In addition to being healthy and tasty, Purple Carrot encourages users to appreciate the way that eating plant-based meals instead of ones containing meat is environmentally friendly, cutting down on water use and emissions. Choose from quick-and-easy, high-protein, or chef’s-choice plans. There’s also an option for athletes, called TB12, that features gluten-free recipes that are higher in protein and calories and limited in soy and refined sugars.
Cost: $72 per week for three meals for two people; $120 per week for three meals for four people.
Availability: Nationwide, excluding Alaska and Hawaii
Customer Review: “Since trying out Purple Carrot I feel like a gourmet chef! I get lots of compliments on my meals and gained more confidence in the kitchen.” —Cait
Editor’s Note: Purple Carrot is still up and running, but given increased demand and unpredictable timelines, the brand has stated that it may need to make substitutions with ingredients and meals and will sometimes omit a recipe booklet or ingredient if it doesn’t arrive to suppliers in time. It has also advised to expect delayed ship times. Purple Carrot is also donating a percentage of sales from all its boxes to Feeding America.
Try It: purplecarrot.com
7. Gobble
Why It’s Worth It:
Meal kits inherently solve a problem in any busy hungry person’s life—lack of time to shop and decide what’s for dinner—but Gobble takes it a step further by doing all of the prep work for you. That means already peeled vegetables, minimal-to-no chopping, and a process that goes from pan to plate in only about 15 minutes. It’s almost as low-effort as food delivery, and often even quicker.
Plus, we love that Gobble includes specialty menu options for people who are gluten-free, dairy-free, low-carb, and vegetarian, and emphasizes kid-friendly options for families. Sample meals: Seared Salmon with Kale, Mexican Squash Flatbread With Cotija Cheese, and Chinese Five-Spice Tofu With Lime Coconut Vegetable Stew.
Cost: $79 per week for three meals for two people; $151 per week for three meals for four people (both prices include shipping).
Availability: Nationwide
Customer Review: “I love to cook and am anal about following quality recipes (usually the longer, more complicated way) so the end result is good. I don’t like any usual meal shortcuts like frozen meals, canned soup, most frozen veggies, etc. They don’t have a good taste or texture. It got hard to maintain that amount of work, and we started ordering delivery way more than we should have. I decided to give Gobble a try and just love it. The meals are high quality, and everything about dinner is just easier: less decision making, less shopping, less ingredient prep, less cooking time, less dishes, and very little food waste. I can be a picky eater, and there’s always multiple menu options that I’m excited to try. Gobble’s also good about using seasonal produce and offering a variety of cuisine, so we’re not eating the same few meals over and over.” —Kati