Our tester shares her experience eating Factor Meals for a week, including how the flavors, ingredients, and variety measure up.
Pros and cons of Factor
- Factor uses pasture-raised, grass-fed ingredients that are free from gluten, antibiotics, hormones, soy, and genetically modified organisms.
- Meals do not contain refined sugar.
- Users only need to heat their meals in the microwave or oven.
- People can purchase add-ons, such as extra protein, snacks, and soups.
- The company offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- Factor provides options for a variety of diets, such as keto, vegetarian, and gluten-free.
- Cross-contamination is possible through Factor’s shared cooking area.
- The service is more costly than some other similar options.
- The service only ships to the 48 contiguous states.
- There are limited options for vegetarians.
- The service does not help users develop cooking skills.
- The sodium levels may be high in some of the meals.
I tried Factor for a week and found it had a lot of healthy options with different dietary focuses, like low carb, high protein, and low calorie. Overall, I was very impressed with the choice, ingredient quality, and freshness. Read on to learn about my experience with Factor.
Factor offered me meals for a week. I chose the six-meal plan, which included various Protein Plus, Calorie Smart, and Keto. Factor preselected my meals but gave me the option to change them. However, all the selections sounded so good that I only ended up changing one.
The signup process was super easy to navigate. You need an account to order your meals, but you can have a look at the menu and filter meals by dietary requirements before doing that.
I could change my delivery date or pause for a certain time if needed. It was also very easy to cancel my subscription. It gave me the option to pause for no charge if I preferred that.
You find out pricing and shipping information after you put in your ZIP code.
I was impressed with the variety of meals to choose from. It seemed to be mostly American, Italian, and Mexican cuisine.
However, within these cuisines, I found lots of different options so that I could have variety throughout my week. There were lots of healthy options with different focuses, like low carb, high protein, and low calorie. I try to have meals with a higher protein, so it was nice to have that category easy to find on the website.
My meals included:
- Baja Shrimp
- Sweet and Tangy BBQ Ground Pork
- Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken
- Sweet Potato Grits and Sage Chicken (my favorite!)
- Chicken Alfredo Pasta
- Ground Pork Chili and Cheddar Mac
These were by far the easiest meals I’ve ever had delivered.
The items were packaged in a microwavable tray with a removable cover containing nutrition information and labeling.
The meals were extremely easy to prepare, requiring only a couple of holes in the plastic film of the tray and then 2 minutes of microwaving.
I cooked each meal for exactly 2 minutes and was always pleased with the temperature.
I had 6 meals, and my thoughts on a few of them were:
- Chicken Alfredo Pasta: The chicken and vegetables had a great texture, and I was satisfied with the seasoning.
- Sweet Potato Grits and Sage Chicken: This was my absolute favorite. The sweet potato grits were amazing and unlike anything I’d tasted before. The chicken’s texture was perfect, and everything tasted delicious. I want the recipe for the grits!
- Ground Pork Chili and Cheddar Mac: This has good flavor and texture and was a simple, yummy meal.
- Sweet and Tangy BBQ Ground Pork: This had a unique flavor that I really enjoyed. However, I wish the potatoes were a little softer.
I was blown away by the texture of the chicken, as I am normally very skeptical about reheating meat. The chicken breast was juicy and flavorful as if I had just cooked it.
All of the vegetables were very fresh as well, not mushy like lots of other microwavable meals. I found that all the meals I tried were seasoned well. I could see that if someone wanted to enhance it further, it would be easy to add more spices (however, I did not need or want to).
Overall, I was very impressed with the ingredient quality and freshness.
Factor does not charge more for certain menu plans. Instead, the amount of meals per week influences the cost per meal. People may find that buying more meals is better value.
My box got delivered to me while I was at work on the day they said it would be delivered. When I got home later in the evening, all the meals were still perfectly refrigerated. The box wasn’t too big or heavy. All their packaging felt very intentional.
The packaging was extremely eco-friendly. Everything had descriptions of how it could be properly recycled, and it was made very clear that the packaging materials were recyclable.
The box also stated that the company is carbon neutral, which was nice to know. Even the padding and the frozen packs were recyclable with clear instructions.
What stood out to me most were the company’s sustainability efforts and how they made it easy to recycle the packaging.
I would recommend Factor to anyone who wants high quality meals without having to cook. It couldn’t have been easier to use, and the meals were great.
I think the company’s customer service, shipping, and overall process are done well and are in line with other meal delivery services I have tried. As I said before, what stood out to me most were Factor’s sustainability efforts and how it made it easy to recycle the packaging.
Our competitor reviews
Read our detailed reviews of Factor’s main competitors here:
Factor now offers Factor Form, a range of supplements designed to meet specific nutritional needs that meals may not cover. Here is an overview of what to expect:
- Dietitian-approved: Factor has reportedly designed these products with the approval of dietitians. However, it is worth noting that everyone’s nutritional needs will vary. People can check the ingredients before purchasing to ensure the products suit their needs.
- Convenient serving size: These supplements come in single-serving packets for added convenience. This may make them easy to travel with or take on the go.
- Suits people on a keto diet: These supplements have no added sugar and are reportedly suitable for those following the keto diet.
- Subscription model: Factor Form keeps the well-known subscription model that people like about their meal delivery service. The service can deliver supplements every 4 weeks, while people can reschedule or cancel anytime.
The company offers three main supplement options to meet various nutritional needs:
Yes, Factor is a good meal plan. It offers meals that are suitable for most dietary requirements. Factor also uses sustainable, recyclable, and insulated packaging. It delivers meals in nontoxic and reusable gel packs that contain salt water and sodium polyacrylate.
However, some Factor meals can contain up to 30 grams (g) of sugar, close to the American Heart Association’s (AHA) recommended daily limit of 36 g for men and 25 g for women.
As with all meal delivery services, people will need to adjust their other meals accordingly to stay within their recommended daily limit of nutrients.
Factor’s meals are reportedly suitable for people trying to lose weight. It states that the meals contain an average of 600 calories. People can also choose lower calorie meals.
However, its meals may be high in sodium, which may not suit people trying to lose weight. Individuals who want to eliminate sugar from their diet may opt for meals free from or low in sugar.
Customers can choose and combine meals that meet their nutrition goals. The company provides a nutritional value label that indicates the amount of calories, fats, fiber, or sugar each dish contains.
Factor enters its meals into apps such as MyFitnessPal and Carb Manager, which may make it easier for customers to track their nutrient intake.
If a person wishes to discuss their weight goals in more detail, Factor also offers consultations with dietitians.
Yes, HelloFresh owns Factor. It acquired the company in 2020.
Some Factor dishes are relatively high in sodium. The recommended daily sodium intake for adults is under 2,000 mg. Some of the dinners from Factor contain between 700 and 1,050 mg of sodium, which takes up a large portion of a person’s daily allowance.
Our reviewer found it very easy to cancel their Factor subscription. The service states that people can cancel and manage their subscriptions online through their account settings.
Factor offers dietitian-approved meals that cater to various dietary needs.
A Medical News Today tester found Factor easy to use and convenient. They appreciated the brand’s sustainability efforts and thoroughly enjoyed the meals, complimenting the variety in cuisines, tastes, and textures.
People can also supplement their diet with Factor’s new supplements that aim to provide a boost of hydration, greens, and protein.
