This article last updated January 17, 2020.

Splendid Spoon has continued to update their service: Read our latest Splendid Spoon Review here.

Splendid Spoon ($65+ per week) is a healthy meal delivery service specializing in nutrient-rich smoothies and soups. UPDATE: Splendid Spoon has started offering grain bowls, too! All of their products are plant-based, vegan, gluten-free, and made with GMO-free ingredients. Better yet, many of their products are made to be enjoyed cold—even some soups—so you can enjoy a wholesome meal without cooking (or even heating) a thing. Splendid Spoon also supports mindful eating and healthy cleansing.

I've tried several popular meal kits, but none that promise the grab-and-go convenience nor superfood-rich ingredients Splendid Spoon offers. So, does Splendid Spoon deliver? And more importantly—did these clean meals actually taste any good? I'm breaking down details of this service to help you decide whether Splendid Spoon is worth the investment.

Splendid Spoon sent us this subscription box to review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

About Splendid Spoon

Plans & Pricing

• Lunch: 5 bowls for $65 per week
• Breakfast + Lunch: 5 smoothies & 5 bowls for $95 per week
• Breakfast, Lunch + Reset: 5 smoothies, 5 bowls, and 1 full-day reset (4 sippable soups + 1 hearty bowl) for $135 per week

The Meals

Once you've signed up for a plan, you'll be able to choose the meals you want from Splendid Spoon's 40+ item menu of plant-based, high-fiber, gluten-free meals. Pick from:

• Smoothies: Bottled blends of fruit, veggies, and superfoods that are low on sugar and require zero prep. (New flavor - Pumpkin Spice!)
• Soups: Hearty vegetable-based soups and stews in microwave-safe bowls.
• Sippable Resets: Bottled blends of vegetables and superfoods designed to support the body in different ways (energizing, hydrating, preparing for sleep). Can be enjoyed warm or cold (right out of the bottle).
• Grain Bowls: A mix of hearty veggies and wholesome grains like quinoa, sorghum, and brown rice. (New varieties - Coconut Curry Rice Bowl, and Moroccan Spiced Buckwheat Bowl)

Good to Know

• Meals are shipped in recyclable, insulated packaging, so the foods arrive frozen, partially frozen, or chilled.
• Boxes, plastic bottles, and pints are 100% BPA-free and recyclable.
• Bowls are microwave-safe.
• Meals are all vegan, low-sugar, plant-based, and gluten-free. Note any allergies you have upon signing up, and products that contain potential allergens will be flagged in the menu.
• Splendid Spoon ships to the US (lower 48 states) only

My Splendid Spoon Review

I first tried Splendid Spoon last year. My schedule is very busy, which means I'm typically reaching for foods I can eat on the go. It's easy for me to slip into unhealthy habits. Splendid Spoon promises a helpful (if pricier) solution for folks like me who want meals that are as convenient as they are healthy.

Getting Started with Mindful Eating

One thing I appreciate about Splendid Spoon is that they encourage their subscribers to think about how they eat as well as what it is they're eating. They offer guidance around mindful eating—tuning into your body and being sensitive about what it needs in the moment (be that nourishment, a big drink of water, or rest).

This concept is reflected in how the foods are packaged. Technically each meal contains two servings, which Splendid Spoon calls "snack" sizes. According to the Splendid Spoon website, subscribers should pay attention to their body as they enjoy these fiber-rich meals. If you find you're hungry enough to finish the whole thing, feel free! But if you fill up faster, you can treat the meal as a snack and leave the rest for later. In my case, I typically finished the entire two-serving package of each meal, but it was an interesting exercise to tune in and pay attention to just how much food my body really needed.

Grain Bowls

Splendid Spoon started offering grain bowls, which combine deliciously seasoned veggies and legumes with hearty grains like wild rice and quinoa.

Here are a few of the Splendid Spoon grain bowls I've gotten to try:

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Lemon Wild Rice and Broccoli Bowl

I was really impressed by this summery dish. The plastic containers are microwavable, and the bowl only takes a few short minutes to heat up to a warm, comforting temperature. I liked the peppy, bright flavor of this dish—the lemony dijon flavors were a mouthwatering, luminous complement to the creamy navy beans and nutty wild rice at the heart of this dish. And as the name suggests, there was a nice balance of cauliflower and broccoli in the mix, too. Filling, fresh, and tasty. I feel like I could've enjoyed this bowl at room temp, too, almost like a rice and bean salad.

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Tuscan White Bean and Tomato Bowl

Italian/Mediterranean flavors are some of my faves, so I was eager to give this Italian-inspired dish a shot. The grain basis for this dish is sorghum—a grain I rarely if ever come across. Hearty cannellini beans, greens, and bite-sized bits of eggplant, zucchini, and peppers, make this a feel-good, filling meal. I ate it for lunch one day—it was as satisfying as a marinara-drenched sub or bowl of eggplant parm from my nearby Italian joint, but... what's this? I didn't feel like taking a long nap right after eating it? Hooray for yummy food that didn't make me feel like I had a stone in my stomach!

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Aloo Gobi Quinoa Bowl

Splendid Spoon is really hitting on all of my favorite flavors here! While this Indian-inspired recipe wasn't quite as satisfying as something I'd get at one of my neighborhood Indian restaurants, it was a yummy way to semi-satisfy my need for curry-laden comfort food. Chunks of warm cauliflower, potatoes, and other veggies, all topping a base of nutty quinoa—not a bad meal. I had this one as a late night dinner, and wow, was it ever the perfect way to wind down. I do wish it had more of the creamy quality I love most about curries (this dish is very much a grain bowl with little to no sauce/broth uniting the different ingredients), but it was tasty nonetheless.

Breakfast Smoothies

Splendid Spoon's breakfast smoothies promise to provide a filling, nourishing start to your day. You can enjoy them chilled or blended into your favorite homemade smoothies. Personally, I like how blending these smoothies with a bit of ice gives them a frostier consistency.

Each bottled smoothie technically contains two servings. If you're wary of calorie, carb, or sugar content, be sure to double the numbers on each bottle to get a clear picture of what's in each package.

Here are a few of the Splendid Spoon smoothies I've tried:

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Blueberry Acai Smoothie

This rich purple smoothie is packed with antioxidant-rich ingredients. Tangy acai berry and tart lemon juice gave this smoothie more zip than I expected. It was also super filling—it contains pea protein, cashew, and coconut meat, so it's got more heft to it than some of the other Splendid Spoon smoothies I tried. The texture was honestly a little thicker than I typically prefer—it wasn't creamy, but kind of... thick. To me, this smoothie benefits from being blended with ice. It makes it a bit more refreshing and decadent.

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Cacao Almond Smoothie

Separation is natural with these smoothies, but this one was particularly separated when I pulled it out of the fridge. Unlike the last smoothie, the texture of this blend was very milky. It's no surprise that the cacao and almond bits sank to the bottom. This is another smoothie that I'd recommend blending with ice! I did like the flavor—it's almost like a slightly melted chocolate chip milkshake (well, a much less sugary, slightly nuttier chocolate chip milkshake). I did joke with a friend that I couldn't quite call it a smoothie, since I was munching on chunky bits of chocolate and nuts with every bite. But amidst the other fruity and green flavors, this mildly sweet, cacao-dotted drink was a nice treat for a chocolate lover like me.

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AB+J Smoothie

I really, really liked this smoothie! The first sip delivered on the tart, nutty flavor I expect from a PB & J sandwich. It sounds odd, but there was even a note of wheat bread in the mix that was unexpected and really delightful. I was chuckling about how they really did incorporate every flavor of a PB & J sandwich in this smoothie. This blend was was really delicious, convincing, and best of all, FUN!

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Power Greens Smoothie

Okay, let's be honest—this smoothie looks... well... swampy. It's not just green, but sort of baby food green. At face value, I wasn't too excited to try this smoothie. But of course, this blend, which features powerful nutrients from kale, spirulina, wheatgrass, and other superfoods, was my absolute, hands-down favorite drink in the box! If I had gotten five of these green bottles, I would've been thrilled. First of all, it tastes great. It's lightly sweet, refreshing, and green enough that I know I'm making a healthy choice. (But not so green that it feels like I'm eating grass clippings!) This smoothie also has the most pleasant consistency—my guess is the banana and the coconut oil (not water, but oil) gives this smoothie its truly smooth, delicious texture. I want a fridge packed with these bottles!

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Hibiscus Maqui Smoothie

I didn't love this smoothie, but it's definitely the prettiest smoothie I've ever had! I didn't know what to expect with a hibiscus smoothie—it really did taste like the midpoint between a berry and a flower. Maqui was new to me, too. It's apparently a Patagonian superfood berry that's full of healthy antioxidants. This smoothie definitely tasted like a detox recipe to me. The flavor was extremely subtle and refreshing, and the consistency was lightweight and a bit thin. I felt soothed and hydrated after I drank it, even though I didn't think it was the tastiest.

Lunch Bowls

Splendid Spoon's lunch bowls take about 3 minutes to heat up. They come in microwave-safe plastic containers, so you can easily heat them and enjoy. Like the smoothies, these soup containers hold 2 servings of soup, each. And like the smoothies, I found myself happily eating an entire container in one sitting.

Here are just a few of the soup recipes that Splendid Spoon offers:

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Red Lentil Dal with Cumin & Rosemary

This dal was the perfect introduction to Splendid Spoon's "bowls." Not only was this soup clean and nourishing, but also incredibly flavorful, rich, and filling. This soup was thick with tasty red lentils, which were deliciously hearty and creamy. Better yet, the lentils are swimming in a broth full of classic mirepoix flavors and rich seasonings like curry, cumin, rosemary, thyme, and black pepper. The flavor still wasn't as loud as a big-brand soup you'd buy at the grocery store, but I sincerely felt like I was eating comfort food.

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Leek & Turnip Chowder

Speaking of comfort food, let's talk about this amazingly savory soup! This soup had more of a pureed texture, though it wasn't perfectly smooth. Of course, it's dairy-free, so if you're expecting the heavy-cream texture of a seafood chowder, you might be disappointed. But there was a satisfying thickness to this soup that I really liked (especially on a chilly afternoon). I don't know if it's because this blend includes close-to-the-earth plants like leeks, celeriac, turnips, and shiitake mushrooms, but this rich soup instantly made me feel more grounded and settled. The flavor was fall-like—savory, herby, and subtly oniony. I found myself wanting to rush through it, it was so tasty.

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Lentil & Kale with Madras Curry & Saigon Cinnamon

This soup was a lot like the dal, except the addition of the kale gave it a delicious depth of flavor. This soup was a little earthy, a little spicy (flavor-wise, not heat-wise), and deliciously wholesome. The addition of greens made it feel like a blended-up version of a complete meal. This was the first soup where I noticed how small the bits of ingredients were inside the soup. The pieces of yummy veggies are what I'd call half-a-bite-size. They're teeny compared to most packaged soups. I got a little bit of everything in every bite.

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Red Cabbage Borscht

Borscht isn't my favorite soup, so I wasn't thrilled by this particular bowl. One thing I found fascinating was that there's Fuji apple in this recipe—there is a subtle sweetness and tartness in this soup that I didn't expect. The funky flavor of red cabbage definitely dominates the bowl, but I appreciated how the tart notes added depth to the dish.

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Masala Khichri

I've been reading a lot about khichri lately. Ayurveda says that khichri is awesome for your insides, as it's easy to digest and can help balance and nourish your body. This was my first go 'round with khichri, and I found this particular recipe to be delicious. This Indian-inspired dish has some spice to it, but I didn't find the flavors to be quite as strong as curries I've enjoyed at Indian restaurants. This recipe was mild, deliciously mushy, and more filling to me than other soups I got from Splendid Spoon. It's like a hug in a bowl!

Sippable Resets

Relying on Splendid Spoon's plant-based smoothies and lunch bowls had my body feeling lighter and more energetic each day. My body was really appreciating having more plants and fiber in my diet.

In case I need some extra support, Splendid Spoon also offers what they call Sippable Resets—bottled soups made with veggies and superfoods. (When I tried these products, Splendid Spoon was billing them as part of a "Cleanse" program, hence the bag in the image above.) These soups can be enjoyed hot or cold (though they don't come in microwaveable containers like the lunch bowls do), which makes them ideal for eating on the go. The Sippable Resets can be enjoyed in one day's time—when I tried them, Splendid Spoon included guidance on how to schedule them into my day to maximize their nutrient benefits.

One tip for enjoying Sippable Resets—skip the freezer with these drinks! Hoping to keep these blends as fresh as possible until I needed them, I put the bottles in the freezer at the start of the week. Unfortunately, I found that they froze through quickly and were stubborn about thawing. I recommend keeping them in the fridge and just making sure to enjoy them within the week.

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Celery Plant with Russet Potatoes & Thyme

This starchier soup is full of energy, complex carbs, and healthy fats. It was interesting drinking this soup cold, and I really do wish I had tried it warm. It's potato-y, pureed, smooth, and deliciously herby. It wasn't quite as smooth cold as I imagine it could be if it was warmed up, but it's still really good. Almost like a savory, root-veggie gazpacho.

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Pumpkin Pear Hempseed with Cardamom & Saigon Cinnamon

This pumpkin soup has been lightly sweetened with pear and a ton of spices. If you're used to holiday pumpkin soups filled with butter and cream, you're going to be a little underwhelmed here. The texture is looser and a little grittier than I would've liked. It's meant to be hydrating, not stick to your ribs-ish, but I did feel full and refreshed after drinking it. At this point in the week, I was starting to think of foods as more than mere sustenance. As I picked each new soup from the fridge, I would think "Oooo, what is this blend going to do for my body?" rather than just "I'm hungry, and I hope this helps!"

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Carrot Turmeric Elixir

I was surprised by the sweetness I noticed in this carrot soup. It's really more of a savory soup, with plenty of spices and herbs, including turmeric, to give it a comforting, earthy flavor. But I think my sense of taste was becoming a bit more discerning after having much less sugar than I typically do all week. This was another one that I think would've been better heated up. It's got a nice smooth texture to it, but I think a little heat would've made it not just tasty, but decadent.

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Vegan Bone Broth with Shiitakes and Bok Choy

I know that bone broth is the new miracle food in the health world, thanks to its many nutrients and natural collagen content. This vegan version is obviously not bone-derived, but it is built around shiitake mushrooms and bok choy. These two plants are packed with vitamins. More importantly, they lend to a taste that might not be meaty but is certainly rich in umami. I really liked how hearty this soup tasted, despite it being relatively thin in consistency.

Does Splendid Spoon offer dinners?

While I'd say any of the Splendid Spoon lunch bowls (or smoothies, for that matter) could double as perfectly tasty dinners, Splendid Spoon encourages its subscribers to take time to cook dinner for themselves. It's one of the ways they hope to support mindful eating—putting the ball in your court forces you to think about what your body needs and what you want to give it. It also lends itself to flexibility. Whether you enjoy something small, or go all out with an indulgent dinner, you have the freedom to decide how you want to feed your body.

That said, I do hope Splendid Spoon offers dinner options in the future! I appreciate the ease of reaching for soups and smoothies so much, and I'd love to have a similar product to lean on during my busy evenings.

Is Splendid Spoon worth it?

Splendid Spoon's products were tasty, convenient, and nourishing. It's a great way to kickstart some healthier, more mindful eating habits. In the time since I tried this program, I've been more consistent about carrying a water bottle with me everywhere I go and staying hydrated, I've ordered more nourishing foods when out to eat, and I've found myself drawn to different things in the grocery store than usual (produce and spices that might help me mimic the flavors from this box).

Know that if you're coming from a less healthy diet (say, lots of fast food, lots of meat, cheese, bread, etc.) this box of very, very, very clean foods will probably be a bit of a shock at first. Plus, it's expensive. I think the perfect customer might be someone who needs a little reset, rather than a transformation. I personally found this reset rejuvenating, easy, and surprisingly tasty!

You can try Splendid Spoon for yourself here:

Have you tried an eating plan like Splendid Spoon? Tell us about your experience in the comments!