Losing weight is a difficult task! Although you can find numerous diets that offer easy weight loss, most of them are everything but impossible to sustain for a long time and aren’t always healthy. One of the most appealing things about a weight-loss meal delivery service is that they deliver a sustainable, achievable, and healthy solution to weight loss.
Simply put, the work efficiently!
By offering an all-inclusive cover of calorie-managed, fully prepared meals and even snacks, these weight-loss meal plans are truly the most effective way to lose weight.
Nutrisystem and Diet-to-Go are popular examples of weight loss meal plans. Both companies can help get you to your ideal goal weight.
However, there are few differences between these two companies. So, how are they different? How do they work? And which is best for you?
Well, let’s get started!
THE BASICS: Quick Overview of Nutrisystem vs Diet to Go
Contents
Nutrisystem
Nutrisystem provides several plans. The general idea here is to eat several smaller meals all through the day. These plans vary depending on an individual’s preferences and budget.
Some common features include:
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and three snacks throughout the day
- 7 days’ worth of meals
- Nutritional guides
- Frozen and fresh meals, and even shakes
- Unlimited support
You might also find it beneficial and convenient to access the Nutrisystem weight loss app (NuMi), which is available to people with specific subscription plans.
Nutrisystem is a 4-week diet plan that guides users depending on their preferences and how many meals they consume per day.
Nutrisystem claims that eating smaller, but balanced meals about six times daily can prevent hunger and ultimately promote weight loss.
During the first week, this company recommends consuming three meals daily. Typically, this includes your breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
But, that’s not all, a person can also have a snack and/or one of Nutrisystem’s formulated shakes. In the last 3 weeks, they advise users to eat six meals daily.
It consists of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack after every meal.
It’s worth noting that Nutrisystem offers meals or recommends low-calorie and low sodium options for those who would like to avoid the offered meals. Each Nutrisystem meal consists of calories that fit into all standard weight loss plans, bringing quicker results.
Nutrisystem also has an app that can guide users when it comes to meal planning. The company enables all its customers to order dishes via the Nutrisystem app (NuMi).
The same app can also be used to track your diet plan’s progress as well as provide free counseling services, which further help with weight loss.
Another factor that stands out with Nutrisystem is that, unlike many weight loss products that provide limited-time advantages, Nutrisystem provides long-term advantages.
Even after you finish the program by achieving your target weight, you’ll be provided with controlled meal plans to help you sustain a lifestyle of balanced, healthy eating.
The company allows its users to sustain their weight loss long term.
It also helps lower the risk of certain diseases. Patients with heart conditions or diabetes have the chance to experience significant benefits from Nutrisystem.
Their food choices are generally healthy for the heart, sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol.
Diet to Go
Diet-to-Go (read my review) is also an excellent weight loss meal delivery service. Professional chefs usually prepare the meals, and then the service delivers them weekly. Since all meals come preprepared, the only thing a person needs to do is to heat them. It helps to reduce preparation time.
Diet-to-Go focuses on simplifying the procedure of following a diet. It typically offers four main menus, all consisting of portion-controlled meals. It generally considers individuals following certain diets.
Anyone subscribing to Diet-to-Go may also benefit from their support staff. These include nutritionists, qualified health coaches, and dietitians. You could also take advantage of their diet tools and analysis.
There’s also the option to select a men’s or women’s plan. While the men’s plan offers up to 1,600 calories daily, the women’s plan totals about 1,200 calories daily.
The Diet-to-Go service also offers delivery for 5 -7 days weekly, with the option of 2-3 meals daily. Since all meals are preprepared, it means that a person is only required to heat them before eating. One of the primary benefits that Diet-to-Go meal plans offer is convenience. The company usually prepares, packs, and delivers all meals, which you can simply reheat and eat within a short while.
Their wide selection of meal plans also means that people following certain diets, e.g., a vegetarian diet or ketogenic diet, can get a plan that will match their dietary requirements.
The portion-controlled meals might assist a person to lower their daily calorie intake. The ability to tailor the meals may also make them more inviting for some people.
MENU COMPARISON
Nutrisystem Menu Overview
If you check out the Nutrisystem menu, you’ll find 160+ portion-controlled meals. You have breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert every day. You also include side items, such as fresh fruits and veggies and even snacks that you purchase from the grocery store.
However, you’re advised to avoid alcohol and discouraged from eating out.
Remember, all meals are low in calories and nutritionally well-balanced. The style of meals also tends to favor classics that people will recognize and enjoy. Nutrisystem uses a wide range of different culinary styles. Whether it is Italian pasta and pizzas, Asian noodles, stir-fry, or even American classics such as hamburgers or low-calorie mac & cheese, they got you!
Breakfast options include muffins, oatmeal, pancakes, and granola.
Lunches and dinners include options like chicken and pasta, tacos, pizza, soup, and stew.
For desserts and snacks, you may have cookies, cake, or brownies.
The program offers a long list of vegetables, fruits, nuts, dairy and fresh meat, and other meals that you can enjoy along with your Nutrisystem foods.
In general, their foods and meal plans consist of:
- A wide range of nutrients
Less than 30% of calories come from fat, 25% – 30% of calories come from protein, and around 45% – 55% of calories come from carbs.
- Limited calories
Nutrisystem’s website claims that women may lose up to 13 lbs. and 7 inches during the first month while men could lose up to 18 lbs. and 8 inches in their first month. Afterward, dieters may lose an average of 1-2 lbs. per week.
- “Smart” carbohydrates
They don’t raise your blood sugar levels as much as other foods. If you follow this plan, you’ll have to limit or stay away from high-GI foods (such as white rice, white bread, and certain fruits) and focus on beans, whole grains, legumes, starchy vegetables, and fruit.
- Limited sodium
Nutrisystem also claims that the programs provide around 2,000 milligrams of sodium every day(the USDA recommends less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day). The actual sodium level might vary depending on which weight loss plan you pick and which grocery food items you include in your diet plan.
Diet to Go Menu Highlights
You’ll also be spoilt for choice when it comes to the Diet-to-Go menu. They have numerous meals choices to keep you full the entire day.
Their menus are not only uniquely designed to help with weight loss, but they’re also nutritionally well-balanced and calorie-controlled.
Diet-to-Go offers a diverse range of options for people with dietary needs. You can find choices for diabetes, keto, low-carb diets, and even gluten-free.
Diet-to-Go offers four main menus. These include Balance, Balance Diabetes, Keto-Carb30, and Vegetarian. Below are daily sample menus for each menu plan.
Balance
- Breakfast: Apples in syrup and waffles with peaches
- Lunch: Greek chicken with quinoa
- Dinner: herbed baked salmon
Balance Diabetes
- Breakfast: whole wheat bagel with peanut butter
- Lunch: chicken black bean wrap
- Dinner: Chicken Parmesan
Keto-Carb30
- Breakfast: leek frittata and salmon
- Lunch: andouille sausage
- Dinner: chicken meatloaf
Vegetarian
- Breakfast: peach pecan oatmeal bar
- Lunch: lentil salad (Moroccan)
- Dinner: eggplant Parmesan
Note that most of the dishes on these different menus may overlap.
For instance, chicken fajitas can be offered as a dinner choice on the Balance Diabetes, Balance, and the Keto-Carb30 menus.
PLAN OPTIONS
Nutrisystem Plans
For starters, there are three primary standard plans. These include the Basic plan, the Core Program, and their premium program which is known as Uniquely Yours
Under each of these three plans, you’ll find specialized diets designed for those with unique nutritional requirements. It caters to men, women, vegetarians, and people with diabetes.
Each of these systems is created to fit different requirements. For instance, the one dedicated to men comprises a comparatively higher calorie intake.
Below are Nutrisystem’s standard plans and what you should expect from each:
- Basic Plan
It provides clients with a limited number of meal choices picked from a list created after most clients have expressed their favorite options. So, the main setback is that you won’t have the ability to choose your meals.
- Uniquely Yours
There’s a list of already prepared food items and you can always pick your ideal ones from there. Besides being much better than their basic plan, it isn’t a lot more costlier than the initial low-cost alternative.
- Uniquely Yours Plus Max
It is the premium alternative that offers the most benefits. Consumers are also free to select the meals they prefer the most.
Apart from ready-to-go meals, you’ll also have a wider range of gourmet frozen foods to choose from.
Diet-to-Go Plans
Like its major competitor, Diet-to-Go provides several eating plans. Every meal offered by this company is nutritionally-balanced, correctly portioned, and all you’ll need to do is to enjoy them. Here’s a breakdown of their four main programs.
- Balance Menu
It aims at offering calorie-controlled and low-fat meals. All their foods are low in sodium, carbs, and cholesterol. And this makes it the perfect choice for omnivores.
What’s more, those who don’t like consuming seafood should consider this plan. The daily calorie intake may range between 1200 and 1600.
- The Balance D plan
It was specially formulated for people with diabetes. It also follows all the requirements and guidelines of the American Diabetes Association concerning both fat and carbs consumption.
Apart from being an excellent program for diabetic patients, it can also help prevent type-2 diabetes. The most important thing is that you can follow this plan even if you’re fully healthy.
This is because it is a safe, healthy, and effective method to lose weight. These meals will control your blood sugar levels.
- Keto-Carb30
Perhaps you prefer diets that are similar to a low-carb system or Atkins? If so, you can easily choose the Keto-Carb30 plan. You’ll replace carbs with good-quality fats like cheese, meat, and eggs.
You will shed off those extra lbs. in no time without adversely impacting your health. If you choose this diet plan, you’ll eat an average of 1300 calories daily.
- Vegetarian Plan
As you might have already guessed, this specific alternative is designed for those who lead a meat-free lifestyle. Although this is quite similar to the Balance plan, it doesn’t include meaty foods.
That said, all the meals are portion-controlled, perfectly balanced, and healthy for your heart. They’re also low in fats, carbs, cholesterol, and sodium. What’s more, they are filled with nutritious compounds.
Lastly, the protein originates from safe sources such as dairy, beans, eggs, and sometimes soy.
WEIGHT LOSS COMPARISON
How Nutrisystem Helps With Weight Loss
Like most diet plans, Nutrisystem may help with short-term weight loss. When it comes to weight-loss results, it’s safe to say it’s a tie. Both diets claim they help their customers to lose around 2 lbs. per week. And although this is true, the outcome also relies on numerous other factors including your current body measurements and weight, diet adherence, your activity level, and gender.
But there’s one factor that distinguishes Nutrisystem from most other similar programs, such as Diet-to-Go. This is its Lean 13 program which every dieter will get as a weight-loss kick-start system immediately they purchase any of Nutrisystem’s other plans. Typically, Lean 13 lasts for a week and it always comes as a kit.
With this plan, you’ll lose weight faster than expected. As previously stated, they claim to help you trim off no less than 13 lbs. as well as about 7 inches around your waistline and all these during your first month of the program. The unfortunate thing is that Diet-to-Go doesn’t provide anything similar to that.
And that means there’s a huge likelihood you may experience quicker results by sticking to the Nutrisystem diet because of their kick-start program.
How Diet to Go Helps With Weight Loss
Diet-to-Go can be a suitable choice for people looking for a budget-friendly way to lose weight quickly without having to prepare meals. However, you must note that most low-calorie diet programs are not a good choice when it comes to healthy and sustainable weight loss.
If you’re trying to lose those extra pounds or regulate your blood sugar levels, it would be beneficial to develop a tailored dietary pattern that fits your specific needs. This method may often take more time, planning, and effort than signing up for any meal delivery service. However, it’s much more likely to assist you to achieve a healthy body weight that you could maintain for life.
Simply put, Diet-to-Go would be best utilized as a short-term dietary intervention instead of a long-term solution to weight loss and maintenance.
PRICE COMPARISON
- Nutrisystem Pricing
When it comes to the pricing department, Nutrisystem may have a slight advantage because it’s much more affordable than Diet-to-Go.
Their basic plan begins at a bit under $10 daily. Their premium program (Uniquely Yours) costs around $12 daily.
The best part is that sometimes, the company offers all kinds of discounts for their site visitors.
- Diet to Go Pricing
Diet-to-Go is slightly more expensive.
Their lowest-priced plan begins at around $20 daily and it goes up from there depending on the type of menu you choose, the number of meals you order daily (two or three), and the number of calories that your chosen plan offers.
Still, much like its competitor, you can also get discount coupons published on the website, but once in a while.
SUMMARY
So, which program should you choose? It’s quite challenging to make a choice, even now, when you have already gained more insight into each one of these two plans.
They are both ideal weight-loss alternatives.
Here’s a summary for each to make this process much easier for you.
Diet-to-Go offers variety and customization. It’s pretty budget-friendly without being time-consuming. It is safe to say it’s a convenient system in which you’ll enjoy healthy and delicious foods, nutritious ingredients, counseling and support from experts, as well as access to online tools/ analysis.
On the other side, Nutrisystem is a more popular weight-loss program. It boasts of a long tradition of successful customer stories. Nutrisystem has helped thousands of people with their weight loss journey. Apart from regular meals, those with a sweet tooth may also enjoy tasty treats such as berry muffins, chocolate cereal bars, and much more.
