That’s the big question. The three plans, The Biggest Loser, Jenny Craig, and NutriSystem, all had pros and cons, as well as a fairly wide price range. Unfortunately, their web sites don’t always tell the whole story, so in each case I called the company directly to find out more.
- Price: $99. for five days, plus $24.95 shipping
- Calorie Count: 1000 – 1400, low carb, low fat, high protein, diabetic friendly
- Shipping: Weekly
- Food: Frozen in a vacuum-sealed package
- Meal Plans: Only one plan is available, menus are on a four-week rotation
- Commitment: Food is delivered on a weekly basis and can be canceled at any time
Impressions:
The web site is not very informative, although when checking the Bistro MD web site, I found a lot more information available. The Biggest Loser Meal Plan is part of Bistro MD, but the meals/menus vary slightly. The weekly menu plans are shown on the web site, but I never found the nutritional values.
It was also difficult to get through to a customer service representative to ask questions, I’m assuming that’s because the newness of this plan and the finale of the television show has overwhelmed their system a bit. One of my questions was on the shipping, I asked if shipping can be combined since there are two of us taking part. I was told yes, so that will take the cost down a bit.
- Price: $14. – $19. a day, depending on the food picked, plus membership fees
- Calorie Count: Depends on the foods picked. Meal plan is approved by the Diabetic Association
- Food: Combination of frozen and non-frozen foods, approximately a 70 to 30% ratio.
- Meal Plans: Apparently there are different menus and choices to pick from, I wasn’t too clear on how one decides on a menu.
- Commitment: After the initial special offer of ten weeks for $20., a year’s membership is purchased for $359., you can go off and on the diet during this time.
Impressions:
If a community will help you lose weight and stay on track, Jenny Craig appears to have that covered. Their web site has forums, buddies, blogs and recipes. Once on the plan, a dieter is assigned a consultant to check in with weekly on the phone or the web. The photos and nutritional counts of the various meals looks great. In fact, I got a little hungry just checking out the web site.
When calling it’s a bit of a hard sell, but I still couldn’t get the bottom line on costs. I was told several times that the year membership fee includes discounts on the food and will wind up paying for itself.
- Price: From $263. to $342. a month depending on the how many months and discounts are available.
- Calorie Count: The various menus have different calorie counts
- Shipping: Every 28 days
- Food: Vacuum sealed, shelf-stable
- Meal Plans: This diet plan had numerous options to choose from, men/women/senior/diabetic/vegetarian
- Commitment: No contract, but food is shipped in monthly quantities
Impressions:
NutriSystem appears to be the most affordable, and had numerous plans for different diet needs. Their web site has basic information, including the menu foods (along with photos and nutritional counts) success stories, etc. It appears the real substance of the web site is in the members-only section with online classes, chat rooms and counseling. Membership is free, but I choose not to join.
There are substantial discounts on the meal plans and shipping if more than one member in the family takes part.
The Bottom Line:
Even though the price is highest and I don’t care for the one-size-fits-all approach, I decided to try out The Biggest Loser Meal Plan. I like the idea that it’s a five day plan and we won’t mess-up the plan when we go out on the weekend. I also liked the frozen food approach instead of shelf-stable foods. When reading various comments and reviews of the Bistro MD plan (same company), the overwhelming consensus was the food was great. Obviously, if the food doesn’t taste good, the diet’s not going to work for us. It was also a plus that ordering for two, helped the final price come down a bit with the combined shipping.
Right now we’re waiting for the first shipment, as well as a return call from customer service on a billing problem.
I’ll let you know how that goes in a few days.
Follow along with Barb as she shops for meal delivery diets and begins using Biggest Loser Meal Plan.
I did not have a good experience with the nutrisystem plan, mostly because their food all comes in boxes and not fresh like some of the others. I’m moving on to Bistro MD and hoping this one has more potential. Thoughts?
Hi Carrie,
I had a terrible experience with Nutrisystem and could not even finish the meals. Doesn’t matter what the cost is, when the one can’t eat the meals, right?
Anyway, my experiences with the food at BistroMD were very good and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to others. Just make sure that you’re going to be home when the meals are delivered. At the time we went through the program that was a problem, BUT that was also during the summer when I worried about the frozen foods sitting around outside. Shouldn’t be a problem now.
Good luck and let me know how it goes.
The price is what turns me off. When you come from a big family and you pay for food for them you cant afford to get something like this. This is why people are so over weight we can’t afford to pay these prices. Expecially in this economy.