Factor Meals Review: 2 Weeks with a Dietitian-Approved Meal Service (2026)

I’ve never been a microwave meal person, but I certainly see the appeal. Cooking a balanced, multicomponent dinner on a weeknight is no easy feat, so the idea of coming home to a fridge full of prepared meals that taste good and require just a short trip to the microwave seems pretty ideal.So when I set out to test Factor’s fully prepared meal delivery service, I was intrigued—if a bit skeptical. Factor positions itself as a nutritious, dietitian-approved meal delivery service with meals “designed to support your wellness goals.” But could those meals, all neatly packaged in their segmented plastic trays, actually be any good? After two weeks of testing 12 different Factor meals and getting a contributor on the team to test it, too, I finally have answers. Read on for my full Factor meals review.What’s the Factor ordering experience?What to expect in a Factor boxWhat we like about FactorWhat we didn’t like about FactorDoes Factor offer any add-ons?Is Factor worth it?More meal kit storiesWhat’s the Factor ordering experience?The Factor ordering experience is pretty standard as far as meal kits go: You’ll select up to three “goals” from a list that includes “Improve my health,” “Eat more protein,” “Save time in the kitchen,” “Manage my weight,” “Eat a better variety of foods,” and “Support my GLP-1 journey.” Then you select any dietary preferences (Calorie Smart, I eat everything, Keto, High Protein, Carb Conscious, GLP-1 Support, Fiber Filled, or Flexitarian), your spice preference, and how many meals you want per week (6, 8, 10, 12, 14, or 18).After entering your address and payment info, you can pick your meals from a weekly menu of around 65 options. Meals are clearly labeled with specific recipe tags (such as Calorie Smart, Protein Plus, Carb Conscious, and Vegetarian), which is helpful if you have particular dietary restrictions or goals in mind. Clicking into each meal reveals a full description, nutrition label, ingredient list, and allergen information.Factor gives you the option to pause your deliveries if you’ll be out of town or want a break, but note that you’ll need to do so before a specific cutoff day to avoid being sent next week’s box.What to expect in a Factor boxMy Factor deliveries arrived on time, stacked neatly into an insulated, recyclable box lined with ice packs on the bottom. Each meal is packaged in a plastic tray with two or three compartments sealed with a plastic film—think a more refined TV dinner. Each has a cardboard sleeve that lists the meal name, nutritional information, ingredient list, and heating instructions.Our contributor, April Benshosan, also tested Factor’s high-protein meals for a week to see how they held up. As a self-proclaimed “gym rat,” she opted for meals that contained at least 30 grams of protein per serving. “While I went into the week planning to try a broad mix of proteins, I found myself gravitating toward the chicken dishes,” she says. “I ordered eight meals total, including Honey Butter Chicken Breast, Parmesan & Garlic Cream Shredded Beef, Horseradish Crusted Chicken, Smoky Gouda Chicken, and Green Chile Chicken.”What we like about FactorI tested Factor during two busy weeks, right after I’d gotten home from a few weeks of travel and was feeling very much in need of some nourishing food. I can’t overstate how great it was to have a fridge stocked with meals that required no foresight or prep and that felt somewhat healthy. As someone who is currently trying to prioritize protein in my diet, I also appreciated how easy it was to ensure those meals fit my own nutritional goals. I’ll also note that each meal is technically approved by a team of registered dietitians.I’ll admit I was skeptical of how good a heat-and-eat meal could taste, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well most of the dishes held up in the microwave.The chicken breast in the Green Chile Chicken was shockingly juicy, the pasta in the Cavatappi and Meatballs and Herbed Greek Chicken and Tomato Penne retained a bit of bite, and the Brussels sprouts in the Homestyle Turkey and Gravy somehow didn’t get mushy. I also thought every dish was well-seasoned and didn’t find myself reaching for any additional salt or pepper (a rare occurrence for me).Portion sizes felt just right for my appetite; they were enough to sate me without making me feel overly full. I also appreciated that each meal felt relatively balanced, often made up of some sort of protein, plus one carb and one vegetable side. I liked that I felt like I was getting adequate amounts of protein, carbs, and fats to sate me, and that the meals never felt one-note.April had similar positive things to say about her Factor experience. “I aim for around 120 grams of protein per day, which can be difficult to hit with whole foods alone,” she says. “What I liked immediately was that the Factor meals’ protein content is right in line with what I was getting from my usual post-workout shake (sometimes even more). The difference was that instead of just protein powder and milk, I was getting that protein alongside vegetables, healthy fats, and carbs, which meant I wasn’t hungry again an hour later like the way I sometimes was after just drinking my protein.”She loved that many of the meals paired chicken breast—which is very lean—with something creamy, like mashed potatoes or vegetables in a cream sauce. “The Honey Butter Chicken Breast nailed this—the zucchini and caramelized onions were cooked in a broth and gave nice contrast to the creamy Yukon mash,” she adds.Overall, she reported that each meal felt thoughtful without being overly complicated. Even though Factor is a prepared meal delivery service rather than a meal kit, many of the flavor combinations are easy to imagine recreating at home. “The nicest part about Factor was the zero effort involved,” April says. “I’d pop a meal in the microwave for two minutes and have a complete high-protein dinner ready to go. Hitting my protein goals felt easier, and I enjoyed the refueling process far more than I usually do. It was also nice not having to think about what to make or whether I had the right ingredients on hand.”What we didn’t like about FactorWhile I found the meals generally enjoyable to eat, there’s no getting around the fact that eating microwaveable meals out of a plastic tray will never feel the same as eating fresh home-cooked fare. This is the kind of service I could see myself subscribing to for a couple of weeks here and there, but not the kind of thing I’d do long-term. Of course, I say this as someone who very much falls into the live-to-eat rather than eat-to-live camp, so do with that what you will.The meals held up better than expected in the microwave, but the veggie side dishes were sometimes prone to getting waterlogged or squeaky in texture—I’m thinking particularly about the broccoli and green beans. And, because Factor uses the same rotating cast of vegetables throughout its meals, they can feel repetitive. Out of all of the proteins I tried, the pork chop was the only one that truly fell flat. It was tough, and I didn’t enjoy the meal enough to finish it.April added that some of the non-chicken meals she tasted weren’t as palatable as the bird-based options. “In retrospect, I would’ve liked to try some of the premium protein options, but I also found that playing it safe with the chicken breast was probably the best way to go,” she says. “The one shredded beef dish I ordered didn’t quite work for me. I like my food to taste clean, and the beef drenched in cream sauce just didn’t do it for me.”She also notes that many of Factor’s meals are relatively high in sodium, often containing more than 20% of your daily value. “That wasn’t a deal-breaker for me because each meal made up about a third or a fourth of my total daily calories (and I like to think I need the extra electrolytes since I sweat out a lot of sodium at the gym), but it’s something to keep in mind depending on your dietary needs,” she says.Does Factor offer any add-ons?Factor offers a range of menu add-ons you can tack on to your weekly bundle. These can vary, but often include the following items (many of which BA writers have tested and loved):Breakfasts: Fully prepared breakfast options that are ready to heat and eat alongside your regular Factor meals, like broccoli and cheddar egg whites, overnight oats, and blueberry pancakes. Senior commerce editor Olivia Tarantino is a big fan of the kale and mushroom egg bites. “They’re packed with vegetables, and they have the soft, custardy texture of egg bites you’d make yourself instead of the spongy bounce most premade ones have,” she says.Cold-pressed juices: Delicious, fresh fruit-and-vegetable blends like Apple Beet Ginger, Pineapple Turmeric Basil, Carrot Orange Ginger, and Apple Kale Wheatgrass.Protein shakes: Ready-to-drink, plant-based protein shakes that pack 18 grams of protein per serving. They come in the most decadent flavors that double as dessert, like Chocolate Banana, Cinnamon Horchata, and Matcha Latte. Opt for a variety pack if you can’t decide, and keep an eye out for seasonal flavors in limited drops.Smoothies: Convenient bottled smoothies come in flavors like Strawberry Banana, Tropical Fruit, and Mango. My personal favorite was the fresh-and-fruity Green Supreme bottled smoothie (made with a well-balanced blend of kale, pineapple, spinach, banana, cucumber, and spirulina).Lattes: Need your caffeine fix? The drink add-ons also include caffeinated cold-brew lattes in Mocha and Vanilla, so you can skip a trip to the café.Larger-format proteins and sides: Bigger portions of items like cooked proteins and side dishes, which can be used to supplement your weekly Factor meals or stretch across multiple servings. Sometimes they have flatbreads, which we recommend trying when they’re available.Wellness supplements: You can also add Factor Form wellness products to your order, like Daily Greens, whey protein, creatine, electrolytes, and hydration mixes with vitamins. Everything is made in the US with globally sourced ingredients, and Factor says its formulas use clinically backed dosages and adhere to a “no list” of more than 100 banned ingredients.Is Factor worth it?If what you’re looking for is an extremely convenient way to have a week’s worth of balanced, tasty, relatively healthy meals at the ready for whenever you need them, no meal prep required, Factor is a great option.April agrees: “It’s a solid solution if you want to hit your protein goals with whole foods but don’t have the time or energy to cook multiple times a day,” she says. “The meals are convenient, tasty, and filling in a way that protein shakes and bars just aren’t. The portion sizes were just the right size to satiate me without feeling too full; though, on particularly intense training days, I did find myself snacking a bit more.”Based on my Factor meals review, it’s also particularly well suited to anyone looking to achieve certain wellness goals or meet dietary needs, whether you’re tracking macros or upping your protein.More meal kit storiesThe best meal delivery services we’ve ever testedThe best gluten-free meal delivery servicesThe best meal delivery services for families