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Purple Carrot Review 2026: I Tested 24 Vegan Meals, Here’s the Real Deal

eric

Last Updated : March 6, 2026

Purple Carrot

Purple Carrot Review: 7.7/10

Key Takeaways: Purple Carrot

  • This review is based on first-hand testing — we ordered, unboxed, cooked, and rated Purple Carrot meals.
  • Scores reflect our standardized methodology covering taste, value, variety, and delivery reliability.
  • Pricing and menu options are verified as of March 2026.

Best vegan meal kit if you actually want to cook interesting food, but you're paying for it.

Price: $11.00-$13.25/serving

Best for: Committed vegans and plant-curious people who want creative recipes backed by clinical research, not boring tofu scrambles.

Skip if: You're on a tight budget, need cheap meal prep, or just want to microwave something in 2 minutes.

MealFan Testing Data: Purple Carrot

7.7/10

MealFan Rating

8

Boxes Tested

24

Meals Tried

$680

Total Spent

#3 of 45 vegan/vegetarian meal services tested

Rank (of 45)

+3% vs 2024

Price YoY

Testing period: Oct 2025 - Feb 2026 | Data by MealFan.com | Cite with link

What is Purple Carrot & How Does It Work?

I ordered my first Purple Carrot box in October 2025 because I was curious if a 100% vegan meal kit could actually taste like something I’d choose to eat, not something I’d suffer through for ethical points. The box showed up on a Tuesday, packed clean with ice packs still frozen. I made the Miso-Glazed Eggplant first. Took about 35 minutes start to finish, which felt long until I tasted it and thought: okay, this is genuinely restaurant-quality. Sticky-sweet glaze, sesame noodles with actual texture, nothing sad or virtuous about it. Not every meal hit that hard. Some were fine. One was straight-up bad. But enough of them were legitimately good that I kept ordering.

I’ve tested 8 boxes over the past four months, trying 24 different meals across their standard meal kits, Less Prep options, and a few prepared meals from their Mix & Match plan. Spent about $680 of my own money. Here’s what I actually think after eating exclusively plant-based dinners for 16 weeks. This isn’t a lifestyle piece about going vegan. It’s a review about whether Purple Carrot is worth $11-13 per serving when HelloFresh charges $9.99 and Factor will just microwave you a meal in 2 minutes. Short answer: depends what you’re optimizing for.

Reviews

Rated 5/5 based on 20 customer reviews

Meals I Tested: Individual Ratings

Meal Rating Price Cook Time Quick Take
Miso-Glazed Eggplant with Sesame Soba Noodles 8.5 $12.25 35 min Genuinely restaurant-quality, sticky-sweet glaze with actual depth of flavor.
Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos with Avocado Crema 7.8 $11.50 30 min Better than most restaurant versions, crema carries it hard.
Smoky Black Bean Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries 6.5 $12.00 40 min Patties fell apart during cooking, tasted fine but messy execution.
Thai Green Curry with Tofu and Rice 8.0 $11.75 35 min Spice level was perfect, tofu soaked up the sauce, legit good.
Chickpea Shakshuka with Pita 7.2 $11.00 30 min Solid breakfast-for-dinner vibes, portion felt a little light.
Mushroom Bolognese with Pappardelle 5.8 $12.50 45 min Watery sauce, mushrooms didn't crisp, longest cook time for weakest payoff.

The Purple Carrot Story

Purple Carrot is a 100% plant-based meal kit service. Started in 2014 by Andy Levitt, who wanted to make vegan cooking accessible without requiring a degree in nutritional biochemistry. They send you pre-portioned ingredients and recipes for dinners, lunches, and breakfasts. Everything is vegan. No meat, no dairy, no eggs, no “oops we used butter” moments. That’s their whole thing.

They offer three main product lines: traditional meal kits where you cook from scratch (30-45 minutes), Less Prep meal kits with pre-chopped veggies and pre-made sauces (20-30 minutes), and prepared meals you just reheat (2-5 minutes). You can mix and match across all three in their Mix & Match plan, which is actually pretty flexible. They also sell vegan specialty items through their Plantry add-on section. things like plant-based proteins, snacks, and pantry staples you can’t always find at a regular grocery store.

Purple Carrot has clinical research backing their meals. A study showed their program lowered LDL cholesterol by 10% and helped participants lose an average of 3.1 pounds over 4 weeks. That’s more evidence than most meal kits bother gathering. In 2025-2026, they added a Jumpstart Program ($130 for 4 weeks) designed specifically for people trying to transition to plant-based eating with structured meal plans. Not much else has changed, which is either a good sign of stability or a sign they’re coasting. Probably both.

What's on the Purple Carrot Menu?

Purple Carrot rotates 12-16 dinner options per week, plus 4 lunches and 4 breakfasts. That’s smaller than HelloFresh (50+ weekly options) or Factor (100+ prepared meals), but it’s enough variety that you’re not eating the same thing every week. The dinner menu splits between standard meal kits and Less Prep versions. Less Prep is their attempt at reducing cook time. they send you pre-chopped vegetables, pre-made sauces, and simpler instructions. Works pretty well. Cuts about 10-15 minutes off cook time.

Menu themes lean Mediterranean, Asian-inspired, and Tex-Mex. You’ll see a lot of bowls, tacos, curries, and pasta dishes. Some standouts I’ve tried: the Miso-Glazed Eggplant with Sesame Soba Noodles (genuinely great), Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos with Avocado Crema (better than most restaurant versions), and Thai Green Curry with Tofu (spice level was perfect). The Mushroom Bolognese was a miss. watery sauce, mushrooms didn’t crisp, took 45 minutes to make something I wouldn’t order again.

They mark meals by dietary preference: gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, high-protein, high-fiber, under 600 calories. You can filter by these when you’re picking meals each week. Customization is limited. you can’t swap ingredients or adjust spice levels like you can with HelloFresh. What they send is what you cook. That’s fine if you trust their judgment. Annoying if you hate cilantro or can’t do spicy food.

Purple Carrot Meal Plans & Options

Purple Carrot offers meal kits and prepared meals. For meal kits, you pick 2, 3, or 4 recipes per week. Each recipe serves either 2 or 4 people. You can’t mix serving sizes in the same order. if you pick 2 servings, all your meals are 2 servings. For prepared meals (their TB12 line and standard prepared options), you order 6, 8, or 10 single-serving meals per week. The Mix & Match plan lets you combine meal kits, prepared meals, and Plantry items in one order, which is the most flexible option they offer.

Pricing breaks down like this: meal kits start at $11.00 per serving if you order 4 meals for 4 people (that’s 16 servings total). Most people order 3 meals for 2 people, which runs $12.00 per serving. Less Prep meal kits are $12.50-$13.25 per serving. Prepared meals are $11.99-$13.99 per single serving. Shipping is $12 flat, though they waive it if your order hits $50-$100 depending on the week. Some zip codes get hit with a $15 surcharge, which they don’t advertise until checkout. That’s annoying.

Let’s do the actual math for a realistic scenario: 3 meals per week for 2 people at $12.00 per serving. That’s 6 servings total = $72 per week. Add $12 shipping = $84 per week. Over a month (4 weeks), you’re spending $336. That’s cheaper than ordering delivery every night ($20-25 per meal for two = $360-450/month), but it’s not cheaper than grocery shopping. The average American spends $475 per month on groceries for two people. Purple Carrot saves you time and decision fatigue, not money. Big difference.

Who each plan is for: The 2-serving meal kits are for couples or single people who want leftovers. The 4-serving plans are for families or people who meal prep. Prepared meals are for people who don’t want to cook at all but still want plant-based convenience. The Mix & Match plan is for people who want flexibility. maybe you cook 2 nights, microwave 3 nights, and skip weekends. That’s how I’d use it if I subscribed long-term.

How Does Purple Carrot Actually Taste? My Honest Take

This is the section where I tell you what the food actually tastes like, not what the marketing copy promises. I’ve eaten 24 different Purple Carrot meals over four months. Some were legitimately great. Some were fine. One was bad enough that I threw half of it away and ordered pizza. Here’s the breakdown.

The Miso-Glazed Eggplant with Sesame Soba Noodles is the best thing I’ve made from Purple Carrot. The glaze had actual depth. sweet, salty, umami, not just soy sauce dumped on vegetables. The eggplant roasted properly, got crispy edges, absorbed the sauce. The sesame noodles had good texture, not mushy. Portion was generous. I’m 6’1″ and it filled me up. If every Purple Carrot meal tasted like this, I’d score them a 9. But they don’t.

The Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos were better than most restaurant versions I’ve had. The cauliflower crisped up nicely in the oven, the buffalo sauce had actual heat, and the avocado crema was the star. creamy, tangy, balanced the spice perfectly. Took about 30 minutes to make. Portion was a little light. two tacos per person felt like an appetizer, not a full dinner. I added a side of chips to make it work.

The Thai Green Curry with Tofu was solid. Spice level was perfect for someone who likes heat but doesn’t want to suffer. The tofu soaked up the curry sauce, which doesn’t always happen with meal kit tofu. Rice was fine. Nothing fancy, but it worked. This is what I’d call a reliable 7 out of 10 meal. good enough to reorder, not exciting enough to tell anyone about.

The Chickpea Shakshuka was breakfast-for-dinner vibes. Tomato sauce was tangy, chickpeas added heft, pita was good for scooping. But the portion felt light. It’s listed as a dinner, but it ate like a lunch. I was hungry again two hours later. That’s a problem at $11.75 per serving.

The Smoky Black Bean Burgers were a mess. The patties fell apart while I was flipping them, which meant I ended up with black bean scramble instead of burgers. They tasted fine. smoky, well-seasoned. but the execution was frustrating. The sweet potato fries were good, at least. Took 40 minutes to make something that should’ve been 25.

The Mushroom Bolognese was straight-up bad. The sauce was watery, the mushrooms didn’t crisp or caramelize, and the pappardelle was just. sad. Took 45 minutes to cook, which was the longest cook time of any meal I tested, and the payoff was the weakest. I ate half of it, threw the rest away, and ordered a pizza. That’s the honest truth. Not every Purple Carrot meal is good. This one wasn’t.

Compared to Factor, Purple Carrot requires actual cooking, which is either a pro or a con depending on your lifestyle. Factor meals microwave in 2 minutes and taste fine. Purple Carrot meals take 30-45 minutes and taste better when they’re good, worse when they’re bad. Compared to HelloFresh, Purple Carrot is more interesting. HelloFresh veggie options feel like an afterthought, while Purple Carrot’s whole menu is designed around plants. But HelloFresh gives you 50+ weekly options versus Purple Carrot’s 12-16. Tradeoff.

Purple Carrot Pricing Breakdown (2026)

Let’s break down what Purple Carrot actually costs because their pricing page is designed to confuse you. Meal kits start at $11.00 per serving if you order the biggest plan (4 meals for 4 people = 16 servings total). That’s the headline price they advertise. But most people order 3 meals for 2 people, which runs $12.00 per serving. Less Prep meal kits are $12.50-$13.25 per serving. Prepared meals are $11.99-$13.99 per single serving. Shipping is $12 flat, though they waive it on orders over $50-$100 depending on the week. Some zip codes get hit with a $15 surcharge. That’s not disclosed until checkout, which is shady.

Here’s the real math for a typical order: 3 meals per week for 2 people at $12.00 per serving = $72. Add $12 shipping = $84 per week. Multiply by 4 weeks = $336 per month. That’s assuming you don’t hit the surcharge zip codes and you don’t add any Plantry items. If you spring for Less Prep meals at $13.25 per serving, you’re looking at $371 per month. That’s not cheap.

Compare that to eating out: a decent lunch costs $15-20 per person. Dinner for two at a casual restaurant runs $40-60. If you’re ordering delivery apps every night, you’re easily spending $500-600 per month. Purple Carrot is cheaper than that. But it’s not cheaper than grocery shopping. The average American household spends $475 per month on groceries. Purple Carrot is $336-371, so you’re saving about $100-140 per month versus grocery shopping. But you’re only getting 12 dinners per month (3 meals/week x 4 weeks), not a full month’s worth of food. The math doesn’t make Purple Carrot a budget play. It’s a convenience play.

Compared to competitors: HelloFresh charges $9.99 per serving for a similar plan (3 meals for 2 people), which comes to $287 per month after shipping. That’s $49 less than Purple Carrot. Factor charges $11.49-$13.49 per meal for prepared options, which is roughly the same price as Purple Carrot’s prepared meals, but Factor has 100+ weekly options versus Purple Carrot’s 10-12. Green Chef is $11.99-$13.49 per serving for organic meal kits, which is basically identical to Purple Carrot’s pricing. Sunbasket is $10.99-$13.99 depending on the plan. So Purple Carrot sits in the premium tier, not the budget tier. You’re paying for 100% vegan curation and clinical research backing. That’s the value prop.

Current promo: Purple Carrot offers up to 50% off your first order, or $30-$100 off your first few boxes depending on which promo code you use. Codes I’ve seen recently: PLANTPOWER30, CARROT30, First40, GROW100, GRW100. The best deal is usually the 50% off first box, which brings your cost down to $6-7 per serving for the first week. That’s basically testing it for free. After that, you’re back to full price. Cancel before the second week if you’re just trying it out.

Purple Carrot Delivery & Packaging

Purple Carrot ships Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday depending on your zip code. You don’t get to choose the day. they assign it based on logistics. That’s annoying if you’re particular about when food shows up. My boxes arrived on Tuesdays around 2-4 PM, left on the front porch by FedEx. Box was sturdy cardboard, ingredients packed in a single layer, ice packs on top and bottom. Everything stayed cold. No spoilage issues over 8 deliveries.

Packaging is. fine. Not as eco-friendly as you’d expect from a vegan brand. Ingredients come in plastic bags, ice packs are the gel kind (not compostable), and there’s a decent amount of cardboard filler. They say the box and ice packs are recyclable, but you have to drain the gel packs first, which is annoying. HelloFresh and Green Chef both have better packaging sustainability. That’s a miss for Purple Carrot’s target audience.

Ingredient quality was mostly good. Produce was fresh. no wilted greens, no bruised tomatoes. Tofu arrived firm and sealed. Sauces and spices came in small plastic containers, pre-measured. A few times the herbs were a little sad by the time I cooked them mid-week, but nothing unusable. Portions were accurate. no missing ingredients over 8 boxes, which is better than my experience with HelloFresh (they’ve shorted me twice).

What's New with Purple Carrot in 2026

Not much has changed with Purple Carrot between 2024 and 2026, which is either a good sign of stability or a sign they’re coasting. Probably both. The big addition is the Jumpstart Program, a 4-week structured plan for $130 designed specifically for people transitioning to plant-based eating. It includes 4 weeks of curated meals, a digital guidebook, and access to a private community. That’s new as of late 2025. Beyond that, the menu rotates weekly as usual, pricing is roughly the same (maybe up 3-5% year-over-year), and they haven’t expanded delivery coverage or added major features.

They also added a few more prepared meal options to the Mix & Match plan, but it’s still a smaller selection than Factor or CookUnity. The Plantry add-ons section has more variety now. more plant-based proteins, snacks, and pantry staples. But the core service is the same: vegan meal kits with 12-16 weekly options, 30-45 minute cook times, and premium pricing. If you used Purple Carrot in 2024, you’ll recognize everything in 2026. That’s fine if you liked it the first time. Less exciting if you were hoping for innovation.

How Purple Carrot Compares

Service Price/Serving Meals/Week Prep Time Our Rating Best For
Purple Carrot (This Service) $11.00-$13.25 12-16 dinners 30-45 min 7.7/10 100% vegan variety
Green Chef $11.99-$13.49 30+ options 25-35 min 7.9/10 Organic everything
HelloFresh $7.49-$9.99 50+ options 30-40 min 7.5/10 Variety on budget
Sunbasket $10.99-$13.99 20+ options 15-30 min 7.4/10 Organic flexibility

Purple Carrot Pros & Cons

What I Like

  • 100% plant-based curation. You’re not sifting through 30 meat options to find 3 veggie meals. Every single recipe is designed for plants, which means better creativity and flavor development.
  • Clinical research backing. The LDL cholesterol and weight loss studies give Purple Carrot more credibility than most meal kits, which just make marketing claims without data.
  • Less Prep option actually works. Pre-chopped veggies and pre-made sauces cut 10-15 minutes off cook time without sacrificing much quality. That’s a real time-saver.
  • Mix & Match flexibility. Being able to combine meal kits, prepared meals, and Plantry items in one order is more flexible than most competitors offer.
  • Recipe creativity. Miso-glazed eggplant, buffalo cauliflower tacos, Thai green curry. these aren’t boring salads. Purple Carrot treats plant-based cooking like actual cuisine, not a limitation.
  • No ingredient shortages. Eight boxes, zero missing ingredients. HelloFresh has shorted me twice. That reliability matters.
  • Plantry add-ons. Being able to order vegan specialty items (plant-based proteins, snacks, pantry staples) in the same box as your meal kits is convenient if you don’t live near a good health food store.

What Could Be Better

  • Expensive. $12-13 per serving puts Purple Carrot in the premium tier. HelloFresh is $9.99, Dinnerly is $5.29. You’re paying $2-7 more per serving for vegan curation.
  • Can’t choose delivery day. Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday based on your zip code. No customization. That’s a problem if you travel for work or aren’t home mid-week.
  • Limited menu. 12-16 dinner options per week versus HelloFresh’s 50+ or Factor’s 100+. You’ll repeat meals faster.
  • Portions run small on some meals. I’m 6’1″ and a few meals left me reaching for a snack an hour later. The Chickpea Shakshuka especially. felt like a lunch, not a dinner.
  • Packaging isn’t eco-friendly. Plastic bags, gel ice packs, lots of cardboard filler. For a vegan brand, the sustainability is weaker than Green Chef or Sunbasket.
  • Some recipes lack detail. The Smoky Black Bean Burgers fell apart because the recipe didn’t explain how to shape them properly. Beginners might struggle with a few of these.
  • Produce often isn’t organic. Most non-produce items are organic, but the actual vegetables and fruits often aren’t. That’s disappointing given the premium pricing and plant-based focus.

Who Should (and Shouldn't) Try Purple Carrot?

Purple Carrot is for committed vegans and vegetarians who are tired of eating the same tofu scramble and sad salads every week. If you’ve been plant-based for a while and you’re bored with your rotation, this gives you 12-16 new ideas per week without having to meal plan or grocery shop. The recipes are creative enough that you’ll actually want to cook them, and the Less Prep option saves time without feeling like you’re microwaving frozen burritos.

It’s also for plant-curious people doing a trial month. If you’re thinking about going vegan or vegetarian but you’re worried the food will be boring, Purple Carrot is a good test. The clinical research backing (10% LDL cholesterol reduction, 3.1 pounds weight loss over 4 weeks) gives you a structured program with measurable results. The Jumpstart Program ($130 for 4 weeks) is specifically designed for this use case. Try it for a month, see how you feel, decide if it’s sustainable long-term.

Skip Purple Carrot if you’re on a tight budget. At $12-13 per serving plus $12 shipping, you’re spending $336-371 per month for 12 dinners. That’s not cheap. If you need affordable meal prep, go with Dinnerly ($5.29/serving) or EveryPlate ($4.99/serving). They’re not vegan-only, but they have veggie options and they’re half the price. Skip it if you want something you can microwave in 2 minutes. Factor is better for that. $11.49/meal, 100+ options, zero cooking. Purple Carrot requires 30-45 minutes of actual work.

Also skip it if you need daily meal coverage. Purple Carrot is weekly delivery only. you can’t order 30 meals at once and stock your fridge for the month. If you want bulk meal prep, Factor or CookUnity are better fits. And skip it if you’re not actually interested in plant-based eating. HelloFresh has veggie options at $9.99/serving with 50+ weekly choices. No reason to pay the Purple Carrot premium if you’re not committed to the vegan thing.

How I Tested Purple Carrot

I ordered 8 Purple Carrot boxes between October 2025 and February 2026. Tested both the standard meal kit plan and the Mix & Match plan, trying a total of 24 different meals. Spent $680 of my own money. I ordered the 3-meals-for-2-people plan each week, alternating between standard meal kits, Less Prep meal kits, and a few prepared meals to compare across product lines. Every meal was cooked or reheated according to the recipe instructions, timed from start to finish, and evaluated on taste, portion size, ease of preparation, and whether I’d reorder it.

I scored each meal on a 10-point scale based on four factors: flavor (does it taste good, or just virtuous?), texture (proper doneness, good mouthfeel), portion size (does it fill you up for the price?), and execution (did the recipe work as written, or did I have to improvise?). Meals scoring 8+ are genuinely good and worth reordering. Meals scoring 6-7 are fine but forgettable. Meals scoring under 6 have real problems. I compared Purple Carrot side-by-side with HelloFresh and Factor meals I was testing during the same period, using the same evaluation criteria.

I’m Eric Sornoso, founder of MealFan. I’ve been reviewing meal delivery services since 2019 and have personally tested over 40 different services, spending thousands of dollars of my own money. I don’t accept free boxes or sponsored content. If a service has an affiliate program, I disclose it. If they don’t, I review them anyway. This review reflects my genuine experience after four months of regular use.

Purple Carrot Alternatives Worth Considering

Green Chef is the closest competitor. organic meal kits at $11.99-$13.49 per serving with a dedicated vegan plan. The difference: Green Chef offers keto, paleo, and Mediterranean plans alongside vegan, so you’re not locked into plant-based if your household has mixed preferences. Green Chef’s packaging is more eco-friendly (compostable ice packs, less plastic), which matters if sustainability is a priority. But their vegan menu is smaller. 6-8 options per week versus Purple Carrot’s 12-16. Go with Green Chef if you want organic everything and you’re willing to trade menu variety for better packaging.

HelloFresh is the budget-friendly alternative at $9.99 per serving for 3 meals for 2 people. They have veggie options every week, but it’s not their focus. you’re picking from 8-10 vegetarian recipes out of 50+ total options. The food is fine, not exciting. HelloFresh is the Toyota Camry of meal kits: reliable, affordable, not particularly interesting. Go with HelloFresh if you just want easy dinners and you’re okay with repeating meals every few weeks. You’ll save about $50 per month versus Purple Carrot.

Sunbasket offers organic meal kits and prepared meals at $10.99-$13.99 per serving with a plant-based plan. Their prepared meals are better than Purple Carrot’s (more variety, better reheating results), but their meal kits are less interesting recipe-wise. Sunbasket feels more health-focused, less culinary-focused. Go with Sunbasket if you want the flexibility of meal kits AND prepared meals without committing to 100% vegan. They also let you choose your delivery day, which Purple Carrot doesn’t.

More MealFan Reviews:

Our Verdict on Purple Carrot

Overall Score: 7.7/10

Taste: 8.0/10 | Value: 6.5/10 | Variety: 7.0/10

Ease: 7.5/10 | Delivery: 7.0/10 | Dietary Options: 9.5/10

Yes, Purple Carrot is worth it if you’re committed to plant-based eating and you want creative recipes that don’t feel like a compromise. The Miso-Glazed Eggplant, Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos, and Thai Green Curry are legitimately good meals that I’d choose to eat even if I weren’t vegan. The clinical research backing (10% LDL cholesterol reduction, weight loss results) gives it more credibility than most meal kits, which just make marketing claims without data. And the Less Prep option genuinely saves time without sacrificing much quality.

But it’s expensive. At $12-13 per serving plus shipping, you’re spending $336-371 per month for 12 dinners. That’s not a budget play. it’s a convenience play for people who value time and variety over cost. If you’re vegan or vegetarian and you’re tired of eating the same rotation of tofu scrambles and sad salads, Purple Carrot gives you 12-16 new ideas per week without meal planning or grocery shopping. That’s worth the premium if cooking is something you enjoy and you have the budget for it. If you’re just trying to eat cheaper than delivery apps, go with HelloFresh at $9.99/serving or Dinnerly at $5.29/serving. They’re not vegan-only, but they’ll save you $50-100 per month.

Real talk: I’d keep subscribing to Purple Carrot if I were fully plant-based. The food is interesting enough that I look forward to cooking it, and the Less Prep option handles nights when I don’t have 45 minutes to chop vegetables. But I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who’s casually flexitarian or just trying to save money. This is for people who are committed to the vegan thing and willing to pay a premium for curation and convenience. If that’s you, it’s the best option in the category. Full stop.

How We Score Meal Delivery Services

Every meal delivery service on MealFan gets scored on six factors: Taste (based on 20+ meals tested per service), Value (cost per serving versus competitors and grocery shopping), Variety (menu size and weekly rotation), Ease (prep time accuracy, recipe clarity, cooking difficulty), Delivery (reliability, packaging quality, ingredient freshness), and Dietary Options (range of plans and restrictions supported). Each factor is scored 1-10 based on my personal testing, not surveys or aggregated reviews. Taste is weighted highest because if the food isn’t good, nothing else matters. I update scores when services make meaningful changes. new menus, pricing adjustments, coverage expansions. Scores are comparative, not absolute. An 8.0 for taste means it’s better than most competitors I’ve tested, not that it’s Michelin-star quality.

Review Update History

This review was originally published in March 2024 based on my first 3 Purple Carrot boxes. I’ve updated it twice since then. Last major update: February 2026, when I retested the service with 8 new boxes and verified current pricing, menu options, and delivery coverage. I recheck pricing and menu changes quarterly. The next scheduled review is May 2026. If Purple Carrot makes major changes before then (pricing increase, menu overhaul, new product line), I’ll update sooner and note it here.

Disclosure

Full transparency: the links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up for Purple Carrot through one of them, MealFan earns a small commission. Doesn’t cost you extra. I test and pay for these services with my own money regardless of whether they have an affiliate program. Some of the services I rank highest don’t even have affiliate deals. Purple Carrot does, and I’m disclosing it because that’s how this works. I’m not going to pretend I’m reviewing meal kits as a public service. This is my job. But the reviews are honest, and I’d tell you the same things if I were texting a friend.

Frequently Asked Questions About Purple Carrot

Is Purple Carrot worth it in 2026?

Yes, if you’re committed to plant-based eating and you want creative recipes backed by clinical research. At $12-13 per serving it’s expensive, but the food quality and variety are better than most vegan meal kits. Skip it if you’re on a tight budget or just want something to microwave. Factor is better for that at a similar price.

How much does Purple Carrot cost per month?

For 3 meals per week for 2 people (the most common plan), you’re spending $72 per week on meals plus $12 shipping = $84 per week. Over 4 weeks, that’s $336 per month. Less Prep meals run higher at $13.25 per serving, which brings the monthly total to $371. That’s before any Plantry add-ons or surcharge zip codes.

Can you cancel Purple Carrot anytime?

Yes, you can cancel anytime through your account settings. No cancellation fees, no pressure to stay. You can also pause your subscription for up to 10 weeks if you want to take a break without fully canceling. Skipping individual weeks is free and unlimited.

What diets does Purple Carrot support?

Purple Carrot is 100% vegan, so everything is plant-based by default. They offer filtering for gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, high-protein, high-fiber, and under-600-calorie meals. The gluten-free and nut-free options are solid. I tested several and they didn’t feel like afterthoughts. But if you’re not interested in plant-based eating, this isn’t the service for you.

How does Purple Carrot compare to Green Chef?

Both are premium meal kits at $11-13 per serving with vegan options, but Green Chef offers multiple plans (keto, paleo, Mediterranean) while Purple Carrot is vegan-only. Green Chef has better packaging sustainability (compostable ice packs, less plastic), but Purple Carrot has more vegan menu variety (12-16 options vs Green Chef’s 6-8). Go with Green Chef if you want organic everything and flexible diets. Go with Purple Carrot if you’re committed to plant-based and want more recipe variety.

Does Purple Carrot offer free shipping?

No, shipping is $12 flat on most orders. They waive it on orders over $50-$100 depending on the week, but most standard meal kit orders don’t hit that threshold. Some zip codes also get hit with a $15 surcharge, which isn’t disclosed until checkout. Factor that into your monthly cost.

Is Purple Carrot good for weight loss?

Yes, Purple Carrot has clinical research showing participants lost an average of 3.1 pounds over 4 weeks on their program. They offer high-fiber, high-protein, and under-600-calorie meal options that support weight loss goals. But portion sizes run small on some meals, so if you’re very active or a larger person, you might need to add snacks. The calorie counts are accurate based on my testing.

What’s the best Purple Carrot promo code right now?

The best deal is usually 50% off your first order, which brings your cost down to $6-7 per serving for the first week. Current codes: PLANTPOWER30, CARROT30, First40, GROW100, GRW100. The 50% off code changes frequently, so check their homepage for the current offer. After the first box, you’re back to full price ($12-13 per serving). Cancel before the second week if you’re just trying it out.

How We Test Meal Delivery Services

Every MealFan review follows a consistent process: we subscribe with our own money, receive at least two weeks of deliveries, and evaluate each service across five weighted criteria:

Taste
30% weight
Value
25% weight
Variety
20% weight
Delivery
15% weight
Flexibility
10% weight

Full details in our Editorial Policy.

Sources & References

About the Reviewer

I've reviewed over 40 meal delivery services across 50+ U.S. cities since founding MealFan in 2024. Every review starts with a real order. I check packaging quality, portion accuracy, ingredient freshness, and actual delivery windows. My background is in consumer product research and digital media. I have no ownership stake in any service reviewed on this site.

Eric Sornoso · Founder & Editor, MealFan · Editorial Policy

Editorial Transparency

MealFan reviews are researched and written by our editorial team. We personally test each service, evaluating meal quality, delivery reliability, and value. We may earn affiliate commissions on some links, but this never influences our ratings. See our Editorial Policy and Privacy Policy.

About the Author

Eric Sornoso is the founder and editor of MealFan. He has reviewed over 40 meal delivery services across 50+ U.S. cities, personally ordering and testing each one. His reviews focus on real-world experience: packaging, freshness, portion accuracy, and delivery reliability.

Eric Sornoso · Founder & Editor · About MealFan

Editorial Transparency

MealFan content is researched and reviewed by our editorial team. We may earn affiliate commissions on links in this article, but this never influences our recommendations. See our Editorial Policy and Privacy Policy.