Splendid Spoon for Splendid Meals

Splendid Spoon was born when its founder, Nicole Centeno, was pregnant with her first son and struggling to find nourishment. During this time, she started cooking her own vegan soups with lots of vegetables and simple ingredients. Splendid Spoon aims to reconnect its consumers to the power of good food through its plant-based meals. Based off of the meals I ate, I highly recommend trying Splendid Spoon for splendid meals. 

Splendid Spoon hopes to help everyone reach their health goals. It is a program for people sick of fad diets and ready to improve their relationships with food. Splendid Spoon provides satisfying plant-based meals that are ready to eat, pre-portioned, calorie-controlled, and made with only whole ingredients. The meal program is not just for shedding pounds, but also for helping to change the way you think about eating.

Flavors:

Splendid Spoon offers 14 smoothies, 22 soups, and 9 reset sippables, which are drinkable soups to kickstart healthy habits. I was able to try 5 soups and 5 smoothies. See below for my thoughts.

Strawberry Coconut Smoothie:

I was a little hesitant about this drink because I don’t like coconut water, but the strawberries and cashews balanced out the flavor well. The coconut meat also added a strong coconut flavor that I appreciated. 

Raspberry Cacao Smoothie:

I was very excited for this flavor because who doesn’t love raspberry and chocolate? The flavor of the banana in the recipe was definitely present, but it did not overpower the raspberry. The beet juice added a beautiful color and the rose water made it feel fancy. The cacao nibs were a great touch that rounded out the smoothie and made it more filling. 

Chocolate Cherry Smoothie:

I saved this one for last because cherries are my favorite fruit. It did not disappoint. The tartness of the cherries was balanced by the cacao nibs, which also added a nice texture to the drink. Plus, cherries keep muscles in fighting condition and cacao improves blood flow to the brain.

Cacao Almond Smoothie:

I was hoping for a healthy chocolate smoothie type vibe from this smoothie, and I got just that. The bananas and almond butter were a great base and the cacao nibs added a great texture. This smoothie also has baobab powder which is a rich source of vitamin C which contributes to healthy skin and energy release. Cacao improves blood flow to the brain and bananas have a high level of potassium which helps regulate blood pressure. 

Green Mango:

Sweet toothes be warned, this is not a sweet smoothie. The mango, pineapple, and lime combined for a refreshing citrus drink, but it definitely tasted bitter. This was the least sweet smoothie of the ones I tried, and the flavor was delicious. However, don’t expect a sugar bomb. Bonus points for mango contributing to glowing skin and shiny hair and pineapple powering bone strength.

Green Split Pea:

This soup was to DIE FOR. Split pea soup is notorious for looking unappetizing, but if you get past the unappealing green color, it tastes amazing. The tarragon and mint add beautiful spice and help sleep patterns and ease digestion respectively. The carrots also add a nice pop of orange and balance the peas out well.

Cauliflower Tikka:

The spices in this soup were divine. Cauliflower is a bland vegetable that fully depends on the way that it is cooked, and Splendid Spoon executed it just right. The turmeric added a bold flavor to the soup, the cauliflower was blended into perfect bits, and the cashews added a nice crunch. Turmeric is a great anti-inflammatory and cauliflower is rich in choline for brain power.

Lentil & Kale:

Disclaimer: I love lentils. The lentils in this soup were cooked perfectly and the kale provided a beautiful compliment. Kale is a great source of iron, vitamin K, A and E. Cinnamon is an unexpected spice, but it pairs nicely with the soup and lowers blood pressure. The carrots tie together the lentils and kale perfectly.

Chana Potato Stew:

The spices in this stew were fragrant and heavenly. The stew is packed with potatoes, chickpeas, and curry powder. You can also taste the hints of ginger, boosts the immune system and fights inflammation. Chickpeas also protect against injury and reduce inflammation. This stew was great for a comforting night in and snuggling up with a good book.

Garden Minestrone:

Last but not least, a classic minestrone. The tomatoes were a gorgeous base to all the hearty vegetables. The soup was filled with zucchini, kale, navy beans, potatoes, green beans, carrots, celery and onion. Zucchini promotes healthy gut flora, and tomatoes are loaded with lycopene for disease resistance.

Q&A:

I was able to speak with the Splendid Spoon team to ask a few questions about the company. Below is the summary of my conversation with Nicole Centeno, the founder and CEO.

Allison Walter: What makes Splendid Spoon different from other meal delivery services? Nicole Centento: Splendid Spoon is solving specifically for the 9-5 grind so every meal is designed for this busy (often stressful) time of day: balanced macronutrients, super satisfying, and ready to go. Unlike most other meal delivery services we don't ask you to add any additional ingredients. There's no chopping and no blenders - all you have to do is enjoy!

AW: Does the company aim to source 100% organic produce? NC: We are organic where it counts - fruits and any ingredient on the dirty dozen are sourced organically, just like how we cook for ourselves and our families at home.

NC: Family recipes, travel, the farmers market - everyone on team Splendid loves the joy of eating delicious food and we share our experiences and memories of old recipes as we come up with new, healthier versions for the brand.

AW: Is the company interested in expanding to dinners? NC: We are very focused on daytime eating right now because it is typically the most stressful and rushed for many people, whereas dinners are often joyful, shared experiences or opportunities to indulge. Weekday meals are the best ways to improve overall health and build better habits without the consumer having to try too hard or give up going out to eat.

AW: Who does Splendid Spoon see as the face of their company? What is the typical Splendid Spoon customer? NC: The women of Splendid Spoon are the face of our company - diverse interests, curious, motivated to be better moms/sisters/teammates/partners (fill in the blank!). We are busy because we have a thirst for life! Most importantly, we make time to invest in ourselves so we can savor the journey.

Overall, Splendid Spoon provided delicious smoothies and soups that were easy to eat and nutritious to consume. Certain smoothies and soups were less filling than others, but they were still enjoyable and I could always supplement my meal with another piece of fruit or some carbohydrate snack. I would recommend Splendid Spoon to anyone who is trying to fit more plants and superfoods into their diet and also wants to improve their relationship with food.