Our 2024 Encounter with Meal Kit Service, Purple Carrot: Insights and Evaluation
Our 2024 Encounter with Meal Kit Service, Purple Carrot: Insights and Evaluation
Purple Carrot is an innovative plant-based meal kit delivery service that caters to individuals seeking tasty and convenient vegan meals. This article delves into the inner workings of Purple Carrot, including its menu selection, meal preparation, potential health benefits, and cost.
Understanding Purple Carrot
Purple Carrot operates as a plant-based meal delivery service, supplying customers with weekly meal boxes containing a variety of vegan offerings. Customers may receive either pre-prepared meals or recipe books, along with necessary ingredients, to whip up vegetarian-friendly breakfasts, lunches, and dinners at home.
Each meal box is designed to meet the weekly culinary needs of customers, and ingredients are packed with non-toxic ice packs for freshness around the clock. With no membership fees and simple cancellation procedures, Purple Carrot remains an accessible and adaptable choice for busy individuals mirroring plant-based lifestyles.
Setting Up Purple Carrot
To begin utilizing Purple Carrot's services, head to their plans page. From here, users must select between meal kits and prepared meals, decide on the desired number of servings and meals per week, and receive a personalized pricing quote.
After customizing your plan and providing delivery information, choose your preferred meals for the first week and complete transactions.
Tuning in to Purple Carrot's Menu
All offered meals cater exclusively to vegan diets, with approximately 12 dinner, 4 lunch, and 4 breakfast alternatives available each week. At the time of this writing, Purple Carrot offers prepared meals for an additional cost.
Customers can select from a variety of meal categories, including:
- Less Prep: These meals require minimal preparation, cooking, and clean-up, with examples such as Penne alla Puttanesca and Beet Burgers.
- High-Protein: Boasting a higher concentration of protein compared to the other options, some popular picks include Crispy Black Bean Tacos and Thai Peanut Flatbreads.
- Gluten-Free: All meals under this category are safe for those with gluten intolerances, offering options like Wild Rice-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes and Avocado & Greens Quesadillas.
- Prepared Meals: These heat-and-eat offerings take as little as 5 minutes to cook, with selections like Five Vegetable Dal and West African Peanut Stew.
Purple Carrot Incorporates appetizers, snacks, and side dishes, such as:
- Appetizers: Fried Green Tomatoes, Belgian Endive Cups, and Marinated Celery Antipasto.
- Side dishes: White Bean Dip, Roasted Rainbow Carrots, and Mashed Potatoes.
- Snacks: Popular choices include Popcorn, Roasted Nuts, Carrot Cake, and Peanut Butter Cups.
The company's Plantry portal offers various vegan necessities, such as cheeses, breads, and sweet treats.
Allergens: Purple Carrot's Approach
Purple Carrot caters to gluten, soy, and nut allergies by offering tailored meals and advocating for alternative ingredients. While customized menus aren't immediately available, customers can access comprehensive allergen information on the company's website and full ingredient lists for each meal.
Although users cannot exclude certain ingredients, Purple Carrot's website acknowledges the presence of allergens in its meals.
Prep Time: Purple Carrot's Meal Preparation
Preparation time for dinner meal kits typically falls between 20 to 40 minutes, while breakfast and lunch meal preparations typically require between 5 to 20 minutes. Prepared meal dinners can be cooked in a mere 2 minutes using a microwave.
Putting a Price on Purple Carrot
Purple Carrot's pricing varies based on the preference for prepared meals or meal kits, the chosen number of servings and meals per week, and a choice between breakfast, lunch, and dinner options.
- Prepared meals cost $13 per serving.
- Meal kits range between $11 to $13.25 per serving, depending on the number of servings and meals ordered.
- Breakfast options cost $4.50 per serving.
- Lunches tag $9 per serving.
- Plantry snacks cost between $3.99 to $11.99.
At the time of this writing, Purple Carrot offers a $25 discount for first-time customers.
$3.99–$13 per serving
Purple Carrot: What's Working and What's Not
Advantages
• meal kits• prepared meals• snacks• breakfast• lunch
- Purple Carrot offers both meal kits and cooked meals, catering to various preferences.
- The company's website diligently displays allergen and ingredient information.
- Customers can choose from a diverse range of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack alternatives.
- A weekly menu update keeps users interested.
- Users can cancel, pause, or skip deliveries as needed.
- Shipping is free of charge.
Disadvantages
• plant-based • gluten-free• soy-free• nut-free• high protein
- Purple Carrot's ingredients may not meet organic standards.
- The company lags behind its competitors in offering weekly options.
- Shipping is not possible for customers in Hawaii or Alaska.
- Meal delivery services often lead to minimal savings due to insufficient meal leftovers.
The sign-up process with The Purple Carrot is uncomplicated and straightforward. Select your preferred plan, input your delivery and payment details, then customize your box. Each week, they offer 12 different dinner options, allowing you to alter the default selections to your preferred meals.
During my trial, I tried the following dishes:
- Tofu Coated in Coconut
- Vegetarian Kofta in a Creamy Potato Sauce
- Tempeh Seasoned with Za'atar Spice
- Noodles with Green Curry Sauce
- Tofu Cooked in the Style of General Tso
$5.99–$11.99 per item
One drawback is that I couldn't explicitly choose a delivery date. Consequently, my deliveries automatically reached me every Wednesday. According to Purple Carrot's Help Center, they dispatch boxes on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays each week, with delivery days determined by location.
On a positive note, their customer support responded swiftly and was active in assisting users. Unfortunately, I discovered I would be traveling during my scheduled delivery week. I reached out to Purple Carrot, and they regrettably informed me that it was already too late, as they had already initiated the packaging and shipping of my meal kits. Despite no fault on their part, they credited my account, enabling me to enjoy another week of meals without any additional cost.
a la carte ready-to-eat items
Preparation of Meals
The ease of meal preparation varied depending on each dish. Some vegetables were pre-chopped, while others required manual preparation. Some dishes required additional steps, such as mixing the ingredients in a food processor, while others remained relatively simple.
• plant-based• dairy-free• gluten-free• paleo• keto• diabetes-friendly• low FODMAP• Mediterranean
However, I generally found the instructions clear and easy to follow. Moreover, most of the ingredients were pre-measured, making food preparation even more straightforward.
Purple Carrot does not provide cooking oil, salt, or pepper, but they do provide all other spices and ingredients necessary for the recipes. I only deviated from the provided ingredients when preparing quinoa. Purple Carrot's recipes advised preparing quinoa with water, but I opted for vegetable broth, offering more flavor.
The time estimates tend to fluctuate in their accuracy. Most dishes promised a 30-minute preparation time, but some meals required less time, while others took over an hour to complete.
Most meals offered a mix of flavors and textures, making them enjoyable. For instance, the Coconut Tofu dish consisted of tofu covered in coconut flakes, a mixed grain blend (rice and quinoa), peanut sauce, and a slaw with lime juice and dates. Similarly, the Za'atar Spiced Tempeh included tempeh marinated in za'atar, muhammara sauce made with roasted red peppers and balsamic glaze, and an arugula and walnut quinoa mix with sweet peppers.
$11.99–$13.49 per serving
The Meals
While I sampled only the dinner meal kit options, they offered a variety of delicious dishes to choose from.
meal kits
As a plant-based meal, options may not be as diverse, but Purple Carrot offered numerous choices for vegetarians. The selection of protein sources included beans, tofu, tempeh, and veggie burgers, while providing a generous selection of veggies, grains, and flavors.
Personally, I opted for nutritionally well-balanced meals, incorporating vegetables, protein, and grain sources. This option was readily available, but less nutritious options, such as grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese, and pasta dishes, were also available.
• plant-based• Mediterranean• low calorie• high protein• keto• gluten-free
For each dish, Purple Carrot provides information on nutritional content, potential allergens, ingredients, and preparation instructions, helping navigate the selection process if required.
My ingredients were always fresh, with good taste and quality. Some dishes - which I initially had low expectations for - pleasantly surprised me. However, I did not find any options to choose higher-quality items like organic produce.
The Packaging
The packaging could be considered moderately eco-friendly. My meal kits arrived in cardboard boxes with cardboard insulation, clearly labeled as recyclable. Beyond that, each meal and ingredient was packed in plastic, making recycling difficult. I also discarded the ice packs, used to keep the ingredients cold.
no information available
Conclusion
I enthusiastically recommend Purple Carrot! Their vast selection of vegetarian meals is appealing, and my non-vegetarian partner was able to enjoy the service by adding his choice of meat.
prepared meals
The sign-up and ordering process proved simple, and customer support delivered fast and helpful assistance. I had the flexibility to select meals that appealed to me, and I found all my tried dishes to be flavorful and satisfying.
I am a voracious eater, rarely leaving any leftovers, and found the portion sizes generous, often leaving with ample leftovers. Some dishes required less time than others to prepare, but the instructions were always clear and easy to follow.
• plant-based• gluten-free• low calorie
Purple Carrot is a suitable choice for vegans, vegetarians, and individuals looking to adopt a more plant-based diet.
Alternatives to Purple Carrot
Several plant-based meal services offer meal kits for users to prepare a la carte or offer fully cooked meals.
Many alternatives to Purple Carrot, while not solely vegan, offer vegan meal options. These include:
starting at $8.67 per meal for meal plans
- *Daily Harvest: This service provides various smoothies, harvest bowls, soups, and bites, making it ideal for lunches. Prices range from $5.99 to $11.99 per item.
- *Green Chef: This meal kit delivery service caters to various diets, including vegan and vegetarian. They use mostly certified USDA organic ingredients. The cost is $11.99 to $13.49 per serving, depending on the number of servings and meals ordered per week.
- *Sunbasket: Offering both meal kits and prepared meals, Sunbasket serves a range of diets, including vegan, paleo, and diabetes-friendly. Prices start at $9.99 per serving.
- *Blue Apron: With Blue Apron, customers can select meal preferences, including plant-based, family-friendly, wellness, fast & easy, and chef’s favorites. The cost ranges from $7.99 to $12.49 per serving.
- *HelloFresh: Known for meal delivery, HelloFresh offers meal kits for various dietary needs and allows mixing and matching for households with different diet preferences. Options include veggie, meat & veggies, family-friendly, fit & wholesome, quick & easy, and pescatarian.
Services providing fully prepared plant-based meals that can be heated in a few minutes include:
• prepared meals• a la carte
- *Veestro: Veestro offers exclusively plant-based prepared meals, though prices are not stated on their website.
- *Splendid Spoon: Selling smoothies, bowls, and dishes, users can choose to receive 7, 14, or 21 ready-made plant-based items per week. Prices start at $8.67 per meal with a plan.
- *Sprinly: Delivering 100% fresh plant-based meals, Sprinly has a price range of $109 to $289 per week, not including shipping costs.
Comparison of Purple Carrot with competitors
• plant-based• soy-free• tree nut-free• high fiber• high protein• low calorie• low carb• low fat• low sodium• low sugar
| Price range | Meal types | Diets catered to || --- | --- | --- || Purple Carrot | $3.99 to $13 per serving | meal kits, prepared meals, snacks, breakfast, lunch | plant-based, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, high protein || Daily Harvest | $5.99 to $11.99 per item | a la carte ready-to-eat items | plant-based, dairy-free, gluten-free, paleo, keto, diabetes-friendly, low FODMAP, Mediterranean || Green Chef | $11.99 to $13.49 per serving | meal kits | plant-based, Mediterranean, low calorie, high protein, keto, gluten-free || Veestro | no information available | prepared meals | plant-based, gluten-free, low calorie || Splendid Spoon | starting at $8.67 per meal for meal plans | prepared meals, a la carte | plant-based, soy-free, tree nut-free, high fiber, high protein, low calorie, low carb, low fat, low sodium, low sugar || Sprinly | $109 to $289 per week | prepared meals | plant-based, gluten-free || Sunbasket | starting at $9.99 per serving | meal kits, prepared meals | plant-based, low calorie, gluten-free, paleo, dairy-free, soy-free, diabetes-friendly || Blue Apron | $7.99 to $12.49 per serving | meal kits, prepared meals | plant-based, low carb, low calorie, diabetes-friendly || HelloFresh | varies | meal kits | plant-based, low carb, low calorie |
Health benefits of veganism
A 2020 review suggests that plant-based diets can reduce disease risk and improve well-being. Additionally, a 2020 study involving females with diabetes found improvements in sleep quality and decreased stress, anxiety, and depression among those following a plant-based diet compared to those on animal-based diets.
Research indicates that plant-based diets may help reduce the risk of obesity and diabetes. One 2018 review suggests high fiber content in a plant-based diet is a protective factor against diabetes. Some research suggests that plant-based diets can significantly decrease body weight, inflammation, and metabolic benefits even without physical exercise.
$109–$289 per week
Plant-based diets have also been linked to reducing heart disease risk factors, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure, according to a *study*. In a 2019 study, individuals who closely adhered to a nutritious plant-based diet had a 19% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and an 11% lower risk of dying from all causes, compared to those with the least nutritious diets.
Source: Science Direct / Healthline, etc.
prepared meals
Blood Pressure Management through Plant-Based Diets
An article suggests that plant-based diets could be beneficial in managing high blood pressure or hypertension.
• plant-based• gluten-free
The authors explain that plant-based diets help reduce energy intake, facilitating weight loss. Moreover, this type of eating reduces sodium and oxidative stress levels and increases potassium levels. All these factors contribute to regulating blood pressure levels.
Plant-Based Diets for Chronic Kidney Disease
Medical professionals often suggest limiting fruit and vegetable intake for people with kidney disease due to their high potassium content. However, recent studies, such as one referred to in the text, suggest that plant-based diets could benefit individuals with chronic kidney disease.
The authors suggest that certain cooking methods can help reduce the amount of potassium absorbed by the body. They also advise people on strict vegan diets to ensure they meet their nutritional needs.
starting at $9.99 per serving
People with chronic kidney disease should consider the pros and cons of a plant-based diet and consult their doctor about it.
Alternatives to Meal Delivery Services
• meal kits• prepared meals
If someone doesn't want to try meal kits or prepared meal delivery services, there are other options.
Meal planning can help improve food choices. Preparing meals in advance can make it easier to eat nutritious meals.
• plant-based• low calorie• gluten-free• paleo• dairy-free• soy-free• diabetes-friendly
Eating at restaurants is another option, although it may be more expensive. By checking a restaurant's menu online in advance, one can plan a healthy plant-based meal.
Frequently Asked Questions about Purple Carrot
Is Purple Carrot Good for You?
Purple Carrot claims that plant-based diets can reduce the risk of diabetes, lower cholesterol, and aid in weight loss. Some scientific research supports these claims. All the company's meals offer a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, providing balanced nutritional options.
$7.99–$12.49 per serving
However, some meals may have high carbohydrate and calorie contents. To select a nutritious dish, it's important to check the nutritional information.
Is Hungryroot or Purple Carrot Better?
• meal kits• prepared meals
Whether Hungryroot or Purple Carrot is better depends on a person's dietary needs and preferences for a meal delivery service.
Purple Carrot offers exclusively plant-based meals, making it a good choice for vegans and vegetarians. It also offers both meal kits and prepared meals, expanding a person's options.
• plant-based • low carb• low calorie• diabetes-friendly
Hungryroot is not exclusively vegan and only offers meal kits. While this may provide more choices in terms of cuisines and diets, the meals will take longer to prepare.
Are Purple Carrot Meals High in Sodium?
Purple Carrot's meals do not appear to have more sodium than those of competitors. However, some meals may contain half of a person's daily recommended sodium intake.
The company offers some low sodium meal options for people following a low sodium diet.
varies
Is Purple Carrot Easy to Cancel?
According to Purple Carrot, customers can cancel their subscriptions at any time. However, they must cancel before their next shipment is due.
meal kits
In their account settings, customers can click "change" next to their subscription status to pause or skip deliveries and cancel their subscription.
Conclusion
• plant-based• low carb• low calorie
Purple Carrot may be a suitable option for people looking to increase their fruit and vegetable intake. This service could be particularly helpful for beginners in plant-based eating, as it can teach them new cooking techniques with unfamiliar ingredients.
People on a vegan diet with limited time for grocery shopping might find it convenient to include nutritious meals in their weekly menu. The service may also appeal to individuals who want to consume a few plant-based meals each week.
Eating a plant-based diet may offer benefits for people with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure. Research shows that it can also aid in weight loss. However, people with chronic kidney disease should consult their doctor before switching to a plant-based diet.
Purple Carrot's ['othernutrition', 'kit'] offering includes plant-based snacks and ready-to-eat meals for a la carte purchases, expanding beyond their meal kit service.
Customers can order from Purple Carrot's ['plant', 'based', 'meal'] Plantry portal for vegan necessities such as cheeses, breads, and sweet treats. This additional ['kit'] allows users to diversify their plant-based diet with wholesome and tasty products.