• FOOD & BEVERAGE
Splendid Spoon Review: Plant-Based Meals, Made Easy
Reviewed by Sharon Quinn
Last Updated January 2022
Does your vegetarian diet need a stress-free upgrade? In this review, we put Splendid Spoon's plant-based meal plan to the test.
Solving The Plant-Based Problem With Splendid Spoon
When it comes to building a plant-based diet, there’s often a hard line between eating food that tastes good and eating food that is actually healthy. Speaking as a lifelong vegetarian, that line between “good food” and “good” food can become pretty blurry at times. Even when we try adding a bit of variety to our meals, we usually end up choking down bites of frozen tofurkey, veggie dogs, endless salads, or fakin’ bacon (it’s exactly as good as it sounds).
In other words, trying to eat healthy without eating meat can be tough, particularly when (like me) your culinary skills leave a lot to be desired.
Splendid Spoon sent us a box full of bowls, smoothies, and bonus digestive detox shots to give us a taste of their time-saving meal subscription. If a plant-based meal plan piques your interest, check out my experience below for the inside scoop.
Featured In This Review
Breakfast, Lunch, Reset Plan
$135
Save yourself the prep-work and enjoy a structured, plant-based meal plan. Splendid Spoon’s Breakfast, Lunch, and Reset plan is their most popular option, featuring 15 nutritious, plant-based meals: 5 smoothies, 5 bowls, and our signature 1-day Reset program.
(Delivered weekly)
Featured In This Review
Wellness Shot Pack
$15
Splendid Spoon’s Wellness Shots are designed to detox, refresh, and revitalize both your diet and digestive system.
(Meal plan add-on, + 3 Wellness Shots)
Ratings Breakdown
QUALITY
★★★★★
Premium, plant-based ingredients; nutritious, hassle-free meals
VALUE
★★★★
Shop meal plans for best value option, pricey for individuals or for larger families with several people
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
★★★★★
Convenient meal options, quick service and response times, inconsistent taste quality, not all meals are sufficiently filling
BRAND
★★★★★
Brand is devoted to building a healthier world, excellent environmental practices, transparent nutrition and business information, engaged customer community
What Is Splendid Spoon?
With over 50 plant-based meal options, ranging from smoothies and bowls to noodles, soups, and more, these ready-to-eat recipes make Splendid Spoon a convenient solution for any lifestyle — whether you’re looking for easy vegetarian meals at home or healthy snacks on the go.
After selecting and customizing your meal plan online, your Splendid Spoon arrives directly to your doorstep, prepped and ready to heat and eat, no cooking required.
Pros
- Extremely easy to prepare
- Wide variety of serving options
- Customizable menus
- Everything is vegan and healthy
- Made without additives
- Free shipping
- Recyclable packaging
- 5 different meal plan options
Cons
- Expensive if purchasing meals for more than one person
- Recipes are inconsistent in terms of taste and flavor
- Some servings aren’t very filling and will leave you hungry for more
Splendid Spoon Plant-Based Meal Plans
Splendid Spoon offers five separate meal plans:
Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner + Reset:$185/week
Delivered each week: 5 smoothies, 5 grain/soup bowls, 5 noodle bowls, and 5 light soups
Breakfast + Lunch + Reset: $135/week
Delivered each week: 5 smoothies, 5 grain/soup bowls, and 5 light soups
Breakfast + Lunch: $95/week
Delivered each week: 5 smoothies and 5 grain/soup bowls
Breakfast: $65/week
Delivered each week: 5 smoothies
Lunch: $65/week
Delivered each week: 5 grain/soup bowl
Meal Plan Features
The Splendid Spoon Breakfast, Lunch + 1-Day Soup Reset Plan includes 5 protein-filled smoothies, 5 plant-based bowls, and one Full-Day Reset of soup. All of Splendid Spoon’s meal plans are entirely vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, low sodium, and have no added sugars.
The Wellness Shot Pack is an optional add-on, available with any Splendid Spoon meal plan. The Pick-Me-Up Shot Pack features 3 Wellness Shots of your choice.
Unboxing Splendid Spoon
I was definitely excited when I saw Splendid Spoon’s package on our porch. Eating rice cakes with jam; and rice cakes with hummus every day for breakfast and lunch, respectively, can get pretty old, pretty fast.
So, I’d been looking forward to the change of pace. I immediately knifed the box open to reveal five veggie grain bowls, five smoothies, and three, bonus detox shots that they were kind enough to include. (Note: Splendid Spoon’s detox shots are not included with their Breakfast + Lunch meal plan unless you choose to add them as an upgrade).
How’s It Taste?
Right off the bat, I shook up a Strawberry Goji Smoothie, and, ignoring the serving size instructions completely (2 servings per bottle), downed the entire delicious drink. However, this was only a primer for the true main course. That evening, my family and I took the night off from cooking, and heated up the five, Splendid Spoon bowls to share: Brown Rice Taco, Vegan Meatballs & Marinara Noodles, Roasted Cauliflower, Creamy Mushroom & Spinach Noodles, and Vegetable Bolognese.
The Brown Rice Taco Bowl was undoubtedly my favorite of the five. Packed with black beans, sweet potatoes, red peppers, and kale, it truly felt like eating a veggie wrap minus the wrap. Every ingredient was fresh and tangy, and it needed nothing, not even salt, to feel like a complete meal.
I’ve always been a sucker for fake meat, and the Vegan Meatballs were absolutely delightful. Truth be told, I’ve never even had real meatballs, but if they taste anything like these, I can see why they’re so beloved. Combined with the marinara sauce and noodles, this was a simple, yet delicious classic.
The Roasted Cauliflower Bowl was next, and although I prefer my cauliflower just a bit crispier, it was still an excellent serving paired with the chickpeas and spinach included in the bowl.
Unfortunately, the final two bowls were disappointing in comparison to the previous three. The Spinach Noodles were too mushy for my taste, and the Vegetable Bolognese lacked the full, satisfying flavor present in the previous meals.
Additionally, while the Strawberry Goji and Mango Guava Smoothies were smooth, fruity, and easily gulped, the Mint Chip, Orange Hibiscus, and Cacao Almond had a grittier texture (which, to be fair, is very common for natural, plant-based beverages).
While the flavors were great, that texture made them difficult for me to truly enjoy. Splendid Spoon does explain that some separation is normal for their smoothies and shots, so just be sure to give them a good shake before you dive in.
Splendid Spoon Serving Sizes
One thing I learned with Splendid Spoon: It’s best to assume that (with the exception of the Wellness Shots) each portion is the equivalent of 2 small servings. I found this to be a bit misleading, since each meal or snack is packaged to appear and function most conveniently as a single serving — and especially after discovering that some of the full meals weren’t as filling as I would’ve hoped (which, again, is entirely subjective since body chemistry and metabolism are different for everyone).
According to Splendid Spoon, each 16 oz bowl or bottle is equivalent to 1 meal or 2 snack portions, and nutrition facts are based on each snack portion. They also encourage you to stop eating once you start feeling full, rather than focusing on finishing the entire plate. This is likely due to the fact that plant-based diets are so naturally high in fiber, which makes you feel fuller, longer as your body begins to digest.
Do The Detox Shots Work?
Splendid Spoon’s Wellness Shots come in three varieties: Detox, Digestion, and Wellness, and can be added to any meal plan for an additional charge. Shots are available in quantities of one (Just Tryin’ – $5), three (Pick Me Up – $15), or five (Immunity Pack – $20).
I made the mistake of trying one without realizing just how spicy ginger, turmeric, and pepper are when large doses are combined in a small bottle. Seriously, do not think you can just down one of these and walk away; it’s going to take a minute to recover.
As far as flavor goes, the shots are far from delicious, but the effects are undeniable: After twenty minutes I felt a calm energy for the rest of the day from a wellness shot in the early afternoon. My father, prone to heartburn, reported no ill effects at all from our large meal after he chased it with a digestion shot. Every shot is best taken after a meal as a cleanser, to refresh and reset the body. While you can take more than one a day if you need, these are best used in moderation throughout the week.
Will I Lose Weight?
While questions regarding Splendid Spoon for weight loss are common, the brand is clear that they do not make any weight loss claims. However, practices such as portion control, healthy eating habits, and the high-fiber intake of a plant-based diet can have positive effects on weight management and overall physical health.
However, all bodies are different, so if you are interested in trying Splendid Spoon to support specific health goals or concerns, we recommend discussing meal plan options with your doctor, nutritionist, or qualified health professional to determine the direction and diet most effective for you.
Splendid Spoon & The Environment
Beyond their culinary skills, Splendid Spoon is making a tremendous difference when it comes to helping the environment. Eating one plant-based meal a week is equal to removing greenhouse gas emissions generated by driving 1,160 miles. Knowing this, Splendid Spoon has made it their mission to provide people not only with convenient, hassle-free, vegan food, but with nutritious natural options that taste good as well.
Additionally, since their inception, Splendid Spoon has gone from operating with 80% recyclable materials to 100% — reducing their overall waste by 800,000 pounds. If everyone realizes the potential of plant-based food, then we can start to look seriously at a world unpolluted by the meat industry. Along with dairy, it accounts for nearly 15% of total greenhouse gas emissions.
Splendid Spoon Review Summary
Bottom line: I truly enjoyed Splendid Spoon. Out of the 5 bowls, 5 smoothies, 3 wellness shots, I found three, new dinnertime favorites; two, refreshing, drinkable snacks; and three, small-but-mighty wellness shots to keep my diet and my body well-balanced and in-sync.
Of the various meal plans and meal subscription options I’ve tried, I prefer Splendid Spoon overall. The food tastes great, they provide more variety, and the meals are simple, convenient, and easy to prepare.
While finding your favorite plates and flavors may require a bit of trial-and-error as you grow accustomed to their menu, Splendid Spoon serves up enough quality, care, and variety to keep even the most discerning plant-based palates satisfied. Simply put, I was able to discover an impressive range of flavors and nutritional health benefits without compromising my vegetarian diet or my time, and that alone, if you’re on the fence, makes Splendid Spoon well-worth it.
Featured In This Review
Breakfast, Lunch, and 1 Day Soup Reset
$115 $135 (Save $20)
Splendid Spoon’s Breakfast, Lunch, and Reset plan is their most popular option, featuring 15 nutritious, plant-based meals: 5 smoothies, 5 bowls, and our signature 1-day Reset program. (Delivered weekly)
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