Splendid Spoon is a youthful player in the meal kit industry offering fully-prepared soups, grain bowls, smoothies and cold-pressed juices. Everything is plant-based, gluten-free and marketed towards a health-conscious audience with great taste.
We tried the meals and drinks for ourselves to see just how splendid this meal kit really is.
Everything you order from Splendid Spoon is ready to eat or drink straight out of the box. The smoothies come chilled, and many of the soups and grain bowls don’t even need reheating, making this one of the most convenient meal kits on the market.
Unlike do-it-yourself options like Hello Fresh and Every Plate, this plant-based kit takes all the work out of a healthy, satisfying meal.
We wanted to see if the bottled smoothies and soups from Splendid Spoon could really satisfy our hunger and taste buds.
In this meal kit review, we’ll cover:
- How Splendid Spoon is different from other meal kit options
- How the different meals, smoothies and shots taste
- Who this subscription is perfect for, and who may not love it as much
QUICK SUMMARY: SPLENDID SPOON
- Taste: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
- Price: 4/5
- Ease to prepare: 5/5
- Diversity of options: 5/5
Splendid Spoon takes the guesswork and stress out of clean, healthy eating. It’s the perfect breakfast and lunch solution for people looking to lose weight, eat more plant-based meals or avoid gluten.
How is Splendid Spoon Different from Other Meal Kits?
While it’s certainly not the only plant-based option on the market, Splendid Spoon distinguishes itself from similar competitors by offering a range of colorful smoothies, veggie-packed soups, and cold-pressed “wellness shots”. It focuses on a breakfast, lunch and snack offering, rather than dinner.
It offers three plans:
- Just breakfast, which includes 5 smoothies delivered weekly for $65.
- Breakfast, lunch and 1-day soup reset, which includes 5 smoothies, 5 bowls, and one day of just soups for $115.
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner and a 1-day soup reset, which includes all of the above plus 5 noodle bowls for $185.
The idea behind the reset day is to eat light soups for breakfast, lunch, dinner and for two snacks in one day. Customers who like a lighter day of eating or who appreciate a moment of “detox” after a day of heavier meals may like this option. Of course, you can also enjoy these five soups as snacks for the other days of the week.
Price
The cost of Splendid Spoon varies quite a bit depending on your plan. The all-breakfast plan comes out to $13 per smoothie. The breakfast and lunch option costs a more reasonable $7.66 per meal, and the dinner plan comes out to $8.15 per meal.
This pricing is cheaper than other similar plant-based, fully-cooked meal kits. For example, Sprinly costs $18 per meal.
Subscription Flexibility
Splendid Spoon lets you customize your box every week and easily skip weeks if you like. You can also switch between plan types to fit your schedule.
We Tried Splendid Spoon for a Week, Here’s How it Went
We had to give these healthy soups and smoothies a sample. We ordered a week of meals to try the service for ourselves.
The soups and smoothies arrived in an insulated box. It was a hot day, so they weren’t exactly refrigerator-cold, but still chilled. We got them in the fridge ASAP.
Inside, everything is individually packaged and clearly labeled. All of the meals have full nutritional information and ingredients listed.
Meal #1: Recovery Shot
First, we opted to wet our appetite with one of the petite, cold-pressed juice shots. The shot is a mixture of watermelon, cherry, beet, lemon and ginger juice. The bottle describes “a quick and easy boost from mother nature’s medicine cabinet ideal for on the go”. But it tastes far better than any medicine I’ve ever had.
The shot is perfectly sweet and refreshing, despite having no added sugar. It was exactly what I wanted after a summer run in 90-degree heat. In fact, my only complaint was that there wasn’t more!
Meal #2: Strawberry Chocolate Smoothie
We couldn’t resist digging into the strawberry and chocolate smoothie next. This creamy drink is made with strawberries, banana, coconut cream, dates, pea protein, cacao powder, beet juice, vanilla and Himalayan salt.
The ingredients are clean but make a decadent-tasting breakfast. Though coconut can sometimes be overpowering in a smoothie, the drink didn’t have a strong coconut flavor. It did, however, have a rich, almost fluffy texture that must be from the coconut. There are two servings per bottle, but one serving was plenty to feel satisfied.
The smoothie does tend to separate in the fridge, but a good amount of shaking brings it back together into a smooth and creamy drink. There wasn’t a ton of chocolate flavor, despite the smoothie’s name, but the strawberry shines through. And even beet-haters will enjoy the natural sweetness from the beet juice (not to mention the antioxidants)
Meal #3: Green Tomatillo Chili
Finally, we sampled one of the soups. The Green Tomatillo Chili has protein from tofu and navy beans. One serving is 8 ounces and offers 10 grams of plant-based protein, which is great for someone following a vegan diet.
Flavorwise, we wanted the soup to pack more of a punch. The tomatillos are light and refreshing, but we expected more heat. The beans added a nice hefty texture to make the soup more filling, but an 8-ounce serving didn’t feel like a full meal.
If you served the soup over rice with some diced jalapeños on top, you’d have a delicious dish with a bit more sticking power and flavor.
Pros of Splendid Spoon
Here are some pros of a subscription to Splendid Spoon:
- The dishes are healthy and made with minimal ingredients but don’t lack flavor or variety.
- Unlike other meal kits, there’s a great variety of breakfast options.
- The meals are reasonably priced.
Cons of Splendid Spoon
Here are some of the drawbacks of the subscription:
- The meals may not be filling for bigger appetites
- There aren’t great dinner options. Instead, Splendid Spoon refers customers to their approved dinner recipes on Pinterest.
- Deliveries only arrive on Wednesdays and Friedays, so there's no delivery customization
The Verdict: Is Splendid Spoon Worth It?
For people looking to lighten up their diet without sacrificing flavor and quality nutrition, Splendid Spoon is an excellent solution. The multi-meal plans, in particular, offer a reasonable price for high-quality healthy meals that make you feel great.
This meal kit is perfect for vegans, vegetarians, gluten-free eaters and anyone who wants the assurance that their food is low in sugar, carbs, or fat. Splendid Spoon makes it easy to filter their recipes according to your dietary preference.
People with big appetites who need a higher proportion of carbs or fat in their diet may not feel as satisfied eating Splendid Spoon meals. Also, if you’re looking for a solution for dinner, note that Splendid Spoon puts a big emphasis on their breakfast and lunch options. Finally, the plans may not be big enough to satisfy large households. They’re really designed for one- or two-person homes.
FAQ’s
1. Can I Try it One Time?
Yes, you can place a one-time order of Splendid Spoon with no long-term commitment. It’s easy to cancel or skip future weeks online.
2. Is the Packaging Recyclable?
The food comes packed with dry ice, which needs to melt fully before it can be discarded. Then, the box and other packaging can be recycled curbside. All of the plastic food containers are BPA-free.
Splendid Spoon Alternatives
Sprinly
Sprinly is another plant-based meal kit company offering ready-to-eat meals. It’s pricier than Splendid Spoon but includes more robust, dinner-worthy dishes.
Purple Carrot
If you like the process of prepping your own food, Purple Carrot is a hands-on plant-based meal kit that you’ll cook for yourself.
Veestro
Veestro is a great option for anyone on a specific diet, including vegan or gluten-free. The meals come in a minimum of 10 at a time and are fully frozen, so you’ll always have a freezer stocked with a quick ready-to-heat dinner.
Lizzy is a trained chef, freelance food writer and always-curious home cook. She’s passionate about making home cooking fun and accessible and is on a mission to help everyone eat delicious food that makes them feel their best, however it fits into their schedule.