If You Want High-Quality Meals but Don't Want to Cook, Read This

What We Tested...

• Factor Meal Plans (Prices Vary)

Why Sam Tested...

Test Results...

• Preparation. The meals arrive fully cooked and ready to eat. All I have to do is pop them in the microwave for about two minutes. This is especially convenient after coming home from a day at the office. Factor offers cooking instructions if you don't have or like using a microwave, and prefer to preheat in an oven. 

• Flavor. I’m always impressed with the quality of the dishes. My favorites include the garlic mushroom chicken thighs and the wild mushroom filet mignon. Meat-centric meals always have a side, which really helps me to feel satisfied.

• Availability of add-on items. The main plan caters to lunch and dinner, but Factor offers optional breakfast, snack, and dessert add-ons. 

• Variety. When I first started Factor nearly three years ago, I loved that there was a rotating menu of over 35 options per week. I could also choose how many meals per week I wanted to receive, starting with six meals and ranging up to 18. The incentive to receive more? The price of each meal decreases as you increase the plan size.

• Price. As someone who lives alone, I’m hesitant to buy weekly groceries that may end up spoiling. With Factor, pricing ranges from $11 per serving to $13.50 per serving, depending on how many meals you choose in a given week. When you compare that to a single night’s worth of takeout, I was saving money.

• Dietary adaptations. I especially like that I can filter meals by categories like calorie-smart, keto, carb-conscious, protein plus, vegan, vegetarian, pork-free, and dairy-free, which makes adhering to any dietary or nutritional needs easier.

Sidenotes...

• Serving sizes. Single servings are advantageous for single people, but don’t lend themselves well to families. 

• Customer service. Last year, I had 10 boxes that were missing meals. This is always frustrating, but Factor will offer refunds for the missing items. I found customer service to be easily accessible and very accommodating. 

• Packaging. Your meals arrive weekly in an insulated, recyclable cardboard box with up to three frozen gel packs. Each meal comes in a BPA-free plastic tray with a plastic film on top, wrapped in a recyclable cardboard sleeve. This is where you’ll find the nutritional information. Out of all the packaging, only half of it is eligible for recycling or is made from recycled materials.

• Option to skip. It's highly convenient that you can skip multiple weeks in a row, if needed. This is a great option for anyone who travels a lot.

• Free access to a dietician. If you’re struggling with where to start, you can book a 20-minute session to get nutritional and lifestyle recommendations.

Footnotes…

• Factor meal plans range from six to 18 meals per week, with prices ranging from $84 to $207

• There’s a special discount for medical providers, nurses, hospital employees, teachers, first responders, military personnel, and veterans

• Other discounts vary by meal plan and size