Purple Carrot Review from a First-Time User; Vegan Meal Delivery Service

I decided to give Purple Carrot a try. I wanted to change up my meal routine a bit even though I consider myself a pretty adventurous cook. I saw some of their offerings which looked really fun and exciting, and had a good discount code to use, so I figured now was the time!

Full disclosure: I've never used any meal delivery services before and I am not getting paid for this review, however I can offer my Refer-a-Friend link and you will get $50 off your first purchase. After your first order, I will get $50 in credit. Win-win, right?!

My mouth was watering to try ALL of the items I received, but I was really craving that Spicy KFC Fried Rice... Plus, to be honest, I was feeling a little lazy and didn't really want to put any effort into making a meal, and this was a simple heat-and-eat selection that I could pop into the microwave and have ready in less than five minutes.

I liked the convenience and even though I'm not a huge "rice person", the flavor was delicious.

It was filling and tasty, and clocked in at 550 calories. It was extremely high in fiber and protein, but also high in sodium and had added sugars and oils and more fat than I'd have liked.

For breakfast the next day I had the Tropical Chia Parfait (but I didn't take a photo) which was so much better than my normal chia pudding I make myself. Usually I add almond milk and chia plus cinnamon and a tiny dash of maple syrup. Sometimes I include a little peanut butter and banana.

Purple Carrot's version was a pistachio mango chia pudding made with coconut milk and it was SOOOOO delicious! I thought it might have had a little too much mango, personally, but it was divine.

Did I try to recreate it again the next day? Of course! I used canned coconut milk and a touch of vanilla like they did, plus pistachios, but I didn't add any fruit. I did add walnuts too and kept my dash of maple and it was so much better than my normal recipe. I will always make chia pudding with coconut milk now!

Nutritionally I was pretty pleased with this one. High in fiber, decent amount of protein and other nutrients with lower sugar content. It was a bit high in fat from the coconut milk, but overall I was satisfied with everything and happy to discover a better method to make it myself.

I made the dinner kit meal Mafaldine alla Trapanese next. It was pretty simple to make. All of the main ingredients are provided and you get a recipe card which has step by step instructions how to prepare the meal and approximately how much time it takes -- all the things you'd expect from a recipe, but with the added bonus that they've basically done all the grocery shopping for you.

Mine doesn't look as pretty and I should have used a bigger plate, but this provided two large servings. Mafaldine is a type of pasta that reminds me of lasagna noodles, but not quite as wide. This is their version of a Sicilian pesto and they use walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes, and roasted bell peppers plus lemon for an addictive taste combination! I really loved this one.

I did pat dry and roast the artichokes according to their directions but they never got crispy even after cooking longer at a higher temperature once I checked them and found them still soft; possibly because I reduced the amount of oil as I do not regularly cook with oil. No matter... I like artichokes and they were still good soft, but I might cut them smaller next time I attempt this dish on my own, because I always try to recreate delicious meals from restaurants and now, meal kits!

The nutrition was pretty balanced and the flavor was out of this world. It was tangy and bright but not too heavy and just tasted magnificent! I'm a bit of a lemon addict (and definitely a pasta addict), so this was right up my alley. I wanted more once I ate the second helping a couple days later and I can't wait to have this again soon.

I tried the Green Chile Burrito for a quick lunch. This one was good but my least favorite of the meals I received. The convenience is nice, of course, but it didn't have quite as much flavor as I'd have liked. It was extremely high in protein and fiber, but with it being a processed ready-made meal, it did have very high sodium and fat, and lots of ingredients -- including all that added oil I don't prefer.

Last up was the Buffalo Cauli Bites meal. I love Buffalo sauce and this also had lemon, so I figured it would be good but I wasn't sure.

They sent head of cauliflower which needed to be cut into florets. I was surprised that the cauliflower got tossed in polenta and turmeric before roasting. Again, I substantially reduced the oil, but the cauliflower turned out nicely.

The quinoa was pre-cooked in a bag, so it was easy to heat in the microwave.

The directions said to make the quinoa and kale salad separately, but I just tossed it all together and omitted the oil, and it turned out lovely. The flavor was really good and I thoroughly enjoyed this dish as well.

Since I used less oil than the recipe directed, mine didn't have as much calories or fat. This provided two large servings and was filling as well as nutritionally balanced and complete. There was a lot of different flavor contrasts and combinations, so it was really interesting. It was also gluten-free.

Overall, there are many things I loved about Purple Carrot meal delivery, and a few things I wasn't thrilled with.

Of course, the convenience of their pre-made meals can't be beat, the meal kits you need to prepare yourself have all the main components you need (except small things like oil or salt and pepper) so you don't need to worry about buying all the ingredients at the store, and the company offers only vegan meals. Other meal delivery services have limited vegan options, but Purple Carrot has all vegan options.

As with any meal delivery service, the items are perishable and most need to be kept cool or refrigerated, so they use a lot of packaging. Between the packaging and shipping, of course this takes a toll on the environment. Most vegans, while vegan for the animals, still consider the environmental impact of their choices. Most of the components are recyclable and they offer support in the FAQs for how to recycle the packaging.

It was very easy to customize meals I wanted and didn't want. I could choose different meals, add in extras, delete those which I didn't want, etc. For my first box I chose a mix of ready-made and preparation needed meals. I opted to skip the next couple weeks so my next kit will arrive in a few weeks and I chose only the 2-serving meal kits, meaning no ready-made items. This way, I can customize more and use less oil and more veggies and make more of the method I prefer. I plan on writing a follow-up review once I receive and try my next box.

Skipping weeks, changing items in deliveries, and even canceling the service is very easy with this company. I have heard it's not as easy with other companies, but I don't know for sure as I have not tried other meal delivery services. I also like that you can see exactly what you are getting before you even sign up. I know many other companies do not offer this.

I can easily find their recipes online to make myself if I don't want to order the kits. The nutritional information as well as ingredients are all readily available. I love this transparency and, might I say, generosity from the company!

Purple Carrot has helped me perfect some of my own recipes with the chia pudding and add diversity to my meals. I will incorporate some of their recipes into my regular rotation but tweak a bit to make more WFPB (whole food plant based) with less or no oil than they suggest.

Their price seems comparable to other meal kit services. You do have to pay for the convenience of not needing to buy the groceries yourself, so the price is a little steep, but they offer a decent rewards program. If you'd like to give Purple Carrot a try, click here for a $50 credit towards your first box!

I know a few other meal delivery services such as Hungry Root and Green Chef offer vegan selections, but many are very limited. Tovala only has vegetarian, not vegan, choices available -- and I believe you need to buy their special oven for their meals. No thanks!

Let me know in the comments below if you've tried Purple Carrot or any other meal delivery service and what you thought about it!

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