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Friday, July 11th
Factor, acquired by HelloFresh in 2020, is a heat-and-eat meal delivery service. Rather than flash freezing, meals are delivered refrigerated and fresh, so they can be taken from the fridge to reheated in hardly any time at all. Although owned by HelloFresh, Factor delivery services are completely separate, and there are some major differences between their processes. The only thing in common is that if you have an account with HelloFresh, you can use that account to auto-populate your personal information at Factor.
Instant fresh meals
Factor meals can take less than 5 minutes to reheat, with absolutely no food prep required. They provide ready-to-eat convenience without being frozen. Meals can be refrigerated for a week and stay fresh. They can be reheated in the microwave or the oven.
Single servings for serious health
Every week you can choose from 37 meals that adhere to whatever plan or plans you've chosen at the start of your Factor subscription. If you wish, you can change your plan to suit different phases of your health journey. The plans you can choose from are:
In addition, breakfast, snacks, and beverages are available as part of your subscription if you choose. Factor will always list known allergens on their packaging and in their recipes, but they do not cater to people with these kinds of preferences or needs. It is up to the consumer to look at the recipes to find out if they are compatible with their dietary restrictions and allergies.
Happy chickens, delicious eggs
Factor is particularly dedicated to sourcing chicken and eggs only from farms that provide a safe, healthy environment for poultry raised for Factor's supply chain. They have a zero-tolerance policy for abuse. Chickens always have enough space to roam and are free from disease and distress.
Palm oil problems, some meals high in sodium
Out of the small number of complaints found regarding Factor, the most concerning was their use of palm oil as a source of fat. Not only is there no indication as to where they source the palm oil, there are complaints of people having gastrointestinal issues with it. Everyone is different, and maybe you will be fine, but it's good to try it carefully at first to make sure you don't have the same reaction. Another issue is the amount of sodium in some meals, with at least one Factor meal clocking in at 1050 mg for one serving.
Buy more, save more
You can choose 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, or 18 meals per week, with volume discounts: a 6-meal plan is $13.99 per serving, while an 18-meal plan is $11.49. You don't have to sign up to see the menus at Factor, so take a look at the offerings before beginning the sign-up process. Once you begin, you can choose the plan and how many meals per week you would like to have, then create an account, which will include your payment information. As soon as you're done, you can select which ready-to-reheat meals you want for the week and your preferred delivery date, and you will have a week of no-prep meals. The discounts offered will automatically apply, and you will see the savings when you look at your cart.
Delicious add-on choices
Add-ons are where Factor really shines. Reviewers can't say enough about the goodies in the snack bundles. You can choose from pancakes and sausage, overnight oats, ready-to-blend smoothies, boxes of chocolates, and so much more. If you like savory snacks, try the empanada variety pack. If sweets are your thing, keto-friendly snickerdoodles and cinnamon roll fat bombs are just two of many options. You can even add things like peppered pork chops or roasted mahi mahi.
Save 50% on week one
During our most recent visit to the Factor site, there was an offer giving customers 50% off their first order plus 20% off their second one. Another promo was 50% off the first box and a lifetime of wellness shots. A third gave significant savings for the first five boxes delivered. Each offer has benefits and will definitely be tempting if you are on the fence about trying Factor. Applying these discounts is a great way to see if Factor is something you'd like to use long-term.
Easily cancel anytime
Factor allows you to cancel, pause, skip, or change up your meal delivery box anytime with no long-term commitment.
Overall high reviews
Factor has been reviewed over 60,000 times, with the majority of reviews being positive. The Better Business Bureau gives it an "A+” rating. They have been around for a long time, and its parent company (HelloFresh) also comes in with strong ratings. Customer service responds to every complaint, which shows that they are serious about subscriber satisfaction, which we love to see.
A great solution for busy schedules with only a few caveats
Factor is a great way to get healthy food into your busy, active lifestyle. It's especially helpful for those with a physical fitness or specific health goal, like sticking to macros, keto, or calories. They have a great selection of add-ons and a nice variety to their meals, which keeps things interesting while maintaining adherence to goals. However, we are concerned about the lack of transparency in where they source their palm oil and the quality of it, and about the fact that the website doesn't mention any standards or sources for meat and seafood. Still, Factor is a good choice for ready-to-eat meal deliveries, so we recommend taking their 50% off the first week discount and giving them a try.
Like us, our food choices are distinctive and individual. The booming prepared meal delivery services industry is a reflection of that. Choosing a meal kit from all the choices available depends on a lot of factors - the most important of which is the reason why you are looking for an easier way to nourish yourself in the first place.
Perhaps you are dealing with a chronic illness that can be helped by altering your diet. Maybe you need to take a break from cooking because you are going through significant changes in your life. It is possible that your young family is too busy with extracurricular activities, playdates, and obligations to find time for menu planning and grocery shopping.
Perhaps you are a senior who needs a fully prepared meal solution. Maybe you are just tired of takeout and food waste and only want the food you know you will cook. Or you're a rotten cook who wants to learn how to prepare a meal that isn't too dry or undercooked. Meal delivery services can help you and your family's mental and physical health, regardless of your circumstances or motivations.
A meal delivery service can alleviate the burden of preparing entirely different menus for you and your loved ones in cases where families have multiple dietary restrictions. So if you need a diet to deal with the effects of menopause but your partner is weightlifting and needs a high protein diet, a meal delivery service can cover that. You only receive the food you actually eat with these services because everything is pre-portioned. Some kits even do the prep work of chopping, slicing, and cooking grains for you.
Meal delivery services typically keep things simple while still ensuring that your food is tasty and satisfying. Some are kits that take just five or six steps to prepare. There are others who promise 30-minute meal prep time. If you are interested in learning how to cook but are short on time, a meal kit subscription could be a good option. You can even learn new cooking techniques from the gourmet meals that some services provide (sometimes for an upgraded price, but it is worth it). In no time at all, you will be able to confidently claim the title of "home chef." And, for individuals who are mindful of their budget, there are companies that specialize in delivering affordable home-cooked meals.
If you are concerned about the environment, you can find a number of meal delivery options that adhere strictly to regulations regarding responsible fishing and provide only the healthiest ingredients in their prepared meals. Although not certified organic, many businesses are now buying from local farms that follow rigorous standards for the humane treatment of animals and for healthy, delicious produce.
There are meal delivery services that will teach you new skills but will also require you to do some prep work, and there are other services that will deliver meals that only require 15 minutes to make. Incredibly detailed recipe cards and easy-to-follow instructions are provided by most brands, making meal preparation accessible to even the youngest family members. Some people find the recipes on these cards to be so useful that they opt to keep them for when they want to make the same dish on their own.
Our mouths watered while researching today's most popular meal delivery options. Before you choose your ideal service, there are a few things we think are important:
To give you the most worry-free experience with choosing a meal delivery service, the experts at Top Consumer Reviews have spent hours looking at every aspect and facet of the most popular companies on the market today. We hope this helps you find a solution to creating healthy, delicious mealtimes - where you can create loving memories around the common, everyday act of providing a hot, home cooked meal with joy.
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