Splendid Spoon Review: Vegan Soups, Smoothies & Grain Bowls

I became a fan of Splendid Spoon years before I understood their philosophy.

I regularly ordered their soups from Fresh Direct, an online grocery delivery service in New York. I began to substitute their soups, packed with nutrients, for my dinners a few times per week. However, Fresh Direct has a limited selection and I wondered where else I could buy them. I researched the company and learned all about their programs.

I’ve never embraced cleansing or trendy diets. I believe in clean eating and long-term lifestyle changes, as does Splendid Spoon.

This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information.

*Note: This post was originally posted in April 2018 and has been updated to reflect accuracy and new product information. 

Check out my downloadable “Go-To Snacks to Keep Your Eating on Track” list at the end of this post! 

What is Splendid Spoon?

Splendid Spoon is a vegan and gluten-free, plant-based food company, located in Brooklyn, New York, that delivers nationwide. However, unlike other meal plans, you supplement with your own healthy dinners and snacks. This plan works for vegans, vegetarians, and meat-lovers.

You get a lot of food. At the end of the week, I usually have at least half a container of soup, if not more, leftover in the fridge.

Splendid Spoon Meal Plans: What Do You Receive?

If you’ve read my blog before, you know, I only write about products that I use and love. Splendid Spoon sent me their product to try and I am thrilled to be a part of their Ambassador Program. If you would like to try it out any of their plans, use my Ambassador perk to receive $50 off your first order.

The menu changes weekly and Splendid Spoon introduces new flavors all the time.

My favorite smoothies are AB&J, Chocolate Cherry, and the new Green Matcha. As for soups, I crave the Kabocha Congee (I would order this soup in my favorite restaurant). I’m a lentil lover and they offer many different recipes but Carrot Lentil Curry is my absolute fave. All recipes are plant-based and delicious. 

There are three meal plan options: 

To get 50 dollars off your first order, click on this link.

1. Lunch

You will receive five soups for lunch, or as I prefer to eat them, for dinner.

The menu rotates weekly.

2. Breakfast + Lunch + Reset

This plan includes 5 smoothies, 5 bowls (soups and/or grain bowls), and one full-day reset (light soups like bisques and consommes). 

This is Splendid Spoon’s most popular plan.

3. Breakfast + Lunch

My favorite plan, this includes 5 soups and 5 smoothies delivered weekly.

How Much Does Splendid Spoon Cost?

Prices vary depending on the plan, ranging from $45 to $85 per week. Remember, you’ll get $50 off your first order simply by using this link. 

How often you utilize this plan is up to you: weekly, once per month, every other month, or whenever you feel the need to revamp and refresh. Upon completion of this program, I signed up for delivery twice per month.

Smoothie Flavors

There are lots of smoothies to choose from each week. 

Some are labeled low-sugar. All of them contain antioxidants and protein. 

Even though I technically could make a smoothie at home, I would never have most of these ingredients on-hand. Each day is a completely different flavor.

Splendid Spoon routinely adds new smoothies to their menu.

My favorite smoothies: Chocolate Cherry, AB & J, Blueberry Coconut, and Matcha.

Soups and Grain Bowls

I was so excited when Splendid Spoon added the Grain Bowls. As much as I love their plan, sometimes I’m in the mood for something heartier to chew. They are truly delicious and filling. I hope they continue to add more of them to their plan.

My favorite grain bowls: Moroccan Spiced Buckwheat, Coconut Curry Rice Bowl, and Aloo Gobi Quinoa. 

For an extra kick, I add a bit of Siracha.

My favorite soups: Carrot Lentil Curry, Kabocha Congee, and Beans and Greens. 

But honestly, all the soups are good. Remember, the soups are what got me interested in Splendid Spoon in the first place.

Will I Lose Weight with Splendid Spoon?

Splendid Spoon focuses on clean eating. With that, may come weight loss, though of course, it’s not guaranteed. Meals are high-fiber, filling, and help to decrease bloating.

However, the breakfast + lunch + reset is the best plan to achieve your weight loss goals.

• Begin your week with a reset day.
• For the rest of the week, eat your daily soup or smoothie.
• Make a healthy dinner, like a salad.
• Continue with the breakfast + lunch plan for the rest of the month, or add in a reset day as needed.

Can I Snack? 

You can have healthy snacks throughout the day. Healthy snacking is encouraged. But, honestly, what I love most about Splendid Spoon is that although I can, I forget to snack. I feel great throughout the day. 

FOR MORE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS, BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY “FRIDAY FAVORITES” WHICH I SEND OUT EACH WEEK IN MY NEWSLETTER.

This also gives you access to every printable checklist in my free Resource Library (you can get a password for it by signing up for it at the bottom of this page), including a list of some of my favorite go-to snacks.

Are the Plans Flexible? 

Absolutely!

Sometimes, I change it up and have oatmeal for breakfast and a smoothie for lunch. Then, I’ll have my soup for dinner. 

Other times, I have half a smoothie in the morning and finish the other half for lunch.

Can I Drink My Coffee?

As usual, I began each morning with a cup of coffee. One thing that sold me on this program is that I did not need to eliminate coffee. I always have my coffee first and then wait a bit to drink my smoothie.

How are the Products Packaged?

The first thing you’ll notice when receiving the huge box of smoothies and soups is the thoughtful packaging. Words like mindfulness, meditation, and holistic appear in their instructional brochure. Splendid Spoon is always looking for new ways to reduce their carbon footprint and are taking even more steps towards this in 2020.

 

Will I Lose Weight?

Splendid Spoon does not guarantee weight loss. To keep track of calories and nutrition, I log everything using the Lose It! app. 

It’s important to remember (and I have seen misinterpretations by other bloggers) that each smoothie bottle and soup container contains two servings. You will likely eat two full servings for your meal.

For full nutrition information on all their food products, click here.

Will I Have Energy to Work Out? 

I worked out almost every day and stuck to the plan. I found myself not craving carbs, snacks, sweets, or even alcohol. At the end of the week, I was down two pounds!

I try to exercise every day. Often I drink a Splendid Spoon smoothie post-workout but sometimes before. I have more energy when I’m on the Splendid Spoon plan than when I’m not. I track all workouts with my Apple Watch and if anything, I have an increased calorie and output burn.

Other Benefits

My energy remains high throughout the day. I felt less bloated. And, I love not having to even think about what to eat or prepare for each meal.

I’m a vegetarian and I often wonder if I’m getting enough of the right nutrients. Splendid Spoon takes away my worries. Not only do they combine ingredients and antioxidants that I would never have on hand, but they also vary the types of added proteins.

For some reason, as a teenager, I pretty much avoided the bad skin phase. Yet, as an adult, I suffer from rosacea and breakouts. My skin without question looks better when I do Splendid Spoon.

I must have some sort of food intolerance. Sometimes at night, my stomach makes the strangest noises. But whenever, I do Splendid Spoon, the rumbling stops.

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The Program in Detail–Days 1 through 7:

*Note: This is based upon my first experience with Splendid Spoon when they offered the 2.0 Program. I did a reset day, which is currently only available with the breakfast + lunch + reset plan. I now usually do the breakfast + lunch plan two times per month or more.

Day One: Thursday

Despite the snow storm the day before, the UPS driver came through and delivered the package. And wouldn’t you know it, on Day One of the Program, I’m home with my kids, baking cookies (resisting all temptation) and waiting for school to start on a 2-hour delay.

Coffee (8 am)

Breakfast Smoothie (9:30 am): Blueberry Acai with Coconut and Cinnamon

Ingredients: Organic Coconut Water, Organic Blueberries, Cashews, Organic Lemon Juice, Coconut Meat, Pea Protein, Organic Acai, Organic Cinnamon, Sea Salt, Organic Vanilla Beans

Nutrition per serving: 230 calories, 14 grams of fat, 4 g saturated fat, 280 mg sodium, 21 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 10 g sugar, 10 g protein

This smoothie contains more calories than my typical breakfast.

Taste: This smoothie had some grit to it but not in a bad way. I don’t like sweet drinks and this was perfect, only mildly sweet. I could definitely taste the coconut meat. I would order it again.

Snack (11:15 am):

Granny Smith apple with Trader Joe’s flaxseed peanut butter.

Lunch Bowl (Soup 1:45): Ikranian Stew with Black-Eyed Peas and Fennel

Ingredients: Tomato Puree, Black-eyed Peas, Fennel, Onions, Garlic, Sea salt, Lemon juice, Black pepper, Rosemary

Nutrition per serving: 60 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 260 mg sodium, 10 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 3 g protein

Taste: When I opened the container, it still had ice floating in it. Maybe that’s why the soup wasn’t as thick as I would have liked. I microwaved it for 3 minutes. I immediately tasted the lemon flavor. I initially had just one serving but I was hungry ten minutes later and finished it up. I could pass this off as one of my own homemade soups. I would absolutely have it again.

Snack (3:45 pm)

I had a headache but realized I never had my second cup of coffee in the morning. Feeling caffeinated, I was good to go.

Dinner (7:30 pm)

I quickly ate a Greek salad and banana before running out the door to my book club.

Snack (8:00 pm)

With wine and snacks in front of me at my book club, I realized today was probably not the best day to start this program. As we discussed the Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, I convinced myself to drink Pu’er tea and not wine. I couldn’t resist the brownie batter chocolate hummus (have you had this yet?), edamame hummus and mini-pretzels.

Calories for the day: 1412

Day Two: Friday

Breakfast (8:00 am):

Again, I started the day with coffee. This time, I added a banana.

Snack (10:50 am): Cacao Almond Smoothie with coconut and dates

Ingredients: Water, Coconut Water, Unsweetened Almond Milk, Sunflower Lecithin, Sea Salt, Dates, Sunflower Seeds, Cacao Nibs, Prunes, Sesame Seeds, Pea Protein, Vanilla Beans

Nutrition per serving:  180 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 130 mg sodium, 21 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 9 g sugar, 7 g protein

Taste: It tasted like a mocha drink but not as sweet. Again, I had the full bottle, 16 ounces. The smoothie had some grit to it and I had to keep shaking it. Overall, I enjoyed this smoothie. It was one of my favorites.

So far, I’m impressed with the range of ingredients. If I made my own smoothie, I wouldn’t think to put half of these ingredients into it.

LUNCH (3 pm)

I normally eat lunch around 12:30. I couldn’t believe how much the smoothie had filled me. I had a small green salad.

SNACK (3:45pm)

I had another headache which went away after my second cup of coffee.

DINNER (Soup 6:45 pm) Red Cabbage Borscht with No Beets

I switched out my soup for dinner. Admittedly, I was not looking forward to the Borscht, especially since my kids were eating mozzarella sticks, garlic knots, and pizza.

Ingredients: Red Cabbage, Onions, Fuji Apples, Organic Carrots, Parsnips, Apple Cider Vinegar, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Scallions, Dill, Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Chili Powder

Nutrition per serving: 110 calories, 6 grams of fat, 1 g saturated fat, 250 mg sodium, 14 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 2 g protein

Taste: Surprisingly, there’s a kick to this soup although chili powder is the last ingredient. It’s not a smooth soup. There are pieces of apples, carrots, and parsnips, but no beets (despite its color). I didn’t dislike it but it wasn’t my favorite. I decided to have only one serving and finish my salad from lunch.

I put second serving of this soup in the refrigerator and never finished it.

Snack: 

The kids ate ice cream cones and I had a cup of blueberries. Instead of wine, I had a cup of tea.

Calories for the Day: 857 

DAY THREE: SATURDAY

Breakfast Smoothie (9:30 am): AB & J with Banana and Baobab

Ingredients: Strawberry, Banana, Almond butter, Coconut nectar, Baobab Powder, Pea protein, Himalayan salt

Nutrition per serving: 130 calories, 6 grams of fat, .75 g saturated fat, 67.5 mg sodium, 15.5 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 10 g protein

Taste: This tastes like a traditional fruit smoothie that I would make. However, I would never think to add baobab or salt. In fact, I had to look up baobab. It’s an antioxidant with other health benefits, such as controlling blood sugar levels. Now, I’m seeing it on every menu.

Snack (11 am): 

Coffee and banana

Lunch (Soup 1:20 pm): Broccoli and Hempseed with Chickpeas and Scallions

Ingredients: Broccoli, Dry chickpeas, Scallions, Hempseed, Lime juice, Cilantro, Coconut oil, Mint, Lime zest, Red pepper flakes

Nutrition per serving: 220 calories, 14 grams of fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 390 mg sodium, 26 g carbs, 8 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 12 g protein

Taste: I love chickpeas. This soup tasted better extra hot. Interestingly, it had a bit of kick from the red pepper but otherwise, I found it a bit bland.

DINNER (6:30 pm)

My new go-to dinner is zucchini noodles with tomato sauce, sprinkled with goat cheese. I stole a dinner roll off my kids’ plates.

Snack: 

Cup of almonds and blueberries. Cup of tea.

Calories for the Day: 1310

DAY 4 WANDER DAY: SUNDAY 

You can wander on whichever day you choose. It’s a day to eat as you normally would, like a cheat day, without going overboard. I selected this day because it was my daughter’s birthday party.

Breakfast: Coffee, Oatmeal

Snack: Hard-boiled egg

Lunch: Vegetarian sushi

Snack: Movie theater popcorn

Dinner: Salad topped with a veggie burger

Calories for the Day: 1230

DAY 5: MONDAY

Breakfast (8:00 am):

Banana and coffee

Snack (Smoothie 10:20 am): Hibiscus Maqui Smoothie with Blueberries and Cranberries

After a tough workout, I was ready for my smoothie.

Ingredients: Purified Water, Organic Blueberries, Cashews, Organic Cranberries, Dates, Organic Hibiscus, Organic Maqui Berries, Flaxseeds, Pea Protein, Sea Salt, Organic Orange Zest

Nutrition per serving: 200 calories, 11 grams of fat, 2 g saturated fat, 160 mg sodium, 21 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 9 g sugar, 7 g protein

Taste: I had no idea what to expect with this smoothie. The tartness of the cranberries jumped out. Again, this smoothie includes ingredients that I would never have added on my own like maqui berry, an antioxidant, and hibiscus, helpful to blood pressure.

I only drank half the smoothie and saved the rest for later.

LUNCH BOWL (12:30 pm): 

After a 3-mile walk with my puppy, I had lunch. I’ve had a great amount of energy all week.

Ingredients: Kabocha Squash, Coconut Milk, Onions, Organic Brown Rice, Pumpkin Seeds, Grapeseed Oil, Lemon Juice, Coconut Oil, Sea Salt, Cayenne Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice

Nutrition per serving: 120 calories, 14 grams of fat, 7 g saturated fat, 380 mg sodium, 29 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 10 g protein

Taste: This soup smells and tastes like a mild curry. I didn’t notice the rice until I read the ingredients. I really enjoyed this soup. It felt like a hearty meal and I ate only half of it.

Snack (3 pm): 

I finished the rest of the smoothie for a snack.

Dinner (5:45): 

This is our rush day and I have an early dinner with the kids: salad with a veggie burger. Naturally, I steal french fries from their plates.

Calories for the Day: 938

Note, I got a ton of exercise today, a long walk and an intense spin class. I felt satisfied the entire day.

DAY 6: TUESDAY

Coffee (8 am)

Breakfast Smoothie (8:30 am): Tumeric Chai Latte

Ingredients: Coconut Milk, Almond Milk, Coconut Water, Dates, Turmeric, Ginger, Cinnamon, Black Pepper, Cardamom, Pea Protein, Salt

Nutrition per serving: 180 calories, 13 grams of fat, 6 g saturated fat, 350 mg sodium, 12 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 7 g protein

Taste: I saved this smoothie for last. It had a vibrant color due to the turmeric. I add turmeric to my food all the time and I enjoy Chai. However, combined, this was not my favorite smoothie. I didn’t hate it but it would probably be my last pick again next time.

I just realized that except for that one time, I haven’t had any other bread all week. My snack consumption has gone way down.

Lunch Bowl (12:30 pm): 

After a spin workout, I decide to have yesterday’s leftover soup. I actually craved it.

This leaves me with one untouched extra soup for the week.

Worth noting, each soup is wrapped in a cardboard mantra, ranging from Ralph Waldo Emerson to Shondra Rhimes.

Snack (3 pm): 

Banana with peanut butter and coffee.

Dinner (6:30 pm): 

Leftover salad topped with a veggie burger from the other night.

Calories for the Day: 1057

DAY 7: CLEANSE DAY WEDNESDAY

This is it–the cleanse day, which means four drinkables and one bowl of soup. Their program is akin to intermittent fasting (a day of low-calorie, not zero calorie fasting). I felt like the entire week cleansed me, not just this one day.

Instead of starting the day off with my usual coffee, I drank a glass of water with lemon. Throughout this program, Splendid Spoon encourages you to meditate. I took a deep breath and thought of all that I needed to get done before vacation in two days.

They recommend that you allow two hours between each meal and to hydrate with water in between. I realize that I don’t drink enough water.

Coffee (8:30 am): 

You didn’t think I would give up coffee, did you? But this is my only coffee of the day. I made a 10-ounce mug.

BREAKFAST: 1st Cleanse Drinkable (9:50 am)-Parsnip Apple with Celery Root and Cinnamon (“Start”)

Ingredients: Parsnips, Onions, Granny Smith apples, Organic Celery root, McIntosh apples, Extra virgin olive oil, Sea salt, Apple cider vinegar, Cinnamon, Allspice, Cayenne pepper

Nutrition per serving: 130 calories, 7 grams fat, 1 g saturated fat, 360 mg sodium, 18 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 8 g sugar, 1 g protein

Taste: I don’t heat this up. I drank the full bottle. It’s thicker than expected and tastes like an apple pie but not too sweet. I enjoyed it.

LUNCH: 2nd Cleanse Drinkable (1 pm)–Carrot Turmeric Elixir with Coconut Milk and Ginger (“Sustain”)

Ingredients: Carrots, Coconut milk, Onions, Extra virgin olive oil, Ginger, Sea salt, Turmeric, Rosemary, Black pepper, Cayenne pepper.

Nutrition per serving: 50 calories, 6 grams of fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 240 mg, 8 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 1 g protein

Taste: I assume this is meant to be consumed cold, like a chilled carrot and ginger soup. I sipped it while running errands. It didn’t have too much taste but I noticed the ginger.

SNACK: 3rd Cleanse Drinkable (3:45 pm)–Pumpkin Pear Hempseed with Cardamom and Saigon Cinnamon (“Sustain”)

Ingredients: Pumpkin, Pear, Onions, Hempseed, Garlic, Lemon juice, Sea salt, Vanilla extract, Rosemary, Saigon cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cayenne pepper, Pepper, Cardamom

Nutrition per serving: 70 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 g saturated fat, 170 mg sodium, 13 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 2 g protein

Taste: I decided to heat this one up. I tasted only the pumpkin and not the pear. I appreciated the small pieces of pumpkin as it felt like a meal. I didn’t taste the pepper. This one is really good.

Note: Despite all my running around, I wasn’t hungry. I could honestly have skipped this meal but I’m trying to keep to the schedule.

DINNER (Soup, 6 pm)–Lentil and Kale Soup with Madras Curry and Saigon Cinnamon

Ingredients: Carrots, Kale, Green lentils, Red lentils, Onions, Olive oil, Garlic, Sea salt, Curry powder, Rosemary, Saigon cinnamon, Black pepper.

Nutrition per serving: 116 calories, 2 grams of fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 330 g sodium, 18 g carbs, 3.5 g fiber, 0 g sugar, 7 g protein

Taste: This is an old favorite that I’ve ordered from FreshDirect for years. It tastes like a soup I would make from scratch and it definitely fills you up.

Note: Remember I had an extra soup? My mom was visiting and I offered her a container of the Red Lentil Dal, another staple of mine from FreshDirect. She immediately noticed the spices, curry powder plus cumin. She would order this again.

Snack (8:30 pm)–Vegan Bone Broth (“Nightcap”)

Ingredients: Shitake mushrooms, Carrots, Celery, Bak Choy, Spinach, Ginger, Lemon juice, Garlic, Pumpkin seeds, Thai basil, Sea salt, Cumin, Spirulina, Rosemary, Black pepper

Nutrition per serving: 35 calories, 1 gram of fat, 0 g saturated fat, 180 mg sodium, 1 g cards, less than 1 g fiber, less than 1 g sugar, 2 g protein 

This is super low-calorie. Supposedly, it’s a nightcap to prepare you for bed. Vegan bone broth brings forth all sorts of ridiculousness visions into my head. Bone broth is on trend these days and this is great marketing.

Taste: I almost skipped this one. First off, I wasn’t hungry. Secondly, it had the appearance of a science experiment or lava lamp, with floating specimens in a brown liquid. I had to put this one in a bowl and heat it.

It tasted like a mushroom broth, with a similar feel to a miso soup. It relaxed me, similar to having a nighttime cup of tea.

Calories for the Day: 910

Closing Thoughts

This program put my healthy eating back on track, with a bonus of weight loss. I tend to eat the same things again and again. I appreciated the variety of ingredients in the meals, especially the added protein.

Since the Program ended, I’m finding myself hungrier now. I’m snacking more often and eating tons of carbs. As soon as I returned from vacation, I prepared one of their soups for lunch.

If you prefer to make your own soups, check out this Splendid Spoon cookbook:

I hope you like this program as much as I do and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts, especially from meat-lovers. Remember to click here for $50 off your first order.

The key to healthy eating is to make it easy. That’s why I love Splendid Spoon.

Check out my free downloadable list of “Go-To-Snacks to Keep Your Eating on Track”:

Check out some of my Splendid Spoon posts on Instagram and let me know what you think! 

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