Is Nutrisystem Food Good? 6 Meals You Should Check Out

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If you’re trying to lose weight, you may find yourself eying Nutrisystem. They have a proven program with easy-to-prepare meals (like put-it-in-the-microwave-and-dinner’s-ready easy) but if you’re really wondering “is Nutrisystem food any good?”, “Will I like it?”, “Can I still start looking forward to dinner as soon as I’m done with lunch?”

We wondered the same things. So we looked at what customers had to say and here are a few of their top-rated diet entrees for people who love food. 

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Italian Sausage And Turkey Pepperoni Pizza
260 Calories | 4.5 Stars | 5,889 Reviews

Pizza is pretty much universally loved, it’s easy to get, and hard to imagine living without. But it’s a guilty pleasure, that you may not have to feel bad about. Nutrisystem’s high-protein sausage and turkey pepperoni version is an easy way to get your pizza fix without overloading on carbs.

Chicken Parmesan
270 Calories | 4.3 Stars | 2,204 Reviews

Sticking with Italian-inspired comfort food, chicken parm with spaghetti is a classic dish. But between the breading on the chicken and the pasta, it can get pretty carb-heavy. Nutrisystem’s portion-controlled, high-protein serving can satisfy a chicken parm craving without weighing you down. 

Meatloaf Sandwich
250 Calories | 4.5 stars | 6,239 Reviews

Like your comfort food on a bun? Then this meatloaf sandwich might just hit the spot. Traditional meatloaf like mom used to make can be heavy and full of fat, but this lighter version on a whole grain bun gives you a hearty meal with plenty of protein and fiber with a lot less fat.

Artichoke And Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast
190 Calories | 4.5 stars | 3,595 Reviews

A stuffed chicken breast doesn’t sound like something that should be less than 200 calories. But somehow this seasoned chicken breast stuffed with spinach, artichokes, and cheese manages to pull it off. So if stuffed chicken breasts are one of your faves, this version could become a go-to.

Roasted Turkey Medallions
260 Calories | 4.2 stars | 2,207 Reviews

Ok, so this isn’t a perfect replica of a Thanksgiving dinner but it’s pretty close. If you’re a fan of the big holiday spread, then a meal of turkey, and mashed potatoes, with gravy for under 300 calories is something you can be thankful for if you’re trying to lose weight. 

Chicken Enchilada
250 Calories | 4 stars | 1,700 Reviews

If Taco Tuesday is your favorite night of the week then the Chicken Enchilada dinner could be your jam. It’s chicken, peppers, onions, and tomatoes wrapped in a corn tortilla and topped with sour cream and cheese plus a side of Spanish rice. So, pretty much a full-on fiesta for fewer than 300 calories.

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STill Hungry on Nutrisystem?

Battling hunger is one of the most frustrating parts of any diet. And a lot of what makes Nutrisystem work is the controlled portion sizes. But while the prepared meals are the heart of what you eat on Nutrisystem, they aren’t all you should be eating.

After your first week - which is carefully designed to “jumpstart” your weight loss, you’re actually encouraged to add fresh foods from the grocery store into your plan every day. So if you’re not feeling full by eating Nutrisystem entrees alone, you have options. 

Your best choices will also depend on which type of Nutrisystem plan you’re on. If you’re on a program that includes Flex meals, you’ll have a lot of room to create balanced, custom meals for yourself multiple times a week. If you’re on a personalized program, you can find your specific Flex meal guidelines and goals in the NuMi app.

So to help you beat hunger, in addition to one breakfast, one lunch, one dinner, and one snack per day, you’ll also add allotted PowerFuels and SmartCarbs with even more room for vegetables, free foods, and extras.

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All. The. Vegetables

Let’s start with the easiest way to eat more - no surprise, it’s vegetables. Nutrisystem’s guidelines differentiate between starchy and non-starchy vegetables and it’s an important distinction because you can have unlimited non-starchy vegetables. Yup, unlimited. Anytime you’re hungry or you need a little something extra to go with your pizza, you can have all the non-starchy veggies you want.

The non-starchy vegetable group includes veggies like leafy greens, carrots, broccoli bell peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Starchy vegetables are those like corn, potatoes, and peas which fall under the SmartCarb category. More on those in a sec.

If you’re using Nutrisystem, you should be eating at least four non-starchy vegetable servings to go with your Nutrisystem meals and you can visit their Recipe section for some great ways to prepare your veggies.

Get Your SmartCarbs

Smart Carbs cover a specific group of carbs that are nutrient-rich and lower on the Glycemic Index. Smart carbs include apples and oranges, hummus, whole-wheat pasta, oatmeal, brown rice, and other healthy carbs. They have some important nutrients and they digest more slowly which can help you feel fuller for longer, but they also need to be added in low quantities. On Nutrisystem, women should be having one SmartCarb per day while men should be eating two SmartCarbs a day. So that basically means you can have some mashed potatoes with your meatloaf sandwich, as long as it’s your only extra SmartCarb of the day.

Add Your PowerFuels

PowerFuels are high-quality proteins like chicken, fish, eggs, nuts, cheese, and nut butters that are filled with essential amino acids and healthy fats. They also take longer for your body to digest, so they are a big part of feeling full throughout the day. 

On Nutrisystem, women and men should add three PowerFuels to their daily diet. But if you’re on a personalized program, your PowerFuel allocation may be different, so be sure to check your custom meal plan in the NuMi app.

Free Foods are Your Best Friend

Free Foods are no-calorie or low-calorie add-ins that can help spice up your Nutrisystem foods, SmartCarbs, PowerFuels, and Vegetables. Like their name implies, Free Foods are unlimited when they are less than 10 calories. So, remember those extra 4 servings of vegetables you need? You can toss them with some garlic and spices or you can top a PowerFuel scrambled egg with some salsa. You can also play around with hot sauce, mustard, non-balsamic vinegars, capers, and low-sodium broth or soy sauce. When it comes to making your meals more interesting, Fre Foods will go a long way toward helping you enjoy every bite. Oh, and for people who need their morning pick-me-up, you can have unlimited black coffee.

Add A Little More of What You Love With Extras

This is a different set of slightly higher-calorie add-ons that you can use to add flavor to your meals and snacks. While Free Foods are under 10 calories, Extras range from 10-35 calories and include things like ketchup, honey, balsamic vinegar, fat-free salad dressing, reduced-fat mayo, and cream cheese, and non-fat dairy creamer if you just can’t do black coffee. You get 3 extras a day on Nutrisystem and you can spread them out to any of your meals or snacks.

The key to satisfying your appetite on Nutrisystem is really making sure you get your daily doses of SmartCarbs, PowerFuels, and vegetables in addition to your main meals and snacks. And because there are limits to how many SmartCarbs and PowerFuels you can have, if you’ve maxed those out, you can always turn to veggies, anytime. So, keep mixing up combos of veggies and free foods to put hunger pangs behind you.

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other questions you may have about Nutrisystem’s food 

Does Nutrisystem Food Need to be Frozen or Refrigerated?

Some do, some don’t. Things like ice cream, waffles, stuffed chicken breasts, and other meals and snacks need to be kept frozen. But other foods like ravioli with meat sauce, chili, and several other dishes can be stored at room temp in your pantry or your desk at work. Those entrees are packaged using a “soft canning” process which locks in nutrition and taste, for fresh-tasting foods that don’t need to be refrigerated. 

Does Nutrisystem Food Expire?

Typically, Nutrisystem’s diet foods have a shelf-life that varies from 6 to 18 months and the products come printed with a code to indicate the production date. All Nutrisystem meals come with an “Enjoy By” date on the package but that just refers to quality, not food safety. This date they give is recommended for the best flavor or product quality. After the date passes, while the food won’t be the freshest quality, it’s still safe to eat as long as it’s been handled properly.

If you’re on the fence about Nutrisystem because you really love your food, take comfort in the fact that there are a lot of ways to make sure that your meal quality doesn’t suffer because you’re on a program. With highly popular quick-and-easy main dishes and snacks, plus plenty of room to add your own snacks and sides, you can look forward to what you’re going to eat after a long day and losing weight.

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