Prepackaged, shipped diet meals can seem like a godsend for anyone who's struggled with weight in the past. They take all of the guesswork out of eating healthily so that losing weight is basically a no-brainer. But before you sign up for a meal delivery service, consider the cost of eating prepackaged meals, both to your pocketbook and your eating habits. By understanding what prepackaged meals mean for your diet, you can decide whether they're right for you or not.
Features
A variety of manufacturers offer meals that are pre-portioned and shipped directly to your door. Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem and BistroMD are just a few companies that offer to send you pre-made foods that you only need to heat and eat. Each has different types of meal plans, including for diabetics, men and women, and most claim to offer impressive weight loss from eating their foods.
Advantages
If creating a meal plan, counting calories and watching your weight sounds difficult to you, a shipped diet meal plan may be beneficial. Since all the foods are pre-made and already in the right portions, you only need to eat the food as directed, and you may see weight loss. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2005 found that subjects who ate prepackaged meals lowered their BMI more than subjects who ate according to the USDA food pyramid. The researchers hypothesized that the food pyramid offers more margin for error, while prepackaged meals are an easy way to eat properly.
Disadvantages
The preservatives in shipped diet meals could be a concern if you're hoping to eat more naturally. Eating diet meals can help you lose weight as you eat them, but they don't teach you how to eat properly, leaving you back at square one when you decide to stop the diet. Obesity researcher Rena Wing warns HealthDay News that because shipped diet meals are typically expensive, they aren't an option for the low-income families often affected by obesity. Unhealthy and processed foods are typically cheaper, making them a more attractive option to some.
Cost
Shipped diet meals can be an expensive option, which is why they can seem inaccessible to some people. As of 2010, a month of Nutrisystem costs from $300 to $400 per month, depending on the options that you choose. BistroMD sets its costs at $22 per day, making it over $600 per month, while Jenny Craig costs $85 to $100 per week, or about $400 per month. All three include free shipping when you pay for the food.
Considerations
A structured low calorie, low fat diet will help you lose weight, and if you struggle with the will power to eat properly from your own cupboards, restricting yourself to shipped diet meals may help you lose weight. But they're not a long-term solution to poor eating habits. Instead, working with a doctor or nutritionist can help you identify healthy options for healthy eating for life.
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