Factor Meals Review: Hits, Misses and the Must-Try Dishes

13 hours ago 2

Six premade meals in plastic containers sitting on a desk

Pros

Interesting menu items with good flavor and seasoning
Plenty of meal options per week to fit any diet or preference
Generous promotions offered for first-time customers.
Dietitian-approved meals available
Can shop by dietary preferences

Cons

Meals were inconsistent at times
Some meats were tough and not tender
Plastic peel around the meal is tough to remove
The company does not recommend freezing the meals, making the shelf life shorter
High sodium content in many meals

Factor Meals Review: Hits, Misses and the Must-Try Dishes
How Factor works
How much are Factor meals?
Factor pricing
What are Factor meals like?
How the Factor meals tasted
Final verdict: Is Factor worth it?
Who is Factor good for?
Who is Factor not good for?

CNET's resident meal kit expert David Watsky tested 25 meal kits, including Factor, a few years ago to find the best of the best. David found Factor to be mostly tasty and healthy with just a few duds in the bunch. But the way we tested meal kits a few years ago didn't account for varying taste preferences or dietary restrictions.

Since then, I've joined CNET covering home tech armed with a fresh focus on wellness and health. We decided to retest Factor -- and many other meal kits -- with a new, healthy perspective. Factor, which occasionally self-brands as Factor75 or sometimes Factor_ (yes, with the underscore), is a prepared-meal service. The premise is healthy, tasty and freshly cooked meals that show up weekly to save you time and help you keep any health, diet and nutrition goals you may have set for yourself. Plus, ready-to-eat meal subscriptions can offer the best of both worlds: Delicious food with no cooking required.

Here's what we thought of Factor in 2025.

How Factor works

Factor is a prepared meal subscription service, so no cooking is involved. The service sends boxes of freshly made meals (breakfast, lunches and dinners) to your door every week. You can choose four, six, eight, 10, 12, 14 or 18 meals per week and the price per meal drops the more you order. As with just about every meal kit or meal delivery service, you can pause or cancel your Factor subscription at any time so you won't be trapped by a long-term commitment.

How much are Factor meals?

Factor pricing

Number of meals per week 6 8 10 12 14 18

Price per meal

$14.99

$13.99

$13.49

$12.99

$12.49

Once you pick a plan, you can either select your own meals from a rotating menu of dozens of meal options per week or let Factor pick the meals for you and be surprised. There are also smaller add-on meals and snacks categorized in the Factor Plus section, including desserts, soups, shakes and cold-pressed juices, which you can tack on to any order at an additional cost.

Factor meals are cooked by actual humans in a kitchen, according to the brand's website. They're also packaged and delivered fresh rather than frozen as with some services.

What are Factor meals like?

With a quick scan of Factor's website and menu, it is quite clear the company is targeting the health, fitness and diet crowds. You will find lots of lean proteins like chicken and salmon along with greens, cauliflower, grains, beans and other high-protein, low-calorie foods.

two meals that say Factor in an insulated container in a cardboard box

Most meals are somewhere in the range of 500 to 800 calories. There are plenty of meals that are keto- and paleo-friendly, with about six or seven vegetarian meals per week. You can use filters to search for meals that fit your taste, nutrition and diet preferences, with categories like keto, low-calorie, high-protein, dairy-free and spicy.

Some of Factor's meals are simple and straightforward, such as grilled chicken breast over cauliflower mash with a side of Brussels sprout or green beans, while others are a little more exciting with bold sauces, seasonings and sides. Each meal from the regular menu is intended to be one serving, and they are adequate but not abundant so don't expect leftovers.

Black and white labels on frozen meals on a wooden table

How the Factor meals tasted

2025 test:

This year, when we decided to see how the service was holding up, we crowd-sourced opinions at our New York City office with a handful of our staff members. During our taste tests, some were well-liked and a couple weren't as much. Here's everything we had and how we liked each one.

Caribbean spice tofu: This was perfectly seasoned and everyone at the office -- including those who don't typically eat tofu -- enjoyed this one thanks to the spice and flavor it offered.

Queso fundido & ground beef: This was served with cauliflower rice and roasted peppers and it was very tasty. Although the queso reminded me more of a Velveeta cheese dip, I would still gladly eat this one again and everyone in the office enjoyed it, too.

a plastic container with yellow queso and ground beef and cauliflower rice

Roasted garlic chicken: This meal was just ok. After being microwaved, the green beans were pretty mushy and not seasoned enough and the chicken was, well, microwaved chicken, so it was a bit chewy.

a chicken breast and green beans in a black plastic container

Vegetarian tamale bowl: Unlike the other vegetarian meal, this one lacked flavor. Our wellness editor, Nasha Addarich Martinez, who follows a plant-based diet, didn't think this was a memorable dish and the majority of the office taste-testers agreed.

Vegatarian tamale bowl - factor meals on a counter

Sun-dried tomato chicken fusilli: This meal was great and I would order it again. The zucchini was seasoned well and the chicken was tender.

Spiral pasta with orange sauce and zucchini in a black takeout container

Loaded mashed potato pork chop: Although the pork chop was surprisingly tender, according to our taste-testers, the veggies were scant and not seasoned enough. Overall this meal was just ok.

David Watsky's (CNET's food and kitchen expert) 2021 test:

In David's initial test, he ordered a week's worth of Factor meals and allowed Factor to choose for him. Here were his thoughts.

Keto cheesecake with pistachios and raspberry sauce: This was incredibly delicious and maybe one of the best low-sugar, keto-friendly desserts I've ever had. It was a Factor Plus add-on (not a normal meal) so it came as a full tray of cheesecake and probably enough for six people. I served it at an intimate dinner and it was devoured with gusto. I never even let on that it was low-sugar (monk fruit sweetener in place of sugar) and I suspect they had no idea.

Keto burger with mushroom gravy and parmesan cauliflower mash: The burger had good flavor but was a bit tough, even when reheated gently in a frying pan. The mushroom gravy and cauliflower mash were really tasty and I'd guess both had a fair amount of butter.

Pulled pork with broccoli rabe and cauliflower mash: This was the most disappointing meal I tried. The pulled pork was very tough and borderline inedible.

Pesto salmon over creamy spinach with green beans: A very solid meal with tender salmon that tasted fresh. The pesto was a welcome burst of flavor without overpowering the dish.

Keto chorizo chili: Another dish I liked a lot with good flavor and spice. Although Factor doesn't recommend freezing its meals, I consider this one an excellent option to freeze if you're not ready to eat it right away.

Peanut buddha bowl with sweet potato: This meal wasn't terribly exciting but the peanut sauce was good and the sweet potato was cooked to the proper doneness.

Final verdict: Is Factor worth it?

Overall, the majority of the meals boasted pretty good flavor. However, a lot of the vegetables lacked seasoning and some of the meat was chewy and could have been more tender. But one thing we are keeping in mind is that in our recent test at the office, we only had access to a microwave. While prepared meals are typically warmed up in the microwave anyway, if you heat them up in a skillet, you may end up with a much better meal.

In David's previous test, he heated them up using the stove and oven and seemed to have better results. On the back of your Factor meals you will find the heating instruction options. In comparison to other prepared meal kits, the meals were tasty albeit occasionally inconsistent. The highs were high but the lows proved fairly low so this meal delivery service might involve some growing pains as you figure out what it does well and what it doesn't.

Who is Factor good for?

Factor has a big focus on healthy meals with lots of low-carb options so if you're willing to withstand a few duds while learning what menu items you like and what you don't, this could be a great prepared meal service for your nutrition and time-saving goals. With all the keto and paleo meal options, it is certainly a solid choice for people keeping to either of those plans.

In terms of cost, this service will be more expensive than cooking at home from scratch, but at about $12.50 per serving when you order in bulk, Factor proves one of the more affordable options among the prepared-meal delivery service. This is also a great option for someone who doesn't have the time or desire to cook lunch each day.

black and white cardboard sleeves over prepared meals

Who is Factor not good for?

Like with most prepared meals, some of the Factor options can be a bit high in sodium, so it's probably not the best choice for someone who has to stick to a strict dietary restriction.

Overall, though, they are fairly healthy in comparison to other microwave meals, especially the chef-crafted and dietitian-approved options. We'd say that if you're considering Factor, it's worth giving it a shot, especially because you can easily cancel anytime if you're not pleased with the meals you receive.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

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