Splendid Spoon vs. Daily Harvest 2024: Flexible Plans

Splendid Spoon and Daily Harvest offer easy-to-prep, tasty, plant-based meals in completely customizable plans. The offer consists of vegetarian-friendly, naturally gluten- and dairy-free, 100% non-GMO foods that make sticking to your diet a breeze.

These 2 services are super similar, down to their plan, format, and ingredient quality, so choosing a winner wasn’t easy. Splendid Spoon provides ready-to-eat, plant-based meals with a menu primarily featuring soups, smoothies, grain bowls, and noodle bowls. Daily Harvest’s offer, while it resembles that of Splendid Spoon, additionally has lattes, mylk drinks, and even flatbreads.

For me, Splendid Spoon wins this comparison. Convenience is a significant factor in opting for meal delivery services, and a wider selection of meals ensures you keep trying something new with each order. While I’m impressed with Daily Harvest’s number of menu categories, some had fewer than 5 items, leaving little choice.

I've meticulously researched both Splendid Spoon and Daily Harvest to uncover the key differentiators and help you make an informed decision, without compromising on taste or nutrition. Read on to discover more about these top-quality meal delivery services.

At a Glance: Who Won Each Category?

Menu Variety

Winner: Splendid Spoon

Splendid Spoon wins this one, but it was very close. Both offer a similar-sized menu, but overall, I felt that the types of food on offer were more impressive. Splendid Spoon offers full meals in its Dishes category and filling stews and soups in the Bowls section that won’t leave you feeling hungry afterward.

At Daily Harvest, you can choose from 10 categories. At the time of writing, there are 20+ Smoothies, 20+ Harvest bowls, 10 Forager bowls, 4 grain bowls, 6 flatbreads, 7 soups, 2 Harvest bakes, 5 snack bites, 1 lattes, and 3 types of Mylk.

Splendid Spoon offers only 6 categories, but the menu ends up being the same size overall. When I checked, there were 20+ smoothies, 23 bowls (hearty soups and stews), 8 noodle bowls, 10 dishes (e.g. curry, risotto, vegan bolognese), 8 wellness shots, and 5 juices.

Both Daily Harvest and Splendid Spoon offer special kits to make meal preparation convenient. Daily Harvest provides pre-portioned smoothie cups that are ready to blend, making it easy to prepare a healthy smoothie. Splendid Spoon offers full meals from the Dishes category that are microwave-ready and require minimal effort for preparation.

Daily Harvest offers a range of flavors and influences, including American, Mexican, and Asian cuisines. It has dishes like Mango + Papaya Smoothie, Brussels Sprouts + Lime Pad Thai, and Tomato + Bell Pepper Gazpacho.

Splendid Spoon also provides a variety of flavors, with dishes like Mexican Tomato Chili, Green Curry Rice Noodles, and Butternut Turmeric Soup. While it's difficult to provide precise ratios, both vendors offer a diverse selection of cuisines to cater to different preferences.

Both Daily Harvest and Splendid Spoon offer extras to complement their main menu. Daily Harvest has delicious looking snacks like Chia + Coconut Energy Bites and Almond Butter + Cacao Nib Bites. On top of it, it also offers dairy-free milk and lattes as extras.

Splendid Spoon offers nutritional shots as an additional option. The Wellness Shot provides a general boost to your overall well-being with a blend of nutrient-rich ingredients like turmeric, ginger, lemon, and cayenne pepper.

The Digestion Shot is designed to support a healthy digestive system with the help of apple cider vinegar, ginger, lemon, and probiotics. There are also Detox, immunity, and Recovery shots that assist in natural detoxification or support post-workout recovery.

There are meal options with varying levels of cook time and level of preparation from both services. Daily Harvest’s smoothies and flatbreads require minimal to no cooking, while its oven bakes may require some baking or heating. Splendid Spoon’s meals are mostly heat-and-eat, which means they’re microwave-ready and require minimal effort.

Kid-friendly meals are available, as both offer options that are suitable for children. The meals are designed to be healthy and balanced, with portion sizes that can accommodate different appetites.

Meal Customization

Winner: It’s a tie!

Both Splendid Spoon and Daily Harvest provide numerous filter options. This makes it really easy to navigate and plan your next meal, regardless of what you’re looking for.

Most Daily Harvest recipes are soy-free, except for a few that contain miso and tamari. Splendid Spoon, on the other hand, offers plenty of soy-free options on its menu, and all its meals are vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free. The meals are also 100% free of artificial sugar.

You can choose to exclude a specific ingredient when filtering your meals, but both services will remove the entire meal that contains that ingredient. No peas? No problem! You won’t see a single pea among your ordering options. However, there are no ingredient substitutions or portion upgrades, so you can’t swap your peas for beans, for example.

Splendid Spoon has 7 filters, such as low sodium and low carb, and 10 filters for ingredient avoidances like tree nuts and caffeine. There’s even a filter specifically for blood sugar-friendly recipes, which I really liked. If you’re still not sure what to order, take a look at the Taste&Texture list, where you can filter foods by textures including Spicy, Tangy, Creamy, and more.

The filters are always visible on the left side of the screen and are easy to use. Once you select your filters, the results are immediately applied, including the number of options in each food category.

Daily Harvest’s range of filters includes 14 options for ingredient likes and dislikes and 11 dietary options. One feature I found intriguing about Daily Harvest’s filter menu is its ability to filter for ingredients you like in your recipes. This feature is great for picky eaters, as you get to view all the recipes that include your favorite ingredient, adding a touch of personalization to your choices.

There are filters for low-carb and high-protein items on both websites. The available options, however, are limited, and the definition of high protein may not meet everyone’s expectations. Splendid Spoon defines high protein as meals containing 6 or more grams of protein per serving, with the most—22 grams per serving—being found in its Vegan Chick’n Parm.

Daily Harvest’s high protein meals contain over 10 grams of protein per meal. Still, its menu features more dishes with 20 or more grams of protein per meal, including a delicious Gigante Bean + Artichoke Olio. If you’re specifically looking for higher protein options, it’s best to apply the filter and read the nutrition facts labels under each meal. This way, you can determine the exact protein content of each meal.

Daily Harvest supports niche diets such as AIP, FODMAP, keto, and paleo. You can additionally sort through Plant-Based Whole30, ≤10 g Fat, ≤15 g Sugar, and other preferences. The sustainable offer by Daily Harvest ensures there are plenty of choices left even after you apply filters.

Splendid Spoon’s filtering system remains a handy tool for customers, and it helps you avoid additional foods you can’t eat. Spicy foods or anything including beets, caffeine, coconut, cilantro, soy, mushrooms, sesame, or tree nuts can be hidden from your menu. You don’t even have to look at ingredients you don’t like!

Both Splendid Spoon and Daily Harvest incorporate rating systems into their menus. Splendid Spoon even uses a personalization algorithm that learns from your ratings of each meal. Once you’ve tried a dish, it’ll suggest recipes tailored to that and other preferences.

On the other hand, Daily Harvest has a public rating system. Customers can leave reviews and provide feedback on recipes. Each recipe is rated out of 4 stars, giving you insight into the opinions of previous customers.

Daily Harvest meticulously lists all ingredients used in its recipes, so you’ll know exactly what you're consuming. It provides comprehensive nutritional information, giving you a clear understanding of calories and nutrients. For a full list of allergens, it’s best to refer to the product label.

Splendid Spoon shares a similar commitment to ingredient transparency. Its ingredient lists are readily available for each of its meals, enabling you to make informed choices about what you eat. Splendid Spoon also lists nutritional facts, making staying on top of your nutritional goals a breeze.

Ordering, Delivery, Unboxing

Winner: Daily Harvest

Daily Harvest takes the lead in this category. Its user-friendly app allows you to manage every aspect of your ordering and delivery processes.

Daily Harvest’s app provides a straightforward and seamless ordering experience. It simplifies the process by guiding you through the 4 steps: zip code entry, plan selection, item selection, and checkout.

Compared to its website, the app offers a more user-friendly interface and navigation. You can easily modify your order contents for the following week, cancel an order, or pause your deliveries indefinitely.

Both Daily Harvest and Splendid Spoon offer delivery services to the lower 48 states. However, Daily Harvest provides greater flexibility in terms of delivery days. Based on your location and schedule, deliveries are available Tuesday through Friday. The exact days for you will depend on your zip code.

Rescheduling for both services is available via live chat, text, or phone call. You can make changes to your Daily Harvest box until 6 pm ET on the Sunday before your scheduled shipment. Additionally, Daily Harvest’s customer support team can be reached via email, and you can fill out an online form for Splendid Spoon.

You can modify your Splendid Spoon order up to 6 days before the delivery date with the specific cut-off time varying based on your preferred delivery day. If you choose Thursday delivery, changes must be made by 4 pm on the previous Friday. For Friday deliveries, adjustments must be completed by 4 pm on the previous Sunday.

Both services deliver frozen food and offer simple and flexible plans. You can choose items from the entire menu for each order. Plans are based on the number of items in a box.

Splendid Spoon has a minimum order of 7 items up to a maximum of 28 items. If you browse the menu, you’ll see that items are individually priced. Any order over 10 meals qualifies for free shipping.

Daily Harvest allows for a minimum of 9 items per box. There’s a volume discount on your orders, so anything including 9-11 items offers a $5 discount, for orders of 12-23 items, the discount is $10; and if you splurge on more than 24 items, you’ll be saving $25.

Expect a well-organized and clearly labeled assortment of ingredients from Daily Harvest. Its packaging ensures that everything stays fresh and arrives frozen or cool to the touch. The meals come partially prepped and may require some additional steps, such as adding liquid, heating, or blending.

The Daily Harvest website provides detailed instructions for preparation. You just select any menu item and click the How to button. There are also comprehensive storage instructions. This includes the best way to store your items, but you’ll also get sourcing information and instructions on removing the plastic film covering some of your meals.

Splendid Spoon also has preparation instructions on its website, however, you’ll need to check the Food section of the FAQ and then select the menu category for preparation instructions.

Splendid Spoon excels in offering 100% recyclable shipping and food containers, while Daily Harvest falls slightly behind for nothing more than its non-recyclable box tape. However, Daily Harvest compensates for this by providing instructions on their website on how to properly recycle each type of container and shipping material.

Upon receiving your Splendid Spoon order, store all meals in the refrigerator or freezer. For optimal taste, its grain, soup, and noodle bowls are best consumed within 1-2 weeks when refrigerated or can be stored frozen for 1-3 months.

Daily Harvest also provides guidance on how to store its food and how long it remains fresh. Each item is conveniently packaged and labeled with storage instructions, but a good rule of thumb is to store everything in the freezer rather than the fridge. The food can remain frozen for 3-6 months.

Meal Prep

Winner: Splendid Spoon

Splendid Spoon emerges as the clear winner for those looking to minimize their preparation time and effort. It delivers fully prepared meals that arrive frozen or cool to the touch. This means there’s no need for any additional preparation or clean-up.

Splendid Spoon has smoothies that come fully blended and ready to grab and go, perfect for days when you almost have no time to eat or when you want to hit the gym. Additionally, its soups, noodles, and grain bowls are all microwave-ready. This convenience makes meal preparation a breeze, allowing you to enjoy your food without any hassle.

On the other hand, Daily Harvest requires some preparation time for most meals, ranging from 0 to 30 minutes. However, the prep involved is minimal, as all ingredients arrive fully prepared. Daily Harvest provides thorough directions on each item’s packaging as well as on their app and website, ensuring a smooth cooking process.

Sometimes, you’ll need to blend before consumption or heat the food in the microwave or preheated oven for several minutes. For Daily Harvest, smoothies, soups, lattes, Harvest bowls, and Forager bowls require adding water, broth, or milk of your choice.

Baked goods are oven-ready and can be cooked in the trays they arrive in, while Flatbreads need to be placed on an oven-safe tray. Snack Bites are ready to eat straight out of the freezer.

Splendid Spoon and Daily Harvest offer microwavable or oven-friendly containers for their meals, ensuring easy heating and minimal clean-up. In terms of container convenience, Splendid Spoon's containers are also reusable, allowing you to wash and reuse them as needed.

I found that both Splendid Spoon and Daily Harvest maintain high quality in their ingredients, resulting in flavorful and satisfying meals. However, the convenience of Splendid Spoon's fully prepped meals was a standout feature, saving precious time and effort in the kitchen.

Customer Support

Winner: Daily Harvest

Daily Harvest wins this category by a slight margin. What clinched it was the diverse range of communication channels. Daily Harvest’s app allowed me to have complete control over my account, and I’m all about added convenience and accessibility.

Getting in touch with Daily Harvest is incredibly easy. The options for contacting the support team include email, live chat, and phone. You can always count on getting the assistance you need, whenever you need it. Whether you prefer written communication or would rather talk to someone directly, Daily Harvest ensures you have the means to reach out.

Daily Harvest is responsive and helpful, even when you have an inquiry before making a purchase. There’s a dedicated FAQ section with extensive information about customization options, including specific allergy concerns.

If you have allergy concerns that aren’t listed on the menu, you can contact Daily Harvest’s support team and inquire about customizing meals to accommodate you. You’ll receive a detailed response within a reasonable time from polite and knowledgeable representatives.

Daily Harvest works on expanding its offer based on customer needs, so even if there’s no specific customization option for you, your inquiry will bring attention to the demand.

Canceling with Daily Harvest is also straightforward. It’s easily done through the app, allowing you to manage your account details seamlessly. You have the flexibility to modify your box until 6 pm ET on the Sunday prior to your scheduled box shipment. To make any changes, simply log in to your account and click on the box or calendar icon.

Splendid Spoon also provides solid customer support options, but it primarily relies on Facebook Messenger for live chat. If you don’t have a Facebook account or rarely use the platform, this may be an issue. While its live chat support is available, the response time may vary and can take longer compared to Daily Harvest’s customer support channels.

Pricing

Winner: Splendid Spoon

Splendid Spoon and Daily Harvest offer similar pricing structures, order formats, box discounts, and shipping options. While Daily Harvest has a lower price for many items, the per-serving cost for comparable items on Splendid Spoon’s menu ends up being about the same. Splendid Spoon clinched this with its free shipping.

Both services offer a similar sized menu, so the best way to make the comparison was to choose items available on both menus. Comparable items on Daily Harvest and Splendid Spoon’s menus include smoothies, soups, and bowls.

Daily Harvest’s minimum order is 9 items, and prices start at $3.70 per item. For smoothies and soups, you’ll pay $8.49 per item, while the Harvest bowls are $9.79. Shipping is free on your first order and $9.99 after that.

A minimum order for free shipping from Splendid Spoon needs 10 items. Orders of 14 items receive $10 off, those of 20 items receive $25 off, and those of 25 items receive a whopping $40 off.

While Splendid Spoon has a higher per-item price for bowls, its portions are about twice the size of Daily Harvest. Bowls on Splendid Spoon’s menu state they contain 2 servings each, so they really come in at around $6 per serving. Daily Harvest includes 1 serving per item for the same type of meal and is almost $10 per serving.

I really liked the offer of a Custom Gift Box from Daily Harvest with any 9 items for a fixed price of $85 and Gift Cards for those who’d prefer to choose their own items.

Splendid Spoon might be an easy choice if you like having bigger meals throughout the day. If you’re a light eater or want more variety for the same price – Daily Harvest might be the better option.

Add-ons don’t count toward your item total with the Splendid Spoon. Although the service allows you to choose any item from the menu to construct your box of items, ordering only add-ons — freshly squeezed juices and power shots — will still result in a $12.99 shipping fee. You’ll also not receive the same box discount if you order only add-ons.

Both services also offer box discounts based on the number of items ordered. Splendid Spoon's discounts start at 14 items and get even better as you order more, while Daily Harvest’s discounts begin at 9 items but are slightly less per item compared to Splendid Spoon. Both Daily Harvest and Splendid Spoon offer corporate ordering options.

Splendid Spoon vs. Daily Harvest – Quick Comparison

And The Winner Is: Splendid Spoon

Splendid Spoon wins! This was a close call, as most features of these 2 services are evenly comparable.

Both offer excellent recipe variety for comparable menu items, pricing structures, and shipping options. Both menus include healthy foods to conveniently introduce more nutrient-dense, unprocessed ingredients into your diet.

Splendid Spoon’s increased portion sizes, heartier meals, and easier meal prep give it the edge. The container materials are also slightly more recyclable (looking at you, box tape).

Daily Harvest was a worthy contender and offers an iOS- and Android-compatible app and super-responsive live chat agents. The website is intricately detailed and leaves no room for you to question how to optimally enjoy its meals.

You can’t go wrong with either of the services or their excellent food quality. While it’s true neither has made its way to our list of best meal deliveries in 2024, these 2 services boast excellent food quality. All categories compare very evenly, with Splendid Spoon winning by a whisker, so all that’s left for you is to make a choice and enjoy!

FAQ

What are the key differences between Splendid Spoon and Daily Harvest?

Daily Harvest has better customer support and a great, user-friendly app that’s available to both iOS and Android users. Both services place strong emphasis on plant-based, whole-food ingredients. Daily Harvest offers a broader range of menu categories, while Splendid Spoon meals take less prep time.

Are Splendid Spoon meals healthy?

Yes! All menu items are plant-based, naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, and 100% non-GMO. Ingredients are thoroughly labeled on the website and on each container you receive. You can even filter to exclude meals that contain ingredients you want to avoid, like caffeine or soy.

When does Daily Harvest deliver?

Daily Harvest delivers Tuesdays through Fridays and will determine your recurring delivery day based on your zip code. Deliveries arrive during regular business hours. You can’t choose your delivery day, but you can easily change your address and any other details of your order through Daily Harvest’s iOS- and Android-compatible app or super responsive live chat customer support.

How do Splendid Spoon and Daily Harvest compare in terms of pricing?

Daily Harvest, on the other hand, offers flexible plans based on the number of items per week, with options to choose between 9, 14, or 24 items.

Which service provides a wider variety of menu options?

Still, Daily Harvest offers a variety of smoothies, harvest bowls, soups, and a selection of snacks and lattes, which is always a welcome addition.

What meal delivery service is comparable to Splendid Spoon?

Daily Harvest is the most comparable delivery service to Splendid Spoon. Both have super similar plan formats and menus with plant-based, vegan, naturally gluten-free, and dairy-free, 100% non-GMO foods. Splendid Spoon meal prep is easier, and food containers are more recyclable, but Daily Harvest’s menu variety and customer service are better.