Fresh N Lean vs. Factor 2024: Factor for the Win

Both Fresh N Lean and Factor offer prepared meals you simply heat and eat. Both services cater to fitness-conscious eaters, and both offer meals that are both nutritious and tasty. But which is right for you?

I’ve examined both meal delivery services closely. I’ve scanned ingredient lists, studied shipping costs, checked delivery areas, and compared menus to see which comes out on top. It was a close match, and both services are worthy competitors.

Ultimately, Factor comes out on top. It offers more meal choices to dieters and will be the best choice for most busy people who are looking for healthy meals. But serious athletes and people with gluten sensitivities may find that Fresh N Lean is a better fit. Read on and find out which one best suits your needs.

At a Glance: Who Won Each Category?

Menu Variety: Factor Offers Many Different Cuisines

Factor gives you a wide selection of a variety of cuisines. It also lets you mix and match across meal plans, giving you 35+ choices each week. Fresh N Lean’s 100+ selections are split across different plans, each of which offers 11-20 choices per week. However, you can opt for its Unlimited plan which gives you access to the entire menu.

Factor offers American classics along with Italian, Indian, Mexican, and other international cuisines. You can also order breakfast, mains, desserts, sides, snacks, and beverages, including a nice selection of high-protein smoothies. Our expert Factor reviewer was particularly impressed by the Truffle Butter Filet Mignon, one of Factor’s premium plans.

Fresh N Lean’s meals lean more toward American favorites, with an occasional nod to Mexican or Italian food. Fresh N Lean also provides breakfast, main entrees, snacks, veg sides, and protein add-ons.

Both delivery services rotate their menus on a weekly basis, so things might change over time. But as a general rule, you can expect a good variety of meals, no matter your flavor preferences.

Neither Factor nor Fresh N Lean are particularly good choices for feeding families. Both provide single-serving prepared meals, and Fresh N Lean provides dedicated menus geared toward athletic individuals. Hungry households will do better with one of the companies on our list of the best family meal delivery services.

Sample Meals

Factor stood out for me when I checked out the menu organization. That's because it uses color-coded tags to give some extra information about the meal, whether it's vegetarian or calorie-smart, for example. There are no filters to help you narrow the menu down, and you must browse the full menu to find what you’re looking for.

Some Factor dishes that drew my attention were:

• Best keto recipe: Garlic Herb Salmon
• Best low-calorie dish: BBQ Pork Sloppy Joe
• Best protein-rich meal: Chicago-Style Italian Beef
• Best vegetarian dish: Vegetarian Green Chile Tostada Bake
• Best Gourmet Plus (premium) recipe: Filet Mignon and Mushroom Risotto

Fresh N Lean organizes the menu by meal plan, so it’s easy to browse just the meals that suit your dietary needs. Fresh N Lean keeps it simple, just listing the protein and carb counts, which may suit you better if you're an athlete.

Fresh N Lean recipes I found particularly attractive are:

• Best paleo recipe: Bearnaise Steak With Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Best protein-rich meal: Teriyaki Glazed Shrimp Over Pineapple Fried Rice
• Best Mediterranean diet meal: Walnut Basil Pesto Fish With Cauliflower
• Best (standard) vegan dish: Impossible Italian Braised Porketta and Chimichurri Polenta
• Best Whole30 Approved recipe: Slow Cooked Thyme Rosemary Beef With Root Vegetables

Meal Customization: Fresh N Lean Has Better Allergen Filters

Fresh N Lean wins this round because it has better filters to avoid problem ingredients. Neither Fresh N Lean nor Factor lets you swap or leave out ingredients in their prepared meals. But Fresh N Lean’s filters let you avoid meals that contain many common allergens.

Fresh N Lean gives you the option of omitting up to 3 ingredients per meal plan from a choice of over 20 ingredients. This list includes allergens like soy, tree nuts, eggs, dairy, sesame, and shellfish, as well as other items like bell peppers, red meat, quinoa, mushrooms, turkey, and cilantro.

Factor suggests that you examine the ingredient list for each meal to determine if it contains something you don’t want or can’t eat. Factor also prepares and packs all its meals in 1 location, which means there’s a cross-contamination risk. Those with serious sensitivities will do better by checking out our best allergy-friendly meal delivery services.

Factor offers 6 plans, but you’re free to choose from any item on the menu. In addition to its general Chef’s Choice plan, you can also find Factor dishes for the following diets:

• Keto

• Protein Plus

• Calorie Smart

• Vegan & Veggie

• Flexitarian

Fresh N Lean offers 8 distinct meal plans as well as an FNL Unlimited plan that allows you to mix and match from any of the other plans. These include:

• Protein+
• Keto
• Paleo
• Standard Vegan
• Whole30 Approved
• Vegetarian
• Mediterranean Diet
• Bulk

Fresh N Lean states that most of its meals are gluten-free. It suggests you select gluten-free from the allergens tab at sign-up so you can only select from the gluten-free meals. 

Ingredient Quality and Nutrition: Fresh N Lean Only Uses Organic Ingredients

Factor's a bit low on the details regarding ingredient sourcing. But it works with purveyors committed to animal welfare. Also, it secures seasonal ingredients at all times and organic food whenever possible. 

On the flip side, Fresh N Lean states that it sources locally-produced, whole-food, organic ingredients that are rich in nutrients.

Factor, unlike Fresh N Lean, offers its subscribers an elevated dining experience. You can treat yourself to Gourmet Plus meals featuring fancier proteins like Filet Mignon or mahi-mahi for a surcharge. Typically, you'll find 4 of these elevated options on Factor's weekly menu.

I appreciate that Factor goes the extra mile with ingredient and nutritional info. It provides an extensive ingredient list and even describes the meal for you. Fresh N Lean's labels are less detailed but useful nonetheless. Both services do a decent job with nutritional info and cooking instructions. You’ll find detailed information once you select the meal.

Ordering, Delivery, Unboxing: Factor Has a Handy Mobile App

Factor offers a mobile app for extra convenience, but Fresh N Lean doesn’t. Otherwise, this was a very close round.

Each service delivers boxes that come with insulating layers to keep your meals fresh until you get home to store them. Each Factor meal should be put into the fridge immediately and lasts for about 7 days. Fresh N Lean’s meals stay fresh in the fridge for about 7 to 10 days, but they can be kept fresh for up to 8 weeks in the freezer.

Both send neatly labeled meals with nutritional information provided. Each meal is organized inside the box and comes very professionally packaged. Fresh N Lean labels its nutritional information on the backside of the box, and Factor provides its nutritional info on the bottom of each meal.

After placing your first Factor order, the subscription feature will be activated. Each week, orders are automatically processed immediately after the weekly cutoff, which is 11:59 pm CT on Wednesdays, for delivery the following week. You also have the option to skip up to 2 weeks in advance or turn off the subscription feature.

Any changes you need to make to your order can be done before the weekly cutoff time. The minimum order for Factor is 6 meals per week. But you can select up to 18 each week, which saves you even more money. More on that below in the Pricing section.

Factor delivers between 8 am to 8 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. The exact delivery date will depend on your zip code. Factor delivers to the continental United States only.

Factor’s packaging is mostly recyclable, and there’s a dedicated section in Factor’s FAQ with more details. The cardboard box is fully recyclable, and the meal containers are made with BPA-free recyclable plastic, but make sure to wash them before reusing or recycling them. 

Fresh N Lean also has a subscription-based model that renews every week. Any changes to your order or subscription cancelations need to be done by Saturday, before 12 pm PST for the following week’s delivery. Fresh N Lean’s minimum weekly order is for 5 meals.

Fresh N Lean delivers to all states, including Alaska and Hawaii. Your Fresh N Lean box will arrive every Friday, with a guaranteed at-the-latest delivery day of Saturday. Fresh N Lean can deliver on Wednesdays and Thursdays too, but this will cost extra.

All of Fresh N Lean’s packaging is recyclable. This includes the boxes, insulating layers, meal containers, and the plastic seals covering the meal containers.

Meal Prep: Both Offer Excellent Heat-And-Eat Meals

There’s no clear winner when it comes to meal prep. Both Factor and Fresh N Lean offer a diverse array of heat-and-eat meals. This is a short section because both services send you meals that are ready to eat in a short time.

Both services deliver meals that you can heat in your oven or microwave. It’ll take about 15-20 minutes to heat these meals in a conventional oven. Depending on the wattage, your Factor or Fresh N Lean meals will take between 2-4 minutes in your microwave.

Customer Support: Factor Offers a Free Dietary Consultation

Factor offers longer customer support hours and a free dietitian consultation, but both services offer excellent customer support and service.

It was really easy to contact Factor’s support team using live chat. Once I initiated the chat, it took less than 30 seconds to connect with a very helpful representative who answered my questions in minutes.

Factor’s live chat is available 24/7. Phone support is available at 888-573-5727 from 6 am to 11 pm EST on weekdays and 7 am to 7 pm weekends.

You also get a free 20-minute consultation with a dietitian with your Factor subscription. If you’re trying to lose weight or get into shape, or if you just want to eat healthier, a dietitian can provide pointers on how you can achieve your goals.

The Fresh N Lean live chat support team got back to me almost instantly. I was able to receive pre-sales support for a number of questions I had before getting started. Factor offers longer coverage, but Fresh N Lean’s support team is top-notch during regular business hours.

Fresh N Lean offers support between 7 am to 5 pm PST 7 days a week (for the phone line only), and from 9 am to 5 pm PST using the live chat feature.

Pricing: Factor Is Slightly Cheaper on Most Plans

Factor wins this round even though Fresh N Lean has a lower starting price. In almost all cases, you’ll spend a few pennies less with Factor than with Fresh N Lean. The weekly price difference between the 2 is small, but enough to give Factor the win by a nose.

Factor’s prices vary depending on how many single-serving meals you need each week. The larger the order, the lower the cost per meal. For example, its best-value box gives you 18 meals for just $103.41 on your first order if you use our link.

Fresh N Lean meals start at $7.53 up to $15.99 per serving. Fresh N Lean’s minimum order is 5 single-serving meals, and its maximum is 21 meals (3 meals per day). The Vegan plan is the cheapest, while the Keto and Paleo plans are the most expensive.

Factor charges $10.99 for shipping, while Fresh N Lean shipping is free.

Fresh N Lean vs. Factor — Quick Overview

And the Winner Is: Factor

Factor shines for its diverse nutritious pre-made meals. It boasts a range of choices in its weekly offerings, spanning from vegan and vegetarian to keto and low-calorie meals. This ensures that those looking for nutritional variety have ample options to choose from.

However, Fresh N Lean might suit athletes and allergy sufferers. Its more focused menus are designed for individuals who need to monitor their macronutrients closely and sidestep specific allergens. Notably, the service excels in offering gluten-free meals and catering to severe dairy allergies.

Fresh N Lean offers specialized dietary options. If you have specific dietary needs, especially due to allergies or athletic requirements, this service has a tailored approach. It provides a controlled environment that reduces the risk of exposure to unwanted ingredients.

For a broader overview, read our Best Prepared Meal Delivery Services guide. We have tested and detailed the top meal delivery services, ensuring you're equipped with the information to make an informed choice.

FAQ

How much does Factor cost per month?

Factor’s prices depend on how many meals you order per week, with larger orders lowering the per-meal price. The best-value option offers 18 single-serving meals for $103.41 on your first purchase if you use our link. After you decide how many meals you’ll order every week, you can get a rough estimate of how much you might spend each month.

Are Fresh N Lean meals organic?

Fresh N Lean uses organic produce, grass-fed beef, wild-caught seafood, and antibiotic-free chicken. If eating organic is important to you, you can rest assured that your Fresh N Lean meal is free of pesticides and preservatives.

Is Factor good for weight loss?

Factor’s Calorie Smart menu consists of meals of 550 calories or less. If you’re trying to lose weight on the keto diet, Factor also has a very good keto menu. But if you’re signing up for a meal delivery service to lose a few pounds, you might want to check out our list of the best weight loss meal delivery services.