A meal delivery diet offers convenience and simplicity for busy dieters. Most companies offering meal delivery require a paid, monthly membership to use their services. Meal-delivery programs provide members with more services than food delivery, including online customer support, community message boards and tools for weight loss. When selecting a meal delivery diet plan, look for one that fits your price range, provides community and expert support and offers food based on your dietary preferences.
Background
Meal delivery diets were put on the market over 20 years ago to make weight loss more convenient for those who lacked time to prepare healthy meals. When meal delivery first began, companies offered a few frozen meals that were delivered to your door or picked up at a delivery center. While some companies still offer the option of picking up meals from a local center, most meals are ordered online and delivered to your door. According to 2009 Marketdata research, the diet food delivery industry has grown into a $1 billion industry, delivering meals to millions of homes in the United States.
Types
While many companies have been around since the beginning, new companies continue to pop up as more and more Americans develop fast-paced lifestyles. Meal delivery programs include Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, eDiets, Biggest Lose Meal Plan and Bistro M.D. Most programs provide members with weight loss tools, while others offer healthy meals for on-the-go dieters. Food is generally delivered weekly to homes throughout the United States. Some companies, however, provide daily delivery in specific cities.
Cost
Meal-delivery programs provide members with various weight loss tools and customizable menus for a monthly membership fee. Depending on your level of service, meal plans can cost as low as $10 a day. Detailed plans that include freshly prepared, gourmet food cost around $30 to $40 a day, as of 2010. Plans offering two full meals per day are less expensive than those that provide three meals per day. Marketdata research conducted in February 2009 revealed that the average cost of a delivery diet's monthly subscription is $726. Many companies offer promotional discounts for purchasing a month's worth of meals or ordering online. For instances, members who participate in the automatic delivery program receive free shipping in addition to a 10 percent discount, according to the Nutrisystem website.
Advantages
A meal-delivery diet may be advantageous if you find it difficult to count calories or prepare healthy meals. Since meals are delivered in portion-controlled packages, you may notice weight loss if you eat only what is delivered and recommended. Research performed in 2005 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign discovered that participants who consumed prepackaged meals decreased their BMI, or body mass index, more than those who ate meals based on the USDA food pyramid. Meal-delivery diets allow time for other things, since meal preparation involves only the time it takes to heat and eat your meal.
Considerations
Though meal-delivery diets provide members with time-saving meals, a monthly subscription can be costly depending on your dietary preferences. Not all plans offer customizable menus, which may mean you receive meals or snacks you do not like. Be aware of programs that require yearly contracts and stick to those who provide a month-to-month option. Several programs supply all the food you'll need for your meals, while others require you to buy additional servings of produce and dairy products to meet your daily dietary needs. Keep in mind that while these plans may cost less, you will have the extra expense of additional groceries.
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