For people who want to lose their extra weight in a healthy way, both Nutrisystem and Medifast are good alternatives. Nutrisystem provides dieters with low-calorie portion controlled diet meals which have to be supplemented with fresh fruits and veggies. Medifast is a similar home-meal delivery system which offers high-protein diet meals low in calories to their members. To understand which diet planner may work best for your health needs, it may be a good idea to refer to a comparative study between the two:
| NUTRISYSTEM | MEDIFAST |
| Nutrisystem offers diet meals that are both low in calories and portions so that you do not end up overeating at a meal. | Medifast offers diet meals which are high in proteins and low in calories. Not all Medifast meals are portion-controlled. |
| Nutrisystem guarantees a slow but steady weight loss journey; there are some recent plans however like the Fast Five and Turbo which can accelerate the weight loss process. | Medifast claims to help the average dieter lose nearly 20 pounds within a single month. |
| Nutrisystem meals are super-convenient because you do not need to cook at home. You are simply advised to supplement the diet meals with fresh vegetables and fruits. | Medifast diet plans will require you to prepare at least one lean and green meal at home. |
| Nutrisystem has come out with many types of meal plans for kids and elders, men and women, vegans and people with Type 2 diabetes. | Medifast has specific plans for men, women and diabetics. |
| Nutrisystem meals primarily consist of fiber, proteins and complex carbs with less of fats, sodium and sugar to keep your blood pressure levels in check and ensure that the blood glucose levels do not fluctuate. | The Medifast menu primarily comprises of soups and bars, shakes and puddings. The carbohydrate content in their meals is strikingly low which may help you to lose weight faster. But this low-carb dietary approach may be hard to stick to. |
| In terms of pricing, Nutrisystem offers three key categories of Nutrisystem diet plans. These are Nutrisystem Basic, Nutrisystem Core and Nutrisystem Uniquely Yours. Besides, there are other popular options like Nutrisystem Turbo 10, Nutrisystem My Way and Nutrisystem Fast Five. All plans are affordably priced and you will not be paying more than $11 a day on an average when you choose their Basic meals. | Medifast meals may turn out to be costlier and you will end up paying approximately $13 a day. The snacks are not included in the meals and must be bought separately. |
| Nutrisystem meal plans will provide you with the main meals of the day like breakfast, lunch and dinner along with diet-friendly desserts and snacks. | Medifast will provide you with five meals a day but these are typically replacement meals such as puddings. |
| Nutrisystem offers a huge assortment of delectable menus to choose from, even frozen gourmet dishes in its Uniquely Yours Plan. | Medifast offers multiple menu options but the varieties are far limited, only 70 compared to 150 choices from Nutrisystem. |
| Nutrisystem meals will even include low-calorie mouthwatering snacks like butter-flavored popcorn or cheese puffs or chocolate chip cookies. | Medifast comes up with optional snack menus and the choices are much limited. You can get sugar-free mints, soy crisps, crackers etc. |
| Nutrisystem meals can be suitably customized to include even your personal tastes and preferences. You can supplement these with low-fat dairy foods and fresh veggies and fruits. | It is not possible to suitably customize Medifast meals; you cannot include fresh fruits or vegetables according to your preferences. |
| When you sign up for Nutrisystem meals, you can also benefit from expert counseling by certified diabetes educators and diet experts. They will share valuable tips on weight loss. Nutrisystem members can even take helpful advice from an active community online. There are many support tools to answer customer queries like blogs and forums, phone calls, FAQ sections, tutorials, online counseling facilities etc. | Medifast has come up with only a FAQ section in which you can expect to find responses to your queries. |
| Nutrisystem has also come up with special fitness programs for users to ensure that they supplement the diet meals with regular exercise schedules. | Medifast has also come out with an exercise guide to enable dieters to lose weight faster. There is however no specific workout guide for a specific category of dieters. |
| Nutrisystem meals contain foods which are low in Glycemic Index or GI that helps to keep blood sugar levels stable. The meals are mainly rich in fibers, proteins, minerals and vitamins and all essential nutrients. | Medifast meals are gluten-free and these have been approved by the GFCO or Gluten Free Certification Organization. Meals are mainly rich in dietary fibers and proteins from soyabean. |
| Nutrisystem makes sure you do not jump off the wagon by providing you weight tracking tools online. | Medifast fails to offer any such weight loss tracker tool which can keep you motivated to stay on track. |
| The best part about using Nutrisystem is that anyone can try the programs. You can also discontinue any time you like because transition to the regular diet is easy and hassle-free. | Before selecting Medifast, it is important to consult a medical practitioner because the meals are very low in carbs which may be hard for everyone to adjust to. |
| As far as recommendations go, Nutrisystem enjoys very high ratings from its buyers. This is because Nutrisystem meal plans are easy to follow and you do not have to spend time on grocery shopping or cooking. | In comparison, Medifast meals may deliver quicker results but they are not suitable for everyone. This is why you will find mixed reviews about their products online. |
| Nutrisystem offers a 14-day money back guarantee to try out their meals. You can cancel the order if you are not happy with the outcome. Nutrisystem allows you to enjoy the frozen foods and shakers as gifts from the company even if you discontinue their plans. The company even bears the return shipping charges. | Medifast plans have a 30-day money back guarantee for you to test their diet plans. |
To conclude, both these diet planners have come out with diet-friendly and healthy meal plans to help you shed the extra weight. Their plans are also affordable and you can follow them even when you have hectic work lives. However, Nutrisystem scores ahead of the others simply because it teaches you the value of eating right and helps you to inculcate healthy eating habits.