When we eat a diet rich in vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and other nutrients, it’s more likely to support our mental health, research suggests. One of the best ways to eat healthy is to cook a homemade meal. But if you don’t have the time or energy to cook, a prepared meal delivery service like Factor can help you eat nutritious meals with no prep or cleanup.
In our Factor meals review, we’ll discuss meal freshness, taste, and delivery quality based on feedback from our hands-on testers. Additionally, a health and fitness expert will weigh in on the menu’s nutritional quality. We’ll also explain how Factor works, who may benefit from it, and who may want to keep shopping for the best meal delivery program for their needs (Blue Apron is our favorite overall).
Factor overview
Our expert opinion on Factor
Based on our testing experience, we believe Factor offers well-portioned and good-tasting meals that are more convenient and affordable than eating out. The meals arrive cool and fresh and last a full seven days in the fridge.
So far, our testers have ordered entrées like Roasted Garlic Filet Mignon & Shrimp, Chipotle Rubbed Pork Chop, Creamy Parmesan Chicken, Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken, and Jalapeño Lime Cheddar Chicken. They’ve also tried breakfast items like pancakes and sausage. Everything reheats in the microwave or oven within minutes.
Overall, our testers have enjoyed the taste of each meal, although one tester notes that the vegetable sides are usually bland. For example, the Jalapeño Lime Cheddar Chicken comes with cauliflower rice, which one tester describes as “underwhelming.” Another dish came with broccoli that was “pretty average,” and the zucchini noodles that came with the Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken “were kind of sitting in water and not super appetizing.” Despite these criticisms, our testers would order each meal again. You may want to add a dash of your favorite spices to perk up the flavor.
One tester’s favorite meal is the Roasted Garlic Filet Mignon & Shrimp. “It’s not exactly restaurant quality, but it definitely exceeded my expectations for steak and shrimp in a prepared meal,” they say, rating it a five out of five. The pancakes were also a big hit.
Each meal is a single serving, and our testers think this is accurate for a typical person. If you find yourself feeling hungry after a Factor meal, consider looking for high-protein options on the menu. Protein can help you feel full longer.
Factor also sells protein shakes, juices, snacks, and desserts. One of our testers says the protein shakes taste chalky but the cheesecake is worth the price.
From our tester
“I normally eat the same things over and over, so Factor has added some nice variety to my weekly meals. It’s especially convenient to grab a meal on my way out the door to eat for lunch at the office. I think it’s a great alternative to eating out.”
Nutritional quality of Factor meals
In addition to hands-on testing, we also asked Christopher Kaycon, head of the Health and Fitness Science department at Wake Tech Community College, to evaluate the nutritional quality of Factor meals. “In comparison to the typical American diet, Factor provides a variety of healthy meat options as well as a variety of vegetables,” he says.
The amount of calories and protein in each Factor meal also meets Kaycon’s approval, but he thinks the company fails to offer an important part of a healthy diet: fruit. According to the USDA MyPlate recommendations, adult women need one-and-a-half to two cups of fruit each day, and men need as much as two-and-a-half cups per day. Fruit provides important vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Factor does sell fruit juices as add-ons, but because the juice contains zero grams of fiber, it’s smart to eat whole fruits as well.
“Additionally, I’m concerned with the high levels of sodium in most of their meals,” says Kaycon. “Americans already consume more than double the recommended amount of sodium according to the American Heart Association (AHA).” Kaycon calculates an average sodium content of 820 milligrams per Factor meal, whereas the AHA recommends no more than 500 milligrams per meal.
Although it’s not perfect, Factor is one of the healthiest meal delivery options our team has reviewed. As long as you balance Factor products with fresh fruit and look for meals with lower sodium content, Factor can help you conveniently add more vegetables, whole grains, and protein to your diet.
Is the ketogenic diet healthy?
Because a significant portion of the Factor menu is dedicated to the ketogenic diet, we also asked Kaycon about its pros and cons. “To be considered ketogenic, five percent of the calories should come from carbohydrates, whereas the rest of the calories come from protein and, predominantly, fats. People tend to lose more weight when experimenting with a ketogenic diet due to the longer length of time it takes your body to break down fats,” he says.
On the other hand, Kaycon says eating fatty foods—like those in Factor’s keto-friendly meals—can contribute to cardiovascular disease, and that a ketogenic diet limits the consumption of important nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fiber. He recommends talking to your doctor before starting a ketogenic diet.
Who may like Factor
- Busy singles.
- Couples with different meal preferences.
- People following a ketogenic diet.
- Pescatarians.
- Anyone wanting high-protein meals.
- People recovering from an illness or injury that prevents them from cooking.
Who may not like Factor
- Vegetarians and vegans.
- Families with small children.
- People who want meal kits rather than pre-made meals.
- Anyone with a food allergy or intolerance.
- People who need to limit their sodium or fat intake.
How does Factor work?
Factor is a flexible subscription service. When you sign up, you can choose how many meals you want each week. You can also select any dietary preferences like keto or low-carb. Finally, you will choose a delivery day (Saturday through Wednesday, depending on your zip code) and preferred time.
After this initial setup, you don’t have to do anything else to receive meals each week. Factor employees can choose meals for you that match your preferences and deliver them at the specified date and time. You can skip a week through your online account at any time.
But you can also be more hands-on if you like. You can browse the weekly menus, evaluate nutrition facts, and look at the list of ingredients to choose meals that meet your needs. You can also select any number of add-ons for the week, such as protein shakes, juices, snacks, desserts, breakfast items, and extra proteins. Just make sure you make your selections before 11:59 p.m. PST on Wednesday to lock in the next week’s order.
Factor ships meals in a cardboard box with an insulated liner and uses ice packs to keep the meals cool during transit. One tester says the box can sometimes sit outside for several hours after delivery, but the food still feels cold. If you ever unpack meals that don’t feel cool to the touch, don’t eat them. Contact Factor customer service at 888-573-5727 between 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. ET on Monday through Friday or between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday.
Meal plan options
Factor offers the following types of meals:
- Chef’s Choice.
- Keto.
- Vegetarian.
- Vegan.
- Flexitarian.
- Protein Plus (30 grams of protein or more).
- Calorie Smart (550 calories per serving or less).
The menu also labels meals that are spicy, dairy-free, or have high amounts of fiber. We have occasionally seen paleo meals too.
Nearly half of the weekly menu items are keto-friendly and the majority have at least 30 grams of protein per serving. On the other hand, vegans have just one or two meals to choose from each week. If you’re looking for vegan-friendly meals, you’ll get more variety through the brands in our best vegan meal delivery services list.
Although the Factor menu doesn’t label meals as pescatarian, we’ve seen four to five fish and seafood options each week. Between these meals and the vegetarian and vegan options, pescatarians have quite a few options to choose from.
If you’re not sure what to eat to support your goals, consider signing up for a free 20-minute nutritional counseling session. You don’t have to be subscribed to Factor to participate in this session. Our testers say they received realistic, manageable ideas for adjusting their diets and didn’t feel like the dietitian pushed them to sign up for Factor.
How much do Factor meal plans cost?
Factor meal plans start at $83.94 for six meals, which equals $13.99 per serving. As you’ll see in the chart below, the price per serving decreases as you buy more meals.
| Meals per week | Price per serving |
|---|---|
| 6 | $13.99 |
| 8 | $12.99 |
| 10 | $12.49 |
| 12 | $11.99 |
| 14 | $11.49 |
| 18 | $11.49 |
Other pre-made meal delivery services, like Trifecta Nutrition and Snap Kitchen, charge over $15 per serving depending on the quantity purchased.
Factor charges $10.99 for shipping. Tax fees vary by location.
HelpGuide Handbook’s testing methodology for meal delivery
Our Handbook Team tests the top meal delivery programs by signing up as mystery shoppers to try the service and meals for one week each. So far we have tested 26 of the top meal delivery platforms. During that time, we do the following:
Sign up for the service as a new member.
Select one week’s worth of meals.
Evaluate the program for dietary and food allergy options.
Place an order for the meals and set a delivery date.
Track and evaluate the delivery.
Unbox package when it arrives and document the condition and quality of all items.
Prepare meals throughout the week following instructions and recipes.
Evaluate each meal for taste, convenience, portion size, and freshness.
Contact customer support with questions.
Cancel subscription.
We become familiar with each meal delivery program to learn how they work, the types of meals they offer, and how much effort it takes to prepare each meal. We specifically ask each tester to evaluate each pre-made meal for ingredient freshness, convenience, taste, portion sizing, and whether they offer meals with enough food to feed a family of four.
Testers also note the types of meals the brands offer, whether they deliver the ingredients and recipes for you to prepare your own meal, or if they deliver pre-made meals that you heat in the stove or microwave oven. If the platform gives you the ingredients to prepare, we look to see if they offer meals for different cooking skill levels.
We also surveyed 600 meal delivery users to learn more about their experiences. We use these survey results, our testing data, and insights from nutrition experts to develop a thorough perspective on each meal delivery service we review.
Learn more about our healthy living methodology.
How we test Factor meals
Ingredient freshness: 4/5
Factor claims to never freeze its meals. Instead, they’re made fresh and vacuum-sealed into microwave-safe containers. Our testers say the ingredients look fresh, and they’ve never had spoiled food issues.
Convenience: 5/5
All Factor meals come pre-made and require absolutely no chopping, cooking, or cleanup. Each one has the same reheating instructions: about two minutes in the microwave or seven minutes in an oven preheated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. The meals should last for seven days in your refrigerator, and our testers say this is accurate but that some vegetables become watery after a few days.
Taste: 4/5
So far, our testers have rated every Factor meal at least a four out of five in terms of taste. Even things that can be difficult to reheat, like pancakes or shrimp, have exceeded their expectations. One tester’s favorite meal is the Chipotle Rubbed Pork Chop: “It was fantastic, and I loved the red pepper fondue that came with it as well.”
Accurate portion size: 5/5
Our testers believe Factor accurately advertises its portion sizes. However, everyone has different needs, and you may need to eat a different amount of food based on your body size and goals. Factor makes it easy to add proteins, snacks, and beverages to your order if needed.
Family Friendly: 2/5
Factor isn’t the most family-friendly meal delivery service we’ve reviewed, but it may work for older kids or those who aren’t picky eaters. Because each meal is pre-made, leaving out ingredients your child won’t like is tough, and Factor doesn’t allow swaps. Each week’s menu contains about 35 options, and only a few seem to have kid-friendly options like pasta and mild flavors.
Our final verdict on Factor meals
Our Factor meals review ends on a positive note: It’s a good choice for convenient healthy food. Our testers think the meals taste good, and they’ve had no trouble with delivery. Factor meals include a good balance of protein, whole grain, and vegetables but may not be suitable for people watching their sodium or cholesterol intake. Finally, Factor offers some of the lowest prices per serving for a pre-made meal delivery service.
Our favorite things
We like the overall quality and taste of Factor meals and the balance of vegetables, proteins, and whole grains in every meal. We like that Factor uses ice packs and an insulated liner to keep the meals cool during delivery, and we appreciate the variety of optional foods and beverages that can be added to any order. We also like the free nutritional counseling sessions available through Factor.
Our complaints
We wish Factor sold more vegan and vegetarian options each week. We’d also like to see the percent daily value included with the nutritional information for each meal so people can evaluate the amount of sodium, cholesterol, sugar, and more.
Compare Factor with other top meal delivery services
| Price per serving | $11.49–$13.99 | Varies by location* | $13.99–$15.85 | Varies by location* |
| Meal kit or prepared? | Prepared | Prepared | Prepared | Meal kit |
| Meals per week | 6-18 | 6-12 | 7-14 | 2-6 |
| Delivery area | Most zip codes in continental U.S. | Select zip codes in continental U.S. | All 50 states | Continental U.S. and select zip codes in AK and HI |
*Snap Kitchen’s prepared lunches and dinners start at approximately $9.49 for deliveries in the Austin, Texas area. Non-local customers must sign up for a Snap Pass subscription, which requires a minimum order of six meals for about $15.44 per meal.
**Hello Fresh displays different meal prices for our testers, ranging from $9.69–$13.29 per serving for two two-serving meals and from $8.49–$11.49 per serving for all other plans.
Frequently asked questions
According to our April 2024 survey of 600 meal delivery users, people who subscribed to Factor were more likely to have experienced weight loss during their subscription period compared to all respondents. Because each meal is a single serving, Factor may help with losing weight by simplifying portion control. When selecting meals for the week, look for options with high amounts of protein and fiber to help you feel full for longer periods of time.
If you get the minimum order of six meals per week, Factor costs at least $379.72 per month. That price includes shipping but doesn’t account for sales tax. The total monthly cost could be $400 or more if you live in an area with sales tax.
Factor says it delivers to most areas of the continental United States. The website will automatically tell you if delivery isn’t available for your zip code after you enter your address during the sign-up process.
- Lim, S. Y., Kim, E. J., Kim, A., Lee, H. J., Choi, H. J., and Yang, S. J. (2016, July). Nutritional Factors Affecting Mental Health. The Korean Society of Clinical Nutrition, 5(3), 143-142. Link
- USDA MyPlate Fruit Group – one of the five food groups. (n.d.) Link
- American Heart Association. November 2014. Too Much Sodium. Link