I Tried Factor Meals for a Week—Here's My Honest Review

If you haven't heard of Factor, we can almost guarantee you've come across or even tried its parent company, HelloFresh. In November 2020, the meal kit leader acquired the Chicago-based startup to help it grow and reach more consumers. I tried Factor premade meal delivery service for one week, and I see exactly why HelloFresh knew it deserved more attention.

Factor (also known as Factor75 and Factor_) is a meal delivery service that has a strong emphasis on health and wellness, offering a rotating menu of fresh single-serving meals designed by registered dietitians and prepared by culinary experts. Factor meals are for people with active lifestyles, who follow specific diets, and/or who want perfectly portioned pre-made meals for one readily available on busy days.

And because they require zero cooking skills, the ready-to-eat meals are also a godsend for those who don't like to cook or would rather spend that extra time on things like achieving your fitness goals or organizing your home. Basically, if you want your fridge to be filled with nutritious, delicious meals that take two minutes to heat up, Factor is the best prepared meal delivery service for you.

Sign up now: From $81/week (use this link to save $90 off your first three weeks of Factor); factor75.com

How I Tested the Service

Factor offered me a week's worth of lunches, dinners, desserts, and snacks. To sample a little bit of everything, I chose meals with different proteins, flavors, and diet requirements from the menu. My short-and-sweet summary: Nutritious comfort food that's ready to eat in two minutes. Sure, you can wait a minute for it to cool down, but I always seem to skip that step.

I’ve been vegetarian and pescatarian in the past, but now I would say I follow a balanced diet or 80:20 ratio. Whole foods and clean meals make me feel good, so I aim to eat healthy foods most of the time and “unhealthy” foods every now and then.

I was extremely happy to learn that Factor meals feature (mostly) organic fruits and vegetables as well as animal proteins that are grass-fed, pasture-raised, and antibiotic- and hormone-free. The entrées align with my wellness goals: Feeding my body with fuel (real foods!) to improve my physical and mental health. And let’s just say they blow typical chicken-and-broccoli meal prep recipes out of the water—if you know, you know.

My overall rating for Factor: 9.2/10

Factor Key Specs

Pros & Cons

Signing Up for Factor: How It Works

Signing up for Factor is an easy process, and there are a few ways to do it. You can go to factor75.com on your phone or computer, or download the Factor app for even easier navigation. No matter which route you choose, it’s the same procedure. First, simply enter your email address and zip code in order to view accurate pricing and shipping information. Then choose the amount of meals you want to include in your weekly order—6, 8, 10, 12, 14, or 18.

Once you've selected your plan, you get to choose which meals and add-ons you want in your delivery. You can browse the entire Factor menu or use the filters to find meals that meet your needs. There are pictures of every food item on the menu, allowing you to see what it will look like once it's cooked. If you click on a picture, you can read the description, ingredient list, and nutritional information to ensure you're aware of everything that's included in the dish.

Sign up now: From $81/week (use this link to save $90 off your first three weeks); factor75.com

Factor Menu: Mainly Low Carb, High Protein Meals

Factor's menu is easy to navigate and features exciting chef-prepared meals. The meal delivery service doesn't offer specific meal plans, but you can filter the menu to show meals that fit into different diet categories. The categories include ketogenic, paleo, high protein, low calorie, low carb, dairy free, vegetarian, spicy, and plant based.

You can find the most meal options within the ketogenic, high protein, low carb, and low calorie sections. There aren’t a lot of options available in dairy free, vegetarian, plant based, and paleo preferences, and unfortunately, you can’t modify the meals at this time. Ideally, the company will grow those smaller categories as more and more people eliminate animal proteins in their diets.

In addition to ready-to-eat meals, Factor offers different proteins, snacks, desserts, and smoothies you can add to your order. Everything is made in house, so the extras follow the same approach as the entrées. Past menu features have included mouth-watering items like lemon blueberry keto cheesecake, chocolate brownie keto shake, and pan-seared salmon.

The Factor Meals and Add-Ons I Chose:

• Green chile chicken with queso blanco
• Spicy turkey poblano bowl
• Parmesan risotto with Italian sausage and broccoli
• Grilled pork chop with red pepper cauliflower mash
• Peanut Buddha bowl
• Shrimp alfredo with zucchini noodles
• Peruvian grilled chicken
• Garlic herb salmon
• Smoothie variety pack
• Cocoa peanut butter keto truffles

Factor Delivery and Packaging: Mostly Eco-Friendly Materials

Factor delivers on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, depending on where you live. I received my order on a Wednesday afternoon in hot, humid Midwest summer temperatures. Fortunately, I work from home, so I brought my box inside as soon as it arrived on my doorstep.

The box was massive in size and fairly heavy, but I managed to carry it to the table with no issues. After opening the box, I was pleased to see there was plenty of insulation and cold gel packs to keep the food fresh. I checked over the order, made sure nothing was spoiled or broken, snapped a pic of my meal collection, and stored the fresh meal kits in the refrigerator right away. Well, obviously I tried a cocoa peanut butter truffle first.

The fresh meals are packaged in BPA-free CPET recyclable plastic, covered in non-recyclable plastic film, and tucked into a recyclable cardboard sleeve. The sleeve is clearly labeled with the name of the meal, snack, or dessert, and it also features cooking instructions, nutritional information, and an ingredient list.

Factor makes an effort to practice sustainability with their packaging and shipping methods. The big cardboard box is recyclable: Simply break it down into smaller pieces and toss it in your recycling bin or take it to a recycling facility in your area. Factor uses three different types of insulation, including laminated, PET, and cotton. The laminated insulation is recyclable, while the other two should be thrown away in the trash.

The gel packs are a bonus because you can reuse them for picnics, tailgates, and road trips. If you don’t want to keep them in your freezer, drain the gel in the trash and head to plasticfilmrecycling.com to find out where you can recycle the plastic film. Give the BPA-free food containers a good rinse and recycle curbside.

Cooking Factor Meals: Couldn't Be Easier

Cooking is fun when I have time and a full pantry and fridge. But during busy times of the year, I don't get around to flagging recipes, shopping for groceries, and whipping up yummy courses as much as I'd like to.

Just because I don't have time to cook, doesn't mean I don't want to eat delicious meals, though. That's why Factor came into my life at the perfect time. On top of busy summer plans, I recently moved into a new home and have been focused on homeowner tasks. Having quality microwavable meals ready to eat in two minutes took a noticeable amount of time off my plate to get other things done. And like I said before, I'm a healthy eater and prioritize working out, so the premade meals helped me stay on top of my goals.

Every meal in my Factor order only required two minutes on high in the microwave. Before you place a meal in the microwave, you need to remove the cardboard sleeve and pierce the plastic film with a fork or knife. Once the two minutes are up, the instructions recommend letting the dish stand for a few minutes to cool, but I usually dug in right away.

If you'd rather use a conventional oven to heat your meal, there are instructions for that cooking method, too. Just preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, remove the sleeve and plastic film, and place the meal tray in the oven on a baking sheet for about seven minutes. No matter which way you heat up your meal, it's ready to eat in very little time.

The meals were consistent in cooking time, seasoning, and satisfaction. I never had to pop a meal back in the microwave after reaching the two-minute mark, add any additional seasoning or sauces to my meals—which is saying something because I'm a big condiment girl—or reach for snacks after I was finished eating.

Sign up now: From $81/week (use this link to save $90 off your first three weeks); factor75.com

Factor Ingredients and Sourcing: Sustainable Farms

Factor partners with a select few organic farms that use sustainable farming practices, and the majority of ingredients are sourced within the U.S. The salmon comes from Canada, some cuts of meat are sourced from Australia, and select produce is supplied by Central America and South America. The salmon is BAP-certified, which means it follows The Global Aquaculture Alliance’s Best Aquaculture Practices, and the shrimp is wild-caught.

“We are very strict about what we put in our meals, and our chefs use only the highest quality, freshest ingredients available,” says Kara Kash, RD, LDN, at Factor. “Every meal is free of gluten, hormones, GMOs, antibiotics, and artificial preservatives. We utilize pasture-raised pork, antibiotic-free poultry, grass-fed meat, and organic produce when available.” She also adds that Factor uses a blast chilling method to retain nutrition instead of adding preservatives.

Factor Meals Flavor and Quality: Praise- and Crave-Worthy

I'll come right out and say it: I definitely had my reservations when I heard Factor meals were microwaveable. I automatically envisioned the tough, bland, and salty frozen meals I had eaten in the past. In my defense, this was during my early college days when I didn't have time or money … or high standards for my food quality. Fast forward to my first bite of a Factor meal—um, yeah, we're not dealing with cheap freezer-burned entrées anymore. These are real, fresh, high-quality meals. Honestly, I loved (and now crave) almost every single recipe I tried.

I can't pick just one Factor meal to highlight, so here are my top three favorites: grilled pork chop with red pepper cauliflower mash, shrimp alfredo with zucchini noodles, and green chile chicken with queso blanco. Oh, and the dessert I couldn't get through this review without telling you about: Cocoa peanut butter keto truffles—yes, they are as delicious as they sound. Least favorites? The smoothie variety pack and the parmesan risotto with Italian sausage and broccoli.

Grilled pork chop with red pepper cauliflower mash: This dynamic duo is what dreams are made of. Once I noticed the pork had real grill marks, I knew this dish would be one of my favorites. The flavor-locking sear took the underrated protein to the next level. Equally as satisfying, the red pepper cauliflower mash is so good you would never guess that you were eating a healthy dose of vegetables. And it doesn't stop there: The meal came with a side of green beans topped with mushroom cream sauce that was extremely tasty and fresh.

Shrimp alfredo with zucchini noodles: Seafood is my thing, especially shrimp. I love, love, love it. I don't buy it at the grocery store often because it can be on the pricier side, so I was excited to add this meal to my order. It did not disappoint. The wild-caught shrimp alfredo with noodles came with broccoli florets, so I combined everything in one bowl for a special Thursday night din din.

Green chile chicken with queso blanco: Same story as the grilled pork. You just can't beat the flavor of seared meat. Not sure how grilled chicken tastes this good after being warmed up in the microwave, but props to Factor for giving us this deliciousness. However, the main event of this dish was the house-made queso sauce that featured green chiles and poblano peppers. This meal also came with a side of Mexican-inspired cauliflower rice, so I made sure to distribute the queso evenly between the chicken and rice. So delish.

Cocoa peanut butter keto truffles: Basically cocoa-dusted cheesecake bites. Whatever dessert Factor offers, add it to your order. The company knows how to make better-for-you sweet treats taste suspiciously good. Tip: If you live with a partner or kids, don't let them know how good they are. Mine disappeared fast.