Factor is a prepared-meal delivery service that ships fully cooked, never-frozen meals weekly. Each meal is designed by an in-house team of chefs and dietitians and reheats in a microwave or oven in two to four minutes. Unlike meal kits, there is no chopping, cooking, or assembly. Factor was founded in 2013 as Factor 75 and is part of HelloFresh, the publicly traded meal delivery group.
Key specs
- Type: Fully prepared meal subscription (no cooking required)
- Plans: 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, or 18 meals per week
- Menu options: 35+ weekly options across Keto, Calorie Smart, Protein Plus, Vegan & Veggie, and Chef's Choice
- Prep time: 2-4 minutes in microwave or oven
- Delivery: Refrigerated, never frozen
- Owned by: HelloFresh Group (NYSE: HFG, listed in Frankfurt as HFG)
How it works
Pick a plan size and choose your meals from the rotating weekly menu. Each Tuesday, you can swap meals, change quantities, skip a week, or pause. Meals arrive on your scheduled day in an insulated, refrigerated box. They keep in the fridge for up to seven days, and most reheat in 2-4 minutes in a microwave or 30-35 minutes in an oven. The Factor app handles everything from menu selection to delivery scheduling and pause/skip controls.
Why it stands out
Meal kits like HelloFresh and Home Chef still require cooking, which is the part many busy households eventually drop. Factor sits in a different category: the meals are already cooked and only need reheating. That makes it more useful for adults who want healthy, structured meals without the time or mental energy to cook, including people working long hours, recovering from surgery, supporting an aging parent, or simply tired of cooking after decades of doing it.
The menu is built around clear nutritional categories rather than just flavor. Calorie Smart caps meals around 550 calories, Keto stays low-carb, Protein Plus targets 30g+ protein per meal, and Vegan & Veggie covers plant-based options. A registered dietitian consultation is included free with the subscription, which is unusual in the prepared-meal category.
Pros
- Fully cooked meals - no chopping, cooking, or cleanup
- Refrigerated, never frozen, with 35+ weekly options
- Clear nutritional tracks (Keto, Calorie Smart, Protein Plus, Vegan & Veggie)
- Free dietitian consultation included with subscription
- Easy to pause, skip, or change plan size each week
- Backed by HelloFresh, the largest meal-delivery operator in the world
Cons
- More expensive per meal than meal kits or home cooking
- Subscription renews weekly until paused or canceled
- Single-portion sizing means it does not scale well for families
- Limited customization within each meal (no ingredient swaps)
Who is it for
Factor fits adults who want healthy, portion-controlled meals delivered ready to eat, without the meal-kit cooking step. It is especially practical for busy professionals, single-person households, people recovering from surgery or managing chronic conditions, adults focused on weight management, and anyone supporting an aging parent who needs reliable meals without cooking. The structured nutritional tracks make it useful for specific goals like high-protein eating, low-carb plans, or daily calorie targets.
The bottom line
Factor occupies the gap between meal kits and frozen prepared meals: real food, designed by chefs and dietitians, delivered fresh, and ready in minutes. As part of HelloFresh, it has the supply chain and operating maturity of the largest meal delivery group in the world. For adults who want healthy meals without the cooking step, it is one of the most reliable prepared-meal subscriptions available.