This comprehensive review delves into the Purple Carrot vegan meal delivery service, showcasing its unexpected appeal to individuals who typically consume meat and dairy. The author, who initially harbored skepticism as a lifelong omnivore, recounts a transformative two-week trial period where they explored Purple Carrot's diverse range of plant-based breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks. The detailed account covers the user experience from ordering to ingredient quality, emphasizing the service's capacity to offer exciting, flavorful, and satisfying vegan options that challenge preconceived notions about plant-based diets.
The author's journey with Purple Carrot began with discovering historical facts about carrots, setting a tone of unexpected revelations. As an experienced reviewer of meal kit services, they were well-versed in the conveniences these services offer, such as reducing meal planning stress, saving time, and minimizing food waste. However, Purple Carrot stood out by introducing an entirely new culinary landscape. The service proved to be an invaluable resource for familiarizing oneself with a plant-based lifestyle, much like other kits facilitate gluten-free or vegetarian eating.
The ordering process for Purple Carrot is highly customizable, allowing users to select meal types, dietary preferences, serving sizes, and meal frequency. Upon initial signup, the service pre-fills the first box based on indicated preferences, with ample flexibility for users to modify their meal selections before the cutoff date. This adaptability extends to delivery schedules, offering options to change delivery days or even gift a week's box to another address, which is convenient for travelers or those needing a break.
Upon arrival, Purple Carrot boxes are well-insulated and contain ice packs to maintain freshness. Ingredients are thoughtfully organized, with most grouped by recipe in clear plastic bags, and larger items like leafy greens packed separately. Each meal kit includes a recipe card detailing the dish, making it easy to identify and prepare meals. The ingredients themselves, a mix of organic and non-organic, consistently arrived in excellent condition, with some root vegetables pre-chopped for convenience.
The review highlights several positive aspects of the Purple Carrot experience. The neat packaging of each recipe kit was particularly appreciated, especially when transporting meals. The service effectively dispelled the author's outdated perception of vegan food, offering a wide array of enticing and varied dishes from different cuisines, preventing culinary boredom. While meal preparation times were generally consistent with the listed estimates, the balanced, well-composed, and flavorful nature of the dishes was a significant highlight. Standout meals included a Winter Squash Soup, Zaru Soba, and mushroom-based BBQ Burnt Ends, which remarkably mimicked the texture and taste of meat. The experience also introduced new ingredients and cooking techniques that the author intends to incorporate into their cooking practices even after returning to an omnivorous diet.
However, the author did encounter some minor drawbacks. A common issue was the limited availability of meal options when ordering close to the cutoff date, suggesting that early selection is advisable. More frustrating was the occasional last-minute replacement of selected meals due to ingredient quality issues, with no user input on the substitute dishes. This led to receiving meals that wouldn't have been chosen otherwise, raising questions about how dietary preferences would be handled in such situations. Additionally, while not overly complex, some recipes could have been more streamlined, sometimes requiring extra cooking vessels or listing prep steps within the ingredient list rather than the instructions, necessitating a thorough read-through before cooking.
Beyond meal kits, Purple Carrot offers ready-to-eat options like bowls, salads, and soups, which proved to be convenient and tasty for office lunches. The grocery section emerged as a particular favorite, featuring a diverse selection of vegan dips, cheeses, proteins, sauces, and a well-curated assortment of popular snacks and beverages. This comprehensive offering meant that the author could entirely bypass grocery store visits during their testing period.
Ultimately, Purple Carrot is highly recommended for those committed to a vegan diet seeking to streamline meal planning and grocery shopping, or for anyone looking for culinary inspiration to break free from routine dinners. For the vegan-curious, it serves as an exceptional gateway to plant-based cooking. The author, despite their omnivorous background, did not miss meat or dairy throughout the two-week trial, a testament to the service's quality. Overall, Purple Carrot stands out as one of the best meal delivery services, vegan or otherwise, due to its intuitive user interface, high-quality ingredients, and innovative recipes.
