Of the meals I tried, carbohydrate content was on the low side overall, with some dishes providing around 30 g of carbohydrates (approximately 10 percent of the daily value) and others providing more than 50 g of carbohydrates (nearly 20 percent of the daily value). Even pasta dishes that I would expect to be higher in carbohydrates contain small portions of pasta, so are more focused on protein than carbohydrates. For example, the Herbed Greek Chicken and Tomato Penne contained 42 g of carbohydrates (15 percent of the daily value) and 32 g of protein.
I also noticed that the fiber is high in most dishes because the lion’s share of the carbohydrates come from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables rather than refined grains. This was one area of nutritional quality that was a big win for Factor because some studies show that only 5 percent of Americans are meeting recommended daily fiber goals (28 g per day). It was great to see dishes consistently containing more than 5 g of dietary fiber per serving, with some upward of 12 g per serving, given the low carbohydrate content.
I liked that all of the smoothies contained whole foods with no added sugar. They were very satisfying and as good or better than a smoothie purchased from a smoothie bar or juice shop.
I also liked the mix of lower-calorie smoothies that were more of a snack along with higher calorie, more nutrient-dense smoothies that could act as mini meals.
Be Mindful About Some of the Health Claims
There are discrepancies between Factor’s claims around being healthy and the actual healthfulness of the meals in general.
The Dietary Guidelines recommend getting less than 10 percent of calories per day from added sugar, 20 to 35 percent of total daily calories from fat, less than 10 percent of calories per day from saturated fat, and less than 2,300 mg per day of sodium. The American Heart Association (AHA) has even lower recommendations for saturated fat and sodium, recommending that less than 6 percent of total calories come from saturated fat, which equates to about 13 g of saturated fat per day for a 2,000-calorie daily eating pattern. AHA also encourages people to move toward an ideal sodium limit of no more than 1,500 mg per day for most adults.
But across the board, Factor meals often exceeded these guidelines. For example, on the breakfast menu, the Coconut Pancakes contained 740 calories, 42 g total fat (51 percent of the calories in the dish come from fat), 20 g saturated fat (100 percent of the daily value), 23 g of added sugar (nearly 50 percent of the daily limit), and 900 mg of sodium. And from the core menu, the Chicken Piccata With Cauliflower Mash and Broccoli, which may sound healthy at first glance, provides 620 calories, 45 g of fat (65 percent of the calories come from fat), and 21 g of saturated fat (105 percent of the daily value).
The vegetarian dishes were inconsistent, too.
For example, the Smoky Onion Butter Green Beans and Portobellos only provided 170 calories and only 3 g of protein, both too low for an entrée, but it still had 15 g of total fat (80 percent of the calories in the dish come from fat) and 7 g of saturated fat (35 percent of the daily value). Meanwhile, the Smoked Tofu Almond Stir Fry provided 580 calories, 26 g of fat (40 percent of the calories from fat), but only 4 g of saturated fat (18 percent of the daily value) and 32 g of protein. This tofu dish also contained 12 g of fiber, which is more than 40 percent of the recommended daily intake. This dish had 900 mg of sodium and 8 g of added sugar, but for an entrée it was much more balanced overall than the others.
While all meals have tags related to the nutritional content, such as Calorie Smart, Protein Plus, Fiber Support, and Carb Conscious, I couldn’t find information on the website that defined what these tags meant.
So while there were many examples of entrées that met high-protein goals or high-fiber goals or had reasonable levels of sodium, those same meals would also be excessively high in saturated fat or contain unexpected added sugar. For someone who doesn’t know how to read labels — and especially for someone at risk of heart disease — it may be a mistake to trust that whatever you order from Factor will be healthy.
Breakfast Items and Deserts
The breakfast items were also a mixed bag in terms of healthiness too. The Feta and Roasted Red Pepper Frittata seemed more nutritious than the other breakfast items, but it still had a very high amount of fat, saturated fat, and sodium. The frittata was made with liquid egg whites that became watery when reheated.
The pancakes came with a scoop of sweet butter and syrup on the side, adding concentrated sources of excess calories and sugar. Breakfast items also seemed to have a lot more preservatives and ingredients like olive pomace oil, much inferior to extra virgin or virgin olive oil. This was surprising from a company claiming to offer nutritionally balanced meals.
I also tried the Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake, and while this tasted good, it was very high in total fat and saturated fat; it included monk fruit sweetener in place of cane sugar, but definitely still had the decadence of a typical dessert.
