Purple Carrot Plant-Based Meals

Plant-based food is one of the fastest-growing trends today. According to the Good Food Institute (GFI), sales of plant-based foods grew three times faster than foods overall. Purple Carrot offers plant-based meals and their mission statement is simple: “Eat More Plants ^TM.”

Purple Carrot says they are pro-plant, not anti-animal. Their website says “Eat what you love, but eat more plants” which is great advice. Their meals are perfect if you are a vegetarian, vegan, taking part in Meatless Mondays, or even flexitarian.

Today I review two of their frozen meal bowls, Maple Chipotle Veggie and Sweet Corn Elote.

Maple Chipotle Veggie Bowl

The meal is both sweet and spicy. The flavor comes from the blend of sweetness from sweet potatoes and chipotle, which is mildly spicy. There are a ton of veggies–Brussels sprouts, kale, spinach, red onions, and red bell peppers. It also has 11 grams of protein and 9 grams of fiber. This is a savory plant-based meal high in protein, fiber, and taste.

Nutritional Information and Ingredients

Ingredients
Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, Sauce (Water, Maple Syrup, Olive Oil, Key West Lime Juice [Water, Lime Juice Concentrates, Lime Oil], Corn Starch, Salt, Contains 2% or Less of: Potatoes, Apple Cider Vinegar, Chipotle Chile, Smoked Paprika, Yeast Extract, Garlic Powder, Cumin, Potato Maltodextrin, Onion Powder, Oregano, Natural Flavors, Corn Maltodextrin, Citric Acid, Mono- and Diglycerides, Sunflower Oil, Disodium Dihydrogen Pyrophosphate [to Promote Color Retention]), Cooked Black Beans (Water, Black Beans), Leafy Greens (Kale, Chard, Spinach), Red Onions, Red Bell Peppers, Pumpkin Seed Kernels.

Sweet Corn Elote Bowl

The wonderful smell of fire-roasted sweet corn hit my nose after microwaving the meal. The meal contains chickpeas and quinoa mixed in delicious lime sauce. It reminded me of street corn sold in parks.

Both meals have pumpkin seeds for a great crunch.

Nutritional Information and Ingredients

The meals are tasty and take the worry out of eating a meatless meal without gluten or dairy. And they contain a ton of vegetables.

I found the meals at Target, but they also offer meal kits on their website.  

It should be noted that not all the entrees are dairy and gluten-free, such as the meatball marinara, spinach artichoke, and udon noodle bowl. While they are vegan, they contain gluten. So you should read the ingredient labels carefully.

If you want similar plant-based meals, consider the Tattooed Chef and Meatless Monday options:

Conclusion

You don’t have to be vegan to enjoy Purple Carrot, you just have to like flavorful and filling food. Their Sweet Corn Elote and Maple Chipotle Veggie bowls are both.

Fun Food Fact

Orange carrots get their color inside and out because they contain a high amount of beta-carotene. In contrast, purple carrots get their color from anthocyanins. Their insides can be orange, red, or white.

Did You Know?

A plant-based diet and vegan diet are not the same. You can consume animal products along with mainly fruits, veggies, grains, and legumes and still be plant-based. On the other hand, veganism is plant-based and excludes all animal products, including foods that come from animals like dairy and eggs.

Quotes

Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie – Jim Davis

Who cares if a carrot has a slight bend? They’re all the same when they end up on the plate – Tristram Stuart

If you truly get in touch with a piece of carrot, you get in touch with the soil, the rain, the sunshine. You get in touch with Mother Earth and eating in such a way, you feel in touch with true life, your roots, and that is meditation. If we chew every morsel of our food in that way we become grateful and when you are grateful, you are happy – Thich Nhat Hanh