Fresh Meal Plan Review 2024: Say Yes or Avoid?

Overview

Fresh Meal Plan aims to help you get great-tasting, nutritious prepared meals that fit your diet and that you can heat in your microwave in a couple of minutes. Prepared meals can definitely be healthy – and, they can also be balanced with a good combination of carbs, fats, proteins, and calories.

If you’ve been scouring the internet trying to find nutritious prepared meals that also work for the keto, paleo, and even vegan diet, you might be in luck. Fresh Meal Plan offers plenty of weekly meal options, you can mix and match across plans, and you get access to a staggering number of add-ons, extras, sides, snacks, and desserts.

Overall, I can recommend Fresh Meal Plan because of its large menu of prepared meals. Additionally, it caters to niche diets that many other competitors don’t offer like keto and paleo, and it offers you the opportunity to order a la carte, one-off orders instead of subscribing.

The last thing I want to mention is that you can also reduce the cost of each serving by placing a large order (14 meals has the lowest price per serving), which is nice to see. If you’d rather have meal kits, check out Green Chef with its similar dietary accommodation, but also offers certified-organic ingredients.

What’s on the Fresh Meal Plan Menu

If you’re into fitness and focused on your health, Fresh Meal Plan might be a good fit. It offers a wide array of fitness and health-related prepared meal plans and diets such as Keto, Paleo, Lean and Mean (high protein), Vegan, and Traditional (which is made up of regular, balanced meals). More than 95% of the meals available contain fewer than 600 calories, with most containing 500 or fewer.

Each plan is also geared toward a different specific objective. For instance, the Keto menu focuses on being higher fat and lower carb, the Paleo includes only whole foods-based, unprocessed ingredients, and the Vegan menu is plant-based.

Each meal is made up of high-quality ingredients. For instance, every meal is farm to table, the beef is grass-fed, there are no added sugars, and the poultry is preservative-, hormone-, and antibiotic-free. However, Fresh Meal Plan doesn’t guarantee that 100% of its ingredients are organic – but it does state that it provides locally-sourced products.

Meal Options 

All the meals you get from Fresh Meal Plan are prepared, which means zero planning, prep, cooking, cleaning, chopping, slicing, or dicing. This is one of my favorite features.

In terms of meals, you’ll find a large selection of proteins and a few international cuisines. Protein options include steak, pulled beef, ground beef, BBQ chicken, grilled chicken breast, pulled pork, ground turkey, burgers, shrimp, salmon, and more.

International meals include Italian, classic American, Latin American-influenced, Tex Mex, Greek, and Thai. Most, however, seem to be heavily Americanized to cater to broader flavor preferences.

The menu is big with 50+ choices on the weekly rotating menu. That’s more than I’ve seen from other fitness-oriented prepared meal delivery services like Factor. For instance, you could easily order enough meals for lunch and dinner 7 days per week.

There are other items for you to choose from, but only for breakfast – at least on the main menu. For instance, you’ll get access to things like pancakes, french toast, Margherita Breakfast Pizza, Traditional Breakfast with Turkey Sausage, Eggs, and Potatoes, Philly Steak Breakfast Bowl, Cinnamon Walnut Breakfast Bread, and All American Keto Breakfast with Berry Compote.

You can also get a ton of extras, but you have to “unlock” these first. Once you’ve added meals to your cart, you can then view the desserts, sides, snacks, protein add-ons, and more. At this stage, you won’t have added any address or payment details, so although it’s annoying that the extras aren’t on the main menu, you don’t have to make a purchase before viewing them.

There is a remarkable number of add-ons. You can get items like brownies, keto cookies, chia power bites, cheesecake parfait, tons of extra proteins like grilled chicken breast, bison burger patties, chicken salad and tuna salad, BBQ pulled pork, keto lasagna, teriyaki chicken, wild-caught salmon, blackened chicken, ground turkey or sirloin, and a ton of veg, too (most of which come in 1 lb packs).

Other add-ons include brussels sprouts, roasted broccoli and cauliflower, hard-boiled eggs, mashed sweet potatoes, jasmine rice, sauteed green beans, veggie medley, brown rice, and mac and cheese. This isn’t an exhaustive list, either, which I find quite impressive.

Lastly, I’d say that more than 90% of the meals are kid-friendly, too, depending on your kids’ preferences. Nothing sounds or appears “over the top”, super exotic, or overly spicy.

Customization

At this time, Fresh Meal Plan doesn’t offer you the ability to customize individual meals. However, there are several ways you can still get what you want. For instance, you can mix and match meals from any menu. For quick reference, again, the menus include Traditional, Lean and Mean, Keto, Paleo, and Vegan.

There’s also a way to choose meals based on your exact preferences, including your preferred type of protein, or whether you’d like to avoid certain ingredients. At the bottom of the website, you’ll see a section called Meal Types, where you can make your selection.

You can choose from several different options, including Chicken, Seafood, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and Beef to only see those types of meals. I found this to be a quick way to whittle down the menu. Once you click on any of those options, you’ll be brought to the menu where you’ll only see those meals.

Keep an eye out for specific allergens if you have a severe allergy. While I was browsing the specific dairy-free menu, I did notice that some options were popping up that still included dairy. For instance, I noticed that it still showed me Chicken Parmesan. This definitely contains dairy.

One additional (and very important) thing to keep in mind is that Fresh Meal Plan strongly advises you to discontinue ordering any meals if you have severe allergies. It doesn’t guarantee that its meals are free of major known allergens.

I also don’t like that you only get a basic list of ingredients when you click on meal images. This isn’t particularly helpful if you want to find out if the meals contain specific allergens.

But once you have an active subscription, you’re welcome to make some changes like choosing specific dietary preferences, your weekly delivery day, and the default menu you prefer.

Unboxing

The shipments you receive contain exactly what you might expect – a box full of the meals you’ve ordered neatly packaged in individual containers, and labeled for easy recognition. Your meals are shipped in an insulated box with ice packs and are carefully sealed to ensure quality. But there’s one small caveat.

If you’re in any region within Orlando to Miami-Dade County, your deliveries will arrive differently. You can expect them to be hand-delivered in a Fresh Meal Plan cooler bag instead of an insulated box. I’m not 100% sure why that is, but that’s how it chooses to deliver to these areas. I’m guessing that it has to do with the fact that one of its main offices is in Florida.

Everything is very organized with each meal containing some useful info printed directly on the microwaveable containers.

If you don't want to eat your meals right away, it's no problem. The meal labels don't actually state how long you can store the meals. But after searching the website, I found that your meals will stay fresh for up to 10 days in the fridge. If you need to, you could always freeze the meals as well.

You can also expect recyclable materials if you’re doing your part to help the environment. The box your order gets shipped in, the insulating liner, and all of the meal containers are all recyclable. The meal containers aren’t reusable, however, since they can only be sealed once. The ice packs can be discarded in the regular trash, or reused if you so desire.

Cooking with Fresh Meal Plan

Each meal comes in microwave-ready containers. All you have to do is remove the seal (or just open it up slightly) and remove any sauces before heating. More detailed instructions on how to heat each meal are printed clearly on each container. The sauces you’ll need are also prepared and simply have to be heated up.

Unfortunately, you can’t heat Fresh Meal Plan meals in the oven in the existing packages. The website states that you can still heat your meals in the oven, but you’ll have to remove the food from the existing trays and place them into your own oven-safe ones.

Each meal will have to be heated for anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes in your microwave, depending on its power output. If you opt to heat the actual food in your oven using your own oven-safe dish, times can also vary from around 15 to 30+ minutes, depending on the type of meal.

Shortlist of My Favorite Meals

Full disclaimer – I haven’t had the pleasure of trying the meals out since the service isn’t available in my area. But if I could, I totally would. That said, I’ve seen some meals that would probably become some of my favorites.

For instance, as someone who prefers balanced, regular meals, I particularly appreciate the Greek Salad with Chicken, Feta Cheese, and Orzo (especially as someone with a Greek mom!). My other favorite meals are the Sirloin Burger with Sweet Potato and Green Beans from the Lean and Mean menu and the Blackened Chicken with Cauliflower Rice and Tomatoes from the Keto menu.

I noticed that all of the meals contain fewer than 700 calories. There was actually only one single meal that went over 600. You’ll find lots of meals under 500 and even 400, too.

This could actually be considered a slight negative point for some people. If you’re going to be spending this much on prepared meals, you may prefer to get heftier meals to make it worth your money – but that’s up to you to decide. For me, 500-600 calories are simply not enough per meal.

In terms of protein, you can expect the meals to contain between 20 g and 50 g each. Carbs, on the other hand, vary a lot since the Keto menu is obviously a low-carb one. Expect to find between 8 to 9 g to around 60 g+ of carbs per meal, depending on the meal plan and the actual meal.

Lastly, fats range anywhere from around 5 to 8 g to about 18 g+, again, depending on the exact meal. If you’re looking for a specific macronutrient and calorie profile, I suggest checking the menu carefully before placing your order as there is significant variance.

Prices

Fresh Meal Plan pricing starts at $10.49 per portion for the maximum order, which is 14 meals. This is based on signing up for a weekly recurring subscription. If you opt for a la carte (one-off) orders, you’ll be spending around $3 more per serving.

The base-level plan, which includes a minimum of 6 meals, costs a couple of dollars more than the top plan – and the middle plan (10 meals) costs around $1 more per serving than the top plan.

Regarding shipping, prices can vary depending on your location and what you order. I’ve seen shipping fees ranging from $4.99 for the top-tier subscription plan to any city to $10.99 for a la carte orders. For a limited time, Fresh Meal Plan is running a promotion where you can save significantly on your first order using our coupon code – Take $120 Off Your First 6 Weeks of Meals at Fresh Meal Plan.

Other than that, you’ll have to pay extra for any add-ons or sides. For instance, add-ons range from around $6.50 to $7 for dessert items like brownies and parfaits, $10 to around $25 for chicken or tuna salad and protein add-ons, and about $7 to $14 for veggie items and hard-boiled eggs. There’s a huge variety, so I can’t cover what each item costs – but you’re welcome to view these items before placing your order.

At this time, Fresh Meal Plan doesn’t offer a refund policy or a satisfaction guarantee. If, however, you've delivered damaged goods, or if anything has been delivered improperly that’s no fault of your own, you can always try to reach out to customer support to see what they can do.

Shipping & Delivery

Deliveries are available in all 48 contiguous states – but sadly, not to Alaska or Hawaii at this time. You can choose your delivery day at the time of checkout.

If you need to reschedule a delivery, you can do so by the 6 pm CT cutoff time. Each subscription has its cutoff day, though, and you can check this in your account dashboard. These changes include address updates, meal selection updates, and cancellations. Changes can only be made to upcoming orders past this point.

There are some differences in how you get your food delivered if you live anywhere in Orlando or Miami-Dade county. In these regions, your food gets hand-delivered once per week. For all other locations, your food boxes are delivered via courier.

Lastly, there seems to only be an app for Android. It’s very odd that Fresh Meal Plan wouldn’t have an iOS app, but this might change down the road. The app lets you do a bunch of things like manage your information, change deliveries, choose meals, choose allergies/dislikes, and even buy gift cards. I personally would prefer the website, but it’s nice to see that you at least have the option of downloading the app if you have an Android phone or tablet.

How Fresh Meal Plan Works

It’s very simple to sign up for Fresh Meal Plan. All you need to do is head over to the website, and click on Get Started at the top of the screen on the left. From there, you’ll need to enter your zip code and email address and continue to the next step.

How to Get Your First Order

1. Head to the Fresh Meal Plan website: Once you’re there, you have a few options. The one I recommend is clicking directly on Get Started in the top right of the website. Type in your email address and zip code, then click Get Started once more.

2. Choose your desired plan (or A La Carte): Here, you’ll need to decide on the minimum number of meals you’d like. You can choose 6, 10, 14, or A La Carte (which requires a minimum order of 8).

3. Add the minimum number of meals to your order: You can either start adding meals, or you can further filter down the menu by any specific meals you like. Though each plan has a specific minimum order requirement, there’s no maximum.

4. Click Continue to Add-ons: Once you’ve chosen all your meals, you can then take a look at (and add) any extras, sides, snacks, or protein packs.

5. Review your information for accuracy: Double-check that you’ve added the meals and add-ons that you want and that your zip code is correct.

6. Click Continue To Checkout: Once you’re on the next screen, fill in the rest of the required information in order to complete your purchase.

Managing Your Subscription

Changing and managing your subscription is very straightforward. You can accomplish this using 2 different methods – either on the website by logging into your account dashboard, or by using the mobile app which is available for Android.

Some of the things you can do using the app include changing your billing information, delivery information, changing your orders, selecting allergies or dislikes, changing your password, or choosing your meals for your next order. The website also allows you to change the same things.

Customer Service

Overall, I was disappointed to see the lack of a live chat support feature. In my experience, most other meal delivery services provide live chat support for pre-sales questions. If you have any questions before ordering, you’ll have to contact the team via phone at (561) 330-4345 or email at teamfresh@freshmealplan.com.

However, I tried out the email address for myself to see how responsive the support team is. The agent responded in less than one hour, which was pretty unexpected. For the most part, other competitors can take up to 1 to 2 days to reply – and, sometimes, I’ve never gotten a response.

But there are other ways to get answers besides calling or emailing. You can look at the detailed FAQ section, which answers most questions. Sadly, at the time of writing this article, Fresh Meal Plan doesn't offer refunds. All their sales are final.

It’s as easy to cancel your account from your account dashboard or the mobile app. If you need any help with this, you could also call or email the support team.

How Fresh Meal Plan Compares to Other Meal Delivery Services

• Fresh Meal Plan vs. Factor: Factor is one of Fresh Meal Plan’s biggest competitors. It appears quite similar to Fresh Meal Plan as it only offers prepared meals. However, Factor’s sheer number of add-ons and sides make it a worthy alternative – and you can view these before signing up. It offers everything from smoothies, extra proteins like sausages, meats, and seafood, cookies, macaroons, salads, veggies, and even breakfast items.

• Fresh Meal Plan vs. Green Chef: Green Chef could be an excellent alternative. You’re getting similar diets and Keto, Plant Based, Mediterranean, Quick & Easy, Calorie Smart, Gluten Free, Protein Packed, and Delicious Discoveries plans. Also, you get certified-organic fresh produce and eggs.

• Fresh Meal Plan vs. Blue Apron: Blue Apron doesn’t just offer prepared meals, its offer also includes a large assortment of meal kits and ready-to-cook meals. Plus, it appears to have a wider selection of premium international cuisines.

The Bottom Line: Is Fresh Meal Plan Worth It?

One thing I should mention is that Factor may be a better alternative. For instance, it lists all major allergens and has a better ingredients list than Fresh Meal Plan. And, you can see add-ons and extras without signing up (unlike Fresh Meal Plan).

FAQ

Can Fresh Meal Plan’s meals be frozen?

Yes they can. All Fresh Meal Plan meals arrive fresh but they can be frozen for up to 2 weeks. It is recommended by Fresh Meal Plan that all frozen meals be thawed completely before heating them up.

Is Fresh Meal Plan good for weight loss?

It could be, yes. Depending on your dietary needs, Fresh Meal Plan’s meals contain mostly fewer than 600 calories, with many also containing fewer than 500. If you’re looking to lose weight, these meals could make it simpler for you since you won’t have to weigh your food or track your calories very carefully.

What is Fresh Meal Plan’s A La Carte menu?

This menu is for one-off orders that don’t require you to sign up for recurring deliveries. You can order any meals you like at any time – but the minimum order requirement is at least 6 meals.