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Splendid Spoon Review – Tasty & Nutritious Plant-Based Meals

Tabitha Britt
ByTabitha BrittJan 27, 2022 | 8 comments
Splendid Spoon Review - Tasty & Nutritious Plant-Based Meals

Splendid Spoon Review

Tasty Ready-to-Eat Bowls & Smoothies

4/5 stars

Splendid Spoon delivers nutritious plant-based meals, including grain bowls, smoothies, and soups, right to your door. You can choose one of six plans and customize your delivery based on your personal preferences. For example, if you’re struggling to find the time to make breakfast (I know I do!), you could opt to receive a breakfast subscription weekly, bi-weekly, or once per month. 

In this review, we lay out the different plans, explain how it works, and provide honest feedback on packaging, cook times, and taste. 

Splendid Spoon at a Glance  

The Subscription Box: Splendid Spoon 

The Cost: Prices start at $65 per plan. 

The Products: 50+ ready-to-eat meals, including 16 low-sugar smoothies, 32 soup & grain bowls, eight noodle bowls, seven light soups, and seven immune-boosting “shots.” 

Ships to: Residences and businesses in all lower 48 states. 

About Splendid Spoon

Image via Splendid Spoon.

Splendid Spoon is the perfect meal delivery service for health-conscientious individuals who are constantly on-the-go or just hate cooking in general. It’s also great for people who are on an anti-inflammatory diet. Each meal is ready to heat and eat within a few minutes, and features gluten-free, dairy-free, and non-GMO ingredients. What’s more? The packaging is microwave-safe, BPA-free, and completely recyclable. According to the Splendid Spoon website, the company has reduced its CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent emissions) by 1,013,270 pounds since 2015! 

Splendid Spoon Plans & Pricing

Splendid Spoon gives you the option to choose between six plans. Here’s a rundown of each: 

  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner + Reset ($185/week): Thie Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner + Reset plan includes five smoothies, five soup & grain bowls, and five light soups (reset day).
  • Breakfast, Lunch + Reset ($135/week): The Breakfast, Lunch + Reset plan is built to help you “kickstart your healthy habits” and includes five smoothies, five bowls, and five light soups.
  • Breakfast + Lunch ($95/week): The Breakfast + Lunch plan includes five smoothies and five soup & grain bowls.
  • Lunch ($65/week): The Lunch plan includes five veggie-filled soup & grain bowls
  • Breakfast ($65/week): The Breakfast plan includes five protein-packed smoothies.
  • On-Demand Box: If you’re not ready to make a commitment, don’t worry! Splendid Spoon also offers an on-demand plan where you can mix and match your favorite meals and smoothies. 

How It Works

Signing up for Splendid Spoon is super-easy. Just choose your plan (you can customize your meals after checkout), choose a delivery schedule (weekly, every other week, or once per month), and enjoy! If you’re more of a 'go with the flow' type of person, you can stick with the site’s auto-selection. 

Splendid Spoon also gives you the chance to let them know about any allergies you may have. Then, whenever you’re scrolling through the options, a small flag will appear on the meals that contain that specific allergen. So, if you’re allergic to coconuts, simply click the “coconut” button in the Preferences & Allergens section, and presto! The meals that include coconuts will be flagged and omitted from your order. 

Will I lose weight with Splendid Spoon? 

Splendid Spoon doesn’t market itself as a weight loss program, however the meals are healthy, and encourage subscribers to create and focus on nutritious eating habits, which may help you lose weight. 

What is the serving size?

With Splendid Spoon, the serving size is a bit subjective. Numbers-wise, each 16-ounce bowl or bottle is equivalent to one meal or two snack portions, according to the Splendid Spoon website. However, if you’re still hungry after eating one-half bowl, it’s totally OK (and recommended) to finish the bowl or to eat until you feel full.

Is Splendid Spoon vegan?

Yes! All of the meals offered by Splendid Spoon are plant-based, gluten-free, and vegan. 

Is Splendid Spoon gluten-free?

Yes! To ensure that each meal is completely free of gluten, the Splendid Spoon kitchen follows strict protocols to avoid any allergen cross-contamination. However, the soups and smoothies are made in a facility where food handlers may come into contact with dairy, eggs, fish, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, wheatgrass, and soy.

Can I choose my meals? 

After checkout, subscribers can swap and customize the items included in their upcoming box. You can also choose how often you’d like to receive meals: weekly, bi-weekly, or once per month. 

How does the Reset work?

According to Splendid Spoon’s website, the best way to enjoy a “Reset Day” is to do a full day of souping. This means having a light soup for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with two snacks (and plenty of water) in between. The site also suggests avoiding alcohol and opting for a lighter workout. 

Are all of the soups cooked? 

Yes! All of Splendid Spoon’s soups are fully cooked. 

How are the smoothies processed? 

Splendid Spoon makes its smoothies in small batches with fresh whole fruits and veggies. They’re also high pressure processed to ensure that they have a long and happy shelf life. 

Can the grain bowls be enjoyed cold? 

While the grain bowls can be enjoyed chilled, the Splendid Spoon website recommends following the cooking instructions located on the lid. 

How should I store my meals after delivery? 

All of Splendid Spoon’s meals should be refrigerated immediately. As far as shelf life goes, the grain, noodle, and soup bowls last up to two weeks in the fridge and up to three months in the freezer. If you plan to freeze your meals (or do not see yourself eating said meals within one week), the Splendid Spoon website recommends popping them in the freezer upon unpacking. The Smoothies and Wellness Shots taste best when eaten by the “Enjoy By” date that’s printed on the bottle, however they’re still safe to consume after this date.  

Is the packaging recyclable? 

Yes! All of Splendid Spoon’s packaging is 100% recyclable. This means the bowls, bottles, boxes, and ClimaCell insulation can be thrown right into the recycling bin.

Where are Splendid Spoon’s meals made and shipped from? 

Splendid Spoon is based in Brooklyn, New York. Even so, the soup, grain, and noodle bowls are made in Upstate New York, while the Smoothies and the Wellness Shots are made in Long Island. Once the meals are ready to go, they’re distributed across four fulfillment centers. The meals are then shipped out to subscribers in temperature-controlled packaging to ensure that they stay cool during transit.

Does Splendid Spoon offer a trial? 

Splendid Spoon does not require you to make any sort of commitment. You can skip or cancel whenever you’d like. Splendid Spoon also offers a non-subscription option (the On-Demand Box) that allows users to mix and match meals and smoothies.

Signing Up for Splendid Spoon: A Step-by-Step Guide

Sign up can be done in as little as five minutes. First, head to Splendid Spoon and select a plan. 

Splendid Spoon signup page

If you’re unsure of which plan you’d like to start with, Splendid Spoon gives you the option to “view sample box.” Click on the link below the plan you’re interested in, and a popup will appear with an example of items you may find within that plan. 

Splendid Spoon sample box

Once you click on “select,” you’ll be asked to enter your email and zip code. 

Splendid Spoon email and zip

After you’ve entered your email and zip code, you’ll be asked to enter your shipping address and your preferred delivery date. 

Splendid Spoon delivery

There’s also a box for food allergies and avoidances. If you’d like to avoid one or more of these ingredients, just click the box with said ingredient and click “apply.” 

Splendid Spoon Delivery Date

Splendid Spoon allergies

The last window will ask you to fill out your billing info. When you do this, the website will also create an account for you so that you can manage your subscription. Then all you have to do is place your order and choose your meals!

Splendid Spoon checkout

My Splendid Spoon Review

I have endometriosis and interstitial cystitis (IC); both of these conditions feed on inflammation, so when I heard about Splendid Spoon I was super excited to try it out. I stick to an anti-inflammatory diet, so the plant-based, dairy- and gluten-free menu options really spoke to me.

I received the following products in my Splendid Spoon box: 

  • Strawberry Chocolate Smoothie 
  • Raspberry Cacao Smoothie 
  • Power Greens Smoothie 
  • Mango Guava Smoothie 
  • Vegan Meatballs & Marinara Noodles 
  • Green Tomatillo Chili Soup 
  • Recovery Shot 
  • Detox Shot 
  • Wellness Shot 

Strawberry Chocolate Smoothie 16 oz. 
4/5 stars

The Splendid Spoon smoothies are a bit textured. The Strawbery Chocolate Smoothie was more textured than the others I tried, but it was still pretty good. 

Raspberry Cacao Smoothie

Ingredients: strawberry puree, banana, coconut cream, dates, pea protein, cacao powder, beet juice, vanilla extract, and Himalayan salt. 

Raspberry Cacao Smoothie 16 oz. 
5/5 stars

The Raspberry Cacao Smoothie was by far my favorite smoothie in the box. It was smooth (I didn’t get little pieces of fruit on my tongue as I did with the Strawberry Chocolate Smoothie), tasty, and just an all-around great option. 

Raspberry Cacao Smoothie

Ingredients: purified water, bananas, raspberries, coconut nectar, cashew butter, pea protein, beet juice, rose water, vanilla extract, cacao, and Himalayan salt.

Power Greens Smoothie 16 oz. 
2.5/5 stars

I’ll admit, I was a little afraid to try the Power Greens Smoothie because I hate kale, but this smoothie wasn’t bad. I’m not too big on citrus (as it gives me an IC flare-up), so I probably wouldn’t order this smoothie myself. 

Power Greens Smoothie

Ingredients: purified water, bananas, coconut nectar, lemon juice, coconut oil, kale juice, pea protein, hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, spirulina, sea salt, and wheatgrass powder. 

Mango Guava Smoothie 16 oz. 
4/5 stars

The Mango Guava Smoothie smoothie had a real strong banana taste, which I didn’t mind because I love bananas. I couldn’t really tell there was mango in this smoothie, but it was sweet and smooth in texture, so I was happy with it. 

Mango Guava Smoothie

Ingredients: guava, banana, mango, lime, flax seeds, camu camu powder, and Himalayan salt. 

Vegan Meatballs & Marinara Noodles 
5/5 stars

This meal was the star of the box! The Vegan Meatballs & Marinara Noodles blew me away. It was super quick to heat up and it tasted exactly like “real” meatballs. It was phenomenal and I will definitely be ordering this meal again. This meal ranks five out of five, easily. 

Vegan Meatballs & Marinara Noodles

Ingredients: tomatoes, rice noodles, Dr. Praeger’s vegan meatballs, onions, expeller pressed canola oil, brown rice flour, arrowroot, parsley, natural flavors, fruit juice, basil, spinach, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, onion, hemp seeds, garlic, salt, and nutritional yeast. 

Green Tomatillo Chili Soup 
4.5/5 stars

I love spice and heat, so I was excited to try the Green Tomatillo Chili Soup. It was hearty, filling, and flavorful. It wasn’t super spicy, but I was OK with that. It was also quick and easy to cook!

Green Tomatillo Chili Soup

Ingredients: tomatillos, navy beans, tofu, onion, poblano peppers, lime juice, garlic, scallions, extra virgin olive oil, water, jalapeno pepper, cilantro, salt, cumin, coriander, oregano, and black pepper. 

Recovery Shot 3 oz. 
4.5/5 stars

The Recovery Shot is designed as an after-workout boost. I liked the way it tasted and could see myself ordering a few of these little bottles for a post-workout pick-me-up. 

Recovery Shot

Ingredients: watermelon juice, cherry juice, beet juice, lemon juice, and ginger juice.

Detox Shot 3 oz. 
2.5/5 stars

The Detox Shot is designed to flush your body of harmful toxins. I didn’t hate it, but it was a bit too citrusy for me.  

Detox Shot

Ingredients: apple juice, lemon juice, aloe juice, kale juice, moringa, and spirulina. 

Wellness Shot 3 oz. 
2/5 stars

The Wellness Shot was extremely potent. As soon as I unscrewed the cap, the smell of ginger hit me in the face. I definitely wouldn’t recommend this shot to people who can’t tolerate a lot of citrus or people who aren’t a fan of ginger. 

Wellness Shot

Ingredients: ginger, orange juice, lemon juice, and oregano extract. 

Splendid Spoon Pros & Cons 

Splendid Spoon Pros 

The following list of pros reflects my personal experience with Splendid Spoon. 

  • Splendid Spoon is a meal delivery service that sends out gluten-free, vegan meal and smoothie options. 
  • The meals are quick and easy to make. Just heat and heat! Or, if it’s a smoothie, just open and enjoy! 
  • There are more than 50 meals to choose from, all of which are super healthy. 
  • Splendid Spoon’s packaging is 100% recyclable. 
  • There are several box customization options and you can cancel your subscription anytime. 

Splendid Spoon Cons 

The following list of cons reflects my personal experience with Splendid Spoon. 

  • Although My Subscription Addiction paid for my meal kit experience, I do think the prices are a bit high. I’m not sure I would pay for this subscription on my own. 
  • Some of the ingredients are very potent (i.e. ginger, lemongrass, etc.). 

My Verdict

Despite not liking a few of the items I received, I would definitely recommend Splendid Spoon to anyone who’s trying to save time and eat more healthily. It takes no more than five minutes to heat up each meal. The smoothies obviously do not need to be heated, so that’s quick and easy too! This means that (while I do enjoy cooking), I didn’t need to decide on what to eat, make a big dinner, and then be left to clean it all up when finished.

Living with chronic illness isn’t easy. As I mentioned early on, I have endometriosis and interstitial cystitis (IC) or bladder pain syndrome. Both of these conditions are fueled by inflammation, whether it comes from food, stress, hormones, etc. On bad days, it’s nearly impossible to get out of bed, let alone make food. What’s worse? My symptoms intensify if I eat anything that’s inflammatory; this includes dairy, citrus products, red meat - you name it. 

With Splendid Spoon, I had the opportunity to eat and drink vegan, dairy-, and gluten-free meals without worrying about whether or not it’s going to anger my endo-monster or give me an IC flare-up. I felt satisfied after each meal, which, to be honest, I was worried about. When you think about smoothies and bowls, you don't necessarily think of them as a meal (or at least, I didn't). 

As a person with chronic illness, I really appreciate the clean ingredients and the ease of use (i.e. heat-and-eat and ready-to-eat meals). Plus, I felt accomplished (more adult?) and full after each meal! 

Have you tried Splendid Spoon recently? What did you think?

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Splendid Spoon is a plant-based prepared meal delivery service that helps make it easy to eat healthy. All meals are vegan and gluten free. They offer smoothies for breakfast, soups and bowls for lunch, and noodle dishes for dinner. Splendid Spoon is one of the best read more.

Tabitha Britt
Tabitha Britt
Tabitha Britt is a New York-based editor and journalist. You can find her byline in a variety of publications, including Insider, Huffington Post UK, and O.School. In addition to writing for My Subscription Addiction, Tabitha is the founding editor-in-chief of DO YOU ENDO, a digital magazine for individuals with endometriosis by individuals with endometriosis.

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8 comments

Gabbi B

Tabitha, I was so excited to read your review and see that you have IC! I have had it for ten years and haven’t met many people who have it outside of online forums, let alone those that do food reviews on blogs. I have endometriosis too, plus a few other autoimmune conditions and IBS. I also try to stick to the anti inflammatory diet, although I have been able to trial and error foods and found that I can tolerate some citrus fruits and that certain brands of tomato sauce don’t bother me. I have been looking into Splendid Spoon but it seems like so many of their meals are spicy, something which definitely bothers my IC! I have been ordering from Daily Harvest for just over a year now (monthly) and they are the best for my body/bladder. If I don’t feel good, I know that choosing one of their bowls or smoothies is something that is guaranteed to make me feel better, or at the very minimum not exacerbate any symptoms. I am excited to see you do more reviews, knowing that you’re someone with similar health issues, that I can trust what you have to say!

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Tabitha Britt

Thanks so much for reaching out, Gabbi. I’m so sorry to hear that you have to deal with IC and endometriosis as well. However, I am happy to help be a part of your decision-making process! It’s so amazing how food and stress can affect our bodies. I wish you the best of luck on your journey and I’m looking forward to writing even more chronic illness content for MSA readers! <3

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STEFANIE

Thank you for this review! I’ve been flirting with the idea of Splendid Spoon and your review helped me to decide. I’m still having to work but trying to travel light so this is perfect. Not every week…but maybe every now and then.

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DawnS

Awww you are lucky to only be on lock down for 2 weeks. We have already been out for 2 going on week 3 but now are being told the bay area is on lock down until May 3rd. Long time.

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Marne Orenich

Oh, we’re into week 3 now as well now. Who knows how long! I hope you’re finding ways to keep yourself happy and entertained, Dawn!

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DawnS

Thanks Marne, you and MSA keep me entertained for sure! Thanks for all of the great reviews!

melissabee

I am totally getting this for my fresh fruits and veggies during this isolation time. I’m sick of pasta and not confident that the crowded grocery store is a good place to be right now. Thanks for the great review! It looks like a lot of yummy things to look forward 🙂 while hopefully keeping people out of the stores for longer.

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Marne Orenich

I definitely haven’t been eating enough fruits + veggies. I hear ya on pasta. I love it, but it’s getting a little old. I made veggie stuffed peppers last week though and those were pretty darn good!

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