In a market saturated with meal delivery services, Factor distinguishes itself by offering nutritionist-designed meals aimed at simplifying healthy eating. This article delves into a comprehensive review of the Factor weight loss program, incorporating insights from registered dietitians, nutrition editors, and everyday users. We'll explore the sign-up process, meal variety, nutritional quality, ingredient freshness, ease of preparation, taste, sustainability, cost, and overall effectiveness for weight loss.
Getting Started with Factor
Signing up for Factor is a straightforward process. The first step involves selecting a meal plan from six options: Chef's Choice, Keto, Calorie Smart, Flexitarian, Vegan and Veggie, and Protein Plus. Regardless of the chosen plan, customers can mix and match meals from across the entire menu. The next step is to select the number of meals per week, ranging from 6 to 18. While the initial setup suggests a range of 6 to 18 meals, account settings allow for adjustments between 4 and 36 meals per week, which may cause some confusion. After entering the delivery address and selecting a delivery date (one option per week for the following two weeks), payment information is saved for future orders.
The meal selection process is user-friendly. A selection of meals is automatically added based on the chosen meal plan, but customers can easily swap meals, upgrade to premium Gourmet Plus meals, or add more meals without changing the plan size. With 35 different meal options each week, plus add-ons, there's ample variety. Customers can also view three weeks of menus to plan ahead. While meals can't be customized due to their premade nature, ordering multiple portions of the same meal and choosing meals from the entire menu are possible. Gourmet Plus meals are available for an additional charge.
Delivery and Packaging
Factor ensures that meals arrive fresh and ready to heat, with robust packaging that maintains the ideal temperature. Deliveries arrive on time and in good condition, with ice packs to keep ingredients cold. The containers are stackable and recyclable, though they can take up significant refrigerator space. Instructions for recycling the ice packs are printed on each pack.
Meal Variety and Taste
Factor's menu changes weekly, offering a good variety of meals. There are many meals with animal proteins, mostly chicken and beef, with some seafood and vegetarian options. The overall variety of vegetables is commendable, including less common options like celery root. While the menu isn't particularly seasonal, it offers a diverse range of flavors and cuisines.
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Each meal has distinct flavors, with repeated ingredients prepared differently. Gourmet Plus meals feature prime cuts of meat, such as Truffle Butter Filet Mignon and Grilled Steakhouse Filet Mignon. Other meals include Chicken Piccata, Stuffed Pepper Beef Casserole, and Roasted Red Pepper Tortellini. Vegetarian options include Smoked Tofu Almond Stir-Fry and Smoky Onion Butter Green Beans and Portobellos.
Taste is a strong point for Factor, with meals being flavorful and satisfying. Some standout dishes include the Shredded Chicken Taco Bowl, Cavatappi and Italian-Style Pork Ragu, and Herbed Greek Chicken and Tomato Penne. The smoothies are also highly rated.
Nutritional Quality
Factor meals are designed to be nutritionally balanced, containing a lean protein, a healthy source of fat, and a generous serving of vegetables. The service provides detailed nutritional information for each meal, which can be found in food databases of popular meal-tracking apps. Many dishes are high in fiber, with the majority of carbohydrates coming from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. The smoothies contain whole foods with no added sugar.
However, some meals can be high in sodium and saturated fat, particularly those on the Keto plan. It's important to be mindful of the health claims and to read labels carefully, as some meals may exceed recommended daily guidelines for added sugar, fat, saturated fat, and sodium.
Ease of Preparation
Factor meals arrive fully prepared and ready to reheat. They can be microwaved for two minutes or less, or heated in a conventional oven for about seven minutes. The recommended cooking time is accurate. Smoothies require blending frozen ingredients with milk.
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Sustainability
Factor's delivery boxes, food containers, and laminated insulation are recyclable. The gel packs are nontoxic and reusable. However, some items, like the PET and cotton insulation layers, are not recyclable. All meals are free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and the service uses sustainably sourced proteins.
Cost
Factor's cost varies depending on the number of meals ordered per week, with prices ranging from $11.49 to $13.99 per meal. Shipping is an additional $11 per delivery. While not the most expensive meal delivery service, it's not the cheapest either. Discounts are frequently offered for new customers.
Factor Updates in 2025
In 2025, Factor has made positive updates, including broadening the global cuisines cache with more than 30 Asian and Mediterranean meals, doubling seafood and protein options at no additional cost, adding both GLP-1-friendly and Mediterranean diet meals, and elevating ingredient standards to be free of gluten and refined sugars, using only high-quality oils, and including more veggies in every bite.
Comparisons to Other Meal Delivery Services
Factor's closest competitors include Trifecta and Snap Kitchen. Trifecta is popular in the CrossFit community and offers meals with curated macros. Snap Kitchen focuses on nutritious prepared meals specifically designed for weight loss. Dinnerly and EveryPlate can be more affordable options, but the quality of ingredients may not be as high. Green Chef offers USDA-certified organic meal kits. Blue Apron offers both standard meal kits and prepared meals.
The S Factor Diet
The S Factor Diet, developed by Lowri Turner, focuses on balancing hormones to aid in weight loss. The diet aims to boost "happy" hormones like serotonin, leptin, dopamine, and adrenals through specific food choices. The book provides questionnaires to help identify hormone deficiencies and offers a 14-day food plan with recipes to address these deficiencies. However, some reviewers have found the recipes time-consuming and the meal plans not suitable for families with diverse eating preferences.
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Weight Loss Programs: What to Look For
When choosing a weight loss program, it's important to consider several factors. Look for programs that include foods you enjoy, set realistic goals, track eating habits, offer counseling from registered dietitians and certified obesity specialists, include physical activity, and provide a maintenance plan. Avoid programs that make unrealistic guarantees.