Factor Overview
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.
The Menu
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.
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:
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.
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:
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.