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Purple Carrot Review: Why it's a standout for vegan meal delivery
Whether you are new to plant-based meals or a pro, Purple Carrot is a great option for those looking for a weekly vegan meal kit service
Plant-based meals can be incredibly nutritious and flavorful, but finding new and exciting meal options is challenging at first for those new to eating 100% vegan. Vegan meal delivery services are a great way to learn about the many vegan options out there, new flavor combinations, and the wonders of a healthy, plant-based lifestyle.
While I am not 100% vegan or vegetarian, on the whole, I do eat a more plant-based diet than, say, pescatarian or omnivore. I’ve grown to love the flavors and how I feel after eating the meals. For this reason, I jumped at the chance to try Purple Carrot's meal delivery service. I've tried all the best meal delivery services catering to omnivores and pescatarians, so this is a welcome change. Below is my review of the meals I tried, what I loved and didn't, who the meals would be a great option for, and those who might want to skip this meal delivery service and opt for another vegan meal delivery option.
Purple Carrot specializes in the weekly delivery of fully prepared heat-and-eat meals or of plant-based meal kits you cook yourself. The dietary options include meals under 600 calories, gluten-free, high-protein, low-sodium, high-fiber, nut-free and soy-free. The meals range from breakfast, lunch and dinner for both the kits and prepared options. There are also “Plantry” add-on options, such as matcha cold brew coffees, fresh juices, instant lentils homestyle chili, plant-based crab cakes, juice shots, chocolates, nuts, crackers and vegan cheeses.
- 100% Vegan meals
- New plant-based cookbook included each week
- Full pantry of add-on options
- Pricey
- Limited meal selection
What is Purple Carrot meal delivery service?
If you've been reading Purple Carrot reviews, then you know it delivers both plant-based meal kits or fully prepared heat-and-eat meals to your home or office on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, but did you know each week you also receive a beautifully illustrated vegan cookbook with recipes that are both fun and flavorful? The cookbook was as much a delight to me as the meals! The meal options range from breakfast, lunch and dinner for both meal kits that you prepare and fully prepared fresh meals (not frozen) that you cook in the microwave and are ready in under five minutes. There are also “Plantry” add-on options you can choose from each week, such as matcha cold brew oat milk latte, instant lentils homestyle chili, plant-based crab cakes, juice shots, dark chocolate espresso cups, cumin or six-seed crackers and vegan cheese.
The dietary options the company carters to include:
Meals under 600 calories
Gluten-free
High-protein
Low-sodium
High-fiber
Nut-free
Soy-free
Purple Carrot also works with a variety of farmers and vendors across the country to ensure non-produce items are organic (beans, nut milk, tofu, tempeh, vegan cheeses and yogurts), though the company does state that, “Due to constraints with sourcing, shipping locations, and our desire to provide unique ingredients and recipes, we are sometimes limited in our options for organic (and non-GMO) products.”
Organic ingredients are always indicated through the "View Full Nutrition Label" link on every meal kit recipe page or on any prepared meal page's Ingredients tab.
How Purple Carrot works
Purple Carrot is a standard weekly subscription meal delivery service, so you’ll start by subscribing to the service with the understanding that each week, you will choose a preselected number of meals that will be delivered to your front door on a set day. You also have the option to choose add-on options from the Plantry each week, meaning you could essentially order a week’s worth of food to skip your weekly trip to the grocery store.
Depending on where you are located, delivery can be scheduled for Saturday, Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.
Purple Carrot plans and pricing
There are two types of plans: meal kits or prepared meals
Meal Kits:
Two servings of three meals per week: $13.25 per serving or $79.50 per week
Two servings of four meals per week: $13.25 per serving or $106 per week
Four servings of two meals per week: $11 per serving or $88 per week
Four servings of three meals per week: $11 per serving or $132 per week
Prepared Meals:
One serving of six meals per week: $13 per serving or $78 per week
One serving of eight meals per week: $13 per serving or $104 per week
One serving of ten meals per week: $13 per serving or $130 per week
You have the option of adding both meal kits and prepared meals to either plan during ordering. You can always add-on Plantry items with either plan. Your first order ships free, as do all following orders over $100.
What can I expect from a Purple Carrot meal delivery box?
Each week, on your preselected delivery day, you will receive a refrigerated box containing the meal kits, prepared meals and Plantry items (if any) you chose for the week. There will also be a bound cookbook with beautifully illustrated photos and step-by-step instructions for the meals you’ll prepare that week. The bound cookbook was an especially welcome surprise.
As someone trying to move to a more plant-based diet, the cookbook includes all of the meal kit options from the week, not just the ones you selected. This not only gives you ideas for other plant-based meals, but also allows you to make the other meal options. All you have to do is buy the ingredients from the local market. I’ve kept every cookbook and have made other recipes from quite a few!
The meal kits are individually bundled in bags so all you have to do is pull the bag containing the meal out of the refrigerator, turn to the page in the cookbook containing the recipe instructions and get to work preparing the meal.
All the Purple Carrot meals I made and what I thought of them
I opted for three meals:
Caper Dill Bagels with everything cream cheese
Chipotle Tofu Tacos with radish escabeche and cilantro crema
Crispy Lemon Chik’n with brown rice and Gia Lan
One prepared meal:
Thai Peanut Noodles with tofu and broccoli
And three juices from the Plantry:
Eternal Life
Super Destroyer
Lean & Clean
All ingredients were fresh and prepped so cooking was fun and easy, and everything was incredibly flavorful! I was truly impressed by how all the sauces were creamy and delicious, yet 100% plant-based!
Who Purple Carrot meal kits are good for
In my opinion, Purple Carrot meal kits are great for everyone! The flavors were wonderful; I think even omnivores would be pleasantly surprised by how tasty the meals are without animal-based proteins. Purple Carrot is especially good for those just embarking on their shift to a more plant-based diet due to the ability to try many different dishes and flavor profiles, while also getting used to cooking with only plant-based ingredients. The weekly cookbook is a genuine winner since it gives you a large selection of recipes to cook beyond the meals ordered.
Who Purple Carrot meal kits are not so good for
Purple Carrot may not be the best choice for carnivores or pescatarians who prefer an animal or fish protein with each meal. The meal plans will also not be a fit for vegetarians who still enjoy dairy products in their diet.
Purple Carrot packaging and environmental friendliness
Purple Carrot is an eco-friendly company that uses recyclable shipping and packing materials (depending on your community’s recycling abilities), paper and minimal plastics for meal kit bundles and ingredients. The company also encourages you to compost all plant waste and scraps (e.g., banana peels and carrot shavings).
How I evaluated Purple Carrot delivery and meals
When preparing for this review of Purple Carrot, I paid close attention to five key things:
Subscription price: Price is everything, so I compared the cost per serving of Purple Carrot to competing plant-based meal delivery services and found the cost per serving to be right in line with its competition.
Ease of use: A lot goes into signing up for a meal subscription service, from initial sign-up to choosing the number of servings and meals you want per week to actually choosing and preparing the meals. I found all of these steps to be easy and straightforward with Purple Carrot.
Menu choices: Even though the meal options were exciting and gave me plenty to choose from when combining the breakfast, lunch and dinner selections with prepared meals and Plantry items, Purple Carrot still offers less than its competitors, with about 20 meal selections per week for lunches and dinners, this is less than its competitors.
Taste: I was very pleased and surprised by the ingredients' flavors and freshness. The vegan cream cheese and crema were as good, if not better, than its dairy-based counterparts.
Packaging: the shipping materials and packaging were very standard for meal delivery services. The ingredients arrived cold, thanks to the frozen gel packs, and everything was recyclable.
The final verdict on Purple Carrot
For those who are already vegan or embarking on a shift to a more plant-based diet, Purple Carrot is a fantastic option to get you started. I thoroughly enjoyed the meals and juices. I especially liked the cookbooks and how the meals left me full, satisfied and not feeling weighed down from heavy ingredients or animal products. I absolutely would continue to use Purple Carrot. Above all, this has helped me move my family to two fully plant-based meals a week, and in my book, that's an epic win!
Frequently asked questions
What if I need to skip a week?
Skipping a week is easy! When making your weekly selections, you just need to click the button that says “Skip this week” and you will not be charged.
Note: The skip deadline is always Tuesday the week prior to your next expected shipment by 11:59 p.m. EST.
Where can I find Purple Carrot nutritional information?
You can view nutritional information for each meal kit on the Menus page. Click the photo or meal name and then click "Full Nutrition Label" on the right. You can also find nutritional information for each meal kit on the Upcoming Deliveries page by clicking the photo or meal name and then “View Full Nutrition Label” on the right.
How do Purple Carrot ingredients stay fresh during shipping?
All shipments are packed in insulated boxes with frozen gel packs to ensure the food arrives cold and fresh.
Purple Carrot Vegan Meal Delivery Service
Vegan Meal Delivery Service
