Our household recently signed up for Factor meals. For folks who are unaware of what that is, Factor is basically a meal plan service in which customers pick various amounts of pre-made meals to be delivered to their homes on a scheduled basis.
How Factor Meal Plans Work
We signed up for an initial 6 meals using a 50% off discount coupon. The coupon also provided free shipping of the meals straight to our doorstep. For those six meals using the 50% off coupon and free delivery, it worked out to roughly $7 per meal.
After the trial run, we were offered a series of lesser coupons for subsequent orders. The base price per meal, according to the Factor website, at least for my area, is $13.99 per meal.
When you sign up for the service, you get to pick meals from the following categories:
- Calorie Smart
- Chef’s Choice
- Keto
- Protein Plus
- Carb Conscious
- GLP-1 Balance
- Fiber Filled
- Flexitarian
The company also sells various supplements and provides nutrition coaching in addition to the basic meal plan service. After our initial order of six meals, we did make one more order of four meals at the full price per meal (we didn’t use the subsequent coupons in time) and then canceled the service.
Cost was the primary reason for cancelling the service, which we conveyed to the company in our feedback. With all of that in mind, below are reasons for and against using the Factor service based on my household’s anecdotal experience.
Why Factor Meals May Be Worth The Price
The most obvious benefit of the Factor plan is the convenience factor. You don’t have to drive to the store, you don’t have to map out any meal plans, you don’t have to cook beyond popping the meals in the microwave, etc. If you are not skilled in the art of portion control and don’t want to put in the research to create a balanced meal for whatever reason, Factor meals help you a lot. The meal service removes a lot of the hurdles of eating healthier that many people experience.
Additionally, the Factor meals, at least the ones that we ordered, taste better than any microwaved meal our household has ever tried. Roughly twenty years ago, I was gifted some NutriSystem meals, which was the first and only time that I have tried out a meal plan service. Admittedly, it was a long time ago, but zero of the meals and snacks that I ate from NutriSystem were good, and many were outright terrible.
Somehow, someway, the folks at Factor have really done an amazing job of making food that tastes great. Even my son, who is on the pickier side of eaters, loved everything that he tried. The company touts that its food is ‘fresh and never frozen’ and ‘chef prepared,’ and while those are obviously points that are part of their marketing strategy, I will vouch that our household’s feedback on the taste factor is unequivocally two thumbs up. Taste is a subjective measurement, so there is no way to guarantee that our experience will be your experience, but we thought the food was delicious, for what that is worth.
Why Factor Meals May Not Be Worth The Price
To state the obvious, paying $13.99 for every meal is not something that everyone can afford. For that matter, many people cannot afford to pay $13.99 for even one meal per day. In my personal opinion, when the meals were 50% off and $7 per meal, they were a solid deal. But as the price for the meals creeps upward, it gets tougher to justify the price per meal. If money is not a factor, then the convenience is definitely worth it. However, if money is a factor, at some point, the price per meal becomes a hindrance to continuing the service.
Furthermore, at the end of the day, the meals are prepared from afar and are microwaved. Objectively speaking, and all meal inputs being equal, even if the meals are never frozen, they are not going to be as healthy as a completely fresh-made meal that is made in a person’s kitchen. Factor has a proprietary method for making their meals taste great when microwaved after the fact. But the meals’ list of ingredients contains things that are not needed when someone is preparing fresh ingredients at home that they just sourced in their local area.
I have the discipline to eat like a robot, and I currently eat for function, not for flavor. I have no problem putting in the research to create a balanced meal that is portion controlled and contains the right amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fats for my needs. I can also do it for a fraction of the price of Factor’s meals. I don’t mind putting out the extra proactive effort to meal prep. If that describes you and you are ballin’ on a budget, then Factor meals are probably not for you. With that being said, if you are reading this article, chances are that you may not fit into that category (no offense!).
In Summary
The bottom line is that whether or not Factor’s meals are ‘worth it’ is situation-specific. If you are unable to stay on track with your nutrition goals or don’t know where to start, and you can afford it, then I would say that Factor meals are worth it. If you are short on funds, these meals can cost considerably more than if you made the same things fresh at home, and to some degree, your at-home meals will be healthier if you use quality ingredients. But they may not taste as good depending on your culinary skills, and going the at-home route takes a lot of research, discipline, and effort.
Evaluate your situation, do your homework to know what you are getting into, and proceed accordingly. I will note that in my household’s experience, it was easy to delay the meal service or to cancel it. Of course, if time proves that is not the case, I will make sure to update this article to reflect it.
***
Disclaimer: The contents of this article and this website are not meant to substitute for the professional advice of a doctor, nutritionist, and/or certified personal trainer. This content is provided as an educational tool to help people on their fitness journeys. While we strive to research topics as much as possible and provide useful and accurate information to the best of our abilities, we also strongly recommend talking to your doctor, nutritionist, and/or certified personal trainer before starting any workout, therapeutic, or nutritional regimen, as each individual’s needs and situations vary depending on the person.
(The featured image of this article is the actual box that our second order of meals came in.)