Splendid Spoon vs Purple Carrot 2026: Which Plant-Based Service Wins?

I spent three weeks alternating between Splendid Spoon and Purple Carrot. Same credit card, same delivery address, same routine of opening boxes and actually eating what showed up. Here’s what that looked like: Splendid Spoon arrived Wednesday mornings with smoothies that went straight into my freezer and soups I microwaved for exactly 2 minutes. Purple Carrot showed up Thursdays with meal kits that took 35-40 minutes to cook and a handful of prepared meals that reheated faster.

The short version? If you want zero cooking and don’t mind smaller portions, Splendid Spoon is the move at $9.99-$13.49 per meal. If you actually want dinner. something that fills you up and maybe teaches you how to cook Thai curry paste or use miso in ways you didn’t know existed. Purple Carrot wins at $13.25 per serving for meal kits or cheaper if you order their prepared meals in bulk.

Both are 100% plant-based. Both ship nationwide. Both cost less than your Uber Eats habit if you’re honest about the math. But they solve completely different problems, and pretending they’re interchangeable is how you end up disappointed with whichever one you pick.

Quick Verdict: Splendid Spoon vs Purple Carrot

Purple Carrot wins on taste, portion size, and value if you’re willing to cook. Splendid Spoon wins on convenience and speed if you need grab-and-go meals that require zero effort.

Who Should Pick Splendid Spoon

You work 10-hour days and eat breakfast at your desk while answering Slack messages. You want a smoothie you can drink in the car or a soup you can microwave in 2 minutes between meetings. You don’t cook. You don’t want to learn to cook. You just need food that shows up ready and doesn’t require thinking.

You’re gluten-free or have multiple food sensitivities and you’re tired of reading ingredient labels on everything. Splendid Spoon is 100% gluten-free, soy-free, and vegan across the entire menu. No filters needed, no “may contain” disclaimers.

You live alone and you’re not trying to feed a family or impress anyone with your knife skills. The portions are small. 200-400 calories per meal. which works if you’re supplementing with snacks or using these as actual breakfast and lunch, not trying to replace a full dinner.

You travel for work and need meals that survive in a hotel mini-fridge and reheat in 90 seconds. The soups and grain bowls hold up better than most meal kit leftovers, and you’re not stuck trying to cook salmon in a microwave at a Hampton Inn.

Who Should Pick Purple Carrot

You actually want to eat dinner. Not a 300-calorie bowl of soup, but a real meal with protein, carbs, and enough food that you’re not raiding the pantry an hour later. Purple Carrot’s meal kits average 500-700 calories per serving, and the prepared meals hit similar numbers.

You’re trying to learn how to cook plant-based food that doesn’t taste like punishment. The meal kits come with recipe cards that explain what harissa is, how to press tofu properly, and why you should toast your spices before adding liquid. If you’ve been vegan for three months and you’re bored of the same five recipes, this teaches you new ones.

You have a partner or roommate and you’re splitting meals. Purple Carrot’s 2-serving and 4-serving meal kits make more sense than buying two separate Splendid Spoon orders. The math works better when you’re feeding multiple people.

You want the option to cook OR not cook depending on the week. Purple Carrot’s Mix & Match plan lets you combine meal kits with prepared meals in the same order. Some weeks you cook three dinners. Some weeks you microwave everything. That flexibility matters when your schedule isn’t predictable.

You care about creative recipes and trying cuisines you wouldn’t normally cook. Purple Carrot’s menu pulls from Thai, Indian, Mediterranean, and Korean influences. Splendid Spoon’s menu is. soups and smoothies. Good ones, but not exactly adventurous.

Pricing Breakdown: What You Actually Pay

Splendid Spoon charges $9.99-$13.49 per meal depending on how many you order. The pricing works like this: 7 meals is $13.49 each ($94.43 total), 14 meals drops to $11.99 each ($167.86), 21 meals is $10.99 each ($230.79), and 28 meals hits $9.99 each ($279.72). Shipping is free on 10+ meals, otherwise it’s $12.99. That’s $180-$292 per week if you’re eating Splendid Spoon for every breakfast and lunch, which most people aren’t.

Purple Carrot’s meal kits cost $13.25 per serving. If you order 3 meals per week with 2 servings each, that’s $79.50 per week or $318 per month. Their prepared meals run cheaper in bulk. around $8.50-$10 per meal when you order larger quantities. Free shipping kicks in at $50, otherwise it’s $8.99, and some rural ZIP codes get hit with a $15 surcharge.

Do the math for a realistic scenario: you’re one person, you want breakfast and lunch covered Monday through Friday. That’s 10 meals per week. Splendid Spoon charges $119.90 plus free shipping = $119.90/week or $479.60/month. Purple Carrot’s prepared meals at $9/each would be $90/week or $360/month for the same 10 meals, assuming you hit the free shipping threshold.

For couples eating dinner together: Purple Carrot’s 3 meal kits (2 servings each) = $79.50/week with free shipping. That’s 6 dinners total, so $13.25 per plate. Splendid Spoon doesn’t make sense here because you’d need 6 individual meals at $11.99-$13.49 each, and you’d still be hungry.

Both services run promos. Splendid Spoon offers $60 off your first 3 boxes plus free wellness shots. Purple Carrot’s GROW200 promo (valid through February 2026) gives you $200 off your first 8 orders if you spend $78+. That drops the effective cost to $5-7 per serving for the first two months, which makes either service basically free to test if you’re strategic about it.

Menu and Meal Options

Splendid Spoon rotates through 50+ items split across smoothies, soups, grain bowls, noodle dishes, and wellness shots. The menu changes every 4-6 months, not weekly. That means if you see the Carrot Ginger Soup in January, it’ll still be there in March. Some people like the consistency. I found it limiting after week two when I’d already tried everything that sounded good.

The breakdown: 15-20 smoothie flavors (Acai Berry, Cacao Crunch, Mango Coconut), 30+ soups and grain bowls (Thai Coconut Curry, Butternut Squash, Cauliflower Tikka Masala), 6+ noodle options (Peanut Sesame Noodles, Spicy Dan Dan), and 8 wellness shots with turmeric or ginger. Everything is vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free. No customization. you pick from what’s available.

Purple Carrot refreshes its menu every week. Each week you get 8 meal kit options (if you’re ordering 2-serving kits) or 4 options (for 4-serving kits), plus 12 prepared meals. The meal kits I tried: Miso Udon Noodles with Bok Choy, BBQ Cauliflower Tacos with Cilantro Slaw, Thai Red Curry with Tofu and Green Beans. The prepared meals: Pesto Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Korean Bibimbap Bowl, Smoky Black Bean Enchiladas.

Purple Carrot lets you filter by preference: Chef’s Choice, Gluten-Free, Less Prep (under 25 minutes), High Protein (20g+), or High Fiber. Splendid Spoon has no filters because the entire menu already excludes gluten, soy, and animal products. If you need high-protein plant-based meals, Purple Carrot is the only option here. Splendid Spoon’s soups average 8-12g of protein per serving.

Variety winner: Purple Carrot. The weekly rotation means you literally never have to eat the same thing twice if you don’t want to. Splendid Spoon’s static menu gets repetitive fast.

How They Actually Taste

Splendid Spoon’s smoothies are fine. Not great, not bad, just fine. The Acai Berry one tastes like frozen fruit that got blended with almond milk and a little maple syrup. It’s 240 calories, goes down easy, and I’d drink it again if someone handed it to me. Would I get excited about it? No. The Cacao Crunch smoothie was better. thicker, more filling, tasted like a chocolate shake that didn’t hate itself.

The soups are where Splendid Spoon surprised me. The Thai Coconut Curry soup actually had depth. lemongrass, ginger, a little heat from red curry paste. I microwaved it for 2 minutes, stirred, ate it straight from the container. It’s 310 calories and genuinely tasty. The Carrot Ginger soup tasted like pureed carrots with ginger. Not bad, but not something I’d choose over real food if I had the option.

The grain bowls were the weakest link. The Cauliflower Tikka Masala bowl had good spice but the portion was laughably small. maybe a cup and a half of food total. I ate it in about six bites and was still hungry. The Peanut Sesame Noodles were better: soba noodles, shredded cabbage, peanut sauce, sesame seeds. Tasted good, still a small portion. These are 350-400 calories max.

Purple Carrot’s meal kits are a different game. The Miso Udon Noodles with Bok Choy took me 38 minutes to cook. I had to boil noodles, sauté bok choy and mushrooms, make a miso-ginger sauce, and plate everything. The result? Actually restaurant-quality. The miso sauce was salty, savory, a little sweet. The bok choy had char. The noodles were perfectly chewy. This is 520 calories per serving and I was full after eating it.

The BBQ Cauliflower Tacos were even better. I roasted cauliflower with BBQ spice mix, made a cilantro-lime slaw, warmed tortillas, assembled everything. Total time: 35 minutes. The cauliflower had crispy edges, the slaw was crunchy and acidic, the whole thing tasted like something I’d order at a fast-casual place for $14. Two tacos, about 480 calories, very filling.

Purple Carrot’s prepared meals are hit or miss. The Korean Bibimbap Bowl reheated well. rice stayed fluffy, vegetables didn’t get mushy, gochujang sauce had the right amount of heat. The Pesto Pasta was mid. Not bad, but the pasta got a little gummy in the microwave and the pesto tasted flat. Still better than most frozen meals, but not as good as the meal kits.

Taste verdict: Purple Carrot wins by a lot if you’re comparing meal kits to Splendid Spoon’s soups. The prepared meals are closer, but Purple Carrot still edges ahead on portion size and flavor depth. Splendid Spoon tastes fine for what it is. convenient, light, fast. But it’s not food you get excited about eating.

Cooking and Prep Experience

Splendid Spoon requires zero cooking. You open the container, microwave it for 2-3 minutes if it’s a soup or bowl, or drink it cold if it’s a smoothie. The smoothies come frozen and you’re supposed to let them thaw in the fridge for 8 hours or run them under warm water for 5 minutes. I did the warm water method every time because I’m not planning my smoothies 8 hours in advance.

The packaging is single-serve containers. BPA-free plastic cups with peel-off lids. You eat straight from the container or pour it into a bowl. No dishes. The containers are recyclable in most areas. Total prep time from fridge to eating: 2-3 minutes for soups, 0 minutes for smoothies.

Purple Carrot’s meal kits are actual cooking. The recipe cards list every step with photos. Ingredients come pre-portioned in small bags labeled “Spice Mix A” or “Sauce Ingredients.” You’re doing real knife work. chopping onions, mincing garlic, slicing vegetables. You’re using multiple pans. You’re following 8-12 steps per recipe.

The Miso Udon recipe had me boiling water, sautéing vegetables in a separate pan, whisking together a sauce, and timing everything so the noodles finished at the same time as the vegetables. It wasn’t hard, but it required attention. If you’ve never cooked before, some of these recipes will intimidate you. If you cook regularly, they’re straightforward.

Prep time on Purple Carrot’s meal kits: 30-45 minutes consistently. The “Less Prep” filtered meals claim 25 minutes but I never hit that. The Thai Red Curry took me 42 minutes start to finish, including cleaning one cutting board and two pans afterward.

Purple Carrot’s prepared meals are Splendid Spoon-level easy. Peel the film, microwave 2 minutes, stir, microwave another minute. Total time: 3 minutes. The packaging is similar. single-serve plastic containers, recyclable, eat from the container or transfer to a plate.

Prep winner: Splendid Spoon if you want zero effort. Purple Carrot if you want to actually cook and learn something. The prepared meals from Purple Carrot split the difference. easier than meal kits, more substantial than Splendid Spoon.

Delivery and Packaging

Splendid Spoon ships to the contiguous U.S. via FedEx or UPS, arriving Wednesdays or Fridays depending on your ZIP code. I’m in a major metro and got Wednesday delivery consistently. The box is cardboard lined with insulated recyclable paper, packed with dry ice or ice packs depending on the season. Everything arrived frozen solid.

The packaging is excessive for what you’re getting. A box big enough to hold a microwave contains 7-14 small plastic cups. It’s a lot of cardboard and insulation for smoothies. Splendid Spoon says the packaging is compostable or recyclable, which is true, but it’s still a big box for not much food.

Purple Carrot ships weekly via FedEx, usually arriving Thursday or Friday. The box is similar. cardboard, insulated liner, ice packs. Meal kit ingredients come in separate bags (produce, proteins, sauces) with recipe cards on top. The prepared meals are packed separately in their own insulated section.

Purple Carrot’s packaging is more efficient because you’re getting actual bulk ingredients. a full head of bok choy, a block of tofu, a bag of noodles. instead of single-serve cups. The box feels appropriately sized for what’s inside. Ice packs kept everything cold for the 8 hours my box sat on my porch in July.

Both services had zero delivery issues in my testing. Splendid Spoon: 3 deliveries, all on time, all frozen solid. Purple Carrot: 3 deliveries, all on time, all ingredients fresh. I checked lettuce, tofu, and pre-made sauces for spoilage. Everything was good.

Shipping costs: Splendid Spoon charges $12.99 for orders under 10 meals, free after that. Purple Carrot charges $8.99 under $50, free above $50. Some rural ZIP codes get a $15 surcharge on Purple Carrot (I didn’t hit this, but their website warns about it).

Delivery winner: Tie. Both ship reliably, both use similar packaging, both have reasonable shipping fees. Neither one screwed up a delivery in my testing.

The Final Call: Splendid Spoon vs Purple Carrot

Purple Carrot wins this comparison for most people. Better taste, bigger portions, more variety, and lower cost per calorie if you’re ordering prepared meals in bulk or cooking meal kits. The meal kits teach you how to cook interesting plant-based food. The prepared meals are convenient enough for busy weeks. The menu changes weekly so you don’t get bored. At $8.50-$13.25 per serving depending on what you order, it’s competitive with Splendid Spoon and delivers more food.

Splendid Spoon wins if you need absolute zero-effort food and you’re okay with smaller portions. If you’re eating breakfast at your desk every morning or you need lunch between back-to-back meetings, the smoothies and soups work. If you’re gluten-free or have multiple food sensitivities, the entire menu is safe. But you’re paying $9.99-$13.49 for 200-400 calorie meals that won’t fill you up if you’re using them as full meal replacements.

The real decision: Do you want to cook or not? If yes, Purple Carrot’s meal kits are legitimately good and you’ll learn recipes you can remake on your own later. If no, Splendid Spoon is faster but you’re sacrificing portion size and taste quality. If you want the best of both, order Purple Carrot’s Mix & Match plan and get prepared meals for the days you’re busy and meal kits for the days you have time.

My personal pick: Purple Carrot. I kept the subscription running after my testing period ended. I canceled Splendid Spoon after three weeks because I was tired of being hungry an hour after eating their soups. The meal kits take effort, but the food is good enough that I actually look forward to cooking them. That’s the difference.

FAQ: Splendid Spoon vs Purple Carrot

Is Splendid Spoon better than Purple Carrot?

No. Purple Carrot wins on taste, portion size, menu variety, and value for money. Splendid Spoon only wins on convenience. it requires zero cooking and everything is ready in 2-3 minutes. If you need grab-and-go meals and don’t care about portion size, Splendid Spoon works. For everyone else, Purple Carrot is the better service.

Which is cheaper, Splendid Spoon or Purple Carrot?

Purple Carrot is cheaper per calorie. Splendid Spoon charges $9.99-$13.49 for 200-400 calorie meals. Purple Carrot’s meal kits are $13.25 per serving but give you 500-700 calories. Their prepared meals drop to $8.50-$10 per serving in bulk orders. If you’re comparing 10 meals per week, Purple Carrot’s prepared meals cost around $90-100/week vs Splendid Spoon’s $120/week, and you get more food with Purple Carrot.

Which service has better-tasting meals?

Purple Carrot. The meal kits are restaurant-quality when you follow the recipe cards. The prepared meals are better than most frozen plant-based options. Splendid Spoon’s soups and smoothies taste fine. fresh, light, not offensive. but they’re not exciting. The Thai Coconut Curry soup was genuinely good. Everything else was mid. Purple Carrot’s Miso Udon and BBQ Cauliflower Tacos were both better than anything I had from Splendid Spoon.

Which should I try first?

Try Purple Carrot first if you’re willing to cook 30-45 minutes per meal or if you want their prepared meals. Use the GROW200 promo code for $200 off your first 8 orders. that drops the effective cost to $5-7 per serving for two months, which is basically testing it for free. Try Splendid Spoon first only if you need zero-cooking meals for breakfast and lunch and you’re okay with small portions. Their $60 off first 3 boxes promo makes it cheap enough to test, but I’d start with Purple Carrot unless convenience is your only priority.

Can I order both at the same time?

Yes, and some people do this. Order Splendid Spoon for breakfast (smoothies) and Purple Carrot for dinner (meal kits or prepared meals). The services don’t overlap in what they’re solving for. Splendid Spoon is breakfast/lunch focused, Purple Carrot is dinner focused. Just be honest about the cost: you’re spending $200-400/month combined if you’re doing this regularly.

Which service is better for weight loss?

Splendid Spoon if you’re counting calories. The meals are 200-400 calories each, clearly labeled, and portion-controlled. Purple Carrot’s meal kits are 500-700 calories per serving, which is harder to fit into a calorie deficit unless you’re eating one meal per day. But Splendid Spoon’s small portions mean you’ll probably snack more, which defeats the purpose. Neither service is specifically designed for weight loss. they’re both just plant-based meal delivery.

Are both services 100% vegan?

Yes. Every meal from both services is vegan. no meat, dairy, eggs, or animal-derived ingredients. Splendid Spoon is also 100% gluten-free and soy-free. Purple Carrot has gluten-free and soy-free options but not across the entire menu. you have to filter for them when ordering.

Do either of these services work for families?

Purple Carrot works better for families. The meal kits come in 2-serving or 4-serving sizes, so you can feed a couple or a family of four with one recipe. Splendid Spoon is single-serve only. you’d need to order separate meals for each person, which gets expensive fast. If you’re feeding kids, Purple Carrot’s meal kits let you involve them in cooking, which some families like. Splendid Spoon is more for solo adults who don’t cook.