Factor Review: Fresh, Ready-to-Heat Meals Delivered Right to Your Door

Factor is a weekly meal delivery subscription service for single-serving, ready-to-heat meals developed for those with busy lifestyles and limited time to cook. The company has a variety of meals for different dietary needs, including a large selection of keto meals as well as some lower-calorie options, Chef's choice, protein plus, and vegetarian & vegan options. In addition, Factor provides nutritional counseling services.

Ingredients are thoughtfully sourced and all animal proteins are antibiotic and hormone-free, so expect to find items such as grass-fed beef, wild shrimp, cage-free eggs, and more. We tried several items on Factor's menu to see how they stood up to other meal delivery services on the market.

Learn More: Read Our Full Methodology

How It Works: Choose Number of Meals

Factor has several meal plans to choose from, ranging from four to 18 meals per week. Once you pick your plan and check out, you can make your meal selections and update meal preferences.

All meals are single-serving, pre-cooked, and packaged in trays that can be reheated in the microwave for 2 minutes or in the oven for 5–7 minutes. Meals arrive fresh and can be kept in the refrigerator for up to seven days or frozen for later use. Factor offers meals that can fit into a variety of eating preferences, including keto, paleo, low carb, high protein, low calorie, dairy-free, vegetarian, and vegan.

Pricing: Simple and Straightforward

Factor has a volume-based pricing system where the more you order, the less the individual meals will cost. You can choose to order four, six, eight, 12, or 18 meals per week, with pricing as follows:

• 4 meals per week: $15 per meal
• 6 meals per week: $12.83 per meal
• 8 meals per week: $12.38 per meal
• 10 meals per week: $11.99 per meal
• 12 meals per week: $11.50 per meal
• 18 meals per week: $11 per meal

(Add-ons like smoothies, shakes, snacks, and desserts cost extra and do not count toward the per-week meal total.)

Choosing Meals: Pick Meal Preferences, Select Meals

After you choose your plan, there is an option to customize meal preferences as a way to filter the weekly menu.

Without filters, there are at least 30 meals plus 34 add-ons to choose from. Of the 30 or more meals, most are lunch or dinner options, but there will be at least one or two breakfast options. The menu primarily includes high-protein, high-fat, and low-carb ketogenic meals, but there will also be two entirely plant-based options, several dairy-free options, and around 10 “low calorie” options. Note that customizations are not allowed.

Deliveries are made on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, depending on your ZIP code. Modifications must be made exactly one week prior to delivery. This will be clearly indicated after placing your first order.

What We Made

We selected a variety of dishes across multiple protein and dietary options, including one vegan dish, one vegetarian dish, one seafood dish, and one keto-friendly chicken dish. We ordered the four-per-week plan and selected the following meals for our delivery:

• Mango salsa salmon with coconut rice and black beans
• Creamy parmesan chicken with broccoli and tomatoes
• Vegetable ratatouille with mascarpone polenta
• Smoked tofu almond stir-fry with edamame succotash

Support Materials: None

No support materials were included in the delivery box. All information for reheating as well as nutrition information and ingredients are printed on the individual meal tray sleeves. There is a helpful FAQ section online for most questions that may come up during unpacking or preparation.

Packaging: Individual Meal Trays

Meals were packaged simply and identically. Each meal comes in the same size plastic tray sealed with plastic film and fits inside a recyclable paper sleeve. Meals can be reheated in their tray and can be easily stacked in the refrigerator or freezer for storage. Meals came cold (not frozen) and ready to reheat. Trays are recyclable, but plastic film may not always be curbside recyclable; this will depend on your location.

Meals are packaged in a large recyclable cardboard box with two insulation sheets filled with recycled cotton. There were also two ice packs filled with non-toxic contents that can be cut and emptied into the trash. However, the plastic from the ice packs should not be curbside recycled and would need to be recycled at a special location by visiting a website listed on the package.

In total, our Factor delivery included 17 pieces of packaging materials. Of those, nine were eligible for curbside recycling, while the remaining eight pieces needed to be thrown in the trash and sent to the landfill.

The Cooking Process: 7 Minutes or Less

Since the meals are already prepared and not frozen, they only need to be quickly reheated. Simply remove the tray from the paper sleeve, poke a few holes in the plastic film, and reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes or in the oven for 5–7 minutes.

Flavor, Freshness, and Quality: High-Quality Animal Protein

Overall, Factor's meals contained very high-quality ingredients, specifically well-sourced sustainable animal proteins that may not be typically found in other meal delivery services. Beef is all grass-fed and pasture-raised, and generally, all animal proteins are antibiotic and hormone-free. Meals are all prepared without refined sugar, are preservative-free, and are made with non-GMO ingredients.

Spices were prevalent throughout the meals, adding a good variety of flavor across the different dishes. Sodium is not excessive for a prepared meal, but what was noticeably high is the fat content. Some of the sauces seemed laden with butter or cheese and were richer than necessary, even though the flavor was good overall.

One particularly impressive dish was the mango salsa salmon with coconut rice and black beans. While we were a bit iffy about the concept of microwaving fish, this salmon exceeded our expectations in every way. The texture of the salmon was flaky and buttery, and the mango salsa was the perfect balance to the richness of the fish. Best of all, it only took two minutes in the microwave to enjoy this outstanding dish.

Nutritional Value: Designed for Omnivores

While there are options for vegetarian and vegan meals, most dishes on the menu are designed to consist of an animal protein (like chicken, beef, pork, salmon, or shrimp), a sauce, and a vegetable side. Calorie content ranges from just under 500 calories per serving (lower calorie category) to close to 900 calories per serving. Of the meals we tried, fat content ranged from 23g per serving to 60g per serving, including saturated fat ranging from 3.5g per serving to 29g per serving. Carbohydrates ranged from 13g to 52g and sodium for all meals was between 770mg and 890mg per serving. Protein content ranged from 15g to 45g.

The majority of meals at Factor are designed for omnivores and are not specifically allergen-friendly. Though it is possible to find some meals free of certain allergens, all meals are made in a facility that processes all major allergens, so cross-contamination is always a possibility. For personalized guidance on which meals are best for your nutritional needs and goals, we recommend contacting customer service or Factor's team of dietitians.

Factor Is Good For

Factor is good for meat-eaters who live highly active lifestyles and are looking for meals designed for keto or paleo eating patterns that are higher in protein and lower in carbs. Because meals are single serving, this is a great service for singles or couples. Factor is also good for providing additional support to help you meet specific health goals if you take advantage of the personalized nutrition services.

Add-ons: Large Selection of Beverages and Other Items

There are over 30 different add-ons available at Factor. These include plant-based snack bars, a variety of cold-pressed juices, wellness shots, smoothies, desserts, and energy bites. Trays of vegetable sides, larger portions of soups, and single proteins can also be found in the Add-On section.

In addition, Factor employs a team of registered dietitians who are available for a free, 20-minute consultation or longer-term nutrition counseling.

Customer Service: Responsive and Helpful

Customer service can be reached by phone, live chat, or text message Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday. Customer service can also be emailed. We reached out to customer service via email after-hours and received a response within 12 hours. The information was personalized and helpful and the customer service representative was very friendly, offering additional assistance if needed.

Making Changes and Canceling: Easily Done Online

All modifications can be easily made online. Orders can be edited up to one week in advance of delivery and your plan size, billing, and shipping information can also be changed online. Multiple orders can also be skipped through your account portal. There is also a mobile app, which can be used for changes and customizations.

Methodology

Our testers ordered, cooked, and evaluated 40 different meal delivery services. We carefully rated each one based on its meal selection, nutritional information, recyclability, and customer service, as well as the flavor, freshness and quality of each meal and ingredient. Our Spruce Eats tester panel includes dietitians, chefs, and longtime food writers. The one thing they all have in common is their love and knowledge of food.