Fresh N Lean vs. Trifecta 2024: Fresh, Healthy Plans Compete

Maintaining an active exercise and work life while eating healthy can be a challenge. If you're active in work, gym, and life, having fresh and fully prepped meals that fit your nutrient and macro profile can take a load off your shoulders. Fresh N Lean’s and Trifecta’s menus both have meals for you.

Both services offer similar diet plan options that include fully prepared, mostly organic non-GMO, and 100% gluten-free meals with thoughtfully sourced proteins that are all methodically cooked to maintain optimal nutrient density.

Each service offers stronger features than the other and choosing a winner was a super close call, but the winner is Trifecta since it offers an app to manage your delivery!

Read on to see how these services compare.

At a Glance: Who Won Each Category?

Menu Variety

Winner: It’s a tie!

Fresh N Lean and Trifecta offer fully prepared, single-serving meals of Standard American and Mediterranean cuisines. The cuisine isn’t as varied as you might find with other services, but you’ll find some Asian- or Indian-inspired flavors here and there.

Meals arrive cool to the touch and ready to be refrigerated. Since meals arrive in single-servings, these services are best for busy individuals who want hassle-free, super-healthy meals.

These services prioritize providing fresh, whole, unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods and recommend eating your meals within one week after they arrive.

While neither service is certified organic, both use as many organic ingredients as possible without compromising meal freshness. Plus all meals for both services are completely gluten-free!

What’s impressive about these companies is how much they prioritize creating dishes with whole ingredients, fresh produce, and humanely-sourced proteins. Those high-quality ingredients and their natural flavors are the stars of each dish.

Both services offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner, often offering lunch and dinner recipes interchangeably.

Fresh N Lean offers seven dietary-specific meal plans ranging from 4 to 12 breakfast recipes and 8 to 12 lunch/dinner recipes, depending on which plan you choose. Recipes rotate seasonally to maintain ingredient quality and freshness. Add-ons include nine snacks of oatmeal, muffins, granola, and various types of roasted almonds.

You can also order bulk with Fresh N Lean’s Bulk plan, which offers humanely-sourced, antibiotic-free and hormone-free bulk proteins in 16 oz portions. Beef is grass-fed, elk and venison are grass-fed and pasture-raised, all poultry is free-range, and fish is sustainably sourced!

Trifecta offers six dietary-specific meal plans. Trifecta’s ingredient quality for the Clean, Paleo, and Whole30 meal plans is right on par with Fresh N Lean’s regarding non-GMO produce and humanely-sourced proteins. Trifecta is consistently improving ingredient quality for the remainder of its diet plans.

Trifecta meal plans range from 10 to 14 recipes per plan that rotate every three weeks. This information isn’t readily available on the website, and I had to reach out to customer service to get it. All meal plan recipes are “chef-selected”, meaning that Trifecta’s chefs pre-determine the menu according to each plan’s macro counts.

You also can’t view the menu for Trifecta’s main meal plans. While this is fine if your sole priority is counting macros, it’s inconvenient if you want to know whether you’ll like the food you’ve paid for and will receive.

The website only shows four example recipes you might get with each plan and doesn’t feature the complete list of recipes available for each plan.

However, you can see the menu for the a la carte Classics menu and the ingredients for the Meal Prep plan.

Where Trifecta is stronger than Fresh N Lean regarding variety is in its Meal Prep plan. The Meal Prep plan allows you to build your own meals by choosing from 11 meat and fish proteins, four carbohydrates, and four veggie sides. That’s a whole lot more variety of meals!

Like Fresh N Lean’s bulk ordering option – you can choose as many 16 oz portions of each ingredient as you want. Ingredients will arrive fully prepared so all you have to do is choose which combination of ingredients you’d like to plate, heat, and enjoy.

If you’re a family wanting to add high-quality, fully prepped ingredients to make weekly meals healthier and easier, the Meal Prep menu is a great place to start! 

Meal Prep plan Ingredients and Fresh N Lean’s bulk ordering ingredients are minimally seasoned with some combination of basic flavors like salt, black pepper, garlic, onion, rosemary, and thyme. Given this minimal seasoning, these foods are great for any palate.

Meal Customization

Winner: It’s a tie!

This was too close to call!

Each service offers excellent and different customization features that might work better for you depending on your dietary needs. Fresh N Lean offers more ingredient exclusions and allows you to choose which meals you receive (although you can’t mix and match across plans), but Trifecta offers the build-your-own meal Meal Prep plan.

Both services are completely gluten-free, and most meals are dairy-free, soy-free, and nut-free, depending on which meal plan you order! If you have allergies and are following a particular diet, you’ll find great options on both menus.

Both services offer a la carte meal and ingredient ordering.

The main difference in customization features between these two services is that Fresh N Lean allows you to choose your meals for each plan and offers better ingredient exclusions, while Trifecta offers a completely customizable Meal Prep plan that allows you to build your own meals.

After you choose your plan and complete your payment, you can select all the meals for your plan. Fresh N Lean will give you breakfast or lunch/dinner options based on your plan. With each meal plan, you can choose from one to three meals for five or seven days a week.

Fresh N Lean offers eight plans – Protein+, Keto, Paleo, Whole30, Mediterranean, Vegan, Low-Carb Vegan, and Bulk.

One unique meal plan that’s very hard to find from most meal delivery services is the Low-Carb Vegan option. Vegan diets are typically high carb as most protein is derived from carb-heavy foods like legumes and grains. Fresh N Lean’s Low-Carb Vegan plan is a great answer for vegans wanting low-carb meals.

Depending on the plan, you can exclude up to three ingredients from a list of 15 to 18. Allergy accommodations include soy, shellfish, and sesame

The Bulk plan is Fresh N Lean’s a la carte menu that offers ten proteins in portions of 16 oz. Proteins arrive fully prepped by baking, steaming, or lightly grilling methods – never fried! This is a great option if you’re looking to increase your protein intake with super clean, healthy, thoughtfully sourced proteins.

Trifecta offers six dietary plans – Clean, Keto, Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, and Whole30, plus the Meal Prep build-your-own-meals option. You can also order pescatarian for the Clean, Paleo, and Whole30 plans, which is essentially adding even more plans.

Ingredient exclusions will change for each meal plan. The Vegan and Vegetarian plans include exclusion options for tofu, vegan chicken, and Impossible meat whereas you’ll see exclusion options such as turkey, pork, and duck for the Paleo plan.

Trifecta’s Meal Prep plan is an excellent choice if you have a particular diet not on the menu but still want super clean high-quality ingredients. It’s also a great choice if you enjoy some meal prep and adding seasoning or sauces to better suit your palate.

If you’re unsure where to start with Trifecta’s meals, you can take the personalization quiz on the website. The customization quiz asks you seven questions about your activity level and diet goals, then recommends a plan based on your answers.

I took the quiz and was recommended the A la Carte plan, with no reason for being recommended the A la Carte plan. Speaking to a registered dietitian, doctor, nutritionist, personal trainer, or otherwise certified fitness and diet professional is much safer.

However, your results may differ from mine and you may find this quiz the best place to start your meal delivery service experience.

The minimum order for this option is $119, which is a bit steep but affords you a level of customization that few services offer.

So, both services offer slightly different customization options depending on what you want to order. Fresh N Lean allows you to choose all your meals for each plan and has better ingredient filtration options, while Trifecta only lets you choose meals for the Classics or Meal Prep plans although there are ingredient preference options for the other meal plans.

Plus, Trifecta’s Meal Prep plan lets you create your own meals from its super clean, high-quality ingredients.

Ordering, Delivery, Unboxing

Winner: Trifecta

Trifecta wins because it offers an app that makes ordering, delivery management, and meal tracking super easy. Trifecta almost didn’t win this category because its website is clunky and difficult to navigate. I also don’t like that you can’t see the available recipes for each meal plan.

Trifecta also offers the opportunity to speak with a health coach after you place your first order.

Ordering

Ordering through Trifecta’s app is super-easy and doesn’t contain the same clutter as the website.

The app also functions as a nutrition and fitness tracker. Trifecta even offers live chat with customer service agents who can perform all the same functions as the app and website. Having an app and live chat are two key features that really allow you to enjoy the complete convenience of meal delivery services.

More on the app and live chat in the Customer Support section.

Fresh N Lean’s available meal plans were much easier to find, peruse, and order. All meal plans are listed on the first page of the website and when you click on a meal plan you can view all available meals. You can even see the average macros for each meal plan. So easy!

Moving past the user experience of these websites, changing order details is relatively easy for both services. You can use Trifecta’s app, website login, phone line, or live chat to change any order details. Trifecta’s order adjustment cutoff is seven days before your next delivery.

For Fresh N Lean, you can call customer support or log in to the website to manage any order details. To de-automate your orders, you have to call customer support. Otherwise, you can skip weeks or cancel an order via the website login. Fresh N Lean’s order adjustment cutoff is every Saturday at 11:59 pm PST.

Both services are pretty flexible in allowing you to choose weekly, bi-weekly, tri-weekly, or monthly orders.

The order minimum for Fresh N Lean is five meals per meal plan or $85 for the Bulk plan and a la carte ordering. You can order up to 21 meals per week plus snacks to make meal prep as hassle-free as possible!

The order minimum for Trifecta is seven entrees if you select a meal plan and for the Meal Prep and Classics plans, you’ll need to order at least $119 worth of food. You can order up to 28 servings per week from a meal plan, allowing you to choose that extra entree for all you athletes who are training hard or families who want a leg up in meal prep for the week.

Plus, once subscribed to a Trifecta plan – you can order an unlimited amount of food. I’m sure there’s a cap at some point, but customer service agents couldn’t give me a number. This is excellent for families who can afford Trifecta’s price point and want to order fully prepped super clean foods!

Delivery

One point in Trifecta’s favor is that it delivers to Alaska and Hawaii, which very few other meal delivery services offer. The shipping fee to these states is exorbitant at $49.99 per delivery, but at least the non-contiguous US has a super healthy meal delivery service option! Otherwise, shipping is a flat rate of $9.99 for contiguous zip codes.

Fresh N Lean delivery to the 48 contiguous states and standard shipping is free!

Trifecta and Fresh N Lean deliver on Fridays and Saturdays between 8 am and 8 pm, and boxes arrive well-insulated to protect your food should you be away during that time.

Fresh N Lean sends your tracking information as soon as you complete your order, while Trifecta sends your tracking information as soon as it's scanned by one of its carriers.

One point in Fresh N Lean’s favor is that it offers Wednesday or Thursday expedited delivery for an extra fee of $25 to $40, depending on where you live and how many meals you order.

Unboxing

Both services vacuum seal your food and send fully prepped meals in microwave-ready trays.

Fresh N Lean individually packages and flash freezes your meals which will arrive cool to the touch and ready for refrigeration or freezing. Each meal is individually labeled with ingredient facts and heating instructions on each package.

Trifecta meals will arrive in one of two ways. All meal plan or a la carte Classics meals will arrive individually packaged and cool to the touch. If you choose the Meal Prep plan, meals will arrive packaged by ingredient and cool to the touch so that you can construct your meals as you wish.

Both services are sustainably focused and provide as much eco-friendly packaging as possible! Recyclability for both services is pretty even, and Trifecta prides itself on having 98% packaging recyclability! That’s super impressive for a meal delivery service.

Fresh N Lean says most of its packaging is recyclable or biodegradable and provides instructions on its website about recycling each item. While this service doesn't provide a clear percentage of how much packaging is recyclable and customer service couldn't give me a clear number other than "mostly," I think its recyclability is comparable to Trifecta's.

Meal Prep

Winner: It's a tie

Fresh N Lean and Trifecta prioritize making super clean eating accessible and both offer fully-prepped microwave-ready meals.

Fresh N Lean's meals arrive frozen and are recommended to be defrosted or frozen depending on when you want to consume each meal. The service encourages you to defrost meals immediately for 36 to 48 hours in the fridge to fully defrost so you can enjoy them while they’re as fresh as possible.

Once defrosted, puncture a few holes in the plastic film cover and heat for 2 to 3 minutes in the microwave. You can heat your meals in a stove pan if you prefer.

To enjoy Fresh N Lean meals while they're as fresh as possible, eat them within one week of defrosting. Otherwise, meals can last in the freezer for 6-8 weeks.

One feature I really like about Trifecta's service is that meals arrive fresh, cool to the touch, and never frozen. You can refrigerate what you know you'll eat within a week of receiving your meals and freeze the rest. Meals last three months in the freezer.

Like Fresh N Lean’s meals, Trifecta meals arrive in microwave-safe trays and are ready to be popped in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. Trifecta offers directions on its website for oven, skillet, and air-fryer heating if you prefer any of those options!

Check out the FAQ General page and click on How do I heat my Trifecta meals? to view directions for each heating method plus extra flavoring tips.

Trifecta’s Meal Prep plan prep is slightly different than the rest of its fully prepared plans. You’ll first need to decide which ingredients you’d like to plate, determine if you’d like to add seasoning or sauce, prep your food to your taste, then heat your meal in your preferred method. Since ingredients arrive fully cooked, heating takes the same amount of time as it does for all other meal plans.

Total prep time for Trifecta’s Meal Prep option depends on how culinary you get with extra seasonings and sauces! Since ingredients don’t arrive with recipes, you’ll need some cooking experience and a bit of imagination or research skills to create the tasty meals you want.

Both services never fry their foods since frying can heat foods at excessively high temperatures that break down nutrient integrity beyond the level at which your body most easily absorbs nutrients. Food prep involves baking, steaming, or light grilling, and oils used include olive, avocado, coconut, and walnut.

Beyond meats are the only menu item between both services that contain canola oil.

Customer Support

Winner: Trifecta

When ordering from a meal delivery service, I find the most important feature to be the accessibility of its customer support in case any issue arises with my order.

Trifecta wins because it offers an app to conveniently manage your delivery details. It also offers more customer support features than Fresh N Lean does, including a meal plan recommendation quiz and free coaching session.

The app is what tips this whole comparison in Trifecta’s favor. Seamlessly managing order details through an app is the ultimate convenience meal delivery services can offer these days when most people who can afford meal delivery services usually own smartphones.

However, Trifecta’s customer support isn’t perfect. Despite Trifecta offering a chatbot, live chat, and an excellent app, I could only connect with an agent on the live chat or a phone agent about one out of six or seven times due to “high demand”. Phone agents were more accessible than live chat agents.

This was true even on the weekends. If there wasn’t an available agent, the chat would close or the call would end immediately.

Fresh N Lean’s agents are more accessible. I was always connected with an agent on the phone in about one minute, and the several agents I spoke with were always friendly!

Fresh N Lean’s phone customer support hours are seven days per week 7 am to 5 pm PT. Trifecta’s phone hours are seven days per week, as well, from 8 am to 5 pm PT.

I don’t recommend the email option for either service if you want a quick response. Average email response times for both services was about 24 to 48 hours, sometimes more from Trifecta.

However, cancellation and changing your order is super easy for both services. All you have to do to cancel your next Fresh N Lean order or subscription is log in to your account and make the changes you need or call customer service before Saturday at 11:59 pm PT.

With Trifecta, you can use the app, live chat, or phone line one week before your next expected order.

Trifecta’s App

For fitness or diet nerds who love tracking every detail about your hydration, eating, and exercising habits, you’ll love Trifecta’s app. The app tracks food macro- and micronutrients and calories consumed and burned.

All Trifecta meals and ingredients are recorded in the app, so you can directly select which Trifecta foods you’ve consumed that day for an accurate, seamless health-tracking experience. Or, you can scan the barcode of additional ingredients or meals you’ve consumed from any other source.

While tracking foods is free and you can track all Trifecta meals and ingredients, the fitness tracking feature requires a paid subscription. If you choose to sign up for Trifecta’s Premium App service, you’ll have access to workout plans, workout videos from celebrity athletes, and more.

Trifecta’s Meal Plan Quiz and Free Coaching Session

Trifecta offer a meal plan recommendation quiz before ordering, and a free coaching session with one of their International Federation and Sports Academy (IFSA)- certified coaches after ordering.

You can have a free one-time 20 to 30-minute call with one of their IFSA-certified coaches after you order. The coach will ask you similar questions as the customization quiz, calculate your calorie and macro consumption based on your weight loss, muscle gain, or other health goals, and advice which meal plan and foods are best to consume to reach those goals.

I would find this more useful if talking to a coach was available before making an order. If the coach advises something different than what you’ve ordered, you may want to change your order accordingly.

Pricing

Winner: Fresh N Lean

Fresh N Lean wins the pricing game! Per meal and per portion prices are lower, shipping is cheaper, and order minimums are smaller than Trifecta.

Each service offers three different price structures on its menu – diet plans, a la carte meals, and a la carte ingredients that all have different starting price points. The lowest price you’ll pay at Fresh N Lean is $7.53 per serving and for Trifecta it’s Price: Missing Product trifecta per serving.

Let’s compare prices for the same meal plan to get a better comparison. Fresh N Lean’s Paleo per-meal prices for 21 meals per week start at about $11 per meal plus free shipping, while Trifecta’s Paleo plan at 21 meals per week starts at about $15 with $9.99 shipping for the contiguous US and $49.99 shipping for AK and HI.

Per meal prices for both service’s diet plans decrease as you order more meals. The a la carte meal and a la carte ingredient portion prices don’t change with order size.

Fresh N Lean’s a la carte minimum is $85 for meals or Bulk plan items, which is a cheaper minimum than Trifecta’s Meal Prep and Classics options which require a minimum spend of $119.

However, at the $119 mark, the price per serving is about even between services, depending on what you order. You can get about 5 lbs of proteins from Fresh N Lean or 5 lbs of proteins and carbs or veggies from Trifecta.

Features Comparison: Fresh N Lean vs. Trifecta

And The Winner Is: Trifecta!

In my experience of researching, comparing, ranking, and ordering from meal delivery services, I've found that efficient customer support features can make or break the service.

Trifecta wins this comparison since it offers more customer support features, including an app through which you can manage all subscription details and track the nutrition details of the meals you order. 

However, this was a very close call in every other feature offered by these two exceptional meal delivery services. 

If Fresh N Lean offered an app and more customer support features, it would’ve won this comparison! Fresh N Lean prices, order minimums, and shipping fees are all lower than Trifecta’s, while ingredient quality, food prep, cuisine variety, customization, and ordering flexibility are all the same.

You can’t go wrong ordering from these super fresh and healthy meal delivery services.

FAQ

Does Trifecta and Fresh N Lean deliver to Hawaii?

Trifecta delivers to Hawaii and Alaska but Fresh N Lean only delivers to the contiguous US. Shipping is steep at $49.99 per order to deliver your Trifecta meals to AK or HI and it’s $9.99 for all other states. Shipping is free for all fresh N Lean orders.

Can Trifecta meals be frozen?

Yes. Trifecta meals can be frozen and will last in the freezer for up to three months. However, Trifecta recommends eating meals within a week of arrival while they’re still fresh.

What are Fresh N Lean’s meal options?

Depending on which diet plan you order, Fresh N Lean offers 2 to 12 breakfast recipes and 10 to 11 lunch/dinner recipes. You can also order a la carte from a menu of 10 to 12 options that rotate weekly from different diet plans.