I want the future of food to look something the roast chicken in The Fifth Element. You put a small pellet in a microwave-box, and in seconds out comes a delicious-looking, home-cooked roast chicken. We’ve made some progress since the movie came out nearly , but we’re not quite there yet. We’ve had the microwave for a while, but the pellets still need some work.
The latest attempt at tasty meals from a box is the meal delivery service. These range from meal kits that deliver the ingredients and you cook them, to complete, ready-to-eat meals. The latest I’ve tried is Factor, which falls into the latter category. Factor’s particular spin on that market is that it specializes in high protein meals targeted at anyone on a keto diet, high protein-low carb, or restricted calorie diets.
What You Want
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Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
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Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
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Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
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Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Factor
Prepared Meals
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Factor
Factor is similar to other meal services in that you subscribe, pick the meals you want, and Factor ships them out on a weekly basis. I went for the completely hassle-free option of Chef’s Choice and set some guardrail parameters high protein and gluten free. The Factor-selected meals arrived at the start of the week via FedEx, though the delivery service will vary by area. These aren’t frozen meals, so throw them in the fridge. They will last up to seven days.
The subscription process walks you through a list of questions that help determine the right meals for you. There are option lists with goals “Eat more protein,” “time in the kitchen,” “Eat a better variety of foods,” and so on. Then you select other things your spice preference and how many meal you want per week (the options are 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, or 18).
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
I should probably add the disclaimer that I to cook, was a professional chef for many years, and my family of five rarely eats anything other than home-cooked meals. But I get it. Many people are looking for a way to eat healthier in the midst of busy schedules, and maybe have never learned how to cook, or want to some specific diet keto that requires a lot of research, planning, and effort.
In those situations I can see the appeal of a solution Factor. Dial in what you want, it shows up, you microwave it, eat, and you’re on your way without caving and ordering pizza for the third time this week.
While Factor’s meals are generally enjoyable and reasonably tasty—for whatever reason, the dishes tending toward Mexican food seemed to be better than the rest—there’s just no denying that eating food out of segmented plastic tray is, um, uninspiring. At the very least, put your heated results on a real plate. It’ll taste better that way. Trust me, there’s a reason your plate is carefully arranged when it reaches your table at the fancy restaurant. Aesthetics matter.
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Factor’s proteins, especially the meats, were the highlight of most of the meals. Options I tried included a meatball and pasta dish with green beans, a bun-less burger, shrimp pasta with some zucchini, a faux grits meal (cauliflower grits), and a chicken taco bowl. In every case, the protein was quite tasty, the sauces were a mixed bag, while the vegetables fared less well in the whole, cook it, pack it, ship it, reheat it process. Green beans were especially what I could call “grim,” rather than the “vibrant and fresh” that I suspect Factor was going for.
But you need to step back from the aesthetic experience and remember the context in which these meals exist. This is not fine dining or even a home-cooked meal, but a healthy alternative to frozen microwavable meals high in artificial ingredients and often with unnecessary added sugars. When you remember that, Factor start to look not only better, but downright appealing.
My main gripe with Factor—my only gripe, really—is the portion size, which tends toward the small side relative to what I am used to. No doubt this is in part a portion control thing and helpful for those looking at weight-loss goals, but if you’re eating specifically for the protein, you may want to keep some protein powder around should you end up still hungry after your Factor meal.
If you’re after an extremely convenient and low-mess way to make sure you eat well and stick to a specific dietary plan keto, then Factor is a great option. Meal prices range between around $12 up to $15 (there are frequent discounts on your first box) which puts it squarely in the cheaper than takeout, but not as cheap as cooking for yourself category. That seems entirely reasonable and worth the money for the convenience and healthier eating on those busy nights.
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