Meal Delivery Reviews

Paleo On The Go Main Image

Paleo On The Go Review 2023

Paleo On The Go Overview

If you’re someone who’s looking for convenient and nutritious meals that are compliant with the Paleo or AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) diets, you’re in luck because I’ve got the perfect solution for you – Paleo On The Go! Whether you’re too busy to cook, or you just don’t feel like it, Paleo On The Go is here to provide you with meals that are not only delicious but also healthy.

Paleo On The Go Logo
Menu Selection
Unboxing
Ease of Meal Prep
Shipping and Delivery
Subscription Options
Customer Service

Summary

Now, I know what you’re thinking, healthy food can be expensive. And while it’s true that the meals from Paleo On The Go aren’t cheap, you’re paying for quality and convenience.

You’re paying for meals that are specifically tailored for those following the Paleolithic or AIP diets.

You’re paying for organic, non-GMO ingredients and for the peace of mind that comes with knowing that you’re feeding your body with nutritious food.

And let’s not forget, you’re also paying for the time and effort saved from cooking. So, yes, while the meals from Paleo On The Go may be a bit more expensive than your average meal prep delivery service, the benefits are well worth it.

Let’s take a closer look at what this meal prep delivery service has to offer. In this review, I’ll be covering the menu, unboxing, meal prep, shipping and delivery, subscription options, and customer service of Paleo On The Go. By the end of this post, you’ll know everything you need to know about this meal delivery service and why it’s worth considering.

4.3
The Best of Paleo On The Go
A ton of Paleo-centric meals to choose from including cookies, cakes, breakfasts and dinners
Includes a AIP Compliant menu
You can order a la carte or save money by subscribing
Top notch customer support from a niche provider
Get an extra $15 off your order with code SUNDAYMEALPREP
The Worst of Paleo On The Go
Meal options are limited to Keto and AIP compliant meals
Shipping is pricey compared to other meal delivery services

Paleo On The Go offers a variety of options for people following the paleo diet, as well as those following the autoimmune protocol (AIP) diet. Their menu rotates weekly, so you’ll never get bored with your options. They also offer seasonal items, so you’ll always have access to fresh and tasty ingredients.

Variety

What I loved about picking out my box is the amount of variety.

First thing I want to highlight about Paleo On The Go is their AIP Compliant bakery. If you’re following the AIP diet, it can be tough to find treats that are both delicious and compliant. But with Paleo On The Go, you can enjoy sweet treats without worrying about breaking your diet.

In their AIP bakery, POTG offers several kinds of cakes, pot pies, and even empanadas.

Strawberry Vanilla Cake - Paleo On The Go

While I did not get to try their cakes, I read a few of the reviews and from what I can tell these are great alternatives to traditional cakes. Now you can celebrate your birthday, anniversary, or other special event while sticking to your diet.

In addition to the bakery, they also offer soups and stews, breakfast meals, and a wide range of entrees. Everything I’ve tried has been delicious, and I’ve never felt like I was missing out on anything. And because all the meals are pre-made, it’s incredibly convenient to just heat them up and eat.

A few of the favorite recipes that I got to try were:

British Bangers and Mash –

British Bangers and Mash - Paleo On The Go Review

I had this for lunch and it was amazing! I was craving something a little heavier and this hit the spot while also not making me feel too tried afterwards.

Strawberry Paleo Tarts –

Strawberry Tarts - POTG

Loving eating Pop Tarts but missing them due to your Paleo diet? Paleo On the Go solves for that craving with this delicious recipe. I love them!

Dietary Choices

Unlike some other meal delivery services that we have reviewed in the past like Proper Good and Trifecta, Paleo on the Go caters specifically to…well…Paleo. Everything on their menu is Paleo friendly while most of their items are also AIP compliant.

POTG boasts that their menu is made from Non-GMO ingredients. They also mention that their food is:

  • Nut-Free
  • Grain-Free
  • Gluten-Free
  • Nightshade-Free
  • Soy-Free
  • Dairy-Free

Now that’s quite a list.

As far as picking out what meals will fit your dietary needs, POTG makes it easy as well.

After picking the size of box you want, you will be taken to the Menu page. From there, you can easily see all the menu options. You can navigate to see their AIP menu as well.

Here are the filters you will have access to:

  • New Seasonal Items
  • Full AIP Compliant Menu
  • AIP Bakery
  • Soups and Stews
  • Breakfast
  • AIP Friendly Sauces

In addition to this, you will also be able to filter the menu based on certain ingredients. Here are things you can exclude:

  • Coconut-Free
  • Seafood-Free
  • Pork-Free
  • Cassava-Free

All in all, Paleo On The Go makes it easy to navigate their menu and find exactly what you are looking for.

Macros and Ingredients

IWhen following specific diets such as Paleo, it’s important to look at the ingredients that will make up the meal you are ordering. POTG makes that simple too.

Simply click on any recipe and a page will pull up with information about the meal. You can easily navigate to the Ingredients list, the Heating instructions, and the Nutritional information with one click.

Here is a sample of how that look for the Beef Chimichurri recipe:

Macros - POTG

If the macros align with your goals and the ingredients list looks good to you, you can add it directly to your box from the same page.

Unboxing

One of the things that I was most excited about with Paleo On The Go was the unboxing experience.

When I received my first shipment, I was pleasantly surprised by the Green Cell Plus liners that were used to protect the meals during shipping. These liners are made from 100% backyard compostable materials and are fully recyclable. This was a great touch and made me feel good about the company’s commitment to sustainability.

When I opened the box, I was greeted with a wonderful aroma. The meals were packaged in vacuum-sealed bags to keep them fresh, and they looked and smelled delicious. Each meal was labeled with the name and ingredients, so I knew exactly what I was getting. There were also reheating instruction on the meals so I knew exactly what needed to be done to get these heated up. I also appreciated that the packaging was minimal and easy to recycle, making the entire experience of unboxing with Paleo On The Go a breeze.

I was excited to try my first box from Paleo On The Go and I was not disappointed. The food was amazing, and I felt good knowing that the packaging was made with sustainability in mind.

The meals can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months, so I was able to enjoy them at my leisure. Overall, the unboxing experience with Paleo On The Go was top-notch and exceeded my expectations.

Meal Prep – Paleo in minutes

Paleo On The Go is not just about the convenience of having pre-made meals delivered to your door, it’s also about the quality of those meals. All of their meals are made from clean, organic, non-GMO ingredients. All recipes are paleo friendly and most are AIP compliant. The best part is that the meals are already cooked, so all you have to do is heat them up. This makes meal prep incredibly easy and convenient.

To heat up your meal, simply remove the packaging and place the meal in the microwave or in the oven. If you’re using the microwave, the meal should be heated in just a few minutes. If you’re using the oven, simply place the meal in an oven safe pan and heat until it’s warm throughout.

The meals from Paleo On The Go are definitely not cheap, but they are tailored specifically for people looking for paleo or AIP compliant meals without having to cook. If you’re someone who wants to follow a paleo or AIP diet but doesn’t have the time or energy to cook, this is definitely a service you should consider. The meals are delicious and convenient, and they make sticking to your diet a breeze.

Shipping and Delivery

So, you’ve placed your order and are eagerly waiting for your delicious and healthy meals to arrive. I can tell you from personal experience, the shipping and delivery process with Paleo On The Go is incredibly smooth and stress-free. The price you pay for shipping, well that’s a different story…

Paleo On The Go offers flexible shipping options, so you can choose the frequency that works best for you. You can choose to receive 8, 12, or 16 meals, and they can be shipped every 2, 4, or 8 weeks. The shipping ranges from $10 to $30 per box, depending on your location and the size of your order. For my box, I paid almost $30 in shipping.

When I received my shipment, I was impressed by how fast it arrived. I placed my order on Monday, and by Thursday my meals were already at my doorstep. The packaging was top-notch, and everything arrived in perfect condition.

They also provide the ability for expedited shipping but that was almost double the price of regular shipping so I chose to avoid that option.

Subscription Options & Pricing

Paleo On The Go offers three different subscription options: 8, 12, or 16 meals. You can choose to have those meals delivered every 2, 4, or 8 weeks. The more meals you subscribe to, the more money you can save, making it an affordable option for those looking to eat healthy without breaking the bank.

Their menu rotates weekly and features seasonal items, so you never get bored and can always enjoy new and exciting meals. They offer an AIP Compliant bakery, soups and stews, and breakfast meals, so there is something for everyone. Whether you’re looking for a quick and easy breakfast, a hearty lunch, or a comforting dinner, you’re sure to find something you love with Paleo On The Go.

For those of us who can’t pick or don’t want to go through the exercise, Paleo On The Go offers bundles where they will automatically select certain meals for you. These bundles are based either on popularity or certain diet preferences.

Like I mentioned before, Paleo On The Go is not the budget meal prep delivery service. It tends to be on the pricier side.

To give you an example, I ordered the 8 meal box and to make it easy on myself, I just chose a popular Bundle, the AIP Starter Pack. The total for my box before shipping was $155.09 for the box. That breaks down to about $19.38 per meal. While that does seems expensive, it might be a worthy alternative for people on Paleo who just don’t have enough time to do all the shopping and cooking necessary to maintain that lifestyle.

If you’re looking for an alternative meal service provider that is a little more affordable and also caters to Paleo, be sure to check out our review of Factor here.

Paleo On The Go Customer Service

Finally, let’s talk about customer service. When it comes to meal prep delivery services, customer service is an important aspect to consider, especially if you have any questions or concerns about your order.

The customer service of Paleo On The Go is top-notch and truly stands out from other meal delivery services. Whether you have questions about your order, meal options, or just need some general information, the friendly and knowledgeable staff is always ready to help.

If you prefer to speak with someone over the phone, their phone support is available Monday through Friday from 8am-4pm ET. This is a great option if you need a quick answer or if you prefer to speak with someone directly. And if you prefer to send an email, their email support is available anytime, so you can get help whenever you need it.

Like most other meal delivery services, Paleo On The Go has options for you to skip a delivery or pause your subscription. Those options are available on their website and are easy to find and navigate to.

One of the best things about the customer service at Paleo On The Go is that the team truly cares about your experience. They are passionate about helping people eat healthy, and they go out of their way to make sure that every customer is completely satisfied with their order.

Whether you have a question about the ingredients, need help selecting the right meals, or just need some general advice, they are always there to help. So if you’re looking for a meal delivery service that truly cares about your experience, look no further than Paleo On The Go!

And The Verdict – POTG is excellent but expensive

Paleo On The Go is a meal delivery service that offers high-quality, organic, non-GMO, and AIP compliant meals that are already cooked and ready to heat and eat. Their weekly rotating menu features a variety of meals, from breakfast to soups and stews, and an AIP compliant bakery, so you will never get bored. With the option of 8, 12, or 16 meal subscriptions that can be shipped every 2, 4, or 8 weeks, customers have the flexibility to choose the right plan that works best for their lifestyle.

The shipping boxes are also eco-friendly, with Green Cell Plus liners that are fully recyclable and made from 100% backyard compostable materials. The meal prep process is very straightforward and the meals can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days (or in the freezer for up to 6 months).

The company also offers discounts for bulk purchases, so the more you order, the more money you can save.

To sum it up, if you are looking for a convenient and delicious paleo or AIP meal delivery service, then Paleo On The Go is definitely worth considering. Their meals may be a little pricey, but you are paying for the quality, convenience, and peace of mind that comes with knowing that your meals are tailored to your specific dietary needs.

Proper Good Homepage

Proper Good Review 2023

Proper Good Overview

Today, I am excited to share with you my Proper Good review, a meal prep delivery service that I believe is worth trying. Proper Good is different in that it offers meal prep delivery for soups, chilis, curries, oatmeal, and more.

Maintaining a healthy diet can be a real challenge, especially when you’re short on time. That’s where meal prep delivery services come in. They offer a convenient and efficient way to stay on track with your diet, without having to spend hours in the kitchen. And among the many meal prep delivery services out there, Proper Good stands out.

Proper Good Logo
Menu Selection
Unboxing
Ease of Meal Prep
Shipping and Delivery
Subscription Options
Customer Service

Summary

I recently had the opportunity to give Proper Good a try and I have to say, I was thoroughly impressed. From the moment I opened my first delivery, I knew I had stumbled upon something special. The meals were delicious, the packaging was top-notch, and the service was second to none. And I am excited to share all the details of my experience with you in this comprehensive review.

We will take a closer look at the menu, unboxing, meal prep, shipping and delivery, subscription options, and customer service of Proper Good. I will be providing all the information you need to know to decide if Proper Good is the right fit for you. So, whether you’re a busy professional, a student, or a busy parent, you’re sure to find something of value in this review. So, let’s get started!

4.7
The Best of Proper Good
Lots of soups, chili, oatmeal and curry to choose from
Meals are ready in 90 seconds
Meals do not require a fridge for storage
Order a la carte or subscribe to save 20% per order
Get free shipping, a free spoon, and a free meal coupon with the link below
The Worst of Proper Good
Meal options are limited to soups, chili, oatmeal, and curry
You cannot choose a delivery date, you get it when you get it
Subscription is only available in 4 week intervals, no weekly option

When it comes to meal prep delivery services, the menu is one of the most important factors to consider. After all, what’s the point of getting healthy meals delivered to your doorstep if they don’t taste good, right? Well, I’m here to tell you that Proper Good’s menu is top-notch.

Variety

First and foremost, Proper Good offers a wide variety of delicious and healthy options to choose from.

They have soups, chilis, curries, and oatmeal, so there’s something for just about everyone. I was particularly impressed with their soup selection – they have classic options like chicken noodle and tomato, as well as more unique options like spiced pumpkin and red pepper meatball soup.

One of my favorites that I got to try is Chana Masala Curry. It’s a new addition and a welcome one. It is a plant-based recipe that is also high in protein and low in sugar. Perfect fit for me.

Chana Masala Curry - Proper Good Review

As part of my review, I was also able to try Proper Good’s oatmeal. I opted to go for the Banana Bread Oatmeal because who doesn’t love banana bread.

Banana Bread Oatmeal - Proper Good Review

While the oatmeal was delicious, it seems a little pricey to pay almost $5 for a serving of oatmeal. I think I will stick to the soups and curries on my next order.

Dietary Choices

In addition to the variety of options they offer, Proper Good also caters to different dietary needs. They have options for Keto, Plant-Based, Gluten-Free, and Dairy-Free meals, which is great for people like me who have specific dietary restrictions. I was able to find meals that fit my needs and still enjoyed the taste and variety.

The website makes it easy to find what you are looking for. On the Shop page, you can easily filter down your results based on your dietary needs. I was able to quickly find all the Keto and Plant-Based recipes that I wanted to try.

Keto Filter - Proper Good

Additionally, if you don’t feel like individually picking meals, you can order a bundle based on your diet. I tried the Keto and Plant-Based bundles and both were great. This way I got to try the most popular meals in both of the categories that I was interested in.

Macros and Ingredients

One thing I appreciate about Proper Good is that their meals are made from clean and fresh ingredients. Knowing that the meals I’m eating are made with high-quality ingredients is important to me, and Proper Good delivers on that front.

In addition to being able to filter based on dietary needs, you can click into any meal and see their nutrition facts and ingredients very easily.

Below is the macros and ingredients for Red Pepper & Meatball Soup.

Macros and Ingredients

Unfortunately, there is no customization allowed so you have to live with the ingredients that are already in these meals. If you are looking for a meal prep delivery service that does allow for customizations, check out our review of Factor.

One thing I found out about Proper Good is that they were featured on Shark Tank. For those who don’t know, Shark Tank is a popular TV show where entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to a panel of successful business leaders. I think the fact that Proper Good was able to impress the Sharks is a testament to the quality and potential of their product.

Overall, I was really impressed with the menu options offered by Proper Good. The variety of options, the catering to different dietary needs, and the use of clean and organic ingredients, all make Proper Good a great choice for anyone looking for a convenient and healthy meal option.

Unboxing

The unboxing experience is always an exciting part of receiving a meal prep delivery, and Proper Good does not disappoint. The moment the delivery arrived, I could see that the packaging was top-notch and it was clear that Proper Good takes great care in ensuring that the meals stay fresh during transit.

The meals come in individual pouches which makes them easy to store and reheat. Each pouch has a clear labeling on the front, indicating the type of meal and dietary information. This makes it easy to identify which meal is which, especially if you order a variety of options.

Packaging

The best part of the Proper Good experience, was that all the meals can be ready in 90 seconds. That’s right, in less than 2 minutes, you can have a hot and delicious meal ready to go.

And because the meals can be stored without a fridge, I was able to take them with me on the go. This is a huge plus for me, since I’m always on the go and don’t have access to a fridge. Another benefit of the meals not needing a fridge is that Proper Good is able to reduce waste by not including ice packs and liners in their boxes. This is a huge plus for the environmentalist in me!

Overall, I was really impressed with the unboxing experience of Proper Good. The meals arrived in perfect condition, the packaging made it easy to identify the meals and the 90 seconds preparation time is a game changer for busy people like me.

Meal Prep – Go From Pouch to Eating in 90 Seconds

When it comes to meal prep, Proper Good really delivers. Each meal is prepared with fresh ingredients and cooked to perfection. The meals are also portion-controlled and come with detailed nutritional information, making it easy to track your intake.

As I mentioned earlier, all of their meals can be ready in 90 seconds, which is a huge plus for anyone who is short on time. This makes it easy to have a hot, delicious meal ready to go in no time.

There are reheating instructions on every pouch but they are also so easy to remember. Just stick in the microwave for 90 seconds and you are good to go!
You can also use a stove to reheat your pouches, although that will take longer. To use the stove method, simply empty your soup, chili, or curry from the pouch into a pot and heat until it reaches the desired temperature.

The pouches are easy to store and don’t require a fridge so you can keep them in your pantry for a while. You don’t have to worry about them going bad quickly. This gives you the flexibility to stock up on meals and not worry about using them right away. Tuck them away in your pantry or in your office cubicle like I did.
One thing I learned really quickly is that Proper Good pouches make for a perfect pairing with other things in my kitchen. For example, if you have some leftover rice laying around, heat up a pouch of one of the curries and dump it on top of the rice. Now you have elevated your meal to the next level.

Overall, I was really impressed with the meal prep experience provided by Proper Good. The 90 seconds preparation time, the variety of options, the use of clean and organic ingredients, and the catering to different dietary needs, all make Proper Good a great choice for anyone looking for a convenient and healthy meal option.

Shipping and Delivery

Shipping and delivery is an important aspect to consider when choosing a meal prep delivery service, and Proper Good does not disappoint in this area.

When it comes to shipping and delivery, Proper Good is top-notch. I was really impressed with how quickly my order arrived. I placed my order on a Monday and received it by Friday of the same week, which is pretty fast considering I live on the other side of the country. The meals were well-protected during shipping, and arrived in perfect condition.

Another thing I appreciate about Proper Good is that they offer free shipping. This is a huge plus, as shipping can often be quite expensive. The fact that Proper Good offers free shipping is a great benefit for customers. Other meal delivery services typically charge $9.99 per box for shipping so the shipping being free is a huge for Proper Good. (If you’re into free shipping with your meal kit boxes, be sure to check out our CookUnity review here).

One lacking feature I found is that Proper Good doesn’t let you choose your delivery date like many other services do. You simply order what you want and they will send it to you. You can also subscribe to receive Proper Good boxes every 4 weeks.

One thing that stood out to me is that Proper Good has a no-subscription required policy, which means you can order meals individually or in bundles. This allows for more flexibility and control over your order, which is great for people like me who have busy schedules and don’t want to be locked into a subscription.

Overall, I was really impressed with the shipping and delivery experience provided by Proper Good. The fast and free shipping and the no-subscription policy make Proper Good a great choice for anyone looking for a convenient and healthy meal option.

Subscription Options and Pricing

When it comes to meal prep delivery services, subscription options are an important factor to consider. After all, you want to be able to choose a plan that suits your needs and budget. And Proper Good offers a variety of subscription options to suit your needs.

While subscription is not required and you can order meals when you need, Proper Good does offer the ability to subscribe (and save!). The subscription options include the ability to order meals individually or in bundles, which gives customers flexibility and control over their order.

One great feature of Proper Good is that they offer a 20% discount on all meals when you subscribe. This is a great way to save money and make sure you always have meals on hand. I find it especially beneficial for people who have busy schedules and don’t have time to order meals on a regular basis.

Below is price breakdown of a couple popular options and their costs with and without a subscription:

Price w/ Subscription

Price w/o Subscription

Best Sellers Bundle

$31.94

$39.94

Tomato Basil Soup

$5.59

$6.99

Caramel Pecan Oatmeal

$4.79

$5.99

Southwest Chili

$5.59

$6.99

The bundles typically come with 6 different meals. So if you are subscribing to a bundle, your cost per meal is only $5.32. This is much lower than most other meal delivery services especially when you factor in the free shipping.

Another thing I appreciate about Proper Good is that they don’t require a long-term commitment. You can cancel or change your subscription at any time, which gives you even more control over your order.

Overall, I was really impressed with the subscription options offered by Proper Good. The ability to order meals individually or in bundles, the 20% discount for subscribing, and the lack of long-term commitment, all make Proper Good a great choice for anyone looking for a convenient and healthy meal option.

Proper Good Customer Service

When it comes to meal prep delivery services, customer support is an important factor to consider. After all, you want to be able to rely on the service for help and assistance when you need it.

One of the things that stood out to me about Proper Good is their excellent customer service. From the moment I placed my order, I felt taken care of and well-informed.

Proper Good has a dedicated customer support team that is always willing to help with any questions or concerns. They are available to help you with your order, track your delivery, and provide any other assistance you may need. I had a chance to contact the customer support team and they were extremely helpful and responsive. They answered all of my questions quickly and professionally.

For example, I had a question about the shipping and delivery schedule and I was able to get in touch with a customer service representative easily via text. The representative was friendly and knowledgeable and was able to provide me with all the information I needed in a timely manner.

Another time, I realized that I had accidentally ordered the wrong type of meal and reached out to customer service for assistance. They were able to quickly make the change to my order and ensure that I received the correct meals.

I also appreciate that Proper Good has a dedicated support page on their website that includes a FAQ section, and detailed instructions on how to prepare and store the meals. This is a great resource for customers who have questions or concerns.

Another thing that sets Proper Good apart from other meal prep delivery services is their commitment to customer satisfaction. They offer a satisfaction guarantee, which means that if you’re not satisfied with your meals, they’ll do everything they can to make it right. This shows that Proper Good takes customer satisfaction seriously, and they’re committed to providing a high-quality service.

Overall, I was really impressed with the customer service provided by Proper Good. From the friendly and knowledgeable customer service representatives, to the easy-to-use support page on their website, Proper Good goes above and beyond to ensure their customers are satisfied. I felt confident that if I had any issues or concerns, they would be handled efficiently and effectively.

And The Verdict – Proper Good is…gooood

In conclusion, Proper Good is a meal prep delivery service that stands out in the industry. From the delicious and healthy menu options, to the top-notch packaging and unboxing experience, to the easy-to-reheat meals and the variety of subscription options, Proper Good has it all.

The shipping and delivery process is fast and efficient, and the option to track your order gives you peace of mind. And the customer support is top-notch, with a dedicated customer support team that is always willing to help with any questions or concerns.

Proper Good’s commitment to using fresh, high-quality ingredients and offering meals that are gluten-free, dairy-free or keto is a testament to their dedication to providing healthy and delicious meals. And the satisfaction guarantee shows that Proper Good is committed to customer satisfaction.

Proper Good does lack in a few categories. First, the fact that they only have soups, chilis, curries, and oatmeal might be limiting to some who prefer grilled meat and veggies. Second, you cannot pick when your meals are delivered which is unusual for a service like this. Lastly, at this time subscription is only available monthly so there is no option to have a new variety bundle delivered every week to your doorstep. I don’t think any of these are huge drawbacks, just something to note.

Overall, Proper Good is a meal prep delivery service that is worth trying. If you’re looking for a convenient and efficient way to stay on track with your diet, without having to spend hours in the kitchen, Proper Good is definitely worth considering. With their delicious and healthy meals, top-notch packaging and unboxing experience, easy-to-reheat meals, variety of meal options and excellent customer support, Proper Good is a meal prep delivery service that is sure to impress.

CookUnity Review

CookUnity Review 2023

CookUnity Overview

I have been trying ready to eat meal plans for a while now so when I stumbled upon CookUnity, I was excited to give them a try.

Like Factor and Trifecta, CookUnity is focused on providing delicious ready-to-eat meals delivered to your door. That means there is no cooking required which I love. Below you will find my full CookUnity review including menu overview, pricing, subscription options, and more.

CookUnity Review Logo
Menu Selection
Unboxing
Ease of Meal Prep
Shipping and Delivery
Subscription Options
Customer Service

Summary

What separates CookUnity from other services I have tried is that they are focused specifically on connecting YOU, or me, to chefs around the country. That means it’s not one centralized kitchen that just cranks out meals that are optimized to make the company the most amount of money. These meals come from a select number of chefs that they have entrusted to cook up meals and send them your way.

I also enjoyed the fact that when ordering from CookUnity, you could browse things by chef. Each chef has a page that lists their qualifications and specialty. If you like what you hear, you can then order your meals from this chef. I have never seen an experience like that.

I feel like this meal delivery company is focused more on the taste of the meals so this might not be the best option for those of us on a diet or trying to lose weight. However, there are options for Keto, Paleo and Low Calorie meals. For meal delivery services more focused on dieting and weight loss I recommend either Factor or Trifecta. If you wish to see how the two compare to each other, be sure to read our Factor vs Trifecta comparison here. The CookUnity experience definitely resonated with the foodie in me though.

Keep reading to see my entire CookUnity review where I will go over their menu, the types of plans they have, the customer service experience, and much more.

4.4
The Best of CookUnity
Insane menu variety – 70+ chefs offering 200+ recipes
Meals prepared by award winning chefs
Quick meal prep and clean up
You can pick what you want to eat or let the chef decide
Get 30% off CookUnity with our exclusive code below >>
The Worst of CookUnity
Customer Support is lacking for now
It is a little pricey but you pay for quality
There is not a lot to not love about CookUnity

Due to how CookUnity is structured, they are uniquely positioned to provide any type of meal you could possibly want. As the company grows I can definitely see it expanding into breakfasts, sides, and snacks.

However, even now they have the largest menu I have seen yet. Because each chef is responsible for their own menu, they are able to crowd source a whole lot of recipes and we, the foodies, get to reap the benefits.

Variety

Like I mentioned before, CookUnity menu is so far the best that I have seen. They have over 200 recipes available and new ones added weekly.

However, I will add that not all recipes are available everywhere. Due to the unique nature of CookUnity, what you see available might be different than what I see. That is because the chefs are located all around the US and are dedicated to serving different regions of the country.

On the menu, you will find everything from seafood, red meat, pork, poultry, and a large selection of vegetarian and vegan meals to choose from.

When first signing up, you will be prompted to select the three proteins you like best. From there you can view all the meals that will be available for your specified delivery date.

You can order from one chef or mix it up and order from a few to see what you like.

CookUnity Review - Menu Variety

You can even filter down your list based on your dietary or protein preferences.

Once you have narrowed down your list, you can click into any meal and see the ingredients as well as the nutritional information (more on that later). There are even reviews from hundreds of other CookUnity users with detailed feedback on what they liked and didn’t like from the meal.

When ordering my box, I decided to try a few different chefs and here are some of my favorite meals that I ordered:

Chicken Tikka Masala by Andres Mendez – Gluten Free and High Protein

Chicken Tikka Masala By Andre Mendez

Peruvian Grilled Chicken & Veggies by Maribel Rivero – Low Carb, Gluten Free, Dairy Free

Peruvian Chicken By Maribel

I wish I didn’t have other meal services to review because I just want to keep eating that Peruvian Chicken!

Dietary Choices

While CookUnity isn’t tailored to any specific diet, there are recipes that can go along with most diet plans.

I liked that you can filter meals based on a number of preferences. You can choose from:

  • Keto
  • Paleo
  • Low Sodium
  • Dairy Free
  • Gluten Free
  • Low Carb
  • Low Calorie
  • By meat
  • Or go vegan/vegetarian

You can only select one filter at a time so that is kind of limiting but overall, the experience was good.

There are plenty of selections available for each category as well so you won’t be lacking of choice. For my region, I saw that there were 32 low calorie meals, 20 low carb options, 16 vegetarian meals, 13 vegan recipes. From the meal delivery services that I have tried thus far, CookUnity by far has the most complete menu I have seen.

Keep in mind that these menu options are different region by region and change weekly even within a certain area.

Macros and Ingredients

Healthy options, vegan options, dairy free options, and more. It’s options on options over here at CookUnity. With that, you would expect to see a detailed breakdown of what you are ordering and going to be putting in your body.

Well if you’re like me and are interested in that, you will be happy to find out that any nutritional information is easily accessible on the CookUnity website and even when you get your meal box.

Before ordering, you can click into any meal you are looking at and see everything from the ingredients, the nutritional information, the macronutrient ratios, heating instructions, and even a blurb from the chef himself!

Here is an example of what you will be able to see once you click into a recipe. In this case, we are looking at the Grilled Shrimp and Quinoa Bowl:

Macros and Ingredients

I really like how all the information I need is on one easy to navigate page. This makes it convenient for me to narrow down the meals I want to eat and the meals that might contain too much fat or carbs for me.

Unboxing

There is nothing like getting that box on your doorstep. It’s just something about getting something new, and in this case delicious, that gets me excited every time.
I have been let down by the packaging design of other meal delivery services before but CookUnity knows what it is doing.

All the meals come in recyclable and compostable packaging. This is a great news for many because meal delivery services like these use a lot of packaging to ensure freshness. It is always great to see a company focused on reducing plastics and ensuring that the materials they use can be recycled or reused.

My CookUnity box came with insulated liners which were made of recycled materials and can be recycled after use. In my box, there were also gel packs which can be frozen again, reused, or disposed of.

Additionally, CookUnity offers the option to leave your old box out when waiting for the new one to come in. They will pick it up and recycle what can be recycled and reuse what can be reused. This is an excellent feature for us worried about sustainability.

Overall, I found the packaging of the meals to be clean, modern, and easy to read. They even come with a QR code on the meal which you can scan to quickly see heating instructions, ingredients, and the macros for each meal.

Meal Prep – It doesn’t get easier than CookUnity

It doesn’t get much simpler than this. CookUnity is a ready to eat meal service, meaning all your have to do is pop these meals into the oven or microwave and you will be eating shortly.

That means no chopping, no cutting, no oil, and best of all no clean up. That is what I love about these services. I am not the greatest cook in the world so I like to have meals that are either very easy to cook or ones that are cooked for me.

When I ordered CookUnity, I initially planned to use these meals as lunches to take to work with me. I only ordered 6 figuring it will last me all week plus I will have an extra one for the weekend.

However, they tasted so good, I ended up eating all 6 meals by Thursday! Not a bad problem to have.

Since the meals do come ready to eat, I recommend sticking them in the fridge right away. According to their website, meals can be stored for 4-7 days. So if you are planning on eating some after that time period, I recommend putting those in the freezer so they last longer.

For the meals I took to work, I ended up microwaving them. The whole process took about 5 minutes and was simple. I felt like the meals tasted fresh as if they were cooked on a skillet right before. Although, to get the best flavor and freshness, I do recommend sticking these in the oven which I did end up doing for a couple of the meals.

Each meal comes with heating instructions so if you are unsure, you can always refer to those.

Shipping and Delivery

This is the category that CookUnity doesn’t necessarily excel at. I think because it is still a relatively new service, there are some gaps.

For example, CookUnity delivers to most of the 48 states. The states they are currently NOT delivering to are South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, and West Virginia. If you are unsure if you can get meals delivered from CookUnity, you can always check by entering your zip code here .

The days on which you can receive deliveries are also limited. However, for me, they were fine. I like to receive my meals right before the week starts so I can plan out what I will be eating that week and decide what to take to work.

For my zip code, I was able to have Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday as the delivery days. For other zip codes, this may be different. However, I do wish this was more flexible.
One area where CookUnity gets a star in this category is that shipping is FREE. Yes, you heard that right! Free. That is rare for a meal delivery service so I guess I am fine with limited delivery days.

Once you place an order, you will also be able to track your shipment through UPS and you will also have the option to reschedule a delivery if it hasn’t been sent out yet (just don’t wait too long).

Subscription Options and Pricing

The subscription options for CookUnity are pretty straightforward.

When initially signing up, you will be able to choose from a variety of meal plans. The lowest plan starts at 4 meals per week and goes up all the way to 16 meals per week. The cost per meal also scales down with more meals purchased.

Here is the breakdown of their meal options along with the price for each:

  • 4 meals at $54.36 per week or $13.59 per meal
  • 6 meals at $73.74 per week or $12.29 per meal
  • 8 meals at $93.52 per week or $11.69 per meal
  • 12 meals at $134.28 per week or $11.19 per meal
  • 16 meals at $177.44 per week or $11.09 per meal

Of course, they usually have introductory offers where you can try their service at a discounted price. If you wish to take advantage of my special discount code, just follow this link for an extra 30% off.

The sign up process for me was extremely easy. Here is how you sign up:

  1. Choose your plan – how many meals per week do you want to receive?
  2. Choose your delivery date – for me, I had the option to get them either Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday of the following week
  3. Choose your preferred proteins – you can pick up to three but don’t worry, you can change these at any time later
  4. Pick your meals – CookUnity will recommend you a few meals to choose from or you can apply the filters I discussed earlier to find exactly what you are looking for
  5. Finishing creating your account and checkout – The whole process took me maybe 15 minutes with the bulk of the time spent choosing between the many meals.

And like with most other meal delivery services, if you go on vacation or just want to skip a few weeks, you can always pause your subscription through the “My Account” screen on the website.

CookUnity Customer Service

Now comes the part where CookUnity gets the biggest ding.

After going through the entire process up to this point, I was ready to declare CookUnity the best meal delivery service hands down but I later found out that their customer support is lacking.

First, it’s hard to find anybody to contact at CookUnity. There are easy to find links for an FAQ section but that really wasn’t what I was looking for.

After browsing around a little more, I was able to find an email I could send support related questions to. They didn’t specify any working hours so I am unable to report those. However, when I reached out to them about a specific question about a meal I ordered, they responded later the same day which was nice.

I wasn’t able to find a phone number or chat option (except a chatbot) easily, however, after emailing with the customer support rep, they provided me with a phone number to call for support as well.

Overall, I want a little more from their support. Especially since most of their competitors have email, chat, and phone support available either 24/7 or most of the week and weekends.

Hopefully, this is something they can address moving forward so I won’t ding them too much for now.

And The Verdict – CookUnity’s strengths overshadow its weaknesses

As far as taste is concerned, CookUnity is by far the best ready to eat meal delivery service that I have tried so far.

They offer the biggest menu out of all these types of services and they are fairly priced. While CookUnity isn’t focused on specific diets, they have plenty of options for people wanting to stick with Keto or for people who are strict Vegetarians or Vegans.

At first glance, CookUnity seems a little more expensive but when you factor in the free shipping, they cost about the same or less than Fresh and Easy, Freshly, and Trifecta.


The only downsides I found were limited customer support options and fixed delivery days. I don’t think these are a deal breaker for most people though. I know it wasn’t for me.

For most people, this would be the delivery service I would recommend hands down. Go ahead and give them a try, and if you use my link, you will receive a special discount for a limited time.

I do get a commission from these links. I hope you understand that I take my time in writing these reviews and the website upkeep isn’t cheap either. You clicking my link helps me write more reviews that other people can use to make informed decisions so I hope you strongly consider it!

Factor Review Main Image

Factor Meals Review 2023

Factor Overview

I have tried plenty of ready to eat meal delivery services (like Trifecta) in the past so when I heard about Factor (or Factor 75), I wanted to give it a go. One thing I noticed from the get-go with Factor is that everything from the website to the recipes to the packaging is made to impress. And the price reflects that as well. Keep reading below to see my full Factor review.

Factor Review Logo
Menu Selection
Unboxing
Ease of Meal Prep
Shipping and Delivery
Subscription Options
Customer Service

Summary

While Factor does seems to be a little more on the pricey side (4 meals per week start at $15 per meal), they do offer much more customized menus than I have seen elsewhere. They even have a Keto specific menu that looked delicious. However, I wanted to see if the appearance matched the quality of food I was going to receive.

In the review below, I am going to take a closer look at Factor, the meals they provide, and how they stack up against other alternatives in the meal delivery service industry.

4.3
The Best of Factor
Menu Preferences – Choose from Chef’s Choice, Keto, Calorie Smart, or Veggie
Gluten-free, non-GMO meals
Factor+ adds customizability to your weekly order
No prep time – just stick the meals in a microwave or oven
Try Factor with up to $276 off with the special offer below
The Worst of Factor
Meals are pricey compared to other services
Factor+ additions are also on the pricey side

One thing that sticks out about Factor is that their menu is made from responsibly sourced ingredients. All meals are GMO-free, the produce is mostly organic, chicken and eggs are cage free, and the meats are grass-fed and pasture raised as well.

The menu options seems to change week to week which I thought was a good thing. However, the overall theme of the menu focuses on lean proteins with veggie sides. Carb heavy comfort food will not be found here.

Variety

As far as variety, when I ordered my first box, I had a choice of 27 different menu options to choose from. While availability does change, it safe to say there is plenty of variety in what you can get. Each meal is tagged with a color coded category which I found healthy while browsing for Calorie Smart meals.

Factor Review Weekly Menu Screenshot

Additionally, if you are craving something extra, Factor does offer Add-Ons through what they call Factor+. In this menu, which is of course an upcharge, you can add things like desserts, protein shakes, and even wellness shots.

 

Dietary Choices

The Factor menu is broken up into four distinct categories: Chef’s Choice, Keto, Calorie Smart, and Vegan & Veggie

I found that the Chef’s Choice had by far the most menu items available. Mostly I found that there is a good variety of selection for Keto and Calorie Smart menus. However, there were only three vegan and one vegetarian option. Something to keep in mind if that is important for you.

Factor is always changing the menu so if you don’t see anything you like, just wait a week.

Macros and Ingredients

If you are like me and want to see what ingredients every meal has, Factor makes it easy to do just that. You can click into any meal and see not only the ingredients but also the Nutritional Information all in one easy to navigate page.

Here is a quick glance at one of the meals I picked, Caprese Chicken with Quinoa, Mozzarella and Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette:

Ingredients List

Macro Nutrition Information

If you pick out a few meals but not sure you like everything that comes with it, don’t worry. Factor also allows you to customize your meals by allowing you to remove ingredients you might not like or be allergic to. I was a fan of this option as some other meal delivery services that I have tried did not give me that option.

Unboxing

One of the more exciting parts about getting your meals delivered is unboxing your meals. A lot of questions I have received from readers inquired about the sustainability of such services.

I can put those people’s minds at ease with Factor. Their meals come in fully recyclable packaging. While the food packaging itself is made of plastic, everything from the main box to the containers is fully recyclable.

Moreover, the packaging itself is very hip and attractive.

Factor Review Unboxing

Meal Prep – Fast and Easy

The beautiful thing about Factor is that their meals come fully prepared, unlike other meal delivery services like Hello Fresh or Blue Apron where cooking is required. This makes Factor 75 perfect for busy professionals, students, or anyone looking to save some time during their day.

For meal prep with Factor, all you have to do is put your meal in the microwave for 2-3 minutes when you are ready to eat.

Initially, I was worried about how the food would taste. After all, this is essentially like heating up leftovers. However, I was pleasantly surprised that the food came out full of flavor as if I just cooked this meal myself.

Another benefit of Factor that often doesn’t get mentioned is that Factor includes a free coaching session with a nutritionist before you place your order. When I had my call I was able to explain my situation and my goals. I went with the Calorie Smart menu choice because the nutritionist told me that is the best way for me to stay in a calorie deficit and progress towards my weight loss goals.

After the call, I was off to pick my meals for the first box.

Shipping and Delivery

Here is where my first complaint with Factor comes.

While Factor does deliver to all states in the U.S., the schedule seemed a little limited to me. They only offer delivery Monday to Wednesday and it is hard to change the date that they recommend for you based on your zip code. I assume this is done to maximize their delivery efficiency.

The reason this did not work for me is because I like to get my meals delivered on Sunday so I have 5 fresh meals ready to go for when I go to work on Monday. Freshly, a Factor competitor, offers delivery on Sunday which I found fit my situation better.

However, if delivery times on Monday through Wednesday work for you, this shouldn’t be a huge hiccup.

Delivery cost for Factor is usually somewhere between $9.99 and $11.99 per box.

Subscription Options

Factor offers a view different plans based on the number of meals per week that you want. And of course, the more meals per week you buy, the lower the cost per meal.

Here is a snapshot of the different plans available as well as the pricing for these plans:

Subscription Options - Factor Review

Delivery cost depends on location but from what I have seen it ranges from $9.99 to $11.99 per box.

Additionally, if you are going out of town or want a break from your Factor meals, they offer an option to pause your subscription and resume it at a later date.

Canceling your subscription is also easy and painless. You don’t have to contact customer support, you can cancel or change your plan anytime directly through their website with just a couple of clicks.

Factor Customer Service

Factor’s customer service is generally really good. They provide a wide variety of options for you to get in touch with their team if any issues arise. You can contact them via phone, email or text as well as through many of their social media accounts.

According to their website, their team is available Monday through Friday 9am-5pm CT. While this is good for most, it pales in comparison to their competitors like Freshly , where customer support is available 24/7.

Factor Pricing

As I mentioned in the introduction, Factor is pricier than most other comparable meal delivery services. However, the quality seemed to match the higher price point, leaving me pleasantly surprised.

Below is breakdown of Factor’s meal plans, compared to similar meal plans offered by Freshly:

 

4 Meals

6 Meals

8 Meals

12 Meals

Factor

$15.00 /meal

$12.83 /meal

$12.38 /meal

$11.50 /meal

Freshly

$11.79 /meal

$9.99 /meal

$9.49 /meal

$8.99 /meal

Go here to see my full Freshly vs Factor comparison.

As part of the price you pay for meals, Factor also offers a free consultation with a nutritionist where you can ask them questions about the meals and get help on which Factor meals are right for you. Since Factor seems to be tailored for more diet conscious people, this consultation is a huge perk.

And The Verdict – Factor is top tier in quality and price

Factor is perfect for those busy individuals who are also health conscious or on a diet. While the meals are pricier than some of their competitors, the quality is definitely a notch above. I was thoroughly impressed with the way everything tasted. Factor makes it easy to stick to your current diet whether it is a Keto or Vegan one.

One thing that sets Factor above the other meal delivery services is the option to customize ingredients on a meal to meal basis and add on things to your order through Factor+.

Where I think Factor lacks in relation to their competition is the delivery times (only available Monday-Wednesday) and their customer support (available Monday through Friday). However, if you are a little more flexible, this shouldn’t be an issue.

Overall, I enjoyed my experience with Factor and will be ordering from them again in the future. If you want to try Factor, they offer an introductory rate of [insert rate] so you can try their food for a lower price. But be warned, once you try Factor, it might be hard to go back to another cheaper service like Freshly simply because the food is sooo good.

Freshly Meal Prep Review 2023

Freshly Review 2023

Freshly Overview

One of the first ready-to-eat meal delivery options people hear of is Freshly. It is definitely one of the biggest names in the game. But does the hype meet reality?

Freshly Review 2023
Menu Selection
Unboxing
Ease of Meal Prep
Shipping and Delivery
Subscription Options
Customer Service

Summary

Freshly differentiates itself from services like Blue Apron and Hello Fresh by delivering you boxes of ready to eat meals – just warm up and eat. That means no chopping, no cooking, and (best of all) no washing dishes. I found this very intriguing because I don’t always have time nor will to make a dinner every night. So when I heard of Freshly (and Factor) I wanted to give it a try.

At first, I was skeptical that a food delivery service like this would deliver the flavor I wanted after I nuked it in the microwave. However, after browsing their site, I was impressed by the menu choices and the price so I decided to give it a try. Here is a quick summary of the pros and cons. Continue reading for a more detailed review of my experience.

4.4
The Best of Freshly
Flavorful meals
Over 45 meals choices weekly
Meals are easy to heat and eat
Insert Deal Here
The Worst of Freshly
Diet options seem limited
Limited options for vegetarians and vegans

Freshly boasts that their meals are well balanced, healthy, and, as the name suggests, always fresh.

Freshly is for you if:

  • You want an easy, stress free way to eat healthy
  • You are too busy to cook meals
  • You want a lot of variety without the hassle of cooking a lot

Variety

When I looked on their menu, I saw a whopping 47 different meal options. Now that’s a lot of choice. These meals do change week to week but I wanted to highlight a couple that I liked:

Trifecta does give you a small preview of some of the meals they have available. Some of the ones that stuck out to me are:

Zingy Buffalo Chicken – Because who doesn’t like a little spice with their chicken

Zingy Buffalo Chicken - Freshly Review

Pesto Cauliflower Shells & Sausage – Because I love pasta but hate carbs

Freshly Pesto Cauliflower Shells and Sausage

Chicken Tikka Masala – Because this is one of my favorite dishes

Chicken Tikka Masala - Freshly Review

Dietary Choices

One thing I liked about Freshly and their website is that it is easy to filter menu options based on your preferences. When I tried Freshly, I was on a low carb kick. Not completely Keto but I wanted to eat less carbs overall. Freshly’s website made my search easy by having a Carb Conscious Diet filter on their menu

Best of all, I actually like the menu options that were left when I hit that filter. Here is an example of some of the other options they have:

Freshly Review Menu Choices

As you can see, you can filter food down to Gluten-Free, Carb Conscious, Plant-Based, and Dairy-Free. Additionally, they offer 4 categories that each of their meals fit into. The Signature Collection is their most popular chef meals. Purely Plant offers vegetarian options. From what I understand, Freshly Fit is their low calorie, low carb category. And Protein & Sides is for meals that are straight up protein. When I was browsing their menu, you could get 3 grilled chicken breasts as part of the Protein & Sides category.

What stood out to me above all else is their pasta options. Most of the meals had Cauliflower or veggie based pasta. Even some of the rice dishes were made with cauliflower rice. I haven’t seen this option as widely available before and as someone who loves pasta but hates carbs, this sealed the deal for me.

For the vegetarians out there who are on the fence about Freshly, I will say that they offer at least 5 vegetarian options per week. I am not sure how often the meals change but at the very least, you can order a different meal for each day of the week. This is something that has only been made available recently so Freshly is clearly taking steps to bolster their vegetarian options. That being said, I still found Factor to be a better option for people with more strict dietary needs.

Macros and Ingredients

One thing that’s important to know before ordering any meal that is pre-made for you is the ingredients that go into it and the nutritional information. Freshly makes it quiet easy to see the macros and main ingredients used in all of their meals.

Simply click on any meal on their menu and it will bring up a quick description of the meal as well as the main ingredients and macros used. Here is a quick view of what you will be able to see:

Freshly Review Macro Screenshot

Low carb, high protein. Let’s go!

Unboxing

One of the best feelings is when you get a package on your doorstep and get to open it. There is something exciting about it, it’s like Christmas to me. So the unboxing experience is something I carefully review each time.

After trying Factor, I was a little disappointed in Freshly’s unboxing. Not that there was anything wrong with it, it just didn’t feel as slick and modern as the ones I got from Factor 75.

One of the biggest asks I get is about the sustainability of a service like Freshly. After all, it does seem to create a lot of waste. Freshly’s website does boast that they are actively working on reducing the environmental impact where possible, so I was expecting their packaging to be slick and low on plastic.

When I got the box and opened it, it was fairly straightforward. There were two ice packs, one on top and one on the bottom with the 4 meals I ordered in between. And that’s it. There was no packing paper, no welcome pamphlet, no instructions. Written on the ice packs was information about how to recycle them.

I did have questions about reheating and freezing the meals but luckily all of that information is found on the meal packaging itself.

Meal Prep – Freshly Fresh

The great thing about Freshly is that the meals come ready to heat and eat unlike other meal delivery services where you have to cook everything yourself. This makes Freshly perfect for busy parents, working professionals, or college students.

The meal prep for Freshly is simple. Just throw the container into the microwaves for 2-3 minutes, wait one minute for it to cool down, and you ready to eat.

As I mentioned above, I was skeptical about microwaving my food. After all, how “fresh” can Freshly be after it has been ran through a microwave. But honestly, I was pleasantly surprised. My meal did not taste like leftovers from the previous day. It was still full of flavor and I would say that it was comparable to something I made from scratch.

Shipping and Delivery

One of the things that is most important to me is the ability to schedule when I get my meals and have them delivered. This is because I like to plan my meals for the week, get them on Sunday, and then start taking them to work for lunched starting the next day.

So when I found out Freshly offers shipping 7 days a week, I thought this was a win. However, after putting in my zip code on their website, I found out shipping is only available Monday-Thursday for my location.

It seems like they do ship 7 days a week (I entered a few other zip codes to test) but what days are available will depend on where you live.

The shipping fee also varies by where you live and how much you are ordering. When I placed my order for 4 meals, I only paid $8.99 for shipping. However, I have heard that shipping can be as low as $6.99 per box.

Subscription Options

Freshly offers a wide variety of plans depending on how many meals you want to receive per week. Their lowest plan start at 4 meals per week at $11.79 per meal. Their largest plan offers 12 meals per week at $8.99 per meal.

Freshly Plans Screenshot - Freshly Review

Ultimately, these are not cheap but also they are very comparable to what you might pay for with Home Chef’s Fresh and Easy and other services like this. Trifecta, another ready to eat meal deliver service I have tried, is more expensive than Freshly so this is a great, affordable option for me.

If I compare this price to takeout food, it’s actually a great deal. I usually spend $15-20 plus tip for takeout so I will take $10 per meal any day of the week.
After all, these are chef prepared meals that I am getting here!

Freshly Customer Service

Freshly offers live 24/7 phone support and chat support 7 days a week through Facebook Messenger.

I haven’t had to use customer service with Freshly yet so I decided to throw a test at them and see how they respond.

First, I went to their chat and was greeted with a bot. After trying to ask them a few questions, it was clear the bot wasn’t the most user-friendly experience. So I decided to send them an email. To my surprise, I received a reply an hour later that answered my question. It seems like they are on top of it.

I have not tried their phone support yet but I will try it once I have a serious question and update this article.

Freshly Pricing

I covered a little bit of this in the Subscription Options portion but wanted to go over this again here. Freshly is a fairly affordable option for ready to eat meal plans. Here is a quick comparison chart of Freshly and Factor (who also sends ready to eat meals):

4 Meals

6 Meals

8 Meals

12 Meals

Factor

$15.00 /meal

$12.83 /meal

$12.38 /meal

$11.50 /meal

Freshly

$11.79 /meal

$9.99 /meal

$9.49 /meal

$8.99 /meal

You can go here to see my full comparison between the two services!

Based on their website, Freshly shipping ranges from $6.99 to $11.99 per box based on location. This seems to be in line with what most of their competitors charge so no surprise here.

And The Verdict – Freshly does a lot of things great

Freshly is an excellent choice for somebody who wants to eat healthy and doesn’t have strict dietary preferences. It’s an excellent time saver for people who are busy and always on the go. The menu has a lot of options to satisfy even the pickiest eaters, the meals are competitively priced, and, best of all, they taste great.

When I tried it Freshly, I wanted to have a variety of meals to take with me to the office. It satisfied that and some. I can definitely see myself continuing my service with them in the future. But for now, onto trying the next meal delivery service so I can review it for you all!

Trifecta Home Page for Trifecta Review

Trifecta Review 2022

Trifecta Overview

I first heard of Trifecta when browsing around the web, looking for ready to eat meal delivery services. It wasn’t one that stood out to me immediately but after hearing some of the positive feedback about it, I thought I would give it a try and review Trifecta. Keep reading to see my detailed experience with Trifecta.

Menu Selection
Unboxing
Ease of Meal Prep
Shipping and Delivery
Subscription Options
Customer Service

Summary

From the start, I knew Trifecta is a different kind of meal delivery service. From the moment I landed on the website, I knew the focus was more on weight loss and dieting than anything else. This service is definitely for people who are focused on fitness, working out, and weight loss.

Their website front page boasts that this food is not meant as a diet but for people who are looking to achieve their best shape through fitness and proper nutrition. Another thing I noticed is that, unlike Freshly and Factor, Trifecta meal plans also include coaching from their staff on nutritional experts. This seems like a worthy perk for those looking for that extra guidance.

I will add that you do pay for what you get. Trifecta is a little more expensive than your traditional meal delivery service. However, with that extra cost you get meals that are more targeted at your goals and the extra coaching that might help you stay on track.

I decided to give Trifecta a try so let’s dive into my Trifecta review.

4.7
The Best of Trifecta
Ready to eat meals – no cooking required
Macro balanced recipes
Organic and fresh
Several meals plans to choose from
Coaching from nutritional experts
Get 50% your order with this exclusive deal >>
The Worst of Trifecta
No single person plans
Not easy to find Keto, Vegetarian, etc menu options

Trifecta’s menu is a little more hidden than other sites I have reviewed in the past. However, in this section, I will try to give you a little preview of what you can expect when choosing a meal plan from Trifecta.

Variety

When signing up for a plan, Trifecta advertises that they have over 25 unique chef meals with new ones rotating weekly.

Trifecta does give you a small preview of some of the meals they have available. Some of the ones that stuck out to me are:

Keto Mediterranean Salmon – high on protein, low on carbs

Keto Mediteranean Salmon - Trifecta Review

Kung Pao Chicken with Roasted Sweet Potato and Brown Rice – who doesn’t love some kung pao chicken, and the sweet potato definitely made me want to try this one

Kung Pao Chicken - Trifecta Review

Zucchini and Bell Pepper Frittata – I was not expecting to see a veggie frittata on the menu but that sounds delicious

Zucchini and Bell Pepper Frittata - Trifecta Review

Dietary Choices

Unlike Fresh and Easy or Factor, you don’t get to select exactly which meals are delivered weekly. However, you do get to pick a meal plan that aligns with your goals. From there, Trifecta picks which meals you will receive on a weekly basis.

The meal plans they have available are:

  •  Clean Eating – simple meals with proteins, organic vegetables, and whole grains
  • Whole30 Approved – meals with whole30 compatible ingredients, portion controlled, and nutritionally balanced
  • Paleo – dairy-free and grain free meals with grass-fed protein and organic vegetables
  • Keto – meals with low carbs, healthy fats, and quality proteins
  • Vegan – meals with organic ingredients and plant-based proteins
  • Vegetarian – meals with plant protein, organic vegetables, and healthy carbs

If you are not sure which plan fits you, Trifecta provides a quiz you can take that asks about your goals, eating habits, and much more. The results will help you decide which of their plans is for you.

One of the cons I listed earlier is that Trifecta does not allow you to select which meals you get. It’s all going to be based on the plan that you choose. You do get to select two preferences each week of what you want to receive. In addition to this, you also have the option to select a few ingredients you want to exclude from your meals. Here are some of the options of what you can exclude:

Macros and Ingredients

The thing that sets Trifecta apart from other meal delivery services is their attention to balanced macros and organic, high quality ingredients. Their website says they use only locally sourced ingredients from organic-first farmers. They also advertise that their menu changes weekly to utilize only the freshest ingredients their farmers have.

Moreover, all of their meals do not have preservatives, artificial , processed or refined ingredients. This was something that I have not seen on many other meal services. Most of the other meal deliver services advertise fresh ingredients but they do not go to the level of freshness and quality that Trifecta does.

Here is a comparison of services and how Trifecta differentiates themselves :

 

Trifecta

Freshly

Sun Basket

Organic Ingredients

Yes

No

Yes

Grass Fed

Yes

No

No

Nutrition Trained Chefs

Yes

No

No

Fresh Prepared Meals

Yes

Yes

No

Nationwide Shipping

Yes

No

No

Since you can’t see which meals you will be getting beforehand, you can’t dive into each meals macros like most other services. However, each meal plan does have an average macros that Trifecta allows you to see.

Below is a breakdown of each of those averages based on the meal plan you choose:

 

Calories

Protein

Carbs

Fat

Clean Eating

460

35

45

15

Paleo

460

35

35

20

Whole30

460

35

35

20

Keto

480

32

10

35

Vegan

440

25

50

15

Vegetarian

440

25

50

15

Unboxing

Unboxing can be on the most fun parts about getting something delivered to you. That feeling you get when something arrives at your doorstep is exciting and is even more so when it is food that is delivered.

One of the biggest questions I get about ready to eat meal delivery services like this is about sustainability of their meal boxes. After all, services like this use a lot of packaging and thus creates a lot of waste.

Trifecta was one of those services that I am happy to report takes their sustainability very seriously. In my Freshly review , I stated how I was a little disappointed with their packaging. That is not the case here.

My delivery box came in a recyclable box lined with recyclable Climacell insulation. There were two ice packs in there with plastic wrapping.

Each meal came in a simple, biodegradable white tray with a sticker in the front with the title of the dish and the macros included, as well as a best by date. On the back listed were the full nutritional facts and heating instructions.

Overall, the packaging seemed nice, clean, and sustainable.

Meal Prep – The Trifecta Way

Unlike services like Hello Fresh and Blue Apron, Trifecta delivers ready to eat meals that all you have to do is heat up and enjoy.

On the back of each meal are the heating instructions. The most common thing I found is that microwaving a meal takes about 2-3 minutes so it’s rather easy and quick to go from refrigerator to plate.

However, unlike Freshly who also offer ready to eat meals, I also found heating instructions for a skillet, air fryer, and oven. I have done the oven method before with the Factor meal service so I wanted to try something new with Trifecta. I went the skillet route and fired up my skillet. I heated up the rice, veggies, and meat separately on low-heat. It took just about 4 minutes per ingredient to heat everything up.

Ultimately, if you have the time, I would recommend the skillet or oven method of heating up over the microwave because the food just tastes better.

Shipping and Delivery

When it comes to shipping and delivery, I like to base my review in terms of the flexibility of being able to schedule my deliveries. Here is where Trifecta disappointed me a little.
Like most other meal delivery services, Trifecta has a shipping fee of $9.99 to anywhere in the continental United States. They do ship to Alaska and Hawaii but you will be looking to pay $49.99 which does not seem cost effective.

The cost is comparable to all the other services I have tried so no big surprise here.

I was disappointed to find out that they only ship on Fridays though. Typically, I like to get my meals delivered on Sunday and Monday so they are ready to go to work with me on Monday. That way they don’t spend the entire weekend in the fridge waiting for me. Overall, this is a small complaint I have about Trifecta and depending on your preferences, might not even be an inconvenience for you. Just keep in mind that you will be getting your deliveries on Fridays.

Like most of their competitors, Trifecta does have the option to skip deliveries for a certain weeks if you are going out of town or have other meal plans that week. They also offer the ability to schedule deliveries every other week, once every three weeks, or even once a month.

Subscription Options

The subscription options for Trifecta are a little confusing the cost depends on which meal plan you choose and how many meals per week you want. You can also pick if you want your meals to be breakfast, lunch or dinner recipes. It was not clear to me what is the difference between these options and I only had the opportunity to try the lunches.

The starting cost for 7 entrees per week is $110.99 for the Clean Eating, Whole30, Paleo, and Keto plans. The cost for the Vegan and Vegetarian plans is a little lower at $99.99 for 7 entrees. The cost stays the same whether you choose Lunch or Dinner recipes.

Here is a breakdown of some other options you are able to choose from (meals with meat are the Clean Eating, Whole30, Paleo, and Keto plans; meals without meat are the Vegetarian and Vegan plans):

 

7 Entrees

10 Entrees

14 Entrees

Meals with meat

$110.99

$157.99

$219.99

Meals without meat

$99.99

$134.99

$179.99

You also have the option to add breakfasts to any of the meal plans you choose from above. Here is the cost breakdown with breakfasts added.

 

7 entrees, 7 breakfasts

10 entrees, 5 breakfasts

14 entrees, 7 breakfasts

Meals with meat

$214.99

$229.99

$310.99

Meals without meat

$174.99

$184.99

$239.99

One thing I was confused about is that you don’t get to choose how many breakfasts come with each plan and I didn’t understand why the 7 entrée plan came with 7 breakfasts but the 10 entrée plan had only 5. I am assuming that the 10 entrée plan is aimed at couples but if so, that means one person is going to have to go without breakfasts.

Overall, the subscription options aren’t the best that I have seen and can get a little confusing. However, if your plans are pretty straightforward, you shouldn’t have a problem picking one that’s right for you.

The price is a lot higher than I have seen from other services but that is because the meals are tailored to your specific diet and goals. If you are someone that wants to take your nutrition seriously, I can see the price tag being something that is worth it.

Trifecta Customer Service

Trifecta offers a robust customer service with phone, chat, and email support. On top of support about billing, orders, and other inquires, they have Nutrition Coaches who are standing by and ready to answer your questions.

I reviewed a similar service called Factor. However, Factor only included one consultation with a nutrition coach. With Trifecta, there does not seem to be a limit how often you can engaged one of these nutrition coaches to ask them more specific questions about your diet, meals, and exercise.

I think this aspect of customer service is what sets Trifecta above the others. However, with this level of support does come a higher price tag for the meals you receive.

And The Verdict – Trifecta has a niche and knows it well

Trifecta has a lot of pros and cons. On the one hand, you get quick nutritious meals that are aimed at getting you to your weight or fitness goals. The ingredients are top tier, everything from the packaging to the grass-fed meat is sustainable, and there are nutrition coaches standing by to help you along.

On the other hand, if you like being able to choose what meals you want to eat on a weekly basis, this may not be the service for you. The meals are on the expensive side with an average cost of over $15 so for people on a budget, this may not be an option for you.

Overall, Trifecta isn’t for everyone but it doesn’t try to be either. They focus on fitness-oriented people or ones who are seeking to start losing weight who want to eat healthy and clean. If that describes you, Trifecta is worth giving it a shot. I enjoyed the meals I received and would highly recommend it to people who fit one of those two categories above.

If you are unsure if Trifecta is right for you, we have a good deal to sweeten the pot. For a limited time, receive 50% off your order when you follow this link.

The link above is an affiliate link and it is how we are able to try so many different services and provide our opinions to you and thousands other people online. If you follow the link you get a great deal and help us keep running this website!

Fresh And Easy Homepage - Home Chef Fresh and Easy Review

Fresh and Easy Review

Fresh and Easy Review 2022

If you have been reading my other reviews, you will know I am a huge fan of ready to eat meal delivery kits like Freshly and Factor. So when I heard about Home Chef’s new offering Fresh and Easy, I was excited to give it a try and I am here to tell you about my experience. Continue reading for my full Fresh and Easy Review.

Summary

Much like other ready to eat meal delivery kits, Fresh and Easy sends you boxes of fully prepped meals that simply require you to heat them up. If you are a busy person like me who wants to have a good dinner but can’t spend an hour making it, Fresh and Easy might be a good option for you.

Meal prepping with Fresh and Easy is simple, there is no cooking, slicing, or washing up required. Mostly all meals come prepared and ready to eat.

The slight difference from services like Freshly and Factor is that not all Fresh and Easy meals are microwave or oven compatible. When you reach the menu, each meal is broken out by how to prepare it. Some meals you can microwave or throw in the oven. Whereas some meals require you to cook it on the stovetop. Either way, during my Fresh and Easy review process I found the longest prep time is about 30 minutes and all of that time is simply heating up your meal.

One thing I didn’t like about Fresh and Easy is that it doesn’t seem to cater to specific diets or allergies. Other services have specific menus for Keto or Vegetarians. I was not able to find this on the Fresh and Easy website. However, if you are a person who does not require a strict diet, this might not be a big deal for you.

4.3
The Best of Fresh and Easy
Easy to cook, simply heat them up
Lots of subscription choices
Over 25 menu options each week
Can switch out proteins
Insert Deal Here
The Worst of Fresh and Easy
No single person plans
Not easy to find Keto, Vegetarian, etc menu options
Recipes seem simple and maybe too simple for some

Fresh and Easy is a service by Home Chef so if you are familiar with Home Chef, you can expect the same type of quality ingredients and meals as Home Chef. The difference between the two is that Home Chef plans offer 30-to-60-minute meal kits that require prep time and cooking. Fresh and Easy is made up of easy to prep meals that come mostly ready to eat. This article will focus on the Fresh and Easy review while a Home Chef review is coming soon.

Variety

Fresh and Easy offers several different meal types. These are mostly based on how you can cook the meal, not necessarily based on the ingredients or macros in the meal.

The 5 meal types offers by Fresh and Easy are:

  • Fast & Fresh – stick these in a microwave or over and you will be eating in minutes
  • Oven-ready – these require a little bit of prep to put everything together and then throw in the over, oven-safe tray included
  • 15-Minute Kits – closest to Home Chef as you can get, some prep required but it won’t take long
  • Salads – toss and enjoy
  • Extras – include things such as extra protein, bread, and desserts

First thing I noticed is that with these options, you get a lot more variety in the types of meals provided. Where other ready to eat meal services cater all of their menu to be microwave friendly, with Fresh and Easy, I could very my meal boxes a little more.

For days where I just need a quick lunch to take to work, I can go with the Fast and Fresh meals. For days where I want to stay in a cook something but not spend too much time on prep, I can go with the 15-Minute Kits or the Oven-ready meals. I actually even ended up making a 15-minute kit during one of my work from home days for lunch. It was quick enough to prep and cook everything and it tasted super fresh.

One key feature I found with Fresh and Easy is the ability to swap proteins and customize your meals. Most meals outside of Fresh & Easy offer some sort of customizability. This is a feature you don’t often see on ready to eat meal sites because everything comes already prepared. If you want a little extra, you can also double up on your protein!

While the menu does change weekly, I found that there is usually around 15-25 different menu options available. Keep in mind that when you sign up for Fresh and Easy, you will also get access to Home Chef which expands your choices a lot but those meals to require a little bit more prep.

As far as menu options available, I will highlight a couple of my favorite meals that I tried while preparing this Fresh and Easy review.

First is the Pork Bulgogi Bowl. This one was from the Fast & Fresh category, meaning I could just microwave it or throw it in the oven and be ready to eat.

Second is the Gold BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos with Ranch Slaw. This one came with the 15 minute meal kit but I think I was able to whip this meal up in about 10 minutes. I really like this meal because it fit with the macros I was going for. It was high in protein, low in calories and while it did have carbs due to the tortillas, it wasn’t too much.

Third and my favorite was the Tomate Parmesan Turkey Meatloaf with Goat Cheese Zucchini. This came from the Oven-ready meal type and took about 30 minutes to heat up in the oven. Like all oven-ready meals, the oven-safe pan was included in the box. I really liked this because it fit my macro goals perfectly. This meal was low in calories, high in protein, and low in carbs.

Dietary Choices

Fresh and Easy does not really cater to any types of special diets like Keto, Paleo, or Vegetarian. However, there were some meals I saw that could qualify. The downside is they are not easy to find. If you are looking for a ready to eat meal service that does allow you to stick to your diet, I recommend either Factor or Trifecta.

Additionally, Fresh and Easy does offer a couple ways to reduce your calories or carbs per meal. On the menu, keep an eye out for the Heart or Bread icons. The Heart icon means that this meal is classified as a Calorie-Conscious meal meaning it has less than 625 calories per serving. Meanwhile, the Bread icon means the meal is classified as a Carb-Conscious meal meaning it has less than 35 grams of carbs per serving.

Both of these options allow you to quickly filter meals if you are trying to reduce your carb or calorie intake. I found this really helpful as I was focused on getting some carb-friendly meals.

From week to week, there is also usually about 2-3 vegetarian options available. While this may seems limited, keep in mind that you can also swap your protein for an Impossible Burger. However, this swap does come at an extra cost.

Macros and Ingredients

Since Fresh and Easy is part of Home Chef, with these meals you will get the same high quality, fresh ingredients that come with Home Chef meal kits. From what I read on their site, all of their ingredients are aimed to be high quality and sourced responsibly. In addition, if you want to eat organic chicken or meat, that is also available as a swap, although at an extra cost.

The nutritional information available on Fresh and Easy is quite limited. I was a little disappointed by this because I like to know exactly what I am getting. That being said, they do offer you a quick look at the macros associated with each meal.

While it is nice that you can quickly find the macros on any recipe, this does not show the same level of detail as I am used to. You won’t get to see how much fiber, sugar, cholesterol is in each meal nor the breakdown of saturated or trans fat. If you are someone who isn’t as concerned with this, it may not be a huge deal for you.

Unboxing

There’s nothing like the feeling when you get your meal delivery box waiting for you at your doorstep. I get excited every time.

Don’t be surprised when your Fresh and Easy box arrives with Home Chef branding, as I mentioned before they are one and the same.

When you open the box up you can expect to find the typical things that are included in meal prep/ready to eat meal delivery boxes: recyclable oven-ready pans, ingredients sealed in plastic bags or containers, recipe cards, and ice packs along with an insulated liner.

If you order just Fresh & Easy meals, they will usually come in containers that are ready to heat.

If you order from one of the other menu categories, the ingredients will usually come individually wrapped. Home Chef is an expert at packaging to preserve freshness. Meat and poultry is vacuum sealed and vegetables and herbs come in small boxes to minimize bruising or other damage that might occur during shipping.

The one draw back here is all the plastic in each box. As with every meal delivery service, there comes a lot of waste. I give props to services like Factor and Freshly that try to minimize the waste. However those services benefit from the ready to eat aspect of their business because they don’t need to individually wrap each ingredient in plastic. Fresh and Easy however does need to do that and therefore creates a lot of waste. I am going to keep an eye out for how this changes in the future when I do an updated Fresh and Easy review.

Meal Prep – It’s Fresh…and Easy

The meal prep aspect of Fresh and Easy can be summarized in three main categories: Fast & Fresh and Oven-Ready and 15-Minute Kit.

Fast & Fresh are preassembled so all you have to do is pop them in microwave or oven and you will be ready to eat. I found that the meal heat up time usually takes 3-5 minutes in the microwave and 20-30 minutes in the oven.

Oven-ready is similar to Fast & Fresh but these meals do require that you put all of the ingredients together. This makes it still feel like you are cooking but without the mess that goes along with it. Also, if you are novice cook like me, it’s almost impossible to get these wrong. For Oven-Ready dishes you will have to assemble all the ingredients (following directions on the recipe card) and then stick them in the oven. The prep here usually take about 5-10 minutes and the cooking time is usually 20-35 minutes in the oven.

15-Minute Kits is where it usually get a little tougher. However, I will say that most of these meals are categorized as “Easy” on Home Chef’s Cooking Difficulty scale. For these meals, it might require that you cook something up in the pan or provide your own olive oil. All of these details will be available to you before you order so there are no surprises. Like the name suggests meal prep for these usually takes about 15 minutes and cooking time is anywhere from 15-35 minutes depending on the recipe and cooking method.

Shipping and Delivery

If you are located in the continental US, chances are Fresh and Easy will ship to you. Before signing up, Fresh and Easy will prompt you to input your zip code to validate that they actually ship to your location.

One thing I liked about Fresh and Easy is that it lets you pick your delivery date, making it flexible to fit within your schedule. Usually, you can choose any day of the week to get your delivery but that might depend on location as well.

However, Fresh and Easy doesn’t offer weekend delivery. If this is a must for you, I recommend you check out Freshly which offers delivery 7 days a week.

The shipping fee varies based on location and size of the box you are receiving. Fresh and Easy does state that shipping can be anywhere from $6.99 to $13.99 per box. From all the services I have tried, $9.99 seems to be the average rate so Fresh and Easy fits right around there.

Subscription Options

Fresh and Easy offers several different sizes of plans to choose from. One drawback is that there is no single person plans. I am not sure why they have a beef with single people but I won’t get into that in this Fresh and Easy review (teasing of course).

When choosing a plan you will be prompted to select how many people you are cooking for, either 2, 4 or 6 people. And How many recipes you want to receive per week, anywhere from 2-5.

While writing the Fresh and Easy review, I found the smallest plan you can choose is cooking for 2 people with 2 recipes per week. This plan comes out $39.96 for the box with $13.99 for shipping. The largest plan you can choose is cooking for 6 people with 6 recipes per week. This plan comes out to a whopping $359.64 with $9.99 shipping.

With Fresh and Easy, there is no discount for ordering more. For any plan you choose, you are paying around $9.99 per serving plus shipping. This price does change if you customize your meals and swap proteins or add extras.

Fresh and Easy Customer Service

Since Fresh and Easy is owned by Home Chef, you will receive the same quality support as Home Chef.

Fresh and Lean offers support through email and phone. The phone customer support is offered Monday through Friday 9am-6pm CT and Saturday 10am-2pm CT.

I didn’t try the email support as part of this Fresh and Easy review . However, when I called Fresh and Easy, somebody answered the phone quickly (there wasn’t any hold) and were able to help me with the questions that I had.

Apart from contacting someone, Fresh and Easy offers a few self-service options as well. You can easily skip a week or even send your box to a different place for a week if you are traveling but still want to receive your meals.

One thing that is a little confusing is that Home Chef and Fresh and Easy share the same FAQ page. Most of the questions are answered there but I was a little confused by whether the answer applies to both services or just Home Chef.

And The Verdict – Fresh and Easy is a go!

Fresh and Easy is a unique service in that it tiptoes the line between traditional meal delivery services that require prep and ready-to-eat meal delivery services that send you everything packaged up and ready to heat and eat.

I really liked the idea of being able to order a couple meals that I can just stick in the microwave at work and eat there while also ordering a couple meals that I can quickly (and easily) prep at home.

At $9.99 per meal, Fresh and Easy is about as average as it gets. It’s not so expensive that it will hurt your budget every week and not so cheap that it makes you question the quality of ingredients inside.

Personally, I am looking forward to ordering again when I do my 2023 Fresh and Easy review.

Overall, if you want some delicious, no- to low-prep meals, then you can’t go wrong with Fresh and Easy. And if you ever get bored or are feeling more adventurous, you can always upgrade your plan to include the full variety of Home Chef. These will include the 30- and 60-minute meals as well.