TL;DR: I liked both of these services, but for different reasons. Factor is better for on the go meals and/or fitness meals, while Green Chef is better for dietary restrictions and higher quality, whole ingredients.
- Don’t Have Time for Meal Prep? Go with fully prepared Factor Meals here.
- Need a High Protein, Fitness Focused Plan? Go with athlete oriented Factor Meals here.
- Dietary Restrictions? Gluten free, vegan, vegetarian and more should go with Green Chef here.
- All Organic? Go with the organic ingredients with Green Chef here.
I don’t think there has ever been a day in my adult life where I’ve thought, “I’m here. I’m the most healthy I can possibly be, and I don’t want to be any healthier.”
I have been fortunate enough to be a relatively healthy person (albeit one who consumes way too much coffee) my whole life. I haven’t suffered any major illness, and I am able-bodied.
That being said, I could always be healthier. There have been times in my life when I’ve been highly active (usually due to the nature of my work in restaurants), but I’ve eaten like a twelve-year-old left home alone for a weekend.
There have also been plenty of times when I’ve made myself nothing but nutritious, balanced meals but been so busy that I forgot to go outside for days on end.
Finding an achievable balance between the time, energy, and even accessibility to stay healthy has always slightly eluded me. (I once lived in an apartment where I had to walk up a steep hill every day, but the nearest grocery store was a mile down said steep hill, which resulted in way more takeout meals than I care to share here).
I’ve found that meal subscriptions are an excellent way for me to achieve that balance without losing my mind.
They allow me to choose healthy meals, save time and energy for exercise, and give me access to fresh foods, regardless of where I live.
Not all meal subscriptions are healthy, and even the healthy ones can be very different from one another—which is great because “healthy” looks different for different people.
That’s why I decided to compare Factor vs Green Chef, two very different healthy meal subscriptions, to see what types of lifestyles they might work best for.
Bottom Line Up Front
Factor and Green Chef are two healthy meal subscriptions that share the same parent company (HelloFresh) but provide very different services.
Factor ships single-serve ready meals that only need a few minutes to reheat, making them great for super busy people or singles who don’t want a lot of leftovers.
They also cater exceptionally well to high-protein and low-carb diets like keto. On the other hand, Green Chef is a meal kit subscription, which means you’ll receive a box of ingredients and a recipe instructing you how to cook the meal yourself.
They’re great for people who love to cook (or want to learn) and can serve families of up to six—they’re also the first certified organic meal kit subscription!
Just heat, eat, and enjoy. Factor makes eating healthy, EASY. Honestly, the hardest part about eating healthy are MEAL PLANNING and MEAL PREP. Factor removes both as an excuse and is interesting enough to stick with over the long term. Unlock a whopping 50% off your first box and enjoy an extra 20% off your next four boxes with code VENTURE50!
Main Differences Between Factor vs Green Chef
The main differences between Factor vs Green Chef are:
- Factor’s meals are ready-made, whereas Green Chef’s are meal kits.
- Factor’s meals each serve one, whereas Green Chef’s serve two, four, or six people.
- Factor’s meals are free of hormones, GMOs, and additives, whereas Green Chef’s meals are certified organic.
Everything You Need to Know About Factor
Factor is a ready-meal delivery subscription. Each week, they ship you a box of fresh meals that just need to be popped into the microwave or oven for a few minutes to reheat before you eat them.
There’s no prep, no cooking, and no cleanup necessary—well, you should probably wash your fork and toss the empty container into the recycling, but other than that, no cleanup!
Factor Key Features at a Glance
- Single-serve meals that are shipped fresh and ready to heat and eat.
- Specialize in high-protein, high-fat (keto), and low-carb meals, but offer other varieties as well.
- Meals are comfort foods like “meat and sides,” pasta, and chili/taco bowls.
- $11 to $14 per meal.
- Boxes of six, eight, ten, 12, 14, or 18 meals per week.
Factor Meals and Menu
Most of Factor’s meals could be considered “homestyle” or “comfort foods.” Think pot roast with mashed potatoes and broccoli, creamy pasta with shrimp and dill, and mac and cheese topped with pork chili.
It’s definitely not what first comes to mind when I think of “healthy” food, but that doesn’t mean it’s not healthy!
Most of Factor’s meals are high in protein and low in carbs, and many follow the keto diet, meaning that most of their calories come from protein and “good” fats.
The idea behind the keto diet is that when you regularly limit your carb intake, your body will reach a state of ketosis where it burns fats and proteins for fuel rather than quick carbs.
All of the meals are made using hormone, GMO, and additive-free ingredients.
In addition to their entrees, Factor also sells snacks, breakfasts, juices, smoothies, protein shakes, sides, and extra proteins that can be added to your subscription each week.
Factor Subscription Info
When you sign up for a Factor subscription, you’ll be asked if you prefer keto, protein plus, calorie smart, vegan and veggie, or chef’s choice meals (which covers a little bit of everything).
You’ll then choose if you want six, eight, ten, 12, 14, or 18 single-serving meals delivered weekly. Meals cost around $11 to $14 each, depending on how many you order per subscription.
Every subscription comes with a free 20-minute consultation with a nutritionist.
They’ll help you choose meals that will help you hit your nutritional or dietary goals, answer any questions you might have, and advise you on your health journey.
It’s a nice touch that makes Factor a great option for anyone using a meal subscription as part of a health or dietary plan.
Factor Packaging
All of Factor’s meals are packaged in BPA-free CPET plastic containers. That means that they are microwave and oven safe and can be recycled curbside almost anywhere.
Pretty much all of Factor’s packaging is curbside recyclable, except for the plastic covers on the ice packs (but you can just reuse the ice packs) and the cotton fiber insulation in between the two layers of (recyclable) brown paper lining the box—the cotton is made from 100% recycled materials though! All in all, I was pretty pleased with Factor’s packaging.
Pros
- No prep, cooking, or dishes—what’s not to love?
- I love that Factor’s food is healthy without tasting too healthy.
- Each subscription comes with a free 20-minute consultation with a nutritionist.
- I was pleasantly surprised at the taste and texture of the meat, even after reheating it in the microwave.
Cons
- Although Factor does technically offer plans for vegetarians and vegans, only a handful of their weekly meals are vegetarian, and even fewer are vegan.
- Because Factor’s meals are pre-made, there’s no way to customize them if you have specific dietary restrictions.
- Most of their meals are pretty high in sodium.
Who is Factor Best For?
- Singles (or couples if you double up on meals), since each meal is a single serving.
- Anyone doing keto or high-protein, low-carb.
- People who don’t like to cook (or wash dishes!)
- College students or anyone without access to a full kitchen.
- People working on their portion control.
Just heat, eat, and enjoy. Factor makes eating healthy, EASY. Honestly, the hardest part about eating healthy are MEAL PLANNING and MEAL PREP. Factor removes both as an excuse and is interesting enough to stick with over the long term. Unlock a whopping 50% off your first box and enjoy an extra 20% off your next four boxes with code VENTURE50!
Everything You Need to Know About Green Chef
Green Chef is a meal kit subscription. That means that each box contains a kit of pre-measured ingredients and recipe cards with instructions on how to prepare your meals, but you do all of the actual cooking yourself.
Some of the sauces and spice blends are pre-made, and some of the vegetables might already be chopped in an effort to save you time and energy while cooking.
It’s kind of like having your own personal prep person to get you set up for success in the kitchen!
Green Chef Key Features at a Glance
- Meal kits with a recipe card and the ingredients to make meals serving two, four, or six people.
- Specialize in organic ingredients.
- Meals are varied and “restaurant-quality.”
- $12 to $14 per serving (minimum two servings per meal).
- Boxes of three or four meals per week.
Green Chef Meals and Menu
I think that Green Chef does a really good job of providing a wide variety of cuisines, flavors, and textures across each of their menus.
Each week you’ll see plenty of “meat and sides” meals, pasta dishes, rice or grain bowls, stir fries, hearty entree salads, tacos, flatbreads, and even brunch items.
You can add on sweet or savory breakfast items (both sit-down meals like french toast with cinnamon creme fraiche and on-the-go options like ready-to-heat oatmeal cups and egg bites) each week.
You can also add ten-minute lunches, snacks, and ready-to-cook proteins to your order.
Green Chef uses organic produce whenever possible—about 99% of the time (and if they can’t source a particular ingredient organically, they’ll be sure to let you know!) They were actually the first certified organic meal kit service on the market.
They also use organic beef, chicken, and wild-caught seafood in their meals.
They source their ingredients from local, sustainable farms and suppliers as much as possible. I think that this (along with their delicious recipes) makes them one of the highest-quality meal kits on the market.
Green Chef Subscription Info
When you sign up for Green Chef, you can set your preferences to “protein-packed,” keto, vegetarian, vegan, Mediterranean, gluten-free, or “fast & fit,” which are calorie-conscious recipes that take 25 minutes or less to prepare.
You can also choose if you’d like three or four meals per week and if you want those meals to serve two, four, or six people.
A Green Chef subscription is slightly more expensive than your average meal kit subscription because there is a higher cost associated with organic ingredients.
Overall, I think it’s worth paying an extra dollar or two per meal for the quality of ingredients—each meal will probably cost you around $12 to $14 per serving.
Green Chef Packaging
Except for a few items that are necessary for food safety reasons, all of the packaging Green Chef uses is either reusable, recyclable, or compostable.
However (and that’s a pretty big however), they do still use quite a bit of plastic to package up all those conveniently chopped vegetables and mixed sauces.
They specifically state that they use #4 plastic film because it’s recyclable, which is great, but it’s not recyclable everywhere.
I wish they used more biodegradable options for sorting their pre-portioned ingredients because try as we might, most of us aren’t going to rinse out empty sauce packets and store them in our homes until we have enough saved up to warrant a trip to the recycling center.
Pros
- Green Chef is certified organic.
- Since Green Chef is a meal kit, you can customize meals if need be by adding, subtracting, or swapping out any of the ingredients.
- The recipe cards are easy to follow and are a great way to improve your cooking skills.
- Their ingredients are some of the highest quality of any meal kit.
Cons
- They use a lot of plastic packaging, even if it is recyclable.
- Green Chef meals take considerably longer to prepare than Factor meals, even the “fast & fit” ones.
- Their prices are a little high compared to their competitors.
Who is Green Chef Best For?
- Anyone trying to eat more organic, sustainable foods.
- People who love to cook or want to learn to cook.
- Families or couples who want each meal to serve two, four, or six people.
- Anyone trying to break out of their routine and try new meals and recipes.
- People in “food deserts” who don’t necessarily have access to large grocery stores with fresh produce.
Other Alternatives to Consider
If neither of these subscriptions seems like the perfect fit for you, consider one of these alternatives instead:
Alternatives to Factor
- Fresh N Lean: If you love the ease and convenience of Factor’s ready meals but want something that caters to some of the dietary plans that Green Chef is better for (like the Mediterranean diet or a vegan diet), Fresh N Lean offers the best of both worlds.
- Trifecta: If you like the dietary plan aspect of Factor’s service, but want something with even more guidance, check out Trifecta.
- Splendid Spoon: Splendid Spoon is similar to Factor in that they offer fitness friendly, prepared meals, but expand the variety a bit with a wide array of smoothies, soups, and grain bowls for different kinds of healthy on-the-go meal options.
Alternatives to Green Chef
- Sunbasket: Sunbasket meal delivery service isn’t certified organic like Green Chef, but they do use a ton of organic ingredients. Their meals are a bit more worldly than Green Chef’s, and they also offer ready meals and a vast selection of add-ons and grocery items.
- Purple Carrot: All of Purple Carrot’s meals are 100% vegan. They offer a huge selection of meal kits, ready meals, add-ons, and pantry items.
- Blue Apron: One of the first meal delivery services, Blue Apron has some distinctive recipes if you need a break from Green Chef for a bit.
- Home Chef: Home Chef meal delivery service offers a variety of different prep status for those looking to make a meal service fit their schedules. There’s “express” kits that are partially finished (just needing 15 additional minutes, Oven Ready plans (minimal prep), Grill Ready plans for those who love grilling and even microwaveable premade meals ready to quickly heat and eat on the go.
FAQs
Question: Are Factor and Green Chef the same company?
Answer: Yes, Factor and Green Chef are both part of the HelloFresh parent company, which also includes EveryPlate.
Question: Are Factor meals too high in fat?
Answer: Many of Factor’s meals are high in fat, but that’s not a bad thing if you follow the keto diet. People on the keto diet aim to get anywhere from 55% to 80% of their daily calories from fat to stay in ketosis.
If you’re worried about fat content, Factor’s vegan and calorie-smart meals tend to be lower in fat.
Question: Does Green Chef use grass-fed beef?
Answer: Yes, Green Chef uses grass-fed beef in their meal kits. They also use humanely-raised poultry and wild-caught salmon.
Factor vs Green Chef: Final Thoughts
I can’t say that a meal subscription will change your life, but I will say that it may make it easier to maintain a healthier lifestyle.
Not everyone has the time or energy to prepare daily healthy meals and stay active, and there are plenty of people who don’t have access to fresh ingredients to begin with.
A subscription to a company like Factor or Green Chef can take some of the burden off of the daily struggle to keep up with your health.
My summary decision tree at a glance:
- Don’t Have Time for Meal Prep? Go with fully prepared Factor Meals here.
- Need a High Protein, Fitness Focused Plan? Go with athlete oriented Factor Meals here.
- Dietary Restrictions? Gluten free, vegan, vegetarian and more should go with Green Chef here.
- All Organic? Go with the organic ingredients with Green Chef here.
Whichever one you choose will depend on your lifestyle, your taste, and what “healthy” means to you, but I think that either of these subscriptions are great options.
Just heat, eat, and enjoy. Factor makes eating healthy, EASY. Honestly, the hardest part about eating healthy are MEAL PLANNING and MEAL PREP. Factor removes both as an excuse and is interesting enough to stick with over the long term. Unlock a whopping 50% off your first box and enjoy an extra 20% off your next four boxes with code VENTURE50!
Lauren is also a bona fide mixologist, bringing her professional bartending skills to the table as one of our resident drink testers. In Lauren's world, life is a celebration, and her home is the party hub.
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