Trifecta Review

Founded by two siblings, Trifecta focuses on organic, clean food with the goal of helping customers change the way they eat and live. The service offers several types of meal plans and has a fitness-savvy following. In addition to food and meal delivery, Trifecta’s overall brand focuses on fitness and an active lifestyle. Testimonials from clients and customers feature incredible weight loss stories and health goals achieved with help from Trifecta.

We were curious to try out this health-centered meal service, so we enlisted a tasting panel to try and test a week’s worth of dinners. Read on to see how Trifecta ranked.

Learn More: Read Our Full Methodology

How It Works: Select From a Few Meal Plans

Trifecta is a delivery company dedicated to clean, macro-based, nutritious eating. The service offers six types of dietary meal plans: Whole30, clean, paleo, keto, vegan, and vegetarian, as well as a variety of meal kit types: Meal Prep, Classic, Budget Meal Prep Kit, and a Meat Lovers Meal Prep Kit. Meals include an option for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and sometimes a few snacks each week. Nearly all of the meal plans are proportioned, prepared foods, so you only have to heat up your meal.

Meals typically arrive on Friday or Saturday and the service delivers to every state. Meals are fully prepared and vacuum-sealed and can be kept in the refrigerator for up to seven days or in the freezer for up to three months. Meals can be heated in the microwave, oven, stovetop, or air fryer. The meal trays are slim, so if you’d like to bring a meal to the office or eat one on the go, they're easy to transport.

Choosing Meals: Confusing

We chose the Clean Meal Plan, which consists of simple, balanced meals with organic produce, grains, and protein. The cost of the Clean Meal Plan for the week is $110.99, which amounts to $15.85 per single-serving meal.

The Whole30, paleo, and keto meal plans are the same price, while the vegan and vegetarian options are $99.99 per week.

Once we selected the diet plan, we could choose meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and an option for a third entrée meal. You then select the number of meals you want; either five or seven per week. We wanted to select the dinner menu option with five meals per week, but we found that Trifecta has some restrictions when it comes to selecting meal plans; this is confusing, especially when trying to select and deselect the meal options and quantities. You must order at least seven meals, and then you can add more. After refreshing and playing around with the selection process, we ordered seven dinners.

Once we confirmed and placed our order, we realized we didn’t see a section where we got to pick our meals. Rather, the Clean Meal Plan is chef-prepared and selected, although you can select up to two dietary preferences or allergies within your account settings under “subscription details” and “meal preferences.” After reaching out to customer service to learn more about the various meal plans, the company explained that you can select an à la carte option to build your own meals each week or a Classic plan, which does allow you to choose your meals for future deliveries.

Another note to share with regard to the chef-curated meals is that, in its emails, Trifecta does not explicitly communicate which meals you are receiving. Therefore, plan on having a surprise week of meals upon opening your delivery box.

What We Made

Here is what the chef rotation included for our week:

• Grilled chicken with herb roasted potatoes and green beans
• Turmeric roasted cauliflower and Navy beans with chicken
• BBQ pulled chicken with potato salad and rice
• Pesto veggies with cod and quinoa
• Kung pao chicken with sweet potato and brown rice
• Teriyaki salmon with green beans and quinoa
• Pot roast with thyme stew and brown rice

Support Materials: Well-Labeled Individual Meal Trays

Each meal is vacuum-sealed in a recyclable white tray with a large sticker label. The label is branded with the Trifecta logo and the title of the dish on the front. The sticker also includes the meal type, calories, protein, carbs, fat, and an enjoy-by date. On the back of the tray is a full nutritional facts list as well as heating instructions for a skillet, air fryer, oven, and microwave.

Packaging: Slim and Sustainable

Our delivery box was lined in a thick recyclable paper TemperPack. Within that lining were six gel packs that could be refrozen or emptied into the trash, and the lining could be recycled. Each meal was in a white Cryovac recyclable tray that was vacuum-sealed and recyclable.

The Cooking Process: Easy and Fast

Since we are not a fan of microwaving meats and fish, we made all of our meals on the stovetop in a skillet over low heat. All meals were ready within minutes and the labels on each tray clearly listed the various ways to heat your meals. One thing to note: If you prefer your meal components separate, then perhaps microwaving in the trays is the best heating option for you. Since we stirred our meal in the skillet to heat up evenly, all of our meal components mixed together, essentially creating rice or quinoa protein bowls. We didn’t mind this, but some may prefer to have their protein, vegetables, and starches separate on a plate.

Flavor, Freshness, and Quality: Redundant and Bland

The company sent us two fish dishes, four chicken dishes, and one meat dish. The style of cuisines included hints of BBQ, Italian, and Indian-inspired cuisines. Nearly every meal included potatoes, rice, or quinoa. After tasting all of the meals, we found most of them to be redundant, starchy, and lacking bright flavor and extra spice.

Also, upon inspecting our meals, none of the foods looked particularly appetizing. Everything was precooked and vacuum-sealed, but the food itself looked pretty dull. Cooking our food on a stovetop resulted in a muted look on the plate, with a lot of carbohydrates and white foods and not as many vibrant vegetables.

Our first meal was grilled chicken with roasted potatoes. It was supposed to have green beans but we only saw broccoli. Lentils were also included but were not in the title of the dish, which seemed a bit misleading. We found the broccoli to be mushy, and the dish desperately needed salt and some sort of extra seasoning. It was very bland and had a starchy taste with the potatoes, lentils, and overcooked broccoli. We ended up dousing the dish with hot sauce from our refrigerator.

The turmeric roasted cauliflower and navy beans with chicken had a bit more seasoning, but it was still a bit unexciting. The chicken, however, was relatively juicy and we liked the acidity of the blistered cherry tomatoes.

The BBQ pulled chicken with potato salad and rice was pretty dull and carb-heavy as well, but the chicken and potatoes were tender. We ended up adding more barbeque and hot sauces. We also observed bits of ham in the meal and thought that was definitely an ingredient that should have been labeled in the meal title.

The pesto veggies with cod and quinoa didn’t have as much pesto flavor as we had hoped and we were overwhelmed by the green pepper in the dish. The cod was slightly on the dry side. We also found a ton of potatoes and felt the dish did not need potatoes alongside the quinoa. We also thought the potatoes should have been listed on the menu title as well.

The kung pao chicken with sweet potato and brown rice did not look very appetizing in the package. The dish was prepared with light green broccoli, white sweet potatoes, chicken with some pepper, brown rice, and one bright red chili pepper. We didn’t mind the kung pao sauce, although we found it a tad sweet. The broccoli was too mushy again and the chicken was a little tough to cut.

We were lukewarm about the teriyaki salmon with green beans and quinoa. The dish also included more potatoes and the salmon looked like it was seasoned in pesto, not teriyaki. Upon tasting, the salmon definitely had a lot of parsley and garlic, which didn’t seem to complement the teriyaki sauce and quinoa with green beans, and extra potatoes. The salmon heated up well and was very fresh, but the conflicting flavor profiles took away from the overall dish.

Nutritional Value: Designed for Athletes or Weight Loss

Trifecta prides itself on a scientific, macro-based diet, offering customers gluten-, dairy- and soy-free clean foods, which pairs well with an active lifestyle. While our meals did meet those standards, we noticed a lot of grains and starches. Nearly all of our meals featured an organic protein paired with two types of starches, such as quinoa with potatoes or brown rice with potatoes. We found this redundant and wished there was more variety and more colorful vegetables. The meals tended to be low in calories—500 or less—and high in protein, so the dishes were filling. Many dishes included at least 5 grams of added sugar, but most meals had at least 5 grams of fiber to create a more balanced meal.

Here’s a closer look at the nutritional breakdown of each meal:

• Grilled chicken with herb roasted potatoes and green beans: 18g fat, 2,5g saturated fat, 450 calories, 26g carbohydrates, 36g protein, 9g fiber, 5g sugar, 140mg cholesterol, 560mg sodium
• Turmeric roasted cauliflower and navy beans with chicken: 460 calories, 17g fat, 3g saturated fat, 20g carbohydrates, 12g fiber, 6g sugar, 44g protein, 95mg cholesterol, 460mg sodium
• BBQ pulled chicken with potato salad and rice: 440 calories, 16g fat, 3g saturated fat, 47g carbohydrates, 25g protein, 4g fiber, 11g sugar, 140mg cholesterol, 560mg sodium
• Pesto veggies with cod and quinoa: 410 calories, 18g fat, 2.5g saturated fat, 30g carbohydrates, 33g protein, 6g fiber, 6g sugar, 60mg cholesterol, 480mg sodium
• Kung pao chicken with sweet potato and brown rice: 470 calories, 14g fat, 2,5g saturated fat, 44g carbohydrates, 41g protein, 7g fiber, 11g sugar, 95mg cholesterol, 1370mg sodium
• Teriyaki salmon with green beans and quinoa: 480 calories, 17g fat, 2.5g saturated fat, 47g carbohydrates, 35g protein, 6g fiber, 13g sugar, 80mg cholesterol, 500mg sodium
• Pot roast with thyme stew and brown rice: 400 calories, 18g fat, 3g saturated fat, 38g carbohydrates, 23g protein, 6g fiber, 9g sugar, 60mg cholesterol, 560mg sodium

Trifecta Is Good For

Trifecta is good for adults or singles who are looking for easy and quick nutritious meals for weight loss or athletic refueling that can be heated up in minutes. Additionally, folks interested in help tracking what they eat and having access to nutrition counseling and support may like Trifecta.

Trifecta Is Not Good For

Trifecta is not good for adults or singles who enjoy the process of cooking a variety of diverse and interesting meals, and who like to choose their meals each week. Trifecta is also on the expensive side, so people on a tight budget may pass on trying Trifecta.

Add-ons: Meals and a Few Snacks

If you select one of the à la carte and classic meal plans, then you have an option to add on items such as a few snacks. Cinnamon maple almonds and chili almonds are both, for example, $4.97 per bag.

Because we selected the chef rotating Clean Meal Plan, we did not have the option to add on snacks, but we could select the type of meals we wanted: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a third entrée.

Customer Service: Helpful Chat

We had a lot of questions when it came to starting our service with the Clean Meal program, so we engaged with the live chat. We had to wait two minutes to be connected. Anthony C. told us, “Meal plans are all chef's choice. You'll receive a variety of the available meals made for the week. You can also add preferences to exclude up to two ingredients.” This customer service representative was helpful and responsive.

Customers can also reach Trifecta via phone and email.

Making Changes and Canceling: Easy, but Customer Service Is Often Needed

Trifecta delivers weekly, but users can make changes to skip weeks or even switch to a biweekly schedule. You may also make changes to your orders via your online account or by reaching out to customer service by the Friday before your delivery is scheduled. You may pause or cancel your subscription with a week’s notice before your next delivery by also reaching out to customer service.

The Competition: Trifecta vs. Eat Clean Bro

Trifecta and Eat Clean Bro are two meal service companies that create fast, healthy meals. The foods tend to be gluten-free, low in calories, and high in protein. We found Eat Clean Bro’s website easier to navigate and to select meals. The company also offers dozens of prepared foods, protein add-ons, fruits, snacks, and energy drinks without a subscription, whereas our meals from Trifecta were preselected by the company. Trifecta offers additional nutrition counseling to help customers lose weight, and a robust app to track eating and workouts. When it came to the food, we found Eat Clean Bro to have a slightly more interesting array of meals and colorful dishes, whereas our chef-selected meals from Trifecta were redundant and not very flavorful.

Methodology

Our testers ordered from, cooked, and rated 40 different meal delivery services. We carefully scored each one based on meal selection, nutritional information, sustainability, 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.

The criteria we used to evaluate each company included:

• The ordering process
• Meal selection
• Packaging and support materials
• Recyclability
• The cooking process
• The flavor, freshness, and quality of each meal and ingredient
• Nutritional information
• Customer service