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Preparing healthy and flavorful meals every day can get old, particularly if you don’t enjoy cooking. Even the most dedicated athletes can slack on their nutrition due to a lack of accessibility to healthy meal options. Thanks to the emergence of several meal delivery companies in recent years, you don’t have to let your nutrition fall by the wayside.
GET 40% OFF TRIFECTAOne of the more prominent choices on the market is Trifecta, a meal delivery service that made it their mission to remove the possibility of diet failure by delivering fresh, healthy meals right to your door. Their offerings include a chef-curated menu of balanced meals, automatically delivered each week. Although it's a fantastic luxury to have well-balanced meals ready when you need them, the cost can add up over time; therefore, a meal subscription plan is not for everyone.
I used Trifecta for several weeks to see what their meal offerings were all about. Read along for my full Trifecta review to help you decide if this meal service is best for you.
Our Ratings
- Overall: 4/5
- Value/price point: 4/5
- App: 4/5
- Personalization: 5/5
- Convenience: 3/5
A Quick Look at Trifecta
SPECS
- Starting Price: $104.93 per week
- Appearance: Looks like a meal you’d receive in a restaurant
- Selection: Wide range of choices for different diets
- Packaging: Plastic tray, vacuum sealed with thin plastic film
- Taste: Chef curated flavors, light on sodium
- Macros: Depend on your selection though prioritize high protein
- Shipping: Free Available
- Delivery area: United States, including Hawaii and Alaska
- Food delivered: Fresh, deep chilled but not frozen
- Diet types: Paleo, Keto, Whole30, Clean, Vegan, Vegetarian etc.
Why We Picked It
Trifecta is a subscription-based meal delivery service that provides customers with chef-curated meals automatically delivered weekly. They cater to a range of diets, including paleo, keto, “clean eating,” Whole30, vegan, and vegetarian. All the meals are gluten-free and made with whole foods, prioritizing higher protein and lower carbs. They use humanely raised meats and predominantly organic produce, making them a smart choice for people who value sustainability.
You can purchase a weekly meal plan or select à la carte components to build your own meals. Meals arrive fresh, not frozen, in recyclable plastic trays and can be heated in just a few minutes.
In addition to their meal delivery service, Trifecta has also designed an app for users to create a nutrition plan based on their goals and track foods and exercise.
A Closer Look at Trifecta
Appearance
When opening a Trifecta meal, you’ll find that they look appetizing and include different colored vegetables and garnishes. Instead of arriving frozen, which can often impact presentation, Trifecta meals are fresh, which preserves their natural appearance. The proteins are well-seared with grill marks that make them pop, and the veggies are cooked well, but not to the point they are dull and mushy.
Selection
When browsing Trifecta, you’ll find a good selection of meals that cater to many different diets. Each meal plan has a chef-curated weekly rotating menu to ensure your taste buds never get bored.
If you decide on the meal prep option, Trifecta allows you to select from 11 proteins, four carbs, four vegetables, and nine of their classic meals. I found the selection to be sufficient, but not so much that it caused analysis paralysis. That said, a few more carb and veggie options for the bulk foods category certainly wouldn’t hurt.
Packaging
Your meals will arrive in a sleek cardboard box with the Trifecta logo. Once opened, you’ll find the meals fully enclosed in an insulated box with gel packs inside to keep the meals cold. The meals come vacuum sealed in recyclable plastic trays for freshness. They can stay fresh in the fridge for up to seven days and up to three months in the freezer. Subscribers pay a $9.99 flat rate shipping fee regardless of their location.
Trifecta's goal is to make all its packaging biodegradable by the end of 2023. The insulating ClimaCell panels used are made of paper and plant-based components, allowing them to be recycled. They come with gel ice packs to keep the food cold, which can be either reused or opened up and washed down the sink.
Taste
In general, Trifecta meals are neutral when it comes to flavor. I found this to be a plus because you can cater the meals to your taste. They are also relatively low in sodium, making them a good choice for those watching their salt intake.
While you can certainly add additional fixings to our meals, I rarely found the need to include extra seasonings or sauces. The bulk food items can serve as the basis for your favorite recipes, such as chicken and rice or fajitas, to speed up your cooking.
Macros
The macronutrients—protein, carbohydrates, and fats—in your Trifecta meals will vary based on your selections, though in general, they tend to be on the higher protein side, with slightly lower carbs and fats. Take one of their popular meals, for example, the chicken breast, sweet potato, and mixed vegetable meal, which comes in at 298 calories, 28 grams of protein, 29 grams of carbs, and nine grams of fat. If you choose the "convenience" option, where the menu changes weekly, the macros are an average of all the meals in that plan. You can also enter your meals into the app to keep track of your daily intake.
Price
Trifecta offers different pricing options based on the plan that you choose. You can order anywhere from seven to 21 entrees per week with the "convenience" meal plan option. The starting prices for this plan range from $104.93 to $110.99 for seven entrees, making the per meal cost about $14-15.85 for a minimum order.
Should you select from the "Control" options, you can choose between bulk-prepared meal prep foods or "classic" meals at a weekly minimum of $119. The bulk foods allow you to customize your meal combinations and portion sizes while providing a more cost-effective option than meal plans. The classic meals option lets the user choose from a selection of more simple ready-made meals at a slightly lower cost.
My Experience Using Trifecta
I started on the Trifecta site browsing several of their meal options. I wanted more control, so I selected their meal prep option and added several bulk food items and classic meals to my cart. Once I had reached the weekly minimum, I proceeded to checkout, which was as simple as entering my info and preferred payment method.
I received my meals on a Friday, which is when all Trifecta meals arrive regardless of location. I proceeded to open up the box and found all my meals inside. I was surprised at how tasty they looked. I tried my first meal that evening, cutting open the packaging with scissors and microwaving for about 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
The bulk foods were cooked well and seasoned appropriately. I valued having the ability to control my portion sizes while not having to cook every day. The classic meals were also well-balanced, with my favorite being the salmon, sweet potato, and mixed veggies.
I would continue to receive Trifecta meals for several weeks, each week making some tweaks to my selections to switch things up a bit. Although I chose the meal prep option this time, I could see myself trying one of the meal plans in the future. My only two critiques would be that the meal trays were as easy to open and that I could see the meal cost adding up after a while. Other than that, I was pleased with my experience and would order meals from Trifecta again.
What I Liked
- Cater to a number of different diets
- Meals are macro-friendly
- You can choose between meal plans or bulk food items
- The meals arrive fresh, not frozen
- App allows users to develop a custom nutrition plan
What I Think Could Be Better
- Can’t view the menu prior to ordering
- The cost can add up over time
- Shipping costs are extra
- App requires an additional subscription
Getting Started With Trifecta
Trifecta is super straightforward to get started with. You’ll begin by choosing whether you prefer the convenience (meal plan) option or the control (meal prep) option. From there, you’ll select a meal plan that best caters to your diet. The meal plan option requires a minimum of seven entrees per week and allows up to 21 meals. You can select from options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The meal prep choice requires a minimum order of $119 per week, allowing you to choose from several protein, carb, and vegetable options or some more basic classic meals.
Meal plans change according to the weekly menu, but meal prep only changes if you select different items for a given week. Once you set up your subscription, you will get meals automatically delivered to your door every week. Should you need to pause your subscription, you can do so for up to four weeks between deliveries.
If you’re still not sure where to begin, Trifecta offers a two-minute quiz that helps guide you towards the best meal choices for your goals.
Is Trifecta a Good Fit For You?
After testing out Trifecta for several weeks, I was very impressed with the quality and consistency of their meals. It was incredibly convenient to have healthy meals on hand that could be ready in minutes. I used them for lunch and dinner meals though I would still occasionally cook dinner while using them.
I found them to be at the upper limit of what I would like to spend on each meal, though personally, the convenience justified the cost. That said, I can see how the overall cost of a weekly meal subscription could add up if you subscribe for several months. I used Trifecta because I have a rather tight schedule, and they came in clutch. Therefore, I’d have to say that Trifecta was a good fit for me, and I would certainly consider using them again.
Trifecta vs. Factor
Factor is another leading ready-to-eat meal delivery company that provides a similar service to Trifecta. Both companies offer subscription-based weekly meal delivery and feature a rotating menu crafted by chefs. Each offers several different meal plans based on common diets.
Here are the most notable similarities and differences between the two companies:
Similarities
- Both meal plans work out to about the same cost
- Both allow you to "skip" or pause shipments
- Both charge a shipping cost of $9.99
- Meals from both companies arrive fresh
Differences
- Factor’s menu is more extensive than Trifecta’s
- Factor doesn’t offer à la carte options such as bulk foods
- Only Trifecta delivers to Hawaii and Alaska
- Factor offers certain add-ons such as smoothies, snacks, and juices
For people looking for a larger variety of meal choices, Factor may be worth trying, but for those who value having more control over their meals, Trifecta might be the better choice.
Our Final Takeaway
We found Trifecta meals to be the most cost-effective for busy individuals, athletes, or professionals who often struggle to find time to meal prep. Trifecta can provide a convenient alternative to hours in the kitchen while still helping you meet your nutrition goals. Their meals are macro-friendly, prioritizing protein with balanced portions of complex carbs, veggies, and fats. Trifecta also caters to several different diets and offers bulk food options allowing you to customize your portion sizes. The food is shipped fresh and can be seasoned to fit your tastes. Overall, it's an excellent service if it fits your budget.
Why Trust Us?
ACTIVE.com’s editorial team relies on the knowledge and experience of fitness and wellness experts including competitive athletes, coaches, physical therapists, nutritionists, and certified trainers. This helps us ensure the products we feature are of the highest standard. Collectively, the team has spent countless hours researching equipment, gear, and recovery tools in order to create the most accurate, authentic content for our readers. Customer satisfaction is also a key part of our review process, which is why we only feature products that are highly rated.
Disclaimer: Always make sure to consult with your doctor before starting a new diet. Any weight loss that totals more than one pound per week over a long period of time is unusual and should be monitored by a doctor.
FAQs About Trifecta
Does Trifecta Work?
Trifecta provides users with high-quality meals made with 100% whole foods, the basis of a nutritious diet. Having pre-made healthy meals on hand can go a long way towards meeting your nutrition and fitness goals, whether that be losing fat, gaining muscle, or maximizing your athletic performance.
Are Trifecta Meals Frozen?
Trifecta meals are never frozen and arrive at your door fresh in vacuum-sealed trays.
How Long Do Trifecta Meals Last?
Trifecta meals can last 6 to 10 days in the fridge or up to three months in the freezer.
Is Trifecta Good for Weight Loss?
The macronutrient breakdown of Trifecta meals is heavy on protein and lower in carbs, making them a solid choice for when weight loss is the goal. Users are also encouraged to download the Trifecta App to develop an individualized weight loss plan.
About the Author
Daniel Preiato is a registered dietitian who specializes in sports nutrition and nutrition education. He is also a certified strength and conditioning specialist, and an avid strength athlete. He uses his background in clinical nutrition to dissect research and help individuals meet their health and fitness goals.
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