Monday, December 19, 2016

REVIEW: Purple Carrot

I've been able to test out and review a couple different meal delivery services in the past few months. I love the idea (fresh, pre-portioned ingredients that arrive at your doorstep) and they have all been great thus far, so when I was contacted by Purple Carrot a couple weeks back I didn't have to think twice about it. Oh yeah, and when I was told that they offer 100% plant-based meals I jumped for joy! (Although the meal delivery services I have tried in the past offered a vegetarian or vegan option here or there, this company offers all plant-based foods - HECK TO THE YES!)

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Purple Carrot offered me a month of meals (each week included three two-person meals). Unfortunately there was some miscommunication on the first delivery, which was sent the week of Thanksgiving while we were out of town, so the perishable items were all bad by the time we got home to use them - BUMMER! At least the boxes all include the recipe cards so we technically can still give them a go in the future.


Once we were able to try the meals, I was stoked when the prep time seemed to match up with reality (in the past, some of the services we have tried seemed to greatly underestimate the amount of time it would take to get everything ready). Although the hubby and I have been vegetarian for years (my last meat meal was December 31st of 2004 - shrimp scampi at Red Lobster), this service really opened our eyes to a lot of new meal ideas and flavors.

Shepherd's Pie - I may have assumed that ALL the rice milk went into the mashed
potatoes since everything is pre-portioned... OOPS! Had some soggy potatoes.

Spicy Jackfruit and Bell Pepper Fajitas - We've had jackfruit before but
never cooked it ourselves.

Peanut Tofu Buddha Bowl - Hubby loved it!


Unboxing... Everything comes in it's own individual package so you know exactly what goes which each meal.

I was expecting to dislike this Tofu Banh Mi with Kimchi Mayonnaise, but I think it was my
favorite meal we've tried! 

When I opened the package for this one I could smell right away that
it was going to be a yummy pesto!

This one was actually one of my faves. I would have loved a little more broth, but it had some great flavors going on!

Love being introduced to new ingredients... like the root of celery
(celeriac that was used to make the 'chips' that went with this meal)

The final product didn't look as pretty as the photo, but at least the flavors were there (even if my presentation was not)

Hubby was stoked that he was able make the meal all on his own!

In case you were unaware, eating a plant-based diet has been known to have many health benefits. Some of those include a reduced chance of high blood pressure, heart disease and stomach cancer, along with 3.6 additional years of life for people who eat very little meat compared to those who eat it often.

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And not only is it good for you, it's good for the planet! When you make the choice to eat plant-based meals, you’re also choosing to reduce your environmental footprint. From saving water and lowering carbon emissions to protecting farmland and supporting biodiversity, vegetables and grains are the smart and sustainable choice.

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Eating plant-based doesn't have to be difficult... and Purple Carrot proves that! Purple Carrot makes it easy to cook amazing veggie filled dinners that are good for you and the planet! Each meal took around 35 minutes to prepare and the flavors were DELISH! They currently offer two subscriptions (a 1-2 person plan or 3-4 person plan). Free shipping is included and you can skip or cancel anytime. If you're interested, you can use "30DAYS" to get $30 off your first order.

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Now, since you know I've gotta #KeepItReal, I did need to mention a few of the cons I had with this service. First, like all of the meal delivery services we've done, I feel as though there is so much packaging since everything is individually packaged. Some of it can be recycled, but I would love to see the use of more compostable materials. Also, I realize that it is cheaper to have all of your clients eat the same meals, but I wish you could select your menu. There are a few flavors that I strongly dislike (including curry and peanut sauce), so I wish I could opt out of those meals or swap them for something else. Other than that, I think this is an AWESOME plant-based meal delivery service option!

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Even if you aren't a full-blown veggie (although I would LOVE to urge you to try a plant-based diet for many-a-reasons), I'd be willing to say that you would enjoy these meals and wouldn't feel as though you're missing your precious meat.

Have you ever tried a meal subscription service?

3 comments:

KookyRunner said...

I love that this company focusing on plant based meals. One thing I'm going to focus on for 2017 is doing more meatless meals throughout the week. I will check out this company and thanks for the honest review!

Paula said...

I am so glad you shared this find. I have always wanted to try one of these subscription meal services, but the choices are limited when one doesn't eat meat. I may consider this one since I want to eat plant based & this could also help me learn to cook!

amanda -runtothefinish said...

thanks for sharing your experience. I've been debating doing something like this and it's helpful to see it in action