Diet to Go review

3:51 AM |

Diet to Go isn't a specific diet plan, but instead a food preparation company that provides a meal delivery service of foods based on a variety of diets. Begun in 1991, it has shipped almost 1,000,000,000 meals to homes across the United States. The meal plans are nutritionally balanced, prepared fresh, and delivered to your door, removing temptation, allowing you to focus on other lifestyle changes, and eliminating the need to count calories.

(1) Basic Diet Tenets/Nutritional Philosophy (5)

Diet to Go aims to provide you with healthy, tasty, lower cost prepared food options to help you meet your weight loss goals. The meal programs are compatible with traditional weight loss programs, such as Weight Watchers, Atkins, and South Beach.
Meals are assembled fresh with high quality ingredients. Food is within the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association recommended maximum daily salt intake of 2.4 grams (with a few small exceptions), stays under 16 grams of saturated fat per the USDA, and contains adequate protein. The meals are a bit low on fiber however, with the sample menu I reviewed having between 11 and 20 grams, whereas the average woman needs 25 and man 38.
On the average, Diet to Go customers lose from 2 to 3 pounds per week while on the full meal plan. Many start out on the 1200-calorie plan and as they reach their goal weight they transition to the 1600-calorie plan. Once they know they can maintain their weight loss, they can start cooking on their own. The Diet to Go program provides them with the knowledge of what food is healthy, tasty, falls within calorie boundaries and there is a clear sense of portion control.
When placing your first order, Diet to Go evaluates whether you are trying to lose weight, eat healthier, save time or achieve some other objective. Second, they check on any dietary restrictions such as allergies or taste preferences. Based on that and any other pertinent information, one of their meal counselors will recommend an appropriate and healthy food plan for you.
Diet to Go meals can be shipped to all 50 states, and there are 5 pick-up area for consumers in Greater DC Metro, Virginia, Baltimore or Philadelphia/NJ metro areas, or San Francisco Bay area. Checking on available locations in the SF Bay Area yielded 33 physical pick-up sites, making it pretty easy for anyone in this geographic zone, from northern Sonoma County to southern Santa Cruz County and all those in between.
Diet to Go has a nice blog with some great posts, tips, and hints. There is also a community forum, and they are active in social media (both Facebook and Twitter).

(2) Exercise/Fitness Component (0)

Diets to Go is strictly a meal-based program, with no exercise or fitness component.

(3) Food (6)

Food is the heart of the Diet to Go program which supplies freshly prepared diet meals, along with all the little extras like fruit, juices, side items and condiments. You have the choice of Low-Fat, Low-Carb, Vegetarian & Diabetic plans, all with a 5-week rotation, allowing for variety.
The Diets to Go Low Fat Diet Meal Plan and Low Fat Vegeterian Meal Plans follow dietary guidelines set by the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society and the USDA Food Pyramid, and they are available in 2 calorie levels _ 1,200 & 1,600. The Low-Carb Meal Plan is similar to an Atkins-style plan, averaging 1,200 calories per day or less and 30 net carbs per day. A Diabetic Meal Plan based on the low-fat diet is also available and follows guidelines set by the American Diabetes Association.
Meal plans come in 5- or 7-day increments, either full meals (3x/day) or lunch and dinner only. Diets to Go claims that the average customer spends about $90 per week on their meal plans. The lowest cost option is Low-Fat, 1200 calories, 5 days/week, lunch and dinner only. The price: $83.99. The highest is Low-Carb, 1200 calories, 7 days/week, full meal plan at $149.99.
Low-cal breakfasts include blueberry pancakes/syrup/turkey sausage, fruit & granola parfait/muffin, egg quesadilla/potato cake/citrus cup. Lunch options are roasted tomato basil soup/corn & spinach salad, curry chicken salad/mandarin oranges, chicken alfredo melt/roasted veggie salad. Dinner is a bit heartier with such fare as chicken stroganoff/broccoli and carrots, chicken pizza/angel food cake with strawberry cream sauce.

(4) Ease of Use (5)

Sign up for the program. Choose your meal options. Wait for delivery. Heat and eat. That's pretty simple. For those on the full meal plan, 7 days/week, there is no grocery shopping, no weighing of ingredients, no counting of calories. For those on the limited 5 days/week, lunch and dinner only option, there will be trips to the grocery store and some meal prep.