Sunbasket vs Purple Carrot – Which One is Best For You?

Sunbasket vs Purple Carrot – Pricing

You best believe that the meal kits delivered by Purple Carrot are more affordable than Sunbasket. This includes the cost of their minimum orders as well as for meal plans that include more than 3 servings weekly.

Besides, for your very first order, you need to be more invested in a service that doesn’t cost you a lot of money, right? The first order is always a trial. You’re not yet sure about what you want and whether you’ll like the meals you get to make and eat at home.

So, considering saving money is your priority, Purple Carrot is more appealing from the price’s point of view.

Here’s what Sunbasket and Purple Carrot offer on their minimum order:

Purple Carrot saves $1-2 more on 2- and 4-serving meal plans, respectively. The minimum order for any selected meal plan on either Sunbasket or Purple Carrot is 2 or 4 servings.

Having said this, I’d also like to point out that the pricing structures of Sunbasket and Purple Carrot are distinct from each other.

Starting with Sunbasket, their price range starts from $10.99 per serving. However, if you order less, expect to pay somewhere between $10.99 and $13.99 for your meal plan. On the other hand, for a drop in price, you have to increase the number of servings you order and/or meals. Even then, Sunbasket’s average meal plan cost is higher than most other services, including Purple Carrot.

Price for 2 servings per meal kit:

Price for 4 servings per meal kit:

In addition to paying a relatively higher price on each and every meal plan, Sunbasket also charges a shipping fee on all orders. The shipping cost is $7.99 per order.

The only affordable item on their menu is their “Fresh & Ready” premade meal kits. If you’ve ever tried packaged meals that you simply have to heat and serve, this is exactly like that.

Price for quick “Fresh & Ready” meals by Sunbasket:

Purple Carrot features a simpler pricing structure. The average cost is between $9.99 and $11.99 per serving. Likewise, they charge no shipping fee, which saves more money. On the other hand, you have to pay $7.99 more with Sunbasket just to get your order delivered.

Purple Carrot has divided its menu into smaller sections because they offer more than just main meal kits. You can pick from Breakfast, Dinner, and Lunch recipes, although their Dinner meal plans are a priority as they include the most varied and wholesome recipes in the Dinner plan.

The number of recipes for Lunch and Breakfast is always limited. Here’s a bonus – you can also pick from their Snacks menu, but depending on each item, it costs more on the final bill amount.

For Dinner:

For Breakfast:

For Lunch:

Purple Carrot also offers prepared meals that are similar to “Fresh & Ready” meals on Sunbasket. They take less than 5-7 minutes to heat and serve. The starting price of Purple Carrot’s Prepared Meals is $12.99 per serving.

You pay less on every order when you pick Purple Carrot because of free shipping and slightly less “per-serving” cost which makes them a better budget-friendly service than Sunbasket.

Sunbasket vs Purple Carrot – First-Time Discount

Here’s what you get, discount and all, with your very first order on Sunbasket and Purple Carrot. This is a one-time purchase offer for new customers only.

It’s such a huge advantage in favor of Sunbasket as we’ve already established that it costs more than its competitor. The significant drop in price on the first order can convince you to try out Sunbasket before you switch to the relatively cheaper alternative for your weekly meals.

Sunbasket offers its first-time customers a whopping $90 discount along with a few free gifts on your first 4 orders.

The cost per serving is significantly reduced from the average $9.99 to $4.27 per serving plus shipping. You can see this on the front page of their website. The $90 discount is distributed evenly no matter what you order.

As with Purple Carrot, you get a $25 discount on the first meal box. There’s not much else to this discount because shipping on Purple Carrot is already free.

This is what you get for your first order on Sunbasket and Purple Carrot. Sunbasket is relatively cheaper because it offers a higher discounted price on the final bill for 6 servings. Plus, with Sunbasket, you’ll also win exciting goodies in your first 4 orders. They could be anything from snacks, and drinks, to other delicious treats!

Please note that I have applied this discount to the minimum order just for the sake of comparison. You can increase the meal plans based on how many portions you want based on your personal preferences. 

Sunbasket vs Purple Carrot – Ingredients

It’s best to start with a comparison of what ingredients you should expect from both services.

Purple Carrot is a completely plant-based meal kit delivery service. This explains its relatively cheaper price, but this also means that it’s not as diet-friendly as Sunbasket.

Sunbasket includes both vegetarian and nonvegetarian meals on its menu. It’s more diet-friendly than Purple Carrot in that it accommodates different dietary options such as Paleo, Mediterranean, Pescatarian, and other meat-friendly diets for weight loss, bodybuilding, stamina, etc.

In terms of meal variety and menu options, Sunbasket is definitely the winner. There are some restrictions when you order from Purple Carrot because all their recipes are either vegan or vegetarian. This limits the number of recipes per menu on Purple Carrot.

On Purple Carrot

You can select from around 8 to 12 recipes per week. They have new recipes every week, which is exciting because you get to try some really delicious vegan/vegetarian recipes that you probably wouldn’t make at home.

Each recipe is labeled according to the dietary preference it meets. For example, if a recipe has fewer than 600 calories, you can easily spot the “<600 Calories” label on the recipe page.

Purple Carrot features quite as many dietary preferences this way which you can also use to filter different meals on their Menu page:

• Gluten-Free
• High-Protein
• Low-Carb
• Nut-Free
• Chef’s Choice
• Quick and Easy
• Soy-Free

The ingredients that make each and every one of these meals are organic. Purple Carrot offers organic nut milk, beans, tempeh, and tofu. Other items, such as fruits and vegetables, are non-GMO, but this depends on shipping availability.

You can expect some really fresh and high-quality ingredients from Purple Carrot as they are health-conscious and prioritize sustainable practices to ensure no harsh chemical gets inside your meal box.

On Sunbasket

You have over 15 recipes to choose from per week, and unlike Purple Carrot, Sunbasket includes vegetarian and nonvegetarian recipes. This includes chicken, beef, pork, and fish. Plus, they cater to more dietary needs such as these:

• Mediterranean
• Gluten-Free
• Dairy-Free
• Diabetic-Friendly
• Paleo
• Pescatarian
• Vegan

Similar to Purple Carrot, Sunbasket’s meal selections are varied in their categorization. This means you can identify exactly who the meal is suitable for. Every recipe is categorized according to ingredients and dietary preferences:

• Carb-Conscious
• Diary-Free
• Diabetes-Friendly
• Gluten-Free
• Lean & Clean
• Less Calories
• No Added Sugar
• Protein Plus
• Chef’s Choice
• Soy-Free

The exclusive options (Lean & Clean, Protein Plus, and Fewer Calories) are the top choices. On the “Lean & Clean” meal plan, you can expect wholesome and low-calorie meals, with each recipe containing less than 600 calories. The dishes are made with whole foods, so there are no packaged ingredients. On the “Protein Plus” menu, as the title suggests, you get more than the average protein per serving.

The same logic applies to other categories like Carb-Conscious, Less-Calories, etc. because the title says directly what you need to know about a recipe. This helps you easily filter out unwanted recipes from your weekly plan.

Based on your personal preferences, going for Sunbasket allows you more flexibility in choosing from a wide variety of protein sources. Since Purple Carrot is plant-based, it may not be the ideal choice for meat-eaters.

However, if you’re vegan, Purple Carrot has more vegan-friendly recipes than Sunbasket even though Sunbasket supports vegan meals, albeit in limited amounts.

Sunbasket vs Purple Carrot – Menu

The Sunbasket menu offers dinner, lunch, breakfast, desserts, and snacks. The same goes for Purple Carrot (meal kits and prepared meals) where you can easily filter by cuisine or dish type to narrow down your preferences. They are the same in terms of versatility in cuisine type.

A notable difference between Sunbasket and Purple Carrot is that with Sunbasket, you have more packaged items when you select their Breakfast or Lunch menu. The Dinner menu contains all of their healthy and tasty meal kits.

The same cannot be said for Purple Carrot. Their Breakfast items can be made using the fresh ingredients they offer. The same applies to some of their Dessert and Lunch recipes. Not all of them are pre-prepared like Sunbasket’s menu for Breakfast and Lunch.

Sunbasket, along with its meal kits, also offers a whole different snack menu. This includes grocery items such as tortillas, bread, pasta, pasta sauces, cheeses, juices, breakfast bars, etc.

All these are add-ons that cost a little more, and there is no cap on how many of these delicious little treats you can order every time. Once you select an item, you can see its nutritional information and who it’s for.

For example, I selected the Marinara Sauce on their menu and found that it is vegan and pairs perfectly well with their Chicken Parmesan recipe. If you’re like me and you want that extra topping of delicious marinara sauce on your pasta, you can always order an add-on along with the recipe’s meal kit.

This way, you can also buy extra servings of uncooked protein to add to your meal plans. This includes seafood, poultry, beef and lamb, pork, sausage, plant-based protein, and some cooked items like shredded chicken, falafel, ham, and salmon.

In Snacks, Sunbasket offers different kinds of cheese, health bars, and sweet treats (truffle chocolate, cheesecakes, tarts, nibbles, brittles).

Most of Sunbasket’s Snack menu comes with premade and packaged items. This is unlike Purple Carrot where you have to make the snacks from scratch with the help of the ingredients and cooking instructions they provide you with in their weekly meal box.

Purple Carrot’s Snacks menu includes popcorn, biscuits, roasted carrots, cookies, different types of salad dressing, pies, and sauces. The minimum order is 4 servings per order. Purple Carrot lets you know the cooking instructions (if there are any) for each of these grocery items. Most importantly, you can see the ingredients list of each recipe once you click on the recipe card.

Sunbasket vs Purple Carrot – Cooking Time

For Meal Kits

The prepping/cooking time for the meal kits of Sunbasket and Purple Carrot depends on the meal you select. Both services offer a similar cooking time be it for noodles, fried rice, salads, pasta, or curries.

Here’s a quick side by side of some of the similar meal kits of Sunbasket and Purple Carrot and their cooking times.

Chicken

Please note: Purple Carrot does not deliver nonveg meals. For the sake of comparison with Sunbasket which serves chicken, beef, and seafood recipes, I have included a vegetarian meal with plant-based protein-rich tempeh.

 Curry

Vegetarian Fried Rice

Salad

For Prepared Meals

Both Sunbasket and Purple Carrot feature prepared meals that are convenient alternatives to meal kits. If you’re pressed for time, you can switch to this option to get your food hot and ready to serve in less than 10 minutes. Just heat it and eat it.

Sunbasket features 10 such recipes under their “Fresh & Ready” menu. Purple Carrot features 12 recipes which are 2 more than Sunbasket’s under the “Prepared Meals” menu. The cooking time of both is less than 5 minutes, and based on the recipe you select, you can have 2-4 servings easily with pre-portioned and preprepared ingredients.

Sunbasket vs Purple Carrot – Packaging

The packaging of Sunbasket is intricately layered and based on what you’re ordering, it’s also temperature-controlled. How? Insulation. Sunbasket uses either denim cotton or paper insulation to protect the ingredients and keep them from deteriorating. This is especially helpful with meal kits that have seafood or meat.

Based on the weather conditions in your area, such insulation can preserve quality and maintain the meat’s optimal temperature. For sunny weather, for example, denim insulation with ice packs is an effective strategy to prevent any meat ingredient from spoiling.

Sunbasket’s packaging contains all the standard packaging materials such as paper boxes, plastic liners, seal bags, containers, and small jars. Some of these materials are recyclable (paper bags, plastic liners, seal bags), while others are reusable (containers and jars).

Some Sunbasket meal kits come with thin wooden trays and paper liners for organizing the ingredients so that nothing spills over. You will also find a tiny booklet containing information about what materials in your meal kit are recyclable and compostable.

Unfortunately, to recycle such materials, you have to have an accessible municipal drop-off site. Depending on your location, the drop-off site for composting/recycling could be miles away which requires more effort and time.

Purple Carrot’s meal kits are simpler because all the ingredients are plant-based. So, temperature control and insulation are not necessary. Purple Carrot stores all of its ingredients in a convenient and practical manner.

Each ingredient is wrapped in a recyclable plastic bag with the appropriate label. You may find a few small plastic containers with sauces, marinades, oils, etc. It’s highly unlikely that you will reuse these as they will retain a strong odor.

Apart from that minor wastage, you can recycle the rest of the packaging on a weekly basis. For this, you will need to drop off all the recyclable packaging materials at any municipal drop-off site.

Sunbasket vs Purple Carrot – Delivery

The winner here is Purple Carrot because it caters to all of the United States including Montana and North Dakota. Unfortunately, Sunbasket does not deliver to these two states but does to the rest of the United States.

Both services have a flexible delivery schedule. You can select the frequency and proper timing for the delivery or make minor adjustments prior to it in case you won’t be home when they come knocking at your door.

Sunbasket vs Purple Carrot – Customer Service

In case you have any questions or you encounter a problem with your order, Sunbasket has an accessible and flexible customer service. By flexible, I mean that you can contact them in different ways depending on your comfort – email, call, text, or FAQs.

The customer service department functions all 5 days of the week (Monday to Friday) during business hours. Depending on when you send out a text, email, or give them a call, you are most likely to receive an immediate response in a couple of hours.

To be honest, the FAQ section has everything you could possibly need. Their self-service section on the site allows you to resolve any query quickly – be it issues with your delivery, ingredients, orders, etc.

Sunbasket addresses questions regarding their meal planning, ingredients, allergy information, eco-friendly practices, cooking instructions, and customizations. Seriously, anything you need to improve your experience with Sunbasket, the FAQ section has all the answers laid out for you in a systematic manner.

Even Purple Carrot customer service includes FAQs and a Contact Us page. Similar to Sunbasket, Purple Carrot’s FAQs cater to all commonly asked questions regarding deliveries, food quality, price, dietary information, and managing subscription details.

To get in touch with their customer service department, you can either email them directly with any queries or problems or you can also chat with them via their website from 9 am to 5 pm on Monday through Friday.

It’s all pretty straightforward and accessible. From all the reviews and feedback I’ve read online about Sunbasket and Purple Carrot, none seem to talk negatively about their customer service.

Sunbasket vs Purple Carrot – Vegetarian Meal Plans

If you’re a meat eater and you want to switch to a plant-based diet but can’t, Sunbasket is for you. It helps you transition from a meat to a plant-based diet easily. On the other hand, Purple Carrot is for you if you’ve already made that switch and are looking for an authentic and healthy meal kit service to fall back on.

Before I get into the details of their vegetarian meal plans, allow me to lay down what a “plant-based” diet really means.

Meals made with only plant-based ingredients such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains are considered plant-based. This excludes meats, seafood, eggs, dairy, poultry, and honey.

How you approach transitioning to a “plant-based” diet depends entirely on you. Plant-based diet stands for whole foods only, thereby eliminating the consumption of animals and any foods processed using animal products such as dairy or honey.

Lots of newbies confuse a vegetarian diet with a plant-based one. People on a vegetarian diet may consume some animal products such as eggs, dairy, and honey.

A vegan diet is similar to a plant-based diet because vegans completely eliminate the consumption of all animal products including eggs, honey, and dairy.

On Sunbasket’s menu, you have the option to pick from a vegetarian and vegan diet. Sunbasket promises the use of organic products in all their plant-based diet plans. Even though their menu includes nonveg, you can clearly see which recipe is vegetarian and which is not.

You can also find out whether the recipe is soy-free, dairy-free, or vegan. There’s 100% transparency about what you’re getting in each meal box.

Besides their meal kits, you can quickly read the nutritional information about their snacks, ready-to-eat lunch boxes, and breakfast items. For example, their pasta sauces are all vegetarian with no added sugar. In fact, one of them (Marinara sauce) is also vegan.

Moving on to Purple Carrot, their menu is 100% plant-based. The average number of veg recipes on their weekly menu is more than 8 veg recipes per week. I found less than 3-4 veg recipes on Sunbasket excluding their snacks menu.

It shows how dedicated the recipe creators at Purple Carrot are in bringing you versatile dishes inspired by what meat lovers eat. On their menu, I see interesting plant-based recipes such as curries, rice bowls, fried rice, and protein-rich salads. You’re not eating the typical plain vegetarian food which most people find boring and monotonous. Thankfully, Purple Carrot has a fresh perspective on how veg meals can be cooked and eaten at home.

From their website, I found that they cook with non-GMO ingredients. Eating a Purple Carrot meal, you’re also contributing to 72% less carbon emission which positively impacts the environment.

Sunbasket vs Purple Carrot – Protein Sources

Vegetarian Protein

These vegetarian recipes are labeled high in protein and soy-free. You can select other soy-free and vegetarian recipes from either Sunbasket or Purple Carrot. What I’ve presented here is chosen at random for a clear side-by-side comparison.

Vegan Protein

In their vegan options, both Sunbasket and Purple Carrot feature low calorie, protein-rich, and vegan-certified meals.

Nonvegetarian Protein

Under this category, only Sunbasket recipes are featured because Purple Carrot does not offer nonveg recipes.

Sunbasket features a delicious display of meat dishes that are easy to make, protein-rich, and heart-friendly. You can select from chicken, steak, salmon, turkey, to a few other delicious treats. Here are 3 of the top choices on their menu: