Freshology Review: Menu, Cost, Options, and More

Pros and cons at a glance

What is Freshology?

Freshology offers ready-to-eat meals purportedly designed by dietitians and prepared by chefs. The meals do not require any shopping or prep.

The service follows a 5-week meal rotation system, meaning that the weeklong menu will not be served again for another 5 weeks to ensure you don’t get bored with your meals.

The company also offers flexible plans that you may start and stop whenever you want. There are no cancellation fees, and Freshology offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

The service delivers its orders via FedEx. It’s available throughout the United States, except for Hawaii and Alaska.

Alternatively, local pickup is available twice a week in certain cities. You may use the ZIP code locator on the company’s website to see available options.

Brand reputation

Operated by Diet-to-Go, Freshology is a meal delivery service that claims to help people lose weight through its no-cook, portion-controlled meals.

The brand regularly uses sensationalized marketing language, promising that its meals will help you quickly lose weight.

The company’s marketing messages are not backed by research, and they promote an unsustainable and unhealthy relationship with food and weight, which isn’t aligned with Healthline’s approach to well-being.

Freshology also failed our rigorous vetting process due to concerns about its business practices.

For example, the company claims that its food is made in government-inspected kitchens and that it follows strict food handling procedures. However, Healthline’s vetting team was unable to find proof of accreditation on the company’s website.

Similarly, while Freshology claims that its meals are designed by registered dietitians, the company’s website does not include any information on who the dietitians are or what credentials they have. The site also does not list common allergens for the meals.

Finally, while the company has a privacy policy, there’s no indication of how it actually protects consumer data.

While some reviewers appreciate the convenience Freshology offers, many complain that the service is overpriced given the quality of the food. Several customers also note that the meals are too low in calories or not satisfying enough, making it a challenge to stick with the program.

Meal selection

Freshology offers four meal plans — Balance, Balance-Diabetes, Keto-Carb30, and Vegetarian — each containing more than 20 meals to choose from. Here’s a brief description of each:

• Balance: the most popular plan, which has the largest food selection and variety and doesn’t include red meat or pork
• Balance-Diabetes: designed to help you manage your blood sugar
• Keto-Carb30: meant to help you maintain a keto lifestyle by providing an average of 30 grams of net carbs per day
• Vegetarian: a meatless version of the Balance plan that includes eggs and dairy

Once you’ve signed up and decided on a plan, you may opt for a 5- or 7-day meal plan and choose either 2 or 3 meals per day. Each meal includes extras such as fruit, sauces, and sides.

The entire menu is customizable. You can also choose from a list of substitutions if you don’t want to order a specific item and can opt to filter out fish and seafood in the Balance and Keto-Carb30 menus.

Freshology delivers fully cooked, preportioned meals, so all you have to do is reheat and enjoy.

Ingredients

Freshology uses fresh, locally sourced ingredients to prepare their meals. The company also aims to use organic ingredients whenever possible.

However, there’s little available information on the company’s site regarding other ingredient details, including sourcing practices, portion sizes, and common allergens — other than a general statement of not offering gluten-free meals.

The meal plans are also fat-, salt-, and cholesterol-controlled.

The company follows guidelines from the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the American Cancer Society, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Freshology even limits the use of artificial sweeteners and avoids preservatives and additives.

For example, the company avoids the additive monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer that may cause headaches and nausea in people who are sensitive to it (1).

Lastly, Freshology claims to adhere to Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point food handling procedures.

These procedures ensure you enjoy a safe meal by controlling food safety from the moment the ingredients arrive at their kitchen until the meals leave for delivery.

Taste and freshness

Freshology’s chef-created menus promise mouthwatering meals that you can tailor to your taste.

Meals are distributed once or twice a week, depending on your delivery method of choice. Shipped meals are dispatched every Monday, and shipments arrive within 3 days.

For this reason, most meals are delivered frozen and packed on dry ice in styrofoam coolers. However, depending on your location and climate conditions, you may receive your meals thawed.

Freshology’s local pickup option is also available twice a week, and it provides fresh, unfrozen meals.

All the meals have a refrigerator shelf life of 7 days, and you may safely keep them frozen for up to 30 days.

We tried 1 week of meals and found the entrees to be more flavorful than expected, though we noted that many included prepackaged items, such as mandarin oranges in fruit juice.

Healthline testers also mentioned that the meals weren’t particularly satisfying and didn’t taste as fresh as entrees from other prepared meal delivery services, such as Factor and Freshly.

Diet friendliness

Freshology’s Balance menu aligns with a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle. However, the remaining plans target three specific types of diets.

Balance-Diabetes is created for people who need to prevent or manage prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.

The menu is dietitian-designed and follows the ADA guidelines for carbs, proteins, and fats. Each meal is said to contain less than about 45 grams of carbs.

The Keto-Carb30 plan is meant for those who are following a keto or low carb diet.

It follows the ketogenic ratio, providing 70% of calories from fat, 25% from protein, and 5% from carbs. It states that the meals contain an average of 30 grams of net carbs per day.

Lastly, the company’s Vegetarian plan follows a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet, which means the protein sources include dairy and eggs, as well as beans, soy, and other plant sources.

In addition to the targeted plans, the Balance, Balance-Diabetes, and Vegetarian menus are categorized as heart-healthy. This means they’re suitable for those trying to watch their salt, fat, and cholesterol intake.

Weight loss

Freshology makes some serious claims regarding weight loss.

It promises to help you achieve your weight loss goals with calorie-controlled meals and a supporting team of health professionals, including dietitians, nutritionists, and health coaches.

Yet, the company also disclaims that results aren’t guaranteed, and details on the staff and their credentials are unavailable on the site.

The program has two daily calorie goals available for both men and women that provide a weekly average of about 1,200 and 1,600 calories per day. Even with the goal of losing weight, these calorie goals are likely too low for most adults.

Additionally, the company provides you with a free analysis tool to help you determine which calorie recommendation better suits your weight loss goal.

Ingredients and nutrition facts for each meal are available online.

Nevertheless, you’ll only get to see them once you’ve logged in your delivery and billing information — meaning that those details are only available once you’ve committed.

You may also join the online community, which offers resources and programs for support and motivation.

Price

Freshology subscriptions are billed weekly and vary in cost according to the plan and number of meals per week:

• Balance: $130.99–$212.99 per week
• Balance-Diabetes and Vegetarian: $130.99–$192.99 per week
• Keto-Carb30: $147.99–$219.59 per week

There’s an additional $19.98 shipping fee on all orders.

Alternatively, if you live near their local delivery areas, you may pick up your meals for free.

You may also cancel your meals at any time, free of charge.

Comparison with competitors

If you’re looking to lose weight or simply eat healthier without having to cook, there are several prepared meal delivery services to consider. Here’s a quick look at how Freshology stacks up to its main competitors:

Who is Freshology for, and is it worth it?

Freshology is a convenient meal service that may help some people lose weight. However, keep in mind that weight loss results are not guaranteed.

Although the company offers support from dietitians, nutritionists, and health coaches, details on the staff and their credentials, which would be desirable, are unavailable on the website.

The service’s plans may work for those who have little to no time to cook but don’t want to rely on conventional fast food alternatives.

The Keto-Carb30 plan may be a good option for those who are following or starting a keto lifestyle but don’t want to take on the challenge of planning and preparing keto meals.

However, if you’re looking to get into cooking healthy meals, Freshology is probably not the right choice for you, as the meals are delivered fully prepared.

Likewise, if you prefer to eat meals made with strictly organic ingredients, Freshology may not be the best option, because the company does use some conventional produce.

The company’s website doesn’t disclose many details about their sourcing practices, which may be undesirable if you want to know exactly where your ingredients come from.

Additionally, the company does not disclose allergen information for the meals, aside from a general statement that the menu is not gluten-free.

Also keep in mind that the meals are quite low in calories, so they may not be filling enough for many people, especially those with a more active lifestyle.

Lastly, the meals are delivered in foam coolers. While these may be recycled in select recycling facilities, some people may find this packaging environmentally unfriendly.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Freshology cost?

Freshology ranges in price from $130.99–$219.59 per week, or $10.46–$13.10 per meal, depending on the plan and the number of meals you select each week. There’s also a flat $19.98 shipping fee on all orders.

Is Diet-to-Go the same as Freshology?

Freshology is a brand that’s operated by Diet-to-Go. Aside from the branding, there aren’t obvious differences between the two.

Both are marketed toward people interested in losing weight. Their meal plans and prices also appear to be the same.

Which is better, Freshology or Sunbasket?

After trying both services, Sunbasket is the clear winner. Unlike those from Freshology, Sunbasket’s meals feature creative flavor combinations, homemade sauces and spice blends, certified organic fresh produce, and responsibly sourced meats and seafood.

Sunbasket also caters to a greater variety of dietary needs, including paleo, carb-conscious, vegetarian, gluten-free, pescatarian, Mediterranean, and diabetes. There’s also a Lean & Clean menu, which provides whole food-based dishes with less than 600 calories per serving.

Just keep in mind that while Sunbasket does offer some prepared meals, the company’s primary focus is meal kits. Therefore, it might not be ideal if you prefer not to cook. Learn more about Sunbasket in our comprehensive hands-on review.

The bottom line

Freshology is a meal delivery service that offers fully cooked, chef-prepared meals that tout the ability to help you achieve your weight loss or healthy living goals — though results are not guaranteed.

It offers four menus that fit multiple dietary patterns. These include vegetarian, keto, and diabetes-friendly choices.

Freshology also offers a supporting team of professionals to assist and motivate you, though details on the company’s staff and their credentials are unavailable on the site.

However, it may cost more than some of its competitors and may not be suitable for those who follow a gluten-free diet or prefer to eat strictly organic ingredients.

While Freshology is a convenient meal kit service, there are better options on the market.