Splendid Spoon is a rare find. They offer whole food, plant-based meals delivered right to your door. It’s SO COOL that companies like this not only exist but are thriving! There’s no preparation required, simply heat and enjoy!
Most of their bowls consist of a whole grain, bean/lentil, mix of veggies and spices. This is a perfect equation for a healthy, filling meal!
We placed our order and the next day the box was delivered right to our porch (surprising considering the current COVID-19 situation). It included 5 smoothies and 5 bowls. These were packed in dry ice, enough so that the box could sit on the porch on a hot day for many many hours and the contents would still be cold!
Try Splendid Spoon today and take $10 off your first purchase! (*Note this is an affiliate link)
Some additional details to note about the bowls:
- Though each bowl says “2 servings,” we thought the contents were enough for one meal for one person. Splitting it into two meals is simply not enough food on it’s own. However, to feed two people you could get creative and serve some of them over big baked potatoes. The Chickpea Harissa Tahini would be a great candidate for this!
- All bowls seem to include some oil. We recommend steering clear of oil, as it’s highly processed and can be inflammatory (check out our Why No Oil post for more info). It’s listed on the ingredient list, though we didn’t find the meals to be oily. It must be used in a fairly small amount and there is certainly less oil than nearly any meal you’ll find at a restaurant.
- Appearance-wise.. these meals don’t look as beautiful as the pictures on the website. They’re prepared, packaged, frozen, shipped and re-heated – so this would make sense. Once reheated, they certainly don’t look bad. Just don’t expect the pretty presentation that you see online. If you’re needing to spruce the meal up, simply top with a citrus wedge and/or fresh herbs.
Bowls
My husband was the first to try a bowl – he went for the Brown Rice Taco Bowl. Easy to heat up, he simply dumped it in a medium saucepan and within minutes it was ready. Made with brown rice, beans, veggies and spices, we both agreed that the flavor and texture is tasty! ???
The Cuban Black Bean Bowl is another favorite. ? However, of the 5 we tried, there wasn’t one we didn’t like. Lots of flavor and a surprisingly good texture, even though they were frozen and reheated. The bowls can be summed up as yummy, convenient and healthy.
Smoothies
Now on to the smoothies. These are packaged nicely in ready-to-drink bottles with a clear list of ingredients. There’s a variety of creative flavors and they’re filled with fruits, veggies, herbs, spices and nuts. No added sugar – woohoo!!
Of those we tasted, they were all very drink-able. A favorite was the Dragon Fruit Berry! ?
The one downfall is they contain pea protein. This is simply an isolate of the protein found in ground up peas. While this IS plant-based, it’s also pretty processed. ? This is likely added to make the smoothies filling enough to have for a meal (they are quite filling!). Our sampling crew agreed that the pea protein was noticeable in some smoothies due to a subtle grainy texture.
Cost
Finally – let’s take a look at the cost. Our 5 smoothie, 5 bowl box is offered at $85 (free shipping – woohoo!!). This could be breakfast and lunch for 5 days, at $17 per day.
To simply get 5 bowls, the cost is $55. If a bowl serves one person, this is comparable to most meal delivery services, even those that take 20-30 minutes to prepare. It’s also fair to say that this cost is similar to what you might spend eating a simple meal out at a restaurant (but probably healthier). Overall – the cost seems to be competitive. More expensive than preparing meals from scratch, but so much more convenient.
To Sum it Up
If you’re looking for a super convenient way to eat tasty meals filled with whole foods from plants, Splendid Spoon may be worth trying out. For those wanting an alternative to cooking at home or a replacement for eating out, we recommend giving it a go. And then please share with us your feedback!
Your best bet is going for the bowls (they also have a few soups that look tasty). We love that there’s a wide variety to choose from, so you’re bound to find something you like!
*We are a participant in the Splendid Spoon Affiliate Program, an advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. We use the products and ingredients that we link to and recommend them because we believe they are the best choice for you.