bistro vs fresh diet

Bistro MD vs Fresh Diet – Which Is The Best Option for You

If you’re thinking about gourmet delivery meal plans, both Bistro MD and the Fresh Diet are viable options. Bistro MD is more popular than the Fresh Diet but I have recently discovered the second one during one of my online researches on Pinterest, looking for the best and most effective ways to slim down a few pounds. So, here I am, telling you all you need to know about these two eating plans. By the end of this comparative review, I hope you will be able to make the best decision that will help you lose weight and stay healthy.

Topic Contents

A. Bistro MD Overview

bistro md

What Is Bistro MD?

This is a popular meal delivery program that was first launched on the market in 2005. The manufacturer’s headquarters are located in Naples, Florida and their main goal is to aid people in their quest of losing weight by providing them with healthy, balanced, carefully-planned, and tasty meals. You are free to choose your desired weekly meals from a wide list of available options. Furthermore, clients will also benefit from free support that will help them overcome any challenges they might face.

How It Works

All Bistro MD meals are prepackaged and ready to consume. The entire system was created by Caroline and Ed Cederquist. She is a doctor and a weight-loss specialist while Ed is the foodie of the family. He seeks local farmers and then collaborates with their in-house chefs. There are four simple steps that one must take to enroll in this program:

  • Browse through their available meal plans and choose the one you like most and that suits your needs and preferences;
  • Place your order via phone or online, on their website;
  • Feel free to customize the plan any way you like to make it the perfect fit for your lifestyle;
  • In just a few days you will receive your order to your doorstep. Also, the program will continue to deliver your meals on a weekly basis until you decide to cancel your membership.

No matter what type of plan you choose to follow, you should consider the fact that Bistro MD might not work the same for all dieters because each individual body has unique characteristics and reacts differently to the same diet.

Meals and Recipes

bistro md meals

Although all Bistro MD meals are delivered frozen, the company assures its clients that all the foods are of a high quality. According to them, all their dishes are healthy. Still, if you have a sweet tooth, you might not like this program because there aren’t any occasional treats or guilty pleasures. The most comprehensive program is the one that consists of three meals per day.

Once you become a Bistro MD client, you will consume an average of 1,100-1,400 calories per day, depending on the plan you decide to purchase. These meals are supposedly nutritious and well-balanced. They contain plenty of healthy fats, complex low-glycemic carbs, and lean proteins. Contrary to what most people expect in a diet, Bistro MD dishes have a pretty good taste.

As a member of this eating plan, you will indulge in delicious recipes like cranberry chutney, cheese ravioli, stuffed French toast, turkey breast with stuffing, grilled salmon, and even peanut butter crepes. Other examples of delicious recipes that you can experience are cheese frittata and turkey sausage, red pepper and artichoke spinach frittata, and red pepper coulis with tilapia.

Pros and Cons

bistro pros and cons

Advantages

  • The entire program was developed by a certified bariatric doctor;
  • All the plans rely on scientific approaches;
  • Bistro MD meals are cooked by professional chefs, they are customizable, and you can opt for special menus such as gluten-free or diabetic-friendly foods;
  • The company has experienced nutritionists who are always ready to provide their clients with unlimited consultations. Dieters can reach them over the phone or via email;
  • Due to the fact that all the meals are already cooked, ready to be heated, and ready to serve, this program is highly convenient and it will save you a lot of time;
  • New members receive a referral bonus which translates into a 50-dollar discount.

Disadvantages

  • All of their meals will be received in a frozen state;
  • According to some consumers, the quality level is not the same for all Bistro MD meals;
  • A few clients complained about how difficult their website is to navigate;
  • It is a pretty expensive diet.

Pricing Options

This particular diet plan is very flexible and allows dieters to cancel or unsubscribe any time they want. Still, you must pay attention to the company’s weekly deadlines that are specially created for menu changes or cancellations. The parties involved aren’t required to sign any long-term contracts. Moreover, there is a full cost refund that you can get in case you’re not satisfied with your order or if there’s a real and relevant problem with the foods you receive from them.

You can select one of their four available plans:

  • 5 days (only lunches and dinners) – $119.95;
  • 5 days (full program) – $149.95;
  • 7 days (lunches and dinners) – $149.95;
  • 7 days (full program) – $179.95.

As you can see, if you decide to choose the full program, you will save approximately $9 per meal. Also, you should constantly check the company’s website before making an order because, from time to time, they offer significant promotions or discounts. Newcomers will benefit from a discount of 25% for the first week. Keep in mind that all plans are automatically renewed every week so if you want to cancel your membership, make sure to do it on time.

What Do Consumers Say About Bistro MD?

Most clients praise this program due to their weight-loss achievements and the plan’s convenience. On the company’s website, you will find numerous stories of people who have lost between 15 and 55 pounds with the help of the Bistro MD diet. Furthermore, other online platforms that publish different health and fitness-related reviews show that people are happy with the way this system works. Besides convenience, another important strength is given by the company’s staff that seems to be responsive and friendly.

On the other hand, I could also find some criticisms. For example, some clients find it difficult to navigate their personal account on the Bistro MD website which is called MyBistroMD. According to them, some pages take forever to load and the navigation structure is pretty counter-intuitive. Others were not pleased with the system’s automatic reordering because if they are not careful enough it is easy to miss the cancellation deadline.

B. Fresh Diet Overview

fresh diet

What Is the Fresh Diet?

The Fresh Diet is not as popular as Bistro MD but it still has plenty of loyal consumers who appreciate the company’s meal delivery system. Unlike Bistro MD, Fresh Diet provides you with three main meals plus two snacks per day. All their dishes are calorie-restricted as well as freshly made. You can choose from several different plans. What I like about this program and sets it apart from many other similar diets is the fact that their meals are neither frozen nor dried.

It was created by an experienced chef, trained at Le Cordon Bleu and you will receive all the orders directly to your doorstep. Based on your diet goals and gender, you will either consume between 1,200 and 1,400 calories per day (women’s plans) or reach a daily calorie intake of 1,600-1,800 (men’s plans).

How It Works

The Fresh Diet is actually pretty simple. All you have to do is select your desired plan, place your order online, and wait a couple of days for the meals to be delivered. The dishes will come in prepackaged containers and all that’s left to do is heat them up in the oven or the microwave.

This particular eating plan follows the rules of another well-known diet which is called the Zone diet. According to it, in order for you to lose weight, you must consume foods while always keeping the following proportions: 30% lean proteins, 40% good carbs, and 30% healthy fats.

Here’s what you have to do. First, you must tell the company what your desired weight is as well as other things such as your favorite foods, what you don’t like to eat, and how active or sedentary your lifestyle is. Then, Fresh Diet’s experts will come up with a customized eating plan that will meet your needs.

Meals and Recipes

There are two plan alternatives:

  • The most comprehensive plan is the Premium one in which you are free to design your personalized menu;
  • The second option is less expensive and it is called the Chef’s Plan. In this case, all the dishes will be chosen by the company, for you.

Unlike the Bistro MD diet, the Fresh Diet delivers meals that aren’t vacuum packed or frozen. During this eating program, you will be able to consume plenty of veggies, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean proteins. Some of the company’s most popular meals are miso halibut with cabbage and wild rice, turkey bacon with marmalade-stuffed French toast, and others.

Drinks are not included in the program but their consultants recommend dieters to consume a lot of water and some calorie-free drinks. However, including things like alcoholic beverages and sugar-sweetened drink in your diet will increase your daily calorie intake over the limit that the company has established.

Pros and Cons

the fresh diet

Advantages

  • All the meals are fresh and not frozen like in the case of many other similar diets. In many people’s opinion, this is a huge plus;
  • You will receive a customized menu that is made especially for your unique needs;
  • It seems that most of the meals provided by the company have a very good taste;
  • The meals are good for people who deal with high-cholesterol issues;
  • You will find a wide variety of meal options.

Disadvantages

  • It is an expensive diet program that cannot be afforded by anyone;
  • The Fresh Diet is a calorie-restricted plan and not all people are willing to follow it till the very end;
  • It is not suited for vegan or vegetarian people;
  • Their delivery area is pretty limited which is definitely an important downside.

Pricing Options

Depending on which program you choose to follow, the Fresh Diet has a cost that ranges between $40 and $60 per day. So, this means that dieters will pay an average cost of 1,500 US dollars per month which is more than most people can afford. You can choose from several available diet lengths: 7, 14, 21, or 28 day periods. I advise you to stick with the longer versions of this diet because they will be less expensive in terms of cost per day.

So, all in all, the Fresh Diet is not easy to follow because of two main reasons: its high price tag and its low-calorie meals. Dieters are only allowed to eat what the company provides so the temptation of indulging in a treat or two is quite big. Not only is this diet expensive but one must also combine it with regular (if not daily) workouts. Otherwise, a dieter will never achieve his or her desired results.

What Do Consumers Say About the Fresh Diet?

When it comes to people’s opinions, it is almost impossible to find two reviews that say the same thing about this eating plan. Some consumers are satisfied with the fact that they receive five meals (three main ones plus two snacks) per day and all of them are fresh instead of frozen. They also say this diet has helped them lose weight and curb cravings.

On the other hand, there are other clients who complained about the high cost of the Fresh Diet. A few people have even stated that they encountered difficulties when it comes to receiving their orders on time. Moreover, reviewers have linked these problems with the company’s poor customer service.

Bistro MD vs Fresh Diet – The Final Verdict

diet food

Both programs deliver some delicious meal options. Still, Bistro MD offers frozen meals while the Fresh Diet provides, as you can probably guess from its name, only fresh meals. Both diets seem to be effective for some dieters while others complain that these systems are too expensive and it is difficult for them to follow the diets all the way to completion. To summarize, things look pretty much like this:

  • When it comes to benefits, Bistro MD and the Fresh Diet are convenienttime-saving, and tasty;
  • When people look at these programs’ main downside, they are put off by the price. These diets are very costly, especially in the long term.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top