We tried both meal delivery services. Read here about how they compare, pros and cons, meal plans, and more.
Are you someone who hates spending a long time in the kitchen? Are you sick of cooking and cleaning up?
If you answer YES to any of these questions, meal delivery services might be an excellent option to consider. Meal delivery services offer a way of eating well without the hassle of preparation and cooking.
As they have been designed and created by professionals, not only do they taste great, but they are also good for you. Meals are perfectly portioned and nutritionally well-balanced. Meal delivery services mean that you will eat well but save time and, in many cases, money.
At the Meal Kit Review, one of the services we provide is in-depth company comparisons. We compare two different services, look at all elements and put these details in the same place. That way, you can easily compare the two companies and work out which is better suitable for your needs.
This review will look at Freshly and Factor. Both these companies deliver fully prepared unfrozen meal options.
Unfortunately, In January 2023, Freshly announced with a heavy heart that the meal delivery service would be ceasing operations. But Factor meals are still a fantastic service to consider!
See how these two meal delivery services used to compare and why we think Factor is the winner between the two in any case.
Freshly vs. Factor 75 – Who will be the winner?
Freshly and Factor Meal Plans and Dietary Options
Freshly used to offer four different meal plans to choose from. The plans depend on the number of healthy meals you would like to receive per week. This can vary from four meals, six meals, ten meals, or 12 meals delivered weekly.
Factor has several different meal plans based on the number of meals per week you would like to receive. This can vary from 4 meals, six meals, eight meals, 12 meals, 14 meals, or 18 meals delivered weekly.
Moreover, Factor meal delivery service offers the regular chef’s choice meal plan, along with four other plans dedicated to specific diets – Keto, Calorie-Smart (low-calorie meals), Vegan & Vegetarian, and Protein Plus.
Factor meals are pre-portioned for a single serving and are meant to feed an average adult.
Healthy Meals Variety
The Freshly menu has a choice of 36 different meals available per week. The menu includes entrée choices for lunch or dinner.
The Factor75 menu offers ample choices of meals per week as well. Their menu offerings are updated weekly and include breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. The menu also provides a healthy juice selection and proteins as add-ons.
With both, you can either choose your meals or let the service select your weekly delivered meals based on your dietary requirements and eating preferences.
The Taste – Is It Really Good?
Freshly used to focus on providing a convenient service for their customers. All their meal options are fully prepared and chilled, so they only take 3 minutes to heat them before serving.
There used to be many culinary influences on the Freshly menu, with worldwide cuisine. All the meals are Gluten-free, and many soy-free, low-in-carbs, and low-calorie meal options are available.
Factor is very health-conscious and focuses on providing meals that bring out the best in your body and mind. Their meals tend to be relatively lean, with balanced carbohydrates and recommended quantities of healthy fats.
As noted above, a few diets are covered by the Factor menu – Keto, plant-based, low-calorie, high-protein, and vegetarian. Every meal on the menu is marked, so it’s easy to know which meals are offered for your preferred diet.
From our experience, even though the meals are pre-made, they taste freshly cooked and offer great flavors!
Factor Meals We Tried
- White Cheddar Chicken with Broccoli-Parmesan “Grits”, Roasted Green Beans & Sliced Almonds
- Steak with Loaded Cauliflower Mash
- Citrus Mojo Cuban Pork with Wild Rice & Stewed Black Beans
- Black Pepper & Sage Pork Chop with Smoked Cheddar Brussels Sprouts & Creamy Broccoli
Freshly Meals We Tried
- Philly-ish Cheesesteak with Masterful Mash & Butternut-Spiked Sauce
- Three-Bean Ancho Turkey Chili Bowl with Cheddar Cheeseless
- Chicken Livorno with Hearty White Beans & Kale
- Cauliflower Shell Beef Bolognese with Nonna’s Soffritto & Italian Cheeses
Other Recommended Meals From Freshly Versus Factor Menu
Ready-To-Eat Meals From Factor Rotating Menu
- Low-Carb Jalapeño-Lime-Cheddar Chicken with Spicy Cilantro Cauliflower “Rice”
- Potato, Bacon & Egg Breakfast Skillet with Roasted Peppers & Onions
- Indian Butter Chicken with Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice
- Grilled Chicken Piccata with Cauliflower Mash & Broccoli
Ready-To-Eat Meals From Freshly Rotating Menu
- Chipotle Bowl with Carb-Smart Cauli Rice
- Indian-Spiced Chickpea Curry Bowl with Basmati Rice, Lentils & Veggies
- Zingy Buffalo Chicken with Loaded Cauliflower
- Very Verde Chicken with Super Greens & Roasted Cauliflower
Add-On Options
Freshly used to offer a few add-ons, including some purely plant options. But unfortunately, this is not an option anymore.
As for Factor, the service broadened its menu to include many fresh food add-on options to help you eat healthy not only for dinner, but also during lunch, breakfast, and snack time.
Sample Add-On Options From Factor
- Smoothie Variety Pack – 2 Smoothies Each of Strawberry Banana, Tropical Fruit & Mango
- Pancakes & Sausage with Cinnamon Butter & Maple Syrup
- Keto Quiche Lorraine with Almond Flour Crust, Crispy Bacon & Roasted Broccoli
- Roasted Vegetables Risotto
- Freshly Cooked Pan-Seared Salmon
- Salted Peanut Energy Bites
Ingredients Quality
If gluten is an issue for you, you may like the Freshly meal delivery service as it used to be a fully certified gluten-free company. All their ingredients and meals are 100% gluten-free.
Factor is focused on using ingredients that are of the best quality available. The company wants its meals not only to taste great but be good for your health as well.
All the ingredients used in Factor fresh meals are free from hormones, antibiotics, GMOs, and preservatives. Meats are pasture-raised and grass-fed, and fish and seafood are sourced from the wild.
Meal Prep Time
Generally speaking, since you only need to heat the fully prepared meals via oven or microwave, meal prep is non! No peeling, no chopping, no cooking. Each meal arrives with a sleeve, and on the back of this sleeve, you will be able to find the meal-specific heating instructions.
How Many Calories Are in Freshly vs. Factor Meals?
For both services, most meals range from 350-900 calories, with an average of around 600 calories per meal.
With Factor, to select the meals that best meet your required calorie count, click on the meals’ images on the online menu to see all nutrition facts and ingredients! For example, if you are looking for low-calorie meals containing less than 550 calories per serving, make sure to choose meals marked as ‘Calorie-Smart’.
Is the Freshly and Factor Food Healthy?
You can rest assured that both meal delivery services offer the best-premade meals for healthy and nutritious food options.
Freshly meals were promised to include only thoughtful quality ingredients, with less processed foods, non-GMO, and no added sugars. The meals are all gluten-free, with a low-calorie count. Since Freshly meals didn’t contain artificial or chemical preservatives, the prepared meals used to have a refrigerated shelf life of about 4-5 days.
Comparatively, Factor meals are cooked from scratch by real chefs using fresh ingredients. The company promises that all food items must comply with Factor’s high-quality standards – poultry and eggs are antibiotic-free and cage-free; meats are grass-fed/pasture-raised; salmon is BAP certified, and all other produce is always non-GMO.
Factor uses an innovative way of packaging their meals, called MAP (Modified Atmosphere Packaging), to reach a longer shelf life, so your meals can stay fresh for a whole week in the fridge.
Managing Your Meal Kits Online Account
Both Freshly and Factor 75 have websites that allow easy management of your food delivery account. Factor also offers a free app that you can use. But since Freshly no longer operates, we will focus on Factor.
Once you have registered for an online account, you can select your preferred meal plan, pick your meals for the following week, and make an order. Plus, you can see additional nutritional information on each meal the menu offers.
Changing or skipping meals
If you wish to make changes, you can easily do it through your online account – you may swap meals per week, skip weeks whenever necessary, change plans and even cancel your account without hidden penalty.
Factor and Freshly Delivery Box
The deliveries of both Freshly and Factor are similar in that they are well organized and arrive in a specially designed meal delivery box complete with insulation.
The contents are packed with iced gel packs to keep them cool during delivery. Unpacking is a breeze, as you simply need to place the individual meals into the fridge until you are ready to use them.
Each meal is encased in a branded sleeve with the dish’s name, instructions to heat, and relevant nutritional facts. Both companies are also environmentally aware, with delivery boxes and meal containers fully recyclable.
Delivery Area – Freshly Vs. Factor
The Freshly meal service delivery used to be spread to most locations in the continental US, but the service no longer operates.
Factor delivers to all 48 contiguous states. So, unless you live in Alaska or Hawaii—the company can have their meals delivered to you!
Customer Service
Factor offers a detailed FAQ information page- https://factor75.zendesk.com/hc/en-us?referral=90FORYOU
The best ways to contact Freshly customer service:
- Live support chat on the website
- email address – https://support.freshly.com/hc/en-us/requests/new
- Phone: call or text Freshly at 1-844-373-7459, Available 24/7
The best ways to contact Factor customer service:
- Live Support chat on the website
- email address – Help@Factor7
- Phone: 888.573.5727 from 6 am-11 pm ET Monday-Friday and 7 am-7 pm ET on Saturday and Sunday.
Plan Terms
Both Freshly (while it was operating) and Factor are subscription-based food delivery services. You do, however, have ample flexibility as a customer.
You can select your weekly meals weeks in advance, make changes to your order a few days before delivery and change your meal plans. In addition, you can skip weeks whenever needed and cancel your account at all times without any hidden surprises (with a few days notice).
Factor vs. Freshly – Bottom Line, Our Vote Goes to Factor!
When looking at Freshly vs. Factor, we can say that both offer an excellent option for those who are looking for delicious, fully prepared meals.
For us – the winner is Factor meal service.
We were impressed with their company philosophy and loved the promise of using clean, high-quality ingredients.
With Factor, you know you are eating healthy food that is incredibly good for your body and at a fair price per meal. It can also help you maintain a balanced diet, even on a restricted menu like keto or vegan.
Moreover – and not less important – the five Factor fresh single-serving meals we tasted were delicious and in generous portion sizes per serving. It’s a valid option for home-cooked meals vibes with no effort.
