When it comes to weight loss, an easy rule to remember can often be a most difficult rule to follow. Regardless of the method you choose for losing weight, it will only happen if you reduce your normal daily calorie intake or start burning more calories than you consume. For some, replacing high-calorie foods with low-calorie options and learning new methods of food preparation is confusing and full of guesswork. The diet industry recognizes and addresses your needs with diet plans that include ready-made meals that take the guesswork out of your diet.
Types
All ready-made diet food plans do the work of choosing, portioning and preparing foods for you. These diet food plans can be via subscription, in which you typically have little choice over the foods sent to you, or they can be meals you choose and purchase at your local grocery store as part of a diet you follow on your own. According to Epicurious, an informational site created by Bon Appetit magazine, subscription diet foods can be fresh, frozen, canned, dry-packaged or freeze-dried, while grocery store foods are usually packaged dry or frozen "TV dinner"-type foods.
Features
Subscription diet plans feature breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack items sent to you weekly or in some cases, monthly. Most offer options for specialized diets, such as for diabetics and teenage customers. However, these diet plans do not include most fresh foods, such as fruits and vegetables, or dairy products. Grocery store food plans require no commitment on your part and because you purchase each meal individually, the wide variety of available foods and manufacturers gives you more choices.
Benefits
Although the specific nutritional value of each meal varies according to plan requirements, Diet Self Help notes that one benefit of prepared meals is the assurance that you are eating a healthy, well-balanced meal. Diet Self Help also states that following a ready made food diet plan may make it easier to resist the temptation of purchasing less healthy food alternatives when you do go to the grocery store. Finally, if you continually follow a ready-made diet food plan, you will lose weight.
Disadvantages
Taste can be a drawback to ready-made diet food. According to Epicurious, powdered eggs and an assortment of meats are major culprits. If you purchase an entire month of meals in advance and decide you do not like the food, you are stuck as most plans lack a return policy.
Because ready-made food diet plans make diet decisions for you, there is no opportunity to learn how to keep weight off once you return to traditional food. According to MayoClinic.com, healthy foods, plenty of exercise and permanent lifestyle changes are necessary to both lose weight and keep it off.
Cost
Cost is a major consideration, at least with ready-made food diet plans via subscription. According to Diet Self Help, not only are you responsible for the cost of the food, but also for shipping and in some cases, a subscription fee. In March 2007, Epicurious rated five popular diet food plans and at that time stated food costs ranging between $12.23 and $39.26 per day, not including the cost of additional food items required to round out a meal.
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