A few months ago, my neighbor posted some Nutrisystem for sale on our HOA’s Facebook page. It was less than half of what it would cost out of pocket, and I am always curious, so I went for it! She included a full month’s worth of food, plus lots of extras from the month before, so it was really more like 2 months of food..
The Basic Nutrisystem Plan
You will have to purchase more than JUST the Nutrisystem meals. You will supplement your pre-packaged meals with 2 proteins and 2 carbs, plus vegetables and some optional extras (like condiments, salad dressing, etc). The meals they provide for you are breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack (they label it as a dessert, though there are many savory options).
Actual Portion Sizes
This is an example of a Nutrisystem Breakfast. In addition to their muffin, I paired it with a light yogurt, which is considered a protein. This was 250 calories for the breakfast.
In relation to the packaging size, the actual portions of food are smaller than you would expect. The package for a muffin, for example, is larger than your hand! However, when you open it up, it is actually just about the size of a small homemade, standard sized muffin.
If you’re curious about the calorie content of each, breakfasts were usually around 200 calories, give or take. Lunch was usually around 300 calories. Dinner was around 300-400 calories. Snacks ranged from around 100-200 calories. Then, once you add in the extra carbs and veggies for the day, your calories are in a safe zone without putting you into starvation mode.
Customer Service Experience
I found a little bit of mold on one of the chocolate frosted donuts. For the record, I have tried DOZENS of foods from Nutrisystem, and this was the ONLY thing I ever had a problem with. The donut is totally my favorite breakfast item that they have, so I was bummed because this was my LAST one. 🙂
Even though I wasn’t the original purchaser, when I found an issue with one of the food items, they were so great to talk to over the phone. I called them, basically just to inform them of the problem. If there was a defect with that particular batch, I just wanted them to know. Honestly, that’s as far as I was expecting this phone call to go, which was fine.
When I called, a friendly woman answered and took my information. She was so sweet, apologized for the problem, took the code from the package, and insisted on sending me a replacement. I certainly wasn’t going to say no, so I agreed. WOOHOO! My replacement donut came in the mail less than a week later. How cool is that?
My Favorite Nutrisystem Foods
Speaking of favorite foods, here is a list of my favorite foods that they sell. Keep in mind, they do change their offerings from time to time, and I haven’t tried EVERYTHING – I just tried what my neighbor had picked (which was actually a great assortment, thankfully!). Also, I did not try any of their frozen entrees or snacks, which I have heard are really great and taste fresher.
Breakfast:
All of their muffins were good. I liked the chocolate one best, but the others were yummy! The cereal and oatmeal were fine, too. The bars were good, especially for on the go eating.
Lunch:
I liked their mashed potatoes for lunch. I would usually heat up a few ounces of grilled chicken and some steamed veggies to make this a good meal.
Dinner:
I liked their pizzas for dinner. I would put some turkey pepperoni on top as a protein before heating it up and enjoyed that. I also liked the turkey and stuffing meal.
Dessert (Snack):
The peppermint cookie patty was my absolute favorite. It was like a chewy Andes mint. YUM!!! I also liked the carrot cake and cheese puffs.
Give It a Shot
If portion control is an issue for you, you might like to try Nutrisystem to help you out! While it’s not every single thing that you need (you’ll add your own vegetables, proteins, and smart carbs), it comes pretty close! If you don’t mind a temporary pre-packaged food diet, it’s worth a go. Not only that, but they now also have an option that includes your choice of frozen meals which I hear are a lot fresher tasting and more tasty.
