Purple Carrot vs. Green Chef: Which Meal Delivery Service Is Better for Real Life?

Aug 8

Does meal prep and planning feel like another chore?

Today, I’m comparing 2 of the most popular brands in the meal kit delivery service arena and sharing my thoughts— plus the pros and cons of each.

I share a lot around here about making wellness a bit easier. While meal planning doesn't need to be complicated, some families enjoy the extra convenience of meal kits. If you've ever looked into meal kit delivery services, you've probably come across both Purple Carrot and Green Chef. They are both well-established meal subscriptions that promise fresh ingredients, convenient cooking, and healthier dinners at home (but they serve slightly different audiences).

As someone who doesn't follow a plant-based diet, I approached this comparison from a practical perspective. I enjoy incorporating more vegetables into my family's meals, and I think having occasional meat-free dinners is a great idea. However, I also appreciate flexibility, which is one reason I personally lean toward Green Chef.

That doesn't mean Purple Carrot isn't worth considering. In fact, if you're following a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle—or simply trying to include more plant-based meals throughout the week—it may be one of the best options available.

Here's my honest comparison after researching both services. And for transparency’s sake, I have no affiliate partnership or sponsorship with either company👍

Why Whole-Food Nutrition Matters

One of the reasons meal kits have become so popular is that they can make cooking at home feel far more realistic on busy weeknights. Kids have activities? Working late? I get it... And while convenience is important, I think it's equally important to consider what that convenience is helping us eat.

A diet centered around whole, minimally processed foods has consistently been associated with better long-term health. While no single meal will determine your overall wellness, regularly eating meals built around vegetables, quality proteins, healthy fats, legumes, whole grains, herbs, and other nutrient-dense ingredients can support everything from energy levels and digestive health to heart health and blood sugar regulation.

Regardless of your personal eating preferences (whether you follow an ancestral diet, animal-based, or plant-based), the foundation of a healthy diet doesn't have to be complicated. Prioritizing fresh ingredients over ultra-processed convenience foods is one of the simplest ways to nourish your body over time.

That doesn't mean every meal has to be homemade from scratch—but it does mean looking for practical ways to make nutritious meals easier to prepare.

Convenience Doesn't Have to Mean Fast Food

We live in a culture that values convenience, and there's nothing wrong with wanting dinner to be quick after a long day. The problem is that convenience is often marketed as drive-thrus, takeout, or another night of DoorDash. No shade at all. My husband and I get takeout and food delivery on occasion!

But thankfully, those aren't our only options.

Meal kits have created a middle ground between spending hours cooking from scratch and relying on restaurant food several nights a week. Because the ingredients arrive pre-portioned with recipe cards included, much of the planning, shopping, and measuring has already been done for you. You still get the experience of preparing a home-cooked meal in your own kitchen, but with significantly less mental load.

For many families, that convenience makes it easier to choose fresh foods over heavily processed alternatives. Instead of asking, "What's the easiest thing we can order?" the question becomes, "Which meal are we making tonight?"

While I don't think meal delivery services are necessary for everyone, I do think they can be a valuable tool during particularly busy seasons of life. If they help you cook more often, eat more vegetables, and rely less on takeout, that's a meaningful step toward building sustainable, healthy habits.

They can also support building your confidence in the kitchen. I have many health coaching clients who are very intimidated by cooking and have never had much experience in the kitchen. Meal kit services, with prepped ingredients and easy-to-follow steps, can help build your confidence with cooking!

At a Glance

Purple Carrot Overview

Purple Carrot is a dedicated plant-based meal delivery service that specializes exclusively in vegan meals. Every recipe is free of animal products, making it a popular choice for people committed to plant-based eating or following a vegetarian diet.

The company offers both traditional meal kits featuring pre-portioned ingredients and a selection of ready-made meals for even greater convenience.

One thing I appreciate is that Purple Carrot doesn't simply remove meat from traditional recipes. Instead, they create meals specifically designed around plant-based proteins, grains, legumes, and vegetables. I'm a big fan of protein over here, so I was happy to see it wasn't looked over.

Some examples from Purple Carrot's menu include:

Creamy mushroom pasta
Chickpea curries
Korean-style tofu bowls
Buffalo cauliflower tacos
Lentil shepherd's pie

If you're looking to explore plant-based foods, Purple Carrot makes it surprisingly approachable. As someone who has never prioritized plant-based eating, it was a positive experience!

Green Chef Overview

Green Chef is one of the most flexible meal kit services currently available.

Instead of focusing on one dietary philosophy, Green Chef offers numerous meal options, including:

Mediterranean
High protein
Balanced Living
Keto diet
Gluten-conscious
Vegetarian

Because I don't exclusively eat vegan food, this flexibility is one of the biggest reasons I personally prefer Green Chef.

Some nights I may want a salmon dinner. Other nights I may choose chicken, steak, or even one of their vegetarian meals. Having everything under one subscription feels much more practical for my family.

For households where everyone eats differently, Green Chef's broader selection can be a major advantage as well.

In-Depth Comparison: Purple Carrot vs Green Chef

Whenever choosing a meal delivery service, there is a lot of nuance to consider. In this part of the post, I’ll compare and contrast Purple Carrot Vs Green Chef in several different categories, including ingredient quality, menu variety, prep time, convenience, and cost.

Here we go!

Ingredient Quality

Both companies prioritize ingredient quality, but they do so differently.

Purple Carrot

Purple Carrot emphasizes fresh vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds. They pair these with creative vegan sauces to come up with tasty recipes!

Their recipes rely heavily on whole-food ingredients while minimizing processed substitutes.

Green Chef

Green Chef is known for using many organic ingredients, including:

Organic produce
Organic herbs
High-quality proteins
Cage-free eggs (when applicable)
Sustainable sourcing

For shoppers who prioritize organic produce, Green Chef generally has the edge.

Meal Variety

This category is where I think the biggest difference appears.

Purple Carrot

They create excellent plant-based dishes, but everything is vegan. That means every week's weekly menu centers around:

Tofu
Tempeh
Beans
Lentils
Vegetables
Whole grains

If you love eating this way, that's fantastic.

But if your family enjoys seafood, chicken, or beef throughout the week, your choices are obviously more limited. Or you would have to plan on adding protein into the dishes, which minimizes the convenience factor.

Green Chef

On the other hand, Green Chef has a wider variety of protein options for people who include animal products in their diet.

These include seafood, chicken, beef, etc. It is also important to note that they do have vegetarian recipes available, but not nearly as many as Purple Carrot.

For my own family, because we prioritize nutrient-dense animal proteins in our diet, this makes Green Chef the better option for us.

Convenience

Both companies ship everything directly to your door using insulated packaging with ice packs.

Meals arrive with:

Recipe cards
Labeled ingredients
Pre-portioned ingredients
Step-by-step instructions

You'll simply enter your zip code during checkout to confirm delivery availability throughout the contiguous United States. Packaging includes cardboard boxes, insulation, and several plastic bags to organize the individual ingredients.

Neither company completely eliminates packaging waste, although according to their websites, both continue making improvements.

Prep Time

Both services are designed to reduce grocery shopping while still allowing you to prepare a home-cooked meal.

I found that with both companies, the prep time was pretty comparable and came in at about 30 minutes. Obviously, some meals were closer to 20, and others were closer to 40 or 45. But generally, I found them to both be quick and convenient!

If you want less prep, both companies also offer pre-made meals, or ready-made meals depending on availability.

Taste

Taste is obviously subjective, but after reading hundreds of customer reviews and my own experience, here’s what I think..

Purple Carrot Reviews

Many subscribers praise:

Surprisingly flavorful vegan recipes
Creative sauces and unique spices
Restaurant-inspired meals
Filling portions

The most common criticism? People who aren't accustomed to a vegan lifestyle sometimes miss traditional proteins or find certain recipes rely heavily on legumes. But if that's the norm for you, then I think you would really like the flavor profiles in the meals!

Green Chef Reviews

Green Chef receives consistent praise for:

Fresh meats and quality vegetables
Well-balanced flavors
Restaurant-quality dinners
Family-friendly recipes

Customers especially enjoy the variety since they aren't limited to one style of eating.

My family loved the taste of the meals from both companies, so I would say for flavor, it's a wash. I would make the choice based on your diet preference and how much variety you want.

Price Per Serving

Pricing changes periodically depending on promotions and the size of your meal plan, but generally both companies fall within the premium meal kit category. And you’re looking at $10+ per serving for dinner options.

Typical pricing includes:

Price per serving decreases with larger orders
Shipping is charged separately in many cases
Promotional discounts often apply to your first box
Taxes and shipping fees vary by location

Neither service is inexpensive compared to cooking entirely from the grocery store, but you're paying for convenience, planning, and reduced food waste.

I did appreciate that Green Chef offered discounts to first responders, medical professionals, and teachers. As a nurse, you better believe I liked that discount!

Customization Options

Purple Carrot

Customization is fairly limited because all meals remain vegan. Your choices are limited to the number of servings, total dinners, and whether you are buying meal kits or prepared meals.

Green Chef

Green Chef offers considerably more customization options, allowing you to choose among several dietary preferences while selecting from numerous different meals each week.

Again, this flexibility is why Green Chef better fits my lifestyle slightly better.

Who Should Choose Purple Carrot?

I think Purple Carrot is a great option if you:

Follow a vegan or plant-based diet
Want to eat more plant-based meals or plant-based proteins
Want flavorful vegan dishes

Even if you aren't vegan, I could see Purple Carrot being a fun way to add one or two "meatless Mondays" into your routine.

Who Should Choose Green Chef?

I think Green Chef is the best option if you:

Want flexibility
Cook for a family with different preferences
Prefer organic ingredients
Like rotating between meat, seafood, and vegetarian meals for high-protein meal options
Want help from a registered dietitian for nutrition support

Personally, this is where I land.

I don't follow a vegan lifestyle, so I appreciate being able to choose a chicken dinner one night, a seafood meal the next, and then intentionally enjoy a plant-based meal later in the week.

That variety simply fits real life better for me.

I also really appreciate them having a registered dietitian available within their company. With so many contradictory recommendations on diet and nutrition, it can be really confusing knowing what to eat for your personal health goals. I think this can be a great resource for people who aren't really sure where to start when it comes to diet, nutrition, and meal planning.

Alternatives Worth Considering

If neither service feels like the perfect fit, there are plenty of other meal services available, including:

Blue Apron- My favorite feature of Blue Apron is that they have family-style meals where you can mix and match an entree and sides
Home Chef - Home Chef was my first-ever meal kit experience a few years back. I appreciate that they also have oven-ready meals that require zero prep, as well as meal kits and microwave-ready meals.
Splendid Spoon- This is another plant-based meal kit company. They offer everything from soups to smoothies, snacks to oat dishes. Unlike the other meal plans, these are zero prep. So just reheat and go! For people looking for convenient, whole-food, plant-based options and delicious meals-this is a great choice.
Daily Harvest- This company started with smoothie kits and has since expanded into oat bowls and harvest bowls.

Each offers a slightly different approach, from traditional meal delivery kits to smoothies, soups, and fully prepared meals. Make sure to check out each meal-delivery service to find which is right for your nutrition needs.

Any of these meal services would be a great alternative to making your own postpartum freezer meals to help support postpartum nutrition.

What's my final verdict?

Purple Carrot and Green Chef both offer high-quality meal kits, but they serve different goals.

If you're committed to plant-based eating, want flavorful vegan meals, and enjoy trying creative vegetables, Purple Carrot's meal kits are among the strongest choices available. Their thoughtfully designed recipes prove that plant-based foods can be satisfying, flavorful, and anything but boring. My whole family enjoyed the meals we chose, and I loved knowing we were supporting our gut health with fiber and antioxidants.

For my own family, though, Green Chef comes out ahead. Since I don't exclusively eat vegan food, I appreciate having access to a wider variety of healthy meals, including seafood, poultry, and vegetarian meals, all within the same subscription. The emphasis on organic ingredients, flexible dietary plans, and consistently fresh ingredients makes it a better long-term fit for our lifestyle.

Ultimately, the best meal delivery service is the one you'll actually use consistently. If eating more vegetables—or simply making one or two meat-free dinners each week—is your goal, Purple Carrot is absolutely worth considering. But if you want the freedom to mix plant-based dishes with more traditional dinners, Green Chef is the service I'd personally recommend.

That said, a meal service is not required to eat healthy without sacrificing convenience. If you are looking for more help creating a sustainable, nourishing meal plan, check out these blog posts: