by Of the meals I tried, the carbohydrate content was generally on the low side, with some dishes providing around 30g of carbohydrates (about 10 per cent of the daily value) and others providing more than 50 g of carbohydrates (almost 20 percent of the daily value). ). Even pasta dishes that I would expect to be higher in carbohydrates, contain small portions of pasta, so they 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 loved that all the smoothies contained whole foods with no added sugar. They were very satisfying and as good or better than a smoothie bought from a smoothie bar or juice shop.
I also liked the combination of lower calorie smoothies that were more of a snack along with higher calorie, more nutrient dense smoothies that could serve as mini meals.
Be Careful about some of the Health Claims
There are discrepancies between Factor’s claims of being healthy and the actual hygiene of the meals in general.
But across the board, Factor meals often exceeded these guidelines. For example, on the breakfast menu, the Coconut Pancakes had 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 value. sugar (almost 50 percent of the daily limit), and 900 mg sodium. And from the main menu, the Chicken Piccata With Cauliflower Mash and Broccoli, which may seem healthy at first glance, provides 620 calories, 45 g of fat (65 percent of the calories come from fat), and 21 g of fat saturated (105). percent of the daily value).
The vegetarian dishes were also inconsistent.
For example, the Smoky Onion Butter Green Beans and Portobellos provided only 170 calories and only 3 g of protein, both too low for an entrée, but still contained 15 g of total fat (80 percent comes from percent of the calories in the dish from fat. ) and 7 g 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 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.
Although each meal has tags related to the nutritional content, such as Calorie Smart, Protein Plus, Fiber Support, and Carb Conscious, I was unable to find information on the website that defined what the these tags.
So while there were many examples of entrees that met high-protein or high-fiber goals or had reasonable sodium levels, those same meals would be too high in saturated fat or have added sugar without expected in them. For someone who doesn’t know how to read labels – and especially for someone who is at risk of heart disease – it could be a mistake to trust that whatever you order from Factor will be healthy.
Breakfast and Desert Items
The breakfast items were also a mixed bag from a health perspective. The Feta and Roasted Red Pepper Frittata looked more nutritious than the other breakfast items, but was still very high in 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 extra calories and sugar. Breakfast items also appeared to have significantly more preservatives and ingredients like pomace olive oil, much less than extra virgin or pure olive oil. This was surprising from a company that claimed to be offering nutritionally balanced meals.
I also tried the Raspberry Pistachio Cheesecake, and while this tasted good, it was very high in total fat and saturated fat; It included monk fruit sweetener instead of cane sugar, but the typical dessert was definitely decadent.
