. I understand that cooking can be quite stressful and time-consuming for people who don’t love to cook. Instead of ordering takeout, you can have meal kits delivered straight to your doorstep.

Such meal kits consist of pre-portioned ingredients that are organized by recipe. The recipe menu of the most popular meal delivery kit services comprises of home-inspired and restaurant-style recipes that you’d probably never make at home yourself.

A huge advantage to opting for meal kits is that the meals are nutritionally balanced and wholesome. Excess salt, sugar, unhealthy fat, and dense carbs are eliminated.

The average home-cooked meal costs around $70 in groceries. On top of that, you have to include gas money, time, and other factors such as having a limited variety of recipes from every week’s groceries.

Meal kit delivery services offer tempting and delicious recipes for the same cost, covering all meals for the entire week. You can have burgers that are protein-rich and select a seafood dish or salad for Tuesday without any extra cost. The average meal costs $7-$10 per person. The more meals you add to your weekly cart, the lesser you’ll pay per serving, which is a huge advantage.

Meal kits save you the hassle of grocery shopping, planning, and prepping meals. Plus, if you’re trying to include more nutritious meals into your diet, meal kits offer multiple dietary categories for you to pick from. These categories include low-calorie, protein-rich, carb-conscious, keto, paleo, Mediterranean, vegan, veggie, etc.

Purple Carrot vs Green Chef – Which Delivery Service Is Healthier?

Purple Carrot is a plant-based and vegan meal kit delivery service. In comparison, Green Chef delivers certified organic meal kits with lots of vegan and gluten-free options.

What Purple Carrot lacks, Green Chef makes up for and vice versa. In their diet-specific ways, both Purple Carrot and Green Chef are healthy meal kit services. Their subscription includes different meal customizations, dietary restrictions, and prices.

If you crave a clean and honest meal kit delivery service, Purple Carrot and Green Chef provide you with versatile meal options for a comfortable price.

Purple Carrot is 100% plant-based, and Green Chef, though committed to including organic and plant-based ingredients, does have a few chicken, meat, and seafood options for meat lovers.

This means that Green Chef does cater to many health diets such as keto, gluten-free, organic, vegan, Mediterranean, etc. but with options for omnivores and vegetarians. Purple Carrot provides a complete plant-based and vegan diet for vegetarians with 100% plant-forward alternatives.

Here are the different categories of diets of Purple Carrot vs Green Chef:

Purple Carrot vs Green Chef – What Types of Meals Do They Offer?

Purple Carrot comes out as the winner because it features both meal kits and freshly prepared meals.

The former includes pre-portioned and packed ingredients along with accurate cooking instructions. You need some basic pantry ingredients such as salt, pepper, oil, and cooking utensils to make the recipe with the ingredients delivered to you.

The latter is pre-cooked and packed, so they take less than 5 minutes to heat in the microwave and serve hot.

The meal kits are served in portions of 2 or 4 servings and can take anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes to prep and cook. You will receive everything that the recipe needs, all pre-portioned and packed for the serving size you’ve selected.

Plus, Purple Carrot features Dinners, Breakfasts, Lunches, and some Pantry items on their Meal Kits menu. You’d even be pleased to know that the menu changes from week to week to avoid repetitions.

The prepared meals, on the other hand, are not as many as the meal kits that Purple Carrot provides. You do have 8 options to pick from, some of which are gluten-free and low-calorie.

Green Chef, compared, features only one type of meal – meal kits. You have to pick from 2, 4, or 6 servings and between 3 and 4 meals per week. You not only have over 30 meal options to pick from, but you can also view the upcoming menus for the next 3 weeks.

Each meal recipe features a list of ingredients that will be sent to you individually packed and pre-portioned, along with cooking instructions, a nutrition profile, and helpful tips.

Green Chef does not offer, like Purple Carrot, different meal options like breakfast and pantry items. But they do have two 10-minute light lunch recipes like the Pesto Caprese Sandwiches and Mexican-Spiced Black Bean & Kale Salad.

In terms of meal variety, Purple Carrot has more meal options for you to select from than Green Chef, which is more convenient and straightforward as a meal kit delivery service only.

Purple Carrot vs Green Chef – How Much Does a Week Cost?

Both Purple Carrot and Green Chef give you direct access to the meal pricing and plans without signing up.

Purple Carrot’s meal pricing is a little more versatile than Green Chef’s because it offers two different types of meal plans: meal kits and prepared meals.

Plus, Purple Carrot offers a discount on the first week for newcomers. The standard weekly price for 3 meals and 2 servings per meal is $80, but Purple Carrot makes it $60 for the first week – this is only for first-time customers.

Here’s what you pay per serving depending on the number of servings per meal and meals per week. The discount offer is not included in the prices below.

Moving forward, Purple Carrot offers prepared meals too, which start from $12.99 per serving. All are single-serve meals that are delivered in microwave-safe single-serve containers made of recyclable plastic.

According to Purple Carrot’s plans and pricing page, orders that cost less than $85 per week come with an additional $8 shipping fee.

The sign-up process is free. Only the shipping fee is applied on small orders. All higher orders, on the other hand, that cost more than $85 per week have no hidden shipping charges.

It’s essential to note that on your first very order with Purple Carrot, as a newcomer, you not only get a discounted first-week rate but you also are exempt from paying the shipping fee!

Every first order has free shipping after which you have to pay an $8 shipping fee on orders less than $85 per week.

Green Chef’s meal plans are easier to understand because they offer only meal kits. You can select the different meal types as a personal preference so that Green Chef shows you what you like first before everything else. All the meal plans are priced as follows:

A minor drawback with regard to price is that Green Chef charges a shipping fee on all small or large orders. The shipping fee is $9.99 per order, and it applies to any or all meal types you pick.

To sum up, for the first week’s order, you pay $60 for 6 meals with Purple Carrot, which isn’t expensive at all. Green Chef is a lot more expensive because you pay $91 for 6 meals per week. The shipping cost is included in the total price.

Purple Carrot vs Green Chef – Are the Meals Fresh and Flavorful?

Purple Carrot’s meals are essentially made of healthy and vegan ingredients. Despite the dietary restrictions, since Purple Carrot is all plant-based, you have plenty of meal kit options to choose from.

Purple Carrot uses all fresh ingredients to go in their meal kits. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, grains, herbs, seeds, spices, and homemade sauces are all vegan and meet vegan standards.

Plant-based alternatives that replace dairy and meat are organic nut milk, beans, tofu, and tempeh. Since these are processed foods, they are GMO-, antibiotic-, and preservative-. The ingredients are processed in the most wholesome, chemical- and additive-free manner.

Some ingredients you will find aren’t vegan due to shipping issues and availability, but Purple Carrot prioritizes the use of vegan products no matter the recipe kit you select.

Taste-wise, Purple Carrot caters to different taste palates. With the use of a great variety of homemade sauces, spices, condiments, and non-artificial flavoring, you have creative plant-based meal kits to select from – both classic and experimental cuisines.

The flavor and texture of the meals hit the right spot, even for someone who’s finicky about their meals. The sauces and cheese are also vegan and taste fine and fresh without signs of spoilage or blandness.

If you want to upgrade from your typical non-vegan pantry items to something more nutritionally balanced and authentic, Purple Carrot’s meals are a great pick.

The meals taste fresh, and you have a bunch of freshly prepared meals to add to your cart to heat and eat quickly on busy days. The prepared meals taste fresh and have none of the blandness or sour taste that cooked and packed meals tend to have a reputation of.

Green Chef is another super-healthy and dependable meal kit delivery service with organic ingredients. Between Purple Carrot and Green Chef, I found that Green Chef strictly follows more sustainable standards for sourcing different kinds of ingredients, including meat.

The meals are made with a wide variety of organic ingredients, and unlike popular belief, organic does not mean repetitive flavors and lack of variety in meals. Green Chef puts in extra effort to ensure the meals are delicious and taste fresh – more in keeping with restaurant-quality food than Purple Carrot.

The menu has different dietary labels along with a quick rundown of the main ingredients present in the dish. Examples of interesting ingredients are butternut squash paired with avocado-lime crema, cashews with cabbage and Sriracha aioli, roasted almonds with spiced sour cream, and fresh smoked turkey. The list goes on and on.

Green Chef delivers vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals, so there’s a broader net of ingredients that you can expect to cook with when you subscribe to Green Chef. Purple Carrot is all plant-based and vegan with a few meat alternatives.

Green Chef’s meals are nutritionally balanced with focus on fewer carbs, more proteins, and a balanced portion of calories per serving. It’s not too heavy, but it’s not very light either.

The sauces, spice blends, condiments, and creams are homemade and taste fresh and delicious. None of the ingredients contain preservatives, additives, GMOs, or any other unwanted chemicals. The certified organic label makes sure that all the meals are prepared just like at home.

I found the meal kits to be very well portioned and tailored to the exact serving size you select.

Plus, different flavor combinations and pre-prepared sauces make sure you don’t have to make anything from scratch. The prep time is very low, and the meals turn out great no matter what you’re cooking.

Purple Carrot vs Green Chef – Can You Customize the Meals?

Purple Carrot lets you select different meals based on diet, ingredients, and flavor. There isn’t a filter, however, which means you can’t customize the menu based on what you like.

You can, however, select the type of cuisine you want: Dinner, Breakfasts, Lunches, and Plantry. The breakfast, Plantry, and lunch items are 3-4 meals per week, but the Dinner menu has the highest number of meal kits available with unique and interesting flavors.

Meal customization is done by serving size, which means you can either select 2 servings for each meal kit or 4 servings at a time.

The entire menu is accessible with ingredients and nutrition information for each recipe that you can look into before subscribing.

Unfortunately, Purple Carrot doesn’t let you swap ingredients nor do they have a special allergy filter. All the meals are processed in the same kitchen facility as nuts, soy, and other common allergens.

There are a few gluten- and nut-free options labeled on the recipes, which makes it easier for you to look for meals that cater to your personal needs and lifestyle.

Green Chef has even fewer options for meal customization than Purple Carrot. At least with Purple Carrot, you have the option to select the type of cuisine you want from breakfast to dinner and some plant-based snacks.

Green Chef, on the other hand, features just dinners and 2 quick lunches. Food bowls, soups, sandwiches, pizza, salads, kinds of pasta, pan-seared recipes, and burgers make up the recipe palate.

Various recipes have dietary labels like Mediterranean, Keto, Paleo, Omnivore, Gluten-Free, and Vegan, but there is no special filter with which you can search the menu.

The entire menu is available to you even before signing up. To complement that, even the upcoming weeks’ menus are up for grabs so you can immediately tell that Green Chef does not repeat recipes two times in a row.

Even though Green Chef doesn’t allow the swapping or exclusion of certain ingredients from the recipes, you can see the entire ingredient list and nutrition profile of each recipe.

During sign-up, you can select some personal preferences, especially when you don’t want to consume specific ingredients like soy, gluten, or dairy. Green Chef will display a personally tailored menu for you based on those selections.

This is where Green Chef is better than Purple Carrot because you can opt out of ingredients such as meat, gluten, dairy, soy, or grains. The focus is on more organic and healthy eating.

Purple Carrot vs Green Chef – Where Do They Deliver?

Simple and refined, Purple Carrot has specific days of delivery which also depends on the delivery location. But typically, they deliver every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

You cannot change or modify the delivery day for any rest of the days. The delivery date is set automatically once the shipment gets processed. This depends on where you live.

For active updates regarding your order, you will receive alerts by email and/or text with the accurate tracking number and info. Once the parcel is out for delivery, you will receive a notification on the same day.

Purple Carrot delivers to all 48 continental United States.

Based on the delivery location, you can select from the available delivery days from Monday to Saturday. The delivery time is not accessible, but Green Chef delivers during the daytime, and the delivery window is about 12 hours.

You can track your order easily with the tracking information that Green Chef provides you with along with the confirmation email.

Green Chef delivers to the majority of the continental United States, but not to areas such as Alaska, Hawaii, and some areas of Louisiana.

Purple Carrot vs Green Chef – Protein Recipes

Please note that Purple Carrot is a 100% plant-based meal kit delivery service. The recipes mentioned below are placed side by side with Green Chef’s nonvegetarian recipes for the sake of comparison. Purple Carrot prioritizes a plant-based diet that is inspired by nonvegetarian cuisines from all over the world.

Vegetarian

Chicken

Seafood

Meat

Pros of Purple Carrot:

• All the ingredients are certified organic and plant-based.
• Great meal option for pure vegetarians and vegans.
• International cuisines with chef-inspired spices and sauces.
• The portion size of each meal is filling and wholesome.
• The packaging and ice packs are all recyclable.
• You can choose from breakfast, lunch, dinner, to snacks.
• Prep time is less than an hour per person.

Cons of Purple Carrot:

• Some recipes require more effort to make.
• Only a few meals are gluten-free.
• No meal customization for allergies.
• The delivery day depends on the zip code.

Pros of Green Chef

• One of the best eco-friendly and sustainable meal delivery services.
• Interesting food choices for omnivores.
• The flavor and freshness of the ingredients are superior.
• Cooking time is less than 45 minutes for most of the recipes.
• The packaging is minimal and recyclable.
• Lots of plant-based meal options with organic ingredients.
• Dietary labels for keto, paleo, Mediterranean, vegan, and gluten-free.

Cons of Green Chef

• There are shipping charges on every order.
• You may receive some repeat ingredients.
• No option to select a delivery date or time.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is the Packaging Durable and Long-Lasting?

The way Purple Carrot packs its meal kits and prepares meals are worth noting. All the ingredients are individually packed in well-insulated and tightly sealed containers. The prepared meals come in single-serve microwave-friendly containers that you can keep directly in the microwave to heat after taking the plastic lid off.

For meal kits, the ingredients are labeled and wrapped, so unpacking should be a breeze. The best thing about the packaging is that you can store them in the refrigerator as is. All the meal kits arrive in the same packaging, which makes storage and handling very quick and effortless.

Sensitive ingredients like sauces, fruits, and creams are doubly sealed to prevent spilling, leaks, etc.

All the meals are organized in such a way that I simply have to toss them in the same manner in the refrigerator, which makes cleanup easy.

Everything that Green Chef delivers is recyclable and easy to unpack. The meal kits can be stored the same way they were delivered to you. Everything is labeled and pre-portioned to suit the serving size you’ve selected.

The meal kits are stored with insulation and ice packs to keep the ingredients fresh and firm. You can either reuse the ice packs or empty the contents and toss them for curbside pickup.

Everything from the main cardboard box and ice packs to small packets that store items like herbs, seasonings, and spices are recyclable. Each recipe is color-coded, so you know which ingredients match a particular meal without getting confused.

2. Can You Edit and Cancel Your Order Before Delivery?

Both Purple Carrot and Green Chef have deadlines for their orders, which means you can add or remove, cancel or pause, and skip meals easily without paying.

Purple Carrot streamlines the editing process for the meal plans. You can view the deadline on the order page and even make drastic changes to your orders without contacting customer care.

For cancellations, Purple Carrot will save your email address if you ever want to reactivate your account and pick up where you left off from.

You can skip weeks and weeks easily and go back weeks at the touch of a button. Just make sure you are aware of the deadline after which all edits and changes will freeze, and you can only apply new changes to orders that have not yet been shipped.

Unlike Purple Carrot whose deadline period differs from order to order and delivery location, Green Chef has a strict 7-day rule. This means you can make an edit and modify an order at least 7 days before the scheduled date of delivery.

You will receive the exact deadline date in your confirmation email after placing an order. Before this deadline, modifying your order by adding or removing meals, skipping a few weeks, or canceling the order altogether can be easily carried out without paying any extra fee.

In case of emergencies, or if you’re planning a last-minute trip, you can contact customer care after you’ve passed the cutoff time. Their customer care service is incredibly responsive and will get you the help you need right away.

3. How Long Do the Meals Take to Cook?

Cooking Purple Carrot recipes are easy and beginner-friendly. For starters, the meals require no special cooking skill, so if you’re new to cooking and meal prepping, Purple Carrot makes it super straightforward for everyone.

They also include some prepared meals that are ready in less than 5 minutes. All you have to do is heat the meal and eat it.

The Purple Carrot meal kits come with cooking instructions and accurate labels. If you follow the instructions without making any changes, your meal will look exactly like the picture on the recipe card.

Purple Carrot’s prep time is anywhere between 35 and 50 minutes. The prepping involves lots of basic tasks such as mixing, grating, and pan-searing or roasting and stir-frying all the ingredients on a pan.

Purple Carrot does offer some quick and easy meal kits that you can make in less than 30 minutes. These meals are usually easy lunches like sandwiches, salads, and wraps.

Green Chef’s meals are more straightforward and take 30-45 minutes to make. Some recipes take less than 30 minutes, and Green Chef features two different 10-minute lunches for busy bees.

Every recipe card has the estimated cooking time, serving size, nutrition info, and step-by-step instructions. You can find the same information on their website or app.

Sometimes, Green Chef won’t deliver basic pantry items like salt, pepper, cooking oil, and butter. Thus, make sure your pantry is stocked with the basic kitchen essentials.

Final Verdict

Even if you live alone, grocery shopping and meal prepping can be a hassle. The success of meal kits lies in convenience and comfort. They do all the grocery shopping for you and pre-portion all the right ingredients by the recipe and serving size. All you have to do while browsing their menu is select the recipes you want to eat, and Purple Carrot and Green Chef will take care of the rest.

Between these two competitors, you can see differences in meal variety, dietary restrictions, and protein options. Purple Carrot is a great, versatile meal kit service that also delivers prepared meals which are all plant-based. On the other hand, Green Chef delivers only meal kits, but it offers everything including chicken, seafood, and beef. Plus, it’s nutritionally balanced for finicky and health-conscious eaters.