The popularity of the keto diet has skyrocketed in recent years, and for good reason.
With its focus on healthy fats and low carbohydrates, many people have used it as a tool to help them achieve their weight loss goals and improve their overall health. However, following a keto diet can be challenging, especially when it comes to meal planning and preparation. That’s where meal delivery services like Factor Meals come in.
In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into Factor’s keto meal plan and explore everything you need to know, from pricing to my personal experience. We’ll discuss how Factor Meals works, whether their meals are actually keto-friendly, the benefits of using their keto meals for weight loss, and more. I’ll even share my personal favorite Factor keto meals and provide alternative keto meal delivery services you may want to consider instead.
So, if you’re curious about Factor’s keto meals and whether they’re right for you, keep reading!
Food Box HQ Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. The use of any information provided in this article is solely at your own risk. It is important to note that individual results may vary and that any dietary or lifestyle changes should be made under the guidance of a healthcare professional.
How Factor Meals Works
In case you’re unfamiliar with how Factor Meals works, they’re a pre-made meal delivery service designed to be easy and convenient for their customers to follow specific diets. While they offer a few different diet plans (such as Protein Plus and Vegan & Veggie) the main diet that the majority of their meals fall into is keto.
Once you sign up for their service, you will receive pre-made meals that are designed by their in-house dieticians and prepared by their chefs.
Factor’s meals are primarily made with whole foods, lean proteins, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense ingredients. In addition to their meals, Factor also offers a marketplace where you can purchase keto-friendly add-ons like snacks, juices, pre-cooked meats, and even desserts.
Factor Meals operates on a subscription-based model, which means that you will receive meals on a weekly basis. The number of meals you receive will depend on how you initially set up your plan, but you can always make changes to your plan later on.
You have the ability to choose your meals up until Wednesday at 11:59 PM CST each week. After that, the menu for that week “locks,” and if you haven’t chosen your meals, Factor will do so for you based on your plan preferences and any previous meals you’ve purchased.
Regardless of the plan you choose, you can cancel your subscription at any time.
A Brief Overview Of The Keto Diet
Before jumping into whether Factor is keto or not, let’s first clarify what the keto diet is for those who may not already know.
While there are a few different versions of the keto diet out there, the most common one is the standard keto diet.
The standard keto diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carbohydrate diet that aims to put your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. This means that you will be consuming a diet that is high in healthy fats, moderate in protein, and very low in carbohydrates.
The general macronutrient breakdown of the standard keto diet is as follows:
- Fat: 70% of total calories
- Protein: 20% of total calories
- Carbohydrates: 10% of total calories
By following this macronutrient breakdown, you will be consuming a diet that is high in healthy fats (such as avocado, nuts, and olive oil), moderate in protein (from sources like grass-fed beef and chicken breast), and very low in carbohydrates. Most of your carbs will likely come from non-starchy vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, and cauliflower.
The idea behind the keto diet is to put your body into a state of ketosis, where it uses fat for energy instead of glucose. This can lead to weight loss and other health benefits like reduced inflammation, improved lipid profiles, and more.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that the keto diet is not for everyone.
First, it can be challenging to stick to. In fact, I’ve only been able to follow it for around 5 weeks before I have to go back to my regular diet.
Second, some people may experience negative side effects like the “keto flu” when they first start out, which involves symptoms such as headache, fatigue, brain fog, irritability, and more.
Lastly, you’ll want to keep in mind that this diet may not be appropriate for people with certain medical conditions, so it’s always a good idea to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new diet plan.
Factor’s Keto Plan: Are The Meals Actually Keto-Friendly? (An Average Day Of Eating)
Having tried dozens of different keto meal delivery services over the years, I can tell you from experience that not every single one is actually keto. In fact, there are many meal delivery services that market themselves as “keto-friendly” but they’re really just low-carb and don’t have sufficient fat content to be considered keto.
To ensure that Factor’s meals are keto-friendly, let’s walk through an average day of eating so that you can be certain they are.
We’ll use the following meals from their keto plan:
- Keto Chorizo Egg Skillet & Turnip Hash with Roasted Peppers & Ancho Lime Crema (Breakfast): 44 grams of fat, 32 grams of protein, and 17 grams of carbohydrates
- Beef, Peppers & Creamy Broccoli Rice Bowl with Parmesan Herb Zucchini & Yellow Squash (Lunch): 45 grams of fat, 28 grams of protein, and 16 grams of carbohydrates
- Spinach & Mushroom Chicken Thighs with Creamy Parmesan & White Wine Sauce (Dinner): 50 grams of fat, 40 grams of protein, and 14 grams of carbohydrates
- 2 Peanut Butter Chocolate Fat Bombs (Snack): 20 grams of fat, 6 grams of protein, and 12 grams of carbohydrates
Now let’s add up the macronutrient content of the meals and snacks for a day of eating to see if everything is keto-friendly.
Total for the day:
- 159 grams of fat
- 106 grams of protein
- 59 grams of carbohydrates
To determine the calorie breakdown of these macronutrients, we’ll use the following calorie-per-gram conversions provided by the Food and Nutrition Information Center:
- 1 gram of fat = 9 calories
- 1 gram of protein = 4 calories
- 1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories
Here’s how we get the calories from fat: 159 grams of fat x 9 calories per gram = 1,431 calories from fat
Here’s how we get the calories from protein: 106 grams of protein x 4 calories per gram = 424 calories from protein
Here’s how we get the calories from carbohydrates: 59 grams of carbohydrates x 4 calories per gram = 236 calories from carbohydrates
To calculate the total calories for the day, we’ll add up the calories from fat, protein, and carbohydrates: 1,431 calories from fat + 424 calories from protein + 236 calories from carbohydrates = 2,091 total calories for the day
Finally, we can determine the percentage of calories that come from each macronutrient:
- Calories from fat: 1,431 / 2,091 = 68% of calories from fat
- Calories from protein: 424 / 2,091 = 20% of calories from protein
- Calories from carbohydrates: 236 / 2,091 = 11% of calories from carbohydrates
This macronutrient ratio for an average day of eating Factor’s keto meals falls within the standard range for a ketogenic diet. Therefore, based on the macros provided for an average day of eating (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a light snack), Factor’s meals are indeed keto-friendly.
My Personal Experience Using Factor’s Keto Meal Plan
As someone who has tried numerous keto meal delivery services, when I first heard about Factor’s keto meal plan, I was excited to give it a try. To be honest, I was curious to see if their meals truly lived up to the keto-friendly claims they made on their website.
The meals I got in my first month using their keto plan were impressive in both their variety and taste. Most of the dishes well-seasoned and flavorful.
What surprised me most was that, despite the high fat content, the majority of the meals weren’t overwhelmingly greasy. There were only a handful of meals that may have been a little too rich, leaving me feeling slightly heavy with fat. Ultimately, though, I just chalk that up to being part of the keto diet.
The portion sizes were decent—not big by any meals but certainly not small. Again, due to the high fat content of the meals on this plan, I was full for a while after eating since fat takes longer to digest than other foods.
One of the biggest benefits of using Factor’s pre-made meals was how much easier it made sticking to my keto diet. As you saw above, the meals were already pre-portioned and calculated to fit within keto’s restrictive macros. It saved me the time and effort of meal planning, cooking, and calculating every gram of fat, protein, and carbohydrates.
As someone who is prone to snacking, I was also pleased that Factor has a few dozen different keto snacks and shakes in their add-on marketplace. While they aren’t exactly cheap (more on that below), they are convenient.
Biggest gripe with Factor’s keto plan is the fact that you have to be mindful of your calorie counts. For example, there were some days where breakfast, lunch, and dinner would only add up to around 1800 calories. For my gender, age, weight, and activity level, I should be getting around 2400 calories daily for healthy weight loss (based on this calculator). This means that I either have to order another keto meal or have some of Factor’s keto snacks throughout the day. This isn’t a huge problem but it is something you should be mindful of.
Here are some of the best Factor keto meals that I had…
- Jalapeño-Lime-Cheddar Chicken with Spicy Cilantro Cauliflower “Rice”
- Herb-Crusted Chicken with Mashed Cauliflower & Toasted Almond Green Beans
- Char-Grilled Burger & Mushroom Cream Sauce with Steamed Spinach, Tomatoes & Parmesan Cauliflower Mash
- Grilled Chicken & Poblano-Cauli Mash with Zucchini-Pepper Medley
Factor’s Keto Plan & Weight Loss (My Experience)
I personally used Factor’s keto plan as a way to lose weight.
Being as restrictive of a diet as it is, keto is notoriously hard to stick to (at least for me). Before trying Factor, I had struggled to consistently stick with keto for more than a few days. I found myself accidentally cheating and kicking myself out of ketosis.
Factor’s keto plan was a game-changer for me. Being pre-made made it easy to stay within my macro goals and the high-fat content helped to keep me feeling full throughout the day.
Over the course of a few weeks, there was a noticeable drop in my weight. I had lost upwards of 5 pounds and, after the initial “keto flu” wore off, I felt more energized and focused throughout the day (which is likely due to my body adapting to the carb restriction). The convenience of Factor’s meals also allowed me to stay consistent with my keto diet, which was ultimately the key to my success.
However, while Factor may have made going keto more convenient, the keto diet wasn’t exactly fun for me. I ran into a few of the most common side effects within the first few days. As I mentioned above, these “keto flu” symptoms included mild headaches, fatigue, and a little brain fog. The good news is I found that these side effects subsided after the first week or so.
Food Box HQ Note: If you’re interested in learning more about how Factor Meals can be used for weight loss (beyond just keto), you can read my in-depth analysis here going over which plans are best.
Factor’s Keto Meals Pricing
The price for Factor’s keto meals varies depending on the amount of meals you get weekly. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect to pay on their Keto plan…
- 6 meals per week comes out to $13.49 per meal.
- 8 meals per week comes out to $12.99 per meal.
- 10 meals per week comes out to $12.49 per meal.
- 12 meals per week comes out to $11.99 per meal.
- 14 meals per week comes out to $11.49 per meal.
- 18 meals per week comes out to $10.99 per meal.
As you can see, the cost per meal decreases as the number of meals per week increases. The plan with 18 meals per week at $10.99 per meal offers the best value, as it has the lowest cost per meal among all the other plans.
Keep in mind that the plans above do not include any add-ons. If you are planning on using Factor Meals to follow your entire keto diet (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and any snacks) you’ll want to plan on adding breakfast meals and snacks into your box each week.
Here are some examples of what Factor’s keto add-ons cost…
- Keto Quiche Lorraine with Almond Flour Crust, Crispy Bacon & Roasted Broccoli — $10.99
- Chocolate Brownie Keto Shakes (6 Per Order) — $29.99
- Keto Snickerdoodle Cookies (14 Cookies Per Order) — $14.99
- Keto Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake Topped With Toasted Peanuts & Cocoa Nibs (6 Servings Per Container) — $19.99
What I like most about Factor’s add-ons is that they’ll occasionally run promotions and discounts. For example, right now they have a keto breakfast bundle that includes 4 different keto breakfasts for $34.99. It was originally $43.96 so that’s a 15% discount. Unfortunately, though, you can only see the prices of their add-ons after signing up.
Pros & Cons Of Factor’s Keto Meals
Now that I’ve covered Factor’s keto meal plan, the meals, my personal experience, and pricing, let’s dive into what I like most about Factor’s keto meals and what I don’t like.
Pros Of Factor’s Keto Meals
- It makes following keto much more convenient. I love the fact that I can just grab a meal and start eating without having to deal with calculating macros.
- It allows you to have a full day’s worth of keto-friendly meals.
- Their marketplace is one of the biggest I’ve seen for keto-friendly foods. You can get everything from snacks and sides to drinks and desserts.
- The largest plan (18 meals per week) is a decent value. It’s not cheap by any means but I’ve compared it to many other pre-made keto meal delivery services and found that it’s one of the least expensive options out there.
Cons Of Factor’s Keto Meals
- Factor is not that customizable. If you have a food allergy, you may want to look elsewhere.
- Breakfasts are an add-on. I wish that they would add the breakfast meals to their main menu instead of making you add them on for an additional fee.
- Some meals have low calorie counts. Be sure to check all of the meals and see if they fit within your calorie range.
Alternative Keto Meal Delivery Services To Consider
While Factor offers a great keto meal delivery service, it’s not the only one on the market. If you’re looking for other pre-made options that are comparable to Factor Meals, there are really only 2 that I would recommend—Trifecta Nutrition and Fresh n Lean.
Each of these services has its own unique features and benefits, so it may be worth exploring them to find the best one for you.
Trifecta Nutrition
If you’re looking for a pre-made keto meal delivery service that also includes fitness tracking and support, Trifecta Nutrition is definitely worth considering. Their keto meal plan is designed to follow the standard keto diet—low in carbs and high in healthy fats.
In addition to their keto meal plan, Trifecta also offers a Meal Prep plan. This allows you to build your own meals (proteins and any sides) for greater customization.
Unlike Factor, all of the meals Trifecta offers are made with organic ingredients.
Trifecta Nutrition’s focus on combining diet and nutrition with fitness is another major advantage over Factor. Their mobile app allows you to track your daily macros, meals, and workouts in one place, making it easier to stay on top of your fitness goals.
Fresh n Lean
Fresh n Lean is a great option to consider for those seeking a keto-focused pre-made meal delivery service.
I’ve found that many of Fresh n Lean’s keto meals are calorie-restricted, with each serving typically around or under 450 calories. This makes them a good choice for those looking to restrict calories while still following keto.
You will want to keep in mind that Fresh n Lean doesn’t offer as many keto meal options as Factor, with only around 20 to 25 meals per week depending on the plan. Also, they do not have as many keto add-ons as Factor does.
Final Thoughts
Factor Meals is one of the few pre-made meal delivery services I’ve tried that offers a keto meal plan that is truly keto-friendly with meals that are high in healthy fats, moderate in protein, and low in carbs. Having personally used Factor’s keto meals and calculated the macros of their specific meals and add-ons, I can confirm that they do fall within the standard keto diet macro range.
In my opinion, while there are other keto meal delivery options available, it’s difficult to come across one that offers as much value as Factor. Their meals were both delicious and convenient, making it easier for me to stick to with my keto diet (even on my busiest days). And while I didn’t find the portion sizes to be huge, the meals themselves were still filling.
For individuals looking to follow the keto but are struggling with meal prep or those who have a busy schedule, utilizing Factor’s keto meals can be an excellent way to conveniently follow the keto diet.
Have a question about Factor’s keto meals? Let me know in the comments!
I would like to try just one 6 meal week to see if my husband likes it before commuting to a subscription can I fo this snd what would that cost including delivery?
There are some great first box discounts. I would recommend using this link (to activate the discount). It should give you $50+ off your first box (depending on the plan you go with).
Hi. Does Factor have dairy free Keto friendly meals? What about the protein heavy meals—are there dairy free options?
Yes, they have many keto friendly options. They also have many protein heavy and dairy-free meals.
Your article is informative. You provided me with the details I was looking for.
Factor should contract with you to write a blog post on their website because your post provided me with the information I was seeking on the Factor website.
I tried and tried but still have not been able to see meal macros or a keto menu on their site.
It just keeps driving me to a sign up page.
But thanks to you I’m seriously considering trying them for a month or so.
Do you know of any meal services that offer keto meals that lean more towards the ketovore genre?
Not strict carnivore but closer to it than traditional keto.
I am currently eating that way: carnivore 2 or 3 days, ketovore (less than 20 grams net carbs) 3 or 4 days and on my “cheat” day (if I lost weight that week) I eat traditional keto (less than 40 total grams of carbs).
Thanks!