Packaged diet entrees might be your best choice for a weight-loss program if you do not have time to cook or to study enough to design your own. According to "Consumer Reports," most packaged diet meals are nutritious and taste good but may deliver too few calories in their portion-controlled, single servings. Some packaged diet meal plans teach you which of your own fresh ingredients to add, and many teach nutritional basics.
Jenny Craig
A Jenny Craig program begins with a personal consultation, in person or by phone, with a program director to evaluate your needs, design your eating plan and order your packaged diet meals for home delivery.
According to the company, a packaged meal is not always enough. It does not contain fresh foods, such as salads or raw vegetables. You can add your own fresh produce to complete the meal, make your own choices for spices and variety, and complete the calorie requirement of a full, balanced meal.
Jenny Craig packaged diet meals rely on portion control, calorie reduction and nutritional balance for their benefits. The program also provides online support and exercise guidelines.
Nutrisystem
Nutrisystem advertises its packaged diet meals as the only home-delivered products that rely on the glycemic index, or GI. The index is used to plan your diet, especially your carbohydrate and sugar intake, in a way that controls and stabilizes your blood sugar levels.
Along with regulating fiber, proteins and fats, the meals are designed to prevent appetite spikes and to maintain a feeling of fullness between meals by spacing your eating in four or five meals a day plus snacks.
Nutrisystem provides free home delivery and promises no point counting, portion measuring and public weigh-ins at group meetings. Meals include ready-to-eat and frozen versions.
Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers offers packaged frozen and shelf-stored meals and individually packaged foods -- Smart Ones brand breakfasts, entrees, desserts and snacks -- as a system they call a lifetime eating plan, not a diet. The emphasis is less on buying packaged meals than on re-educating you to eat well.
Smart Ones are marketed for portion control, calorie reduction, high fiber, balanced nutrition and taste appeal, and also as a way to illustrate how you can adjust your own portions and choices when you buy your own fresh groceries.
Disclaimer
These descriptions of packaged diet meals and products are provided for illustrative purposes only, not to endorse a particular product or service. Consult your physician before you start a diet and exercise program, especially if you have diabetes or other health concerns. Some, but not all, packaged diet meals are designed with health issues in mind.
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