Are you a plant-based foodie looking for a convenient vegan meal delivery service in the USA? Look no further than Veestro vs Purple Carrot, which offer internationally inspired and creative vegan recipes.
However, there are some key differences to consider before you make a final decision between the two. Veestro specializes in healthy prepared meals, while Purple Carrot offers both meal kits and prepared meals. The variety of meals that you’ll find on Purple Carrot’s menu is higher than Veestro’s.
But speaking strictly in terms of the menu, Veestro has a larger menu with almost double the number of dishes on Purple Carrot’s.
That’s not all you have to take into consideration when deliberating betweenVeestro and Purple Carrot. There are more factors to compare like price, delivery, vegan diet, and the meal selection process.
Read more for an in-depth analysis of Veestro and Purple Carrot to help you decide which one best fits your needs!
(Read our complete Veestro review here)
(Read our complete Purple Carrot review here)
Why Choose a Good Plant-Based Meal Delivery Service like Veestro and Purple Carrot?
It’s unrealistic to say that any particular diet can prevent chronic diseases 100%, but it is important to emphasize the health benefits of sticking to a healthy and balanced diet plan for the long run.
A vegan, plant-based diet is one of the most popular diets in the world – and with good reason. Contrary to popular belief, it is in no way a limiting diet. There are plenty of plant-based meal kit delivery services that serve delicious and worldly plant-based vegan foods at an affordable cost.
So, if you think that plant-based foods are all about boring salads, you’re wrong. The comparison between Veestro and Purple Carrot proves how tempting and varied a plant-based meal delivery service can be for new vegetarians and vegans.
Right now, we’d like to point out the very many health benefits of a plant-based diet and the correct way to approach this plan healthily and satisfactorily.
Health Benefits
Here are the essential benefits of a plant-based delivery service and why should you try it:
- A plant-based meal delivery service aids immunity by providing a higher number of essential nutrients other than fiber and plant-based proteins such as vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants. They are neither too high in calories or carbs.
- Speaking of immunity, plant-based foods fight off inflammatory diseases and strengthen the immune system against infections and chronic illnesses.
- One of the most sought-after meal delivery service is a weight loss diet, and plant-based foods support that. It’s crucial if you want to maintain a healthy weight. A plant-based diet plan will eliminate all processed and unnecessary foods from your diet that are high in unhealthy fats.
- Plants are naturally high in fiber, which contributes to better digestion and gut health. If you frequently experience digestion problems like constipation, acid reflux, and stomachaches, you can switch to a healthy plant-based meal delivery service for a fiber-rich lifestyle.
What Makes a Good Plant-Based Meal Delivery Service?
In recent years (and even in the recent weeks), plant-based diets have gained immense popularity for their numerous health and environmental benefits. As a result, the demand for plant-based meal delivery services has also skyrocketed. With so many options available, it can be challenging to determine what makes a good plant-based meal delivery service stand out from the rest.
Now, we will explore the key factors that contribute to an excellent plant-based meal delivery service, allowing you to make an informed decision when choosing the right one for your needs.
Fresh and High-Quality Ingredients
One of the fundamental aspects of a good plant-based meal delivery service is the use of fresh and high-quality ingredients. When you opt for plant-based meals, you want to ensure that the ingredients are sourced sustainably and are free from harmful chemicals or additives. Look for services that prioritize organic, locally sourced produce, as this not only enhances the nutritional value of your meals but also supports local farmers and reduces the carbon footprint.
Menu Variety and Flexibility
A diverse menu is another crucial factor to consider when selecting a plant-based meal delivery service. A good service should offer a wide range of meal options to cater to different tastes, dietary restrictions, and preferences. Whether you’re a vegan, vegetarian, or simply trying to incorporate more plant-based meals into your diet, a service with a versatile menu can keep your meals exciting and prevent monotony.
Furthermore, flexibility is key. Look for services that allow you to customize your meals or offer options for different portion sizes. This way, you can adapt the service to your specific needs, ensuring that you receive the right amount of food and accommodate any allergies or intolerances.
Nutritional Balance
When choosing a plant-based meal delivery service, it’s essential to ensure that the meals are nutritionally balanced. A well-rounded meal should provide an adequate amount of macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats), as well as essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber. A good service will take this into consideration when designing their menu, ensuring that each meal is not only delicious but also nourishing and fulfilling.
Transparent and Clear Ingredient Information
Transparency is a key aspect that sets apart a good plant-based meal delivery service. The service should provide detailed information about the ingredients used in their meals, including potential allergens and nutritional content. Clear labeling and accurate descriptions can help you make informed choices and avoid any ingredients you may be allergic to or wish to avoid.
Sustainable Packaging and Delivery
In today’s environmentally conscious world, sustainability is a significant consideration for many consumers. Look for a plant-based meal delivery service that prioritizes sustainable packaging and delivery methods. Opt for services that use biodegradable or recyclable packaging materials, minimize waste, and employ eco-friendly delivery practices, such as electric vehicles or bike couriers.
Benefits of High-Quality Plant-Based Meal Delivery Services
Embracing a plant-based diet has been associated with a wide array of health benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, weight management, and reduced risk of chronic diseases. When it comes to transitioning to a plant-based lifestyle, the convenience of a high-quality plant-based meal delivery service can be a game-changer.
Below, we will explore the health benefits of choosing a high-quality plant-based meal delivery service and how it can positively impact your overall well-being.
Nutrient-Dense Meals for Optimal Health
A high-quality plant-based meal delivery service ensures that you receive nutrient-dense meals that are packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. By incorporating a variety of plant-based ingredients into their recipes, these services can provide a wide range of nutrients that support optimal health. From leafy greens bursting with vitamin K and iron to legumes packed with protein and fiber, each meal is thoughtfully crafted to promote overall well-being.
Reduced Risk of Chronic Diseases
Numerous studies have shown that adopting a plant-based diet can significantly reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. A high-quality plant-based meal delivery service makes it easier to follow this dietary pattern consistently. By providing balanced and nutritious meals, these services can help lower cholesterol levels, control blood sugar, and support a healthy weight, all of which contribute to reducing the risk of chronic diseases.
Weight Management and Healthy Metabolism
Maintaining a healthy weight and a well-functioning metabolism are crucial for overall health. Plant-based meal delivery services can be an effective tool in achieving these goals. Plant-based meals are generally lower in calories and saturated fats compared to animal-based options. With portion-controlled meals and a focus on whole, unprocessed ingredients, these services make it easier to manage your calorie intake and support weight loss or maintenance efforts. The abundance of fiber in plant-based meals also aids digestion and promotes a feeling of satiety, preventing overeating.
Improved Gut Health
A well-functioning gut is essential for overall health and well-being. Plant-based meals are typically rich in fiber, which acts as a prebiotic, nourishing the beneficial bacteria in your gut. A high-quality plant-based meal delivery service can provide a diverse range of plant-based ingredients that promote a healthy gut microbiome. A healthy gut microbiome has been linked to improved digestion, strengthened immune function, and even enhanced mental health.
Enhanced Energy Levels and Vitality
Plant-based diets are often associated with increased energy levels and vitality. By nourishing your body with whole, plant-based ingredients, a high-quality meal delivery service can provide the necessary nutrients to support optimal energy production. The vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals found in plant-based meals have been shown to boost energy levels, improve mental clarity, and support overall vitality, allowing you to tackle your daily activities with vigor and enthusiasm.
Why Choose Veestro?
Veestro is a plant-based premade meal delivery service. Purple Carrot, on the other hand, is a plant-based premade and meal kit delivery service
Veestro’s meals are prepared recipes that are freshly cooked and packed. Also, Veestro emphasizes that none of their meals is delivered frozen, which is what some premade services often tend to do.
The brand’s meets the dietary requirements of vegans and vegetarians. They offer some gluten-free and dairy-free meal options, but it fluctuates from week to week. Another important factor to consider when talking about meal variety is the number of servings per meal you can order. Since Veestro is a premade meal delivery company, its meal plan serves a single serving per meal. And you can order as many prepared meals as you want.
Why Choose Purple Carrot?
Variety-wise, Purple Carrot offers more meal plans than Veestro for busy people, families, and athletes. Purple Carrot’s meals vary from other vegan meal kits and prepared meals, so the packaging is versatile and convenient. Their prepared meals are cooked and packed with ice packs and insulation. And their meal kits come with individually packed preportioned ingredients and recipe cards with cooking instructions.
Purple Carrot also offers healthy meal plans. Their menus taste fresh, homemade, and high in quality with organic ingredients, prioritizing farm-fresh and GMO-free ingredients Purple Carrot accommodates more diet plans like gluten-free meal plans, high protein, soy-free, low calorie, and nut-free.
To add, the company features meal kits that come in 2 or 4 servings per meal. They even feature a customizable filter on their menu for selecting 2 or 4 servings per meal. Their prepared meals, however, are single-serve meals, so you can add as many premade meals to your cart as you want.
How Veestro and Purple Carrot Works
Before we can begin to discuss the diet-friendliness of Veestro and Purple Carrot, let’s first discuss why a diet like weight loss is a long-term investment for a healthy lifestyle.
Diets that emphasize weight loss are helpful because they limit the consumption of all processed and harmful foods consisting of fewer nutrients and more empty calories. Such diets promote the consumption of nutrient-dense foods that offer vitamins and minerals needed to sustain excellent health.
Plus, such diets form a healthy habit of eating balanced portions of all kinds of ingredients, so you’re more mindful of what you eat every day. Not only do such diets help people lose weight more healthily, but they reduce chances of developing chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, and problems.
Studies suggest that mindful eating can increase energy levels and mental clarity and positively impact all your dietary needs like keto, paleo, low carb, low calorie, and high protein.
Now, do meal services like Veestro and Purple Carrot keep up with such dietary requirements?
For some people, Veestro’s vegan meals can sometimes be hit or miss. But nutritionally, they provide a good balance of proteins, calories, carbs, and other essential nutrients. For a plant-based diet, adding more proteins without too many carbs may be tricky. But Veestro manages to include some gluten-free, nut-free, protein-dense, kosher, and low-carb ingredients like tofu, beans, tempeh, and leafy greens into their meal plans.
Purple Carrot supports weight loss and other diet plans like gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, low calorie, and high protein. All their meal kits and prepared meals come with nutrition information with the number of calories per serving displayed on every meal card.
How to Prepare Veestro and Purple Carrot Meals
Veestro’s ordering process is pretty straightforward and user-friendly. New customers can order meals from the menu through their website, so they don’t have to worry about any hidden subscription fees. Sometimes, Veestro provides an additional discount if you decide to sign up.
Each purchase or meal order can include anywhere from 8 to 15 meals, based on your diet preferences. There is a fixed meal plan size, and you can order flexibly and conveniently. If you want to order a second meal box or start a new subscription, you can do that too without paying extra.
The a la carte proteins option makes Veestro stand apart from other premade meal plan services. If you’re in doubt, you can easily test out their meal plans without feeling obligated to a long-term commitment. They do have a no-commitment policy for new customers.
Overall, Veestro is a refreshing and convenient service for you if you want a simple and quick ordering process with easy-to-heat meal options.
Subscribing to Purple Carrot is a simple procedure. Simply decide whether you want 2 or 4 servings for their meal kits and how many premade meals you want each week to get started. For large families, the 4-serving meal portion should be enough though some of the meals may not be kid-friendly.
The price is set according to the number of meals and servings you choose every week. You can choose your preferred meals for the first week and have the option to customize your meal plan after the first week as you’d like. Purple Carrot also suggests personalized meals, and that can be helpful for someone who doesn’t know which meals to pick, especially for the first time.
On a side note, Veestro and Purple Carrot are vegan meal delivery services, so you might want to do some research on your own before signing up if you’re not used to plant-based foods. Overall, both services offer simple-to-follow instructions for the meal ordering and sign-up process.
Plus, both meal delivery services are excellent introductions for people interested in learning more about veganism and entering the world of plant-based foods.
How are Veestro and Purple Carrot Meals Packed
Veestro has put much effort into its packaging, carefully ensuring that all its packaging materials are safe and eco-friendly. Their meals are packed in recyclable trays that are microwave- and freezer-friendly.
Unpacking the meals is both easy and convenient as they come stacked on top of one another with trays that avoid leakage or spilling of any kind. The meal boxes are petite and well-organized to take up minimal space in the fridge or freezer.
Even though Veestro uses plastic, it’s BPA-free and easy to recycle. You can enjoy your meals without worrying every day and recycle the tray when you’re done. It’s safe for the environment and convenient for you if you choose to order more meals per week.
The meals are delivered frozen by using dry ice during transit. Each meal has a label that shows how long you can store it. So, you can keep Veestro meals in the freezer for up to 8 weeks and in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
The plastic trays, wrappers, and cardboard found in each meal box are recyclable. Everything is well-planned and organized to quicken cleanup even after you’ve consumed all the meals of the week.
The way Purple Carrot packs its meals varies from Veestro considering that they pack both meal kits and prepared meals.
The meal kits arrive in a practice cardboard box filled with all the fresh ingredients, labeled accordingly. The cardboard box is recyclable. Fresh produce that includes fruits and vegetables is wrapped in recyclable plastic to avoid getting squished during transit.
Even though all the ingredients are packed together, they are separated according to the recipe so you can easily identify the ingredients for each recipe based on the large recyclable plastic bag they come packed in.
The separated pieces of plastic packaging are a lot based on the number of meal kit recipes you select. Cardboard inserts and plastic containers are used to keep each meal box organized and practical.
Out of all the plastic that Purple Carrot uses for packaging, a majority of them is recyclable excluding some small containers that hold sauces and oils that have to be disposed of in the trash.
The prepared meals hold fewer packaging materials than meal kits. You’ll find practical recyclable plastic trays for each serving. They are wrapped in plastic film and a cardboard sleeve. Only a few pieces of plastic packaging have to be discarded in the trash. The rest are recyclable.
Overall, Purple Carrot’s meal kits and prepared meals are packed conveniently and thoughtfully. You can expect some excessive packaging considering that they are a meal kit delivery service, but the majority of materials are eligible for either curbside pickup or a special recycling facility.
Are Veestro Meals Diet-Friendly?
When it comes to maintaining a specific diet or accommodating special dietary requirements, finding a meal delivery service that caters to your needs can be a game-changer. Veestro is a popular plant-based meal delivery service known for its delicious and nutritious offerings.
If you follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, you’ll be pleased to know that Veestro meals are specifically designed to meet your dietary preferences. All Veestro meals are 100% plant-based, which means they do not contain any animal products. With a wide variety of vegan and vegetarian options, Veestro ensures that you can enjoy delicious and satisfying meals while adhering to your chosen lifestyle.
For individuals with gluten intolerance or sensitivity, Veestro offers a range of gluten-free meals. These meals are carefully crafted to be free from gluten-containing ingredients, providing a safe and convenient option for those following a gluten-free diet.
Similarly, if you are lactose intolerant or follow a dairy-free diet, Veestro has you covered. Their meals are entirely free from dairy products, making them suitable for individuals with lactose intolerance or those who choose to avoid dairy for personal reasons.
Veestro recognizes that many individuals have specific dietary restrictions and allergies, such as nut or soy allergies. To cater to these needs, Veestro offers nut-free and soy-free meal options. These meals are prepared without nuts or soy-based ingredients, ensuring a safe and enjoyable dining experience for individuals with these specific dietary requirements.
If you’re looking to manage your weight or practice portion control, Veestro offers meal options that can support your goals. They provide portion-controlled meals with balanced macronutrient profiles, allowing you to easily monitor your calorie intake. Additionally, the plant-based nature of Veestro meals, coupled with the abundance of fiber, can help you feel satisfied and keep cravings at bay, making it easier to adhere to your weight loss or portion control goals.
Are Purple Carrot Meals Diet-Friendly?
As we all know by now, Purple Carrot is a well-known meal delivery service that focuses on plant-based, vegan meals. If you have specific dietary requirements or follow a particular diet, it’s essential to find a meal delivery service that can accommodate your needs.
If you follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, Purple Carrot is an excellent choice for you. All Purple Carrot meals are 100% plant-based and free from any animal products, making them suitable for vegans and vegetarians alike. With their creative and flavorful plant-based recipes, Purple Carrot provides a wide variety of options that can satisfy your taste buds while aligning with your chosen lifestyle.
For individuals following a gluten-free or dairy-free diet, Purple Carrot offers options to accommodate these dietary requirements. While they are not strictly a gluten-free or dairy-free meal delivery service, Purple Carrot clearly labels their meals, making it easier for you to identify which ones are suitable for your needs. They provide a variety of gluten-free and dairy-free meals, ensuring that you can enjoy delicious and satisfying dishes while adhering to your specific dietary restrictions.
Purple Carrot understands that many individuals have specific dietary allergies or restrictions, such as nut or soy allergies. While they do use nuts and soy in some of their recipes, they make it easy for you to customize your weekly menu by providing detailed ingredient lists and options to substitute ingredients. This allows you to select meals that are nut-free or soy-free, ensuring a safe and enjoyable dining experience for individuals with these specific dietary requirements.
If you’re looking to manage your weight or practice portion control, Purple Carrot can support your goals. Their meals are portioned appropriately, taking the guesswork out of portion control. Additionally, the plant-based nature of Purple Carrot meals, along with the inclusion of nutrient-rich ingredients, can aid in weight management. The abundance of fiber and plant-based proteins in their meals helps keep you feeling satisfied and full, making it easier to adhere to your weight loss or portion control goals.
Recipes
In the case of Veestro, there is no way to browse their weekly menu without making an account. The choice of meals and dietary restrictions is available to you after you’ve entered your delivery location and other important details.
In the case of Purple Carrot, you can view their meal kits and prepared meals menu without signing up.
Here are some of the top recipes to look forward to that provide a rich source of protein and a balance of other essential nutrients, including carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Dinner
Smoky Two Bean Chili with Tortilla Chips & Cilantro Ranch Drizzle
- Prep & Cook Time: 40 mins
- Calories: 830
- Fat: 25g
- Carbohydrates: 105g
- Protein: 41g
Tofu Palak Paneer with Quinoa & Mango Chutney
- Prep & Cook Time: 40 mins
- Calories: 690
- Fat: 26g
- Carbohydrates: 80g
- Protein: 35g
Breakfast
Loaded Avocado Toast with Fresh Dill & Super Seeds
- Prep & Cook Time: 5 mins
- Calories: 260
- Fat: 15g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Protein: 7g
Lunches
Cashew Cheese & Apricot Melts with Caramelized Onions & Arugula
- Prep & Cook Time: 15 mins
- Calories: 360
- Fat: 7g
- Carbohydrates: 63g
- Protein: 11g
Veestro vs Purple Carrot – Frequently Asked Questions
Are the Meals Allergy-Friendly?
Both are plant-friendly and vegan meal delivery services. Veestro prepares its meals without any meat, chicken, fish, dairy, eggs, or honey. It’s vegan with some gluten-free and kosher meals. Purple Carrot is the same with all gluten-free meals and some meals without soy or nuts.
People with severe allergies, however, require no cross-contamination between meals with common allergy-causing ingredients like gluten, nuts, soy, dairy, honey, peanuts, etc.
Veestro, for this very reason, is an allergy-friendly premade meal delivery service. Their meals do not contain any traces of meat, preservatives, and non-vegan ingredients.
Purple Carrot, on the other hand, eliminates all gluten ingredients from their diet plans. But that’s about it. They do offer some nut-free and soy-free meal options. But for people with a severe nut or soy allergy, cross-contamination is a risk. The meals are processed in the same kitchen facilities as meals that include soy or nut.
Some of their meals include organic and plant-friendly alternatives like nut milk, tofu, and tempeh, but for allergy sufferers, it’s not the ideal choice.
How to Edit, Skip, or Cancel Meal Deliveries
If you’re a new customer ordering a la carte, there is no subscription that you need to worry about canceling. But you may nevertheless easily cancel a meal membership if you choose to do so on your account.
You can modify your meal deliveries by reducing the number of meals in your weekly box or swapping the meals with something else on their menu.
The cutoff time for customizing orders in this way is before Thursday at 11:50 p.m. – that’s the week before the scheduled delivery week. Veestro understands how tastes and dietary requirements evolve with time, so they meet your evolving needs and tastes with flexibility and ease.
You can make all kinds of edits, including skipping weeks, by logging in to your account and taking the necessary actions. Everything you need will be under the Manage Weekly Deliveries page. But always remember to keep the deadline in mind before making changes.
With Purple Carrot, if you wish to make simple changes to a meal order, you can manage to do this by visiting their Upcoming Deliveries webpage. They allow you to edit, skip, or cancel meals until the scheduled delivery.
You should be able to determine when the orders are eligible for such customization with the help of the edit button next to each meal order. Once the edit option disappears, this means you cannot make any changes to that order. You can do so for the next week’s shipment if you’ve ordered your meals in advance.
You can also navigate your Account Settings to do modifications like change or cancel your subscription. For a more permanent solution, you can cancel your account on the same page. For skipping deliveries, Purple Carrot lets you extend your deliveries for up to 10 weeks with the help of their customer support.
If you do decide to skip, extend, or cancel your membership, always remember to do so before the Tuesday of the week of delivery. Managing subscriptions is easy in this manner, and you can modify them however you like until every Tuesday.
How Are the Meals Delivered?
Veestro packs its meals right after cooking and stores them with ice packs and insulation during transit. The meals are delivered fresh without any GMOs, preservatives, fillers, or additives. The meals also include an “eat by” date, which you can extend by storing the meals in the freezer as soon as they arrive. If you can eat them sooner, the “eat by” date is helpful in meal planning and lets you know the fresh ingredients used in the meals.
The Purple Carrot meal box offers accessible and versatile packages. Each meal kit is packed with preportioned ingredients in plastic bags. The dry ingredients are kept separate from the wet ingredients. Each meal kit box is equipped with the correct labels and recipe cards with more information.
Their premade meals, however, are served in single-serve containers that you can simply heat and eat right away. Veestro and Purple Carrot are identical in the way they pack their prepared meals. It’s neat, organized, and user-friendly. Neither does Purple Carrot freeze their premade meals as they’re freshly cooked and packed with ice packs and insulation.
Veestro Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Quick and easy vegan meals.
- Little to no prep work is involved.
- Frozen meals last for a longer time.
- New customers can order a la carte meals on their first order.
- Practical and convenient packaging.
- Each meal is packed with proteins and healthy nutrients.
- Reheating the meals is easy and takes less than 5 minutes.
- High-quality and fresh produce with worldly flavors.
Cons:
- The portion size is a bit small.
- Some of the recipes are hit or miss.
- You have to order 10, 20, or 30 meals at a time.
- The a la carte meals option is expensive.
Purple Carrot Pros and Cons
Pros:
- A great blend of vegan dinners, lunches, and breakfasts.
- Seasonal and fresh produce with various flavors.
- They offer meal kits that are easy to prep and cook.
- Prepared meals are delicious and easy to choose from.
- Non-GMO and nutritionist-approved meal recipes.
- The packaging is recyclable.
- The portion size is large and satisfying.
- Some of the ingredients are organic.
- Lots of gluten-free and high-protein meals.
Cons:
- The meal kits take slightly longer to prep.
- You cannot choose the delivery day or time.
- Some of the plastic packaging needs to be thrown away.
- No meal customization is included.
Veestro vs Purple Carrot – Final Verdict
While comparing Veestro and Purple Carrot, both plant-based and vegan meal delivery services, you will find many differences and similarities between them which may be confusing to sift through. Hopefully, this article simplifies your personal needs and expectations and takes grocery shopping out of your hands.
The comparison between Veestro and Purple Carrot depends on what you’re looking for and what type of meal delivery experience you’re willing to invest in. This includes the cost of the meals, the variety of recipes, and their overall meal selection process.
Veestro offers ready-to-heat meals that are vegan and plant-based. Most of their meals are cooked with organic ingredients and arrive freezer- or fridge-ready so you can eat them anytime you like.
Purple Carrot is a great option for someone looking to improve their cooking skills a bit. But they do also offer some prepared meals for the days you don’t feel like cooking. Their meal kits are versatile and easy to follow with organic and gluten-free ingredients.