BistroMD Review
BistroMD has been around since 2005. For the past 14 years, it's been working to deliver healthy food which helps people lose weight and stay fit. They do so by providing well-balanced, delicious, and most importantly, carefully planned meals to your home.
Even if you're not currently on a weight loss journey, BistroMD may be the ideal option to help you maintain a healthy diet. After all, we know that your nutrition is a cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle.
Let's take a look at what this meal delivery company has to offer.
Overview
Sometimes, we all get so busy that even those services that deliver ingredients seem overwhelming.
BistroMD will be a perfect solution for anyone looking for a weight loss program but lacks time to plan and cook meals. Thus, they deliver more than 150 pre-cooked dishes for you to merely warm and eat.
Being a subscription-based service, BistroMD will ask of you to select a program once you join. Their plans are different from what you will find with many other meal delivery companies, and that's where the 'MD' part of their name comes in.
The meals they deliver are low in calories, following weight loss programs designed by physicians. All are created in the cooperation of doctors and dietitians. As such, they cater to a variety of needs when it comes to diet.
BistroMD for Weight Loss
If we're to believe thousands of positive reviews, BistroMD is effective. However, they haven't crafted an entirely new approach to weight loss - they, in fact, kept it quite simple.
What the program does is limit your calorie intake according to your unique nutritional profile. It then helps you kick-start your diet with meals and snacks designed to boost your metabolism.
The founder of the company, Dr. Cedrequist spent years working with patients suffering from hormonal disorders preventing them from losing weight. These disorders take place as we age, or as a result of some medication or an improper diet. It may even be your genetics.
To reverse these issues, you must nurture your body with proper macronutrients. Thus, these meals promote healthy, long-term weight loss by balancing your hormones. They are also there to meet diverse needs in terms of nutrition.
The basic features they take into account are your age, gender, and specific conditions. They also have plans designed for non-meat eaters, women in menopause, and those in the risk of developing heart conditions.
They strike the metabolic dysfunction, making the future weight loss a breeze.
Other Services
One of the features that separate BistroMD from other similar services is the customizability. If you have specific dietary needs, you may have your plan tailored to suit you. Their team of physicians is there to gauge your condition and adapt your food.
Besides providing food, this company is there to lend you a hand with other parts of your healthy lifestyle. They recommend exercise and have a fitness expert available to give you tips.
You will also find webinars and newsletters to make you more informed, and ultimately, more successful.
BistroMD Menus
The menu is packed with tasty dishes. As we mentioned earlier, there are about 150 meals for you to taste. For easier browsing through their vast selection, they divided the menu into three sections. You will find food under Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, and Snacks categories.
- The breakfasts are a range of classic egg dishes, waffles, sandwiches, and more. The culinary team modified them slightly to meet your goals, though.
- The next section is even more vibrant and contains all of our favorite dishes. Most meals are from American cuisine, but you may also find seafood and more exotic tastes.
- Finally, the snack section brings treats that you thought you had to forget. There are nuts, parfaits, chicken strips, and more, for those who enjoy snacking between meals.
All dishes are low in calories and balanced, as well as free from trans fats and added sugars. All feature dishes rich in complex carbs and lean protein.
If you go gluten-free, you will receive only meals and snacks free of wheat, rye, and barley. They also adhere to the gluten-free standards set by the FDA.
Heart-healthy dishes follow the American Heart Association's recommendations for controlling sodium, saturated fat, and calories. Diabetes-friendly foods rarely go over 25 grams
of net carbs, keeping your levels of blood sugar in check while you lose weight.
The vegetarian meals and snacks are mostly plant-based, but you may find dairy, eggs, and sometimes seafood in them. Thus, this plan doesn't meet the standards the other ones set. It's ideal for flexitarians, but not strictly vegetarian.
With so many options, it's difficult to choose a representative. However, here are three meals we tried and fell in love with:
Lasagna with Garden Marinara
Beef with Red Wine Sauce and Barley
Meatloaf with Honey Bourbon Glaze
Plans & Pricing
Once you subscribe, you will pick between five meal plans. They are all designed for many different lifestyles and dietary needs and can be further customized to your liking. They include:
- Standard
- Diabetic
- Heart-Healthy
- Gluten-Free
- Menopause
Besides choosing the food itself, you may decide whether you want a seven-day or a five-day program. The former provides you with seven breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. The latter is also known as the workweek plan and keeps you fed from Monday to Friday.
You can customize even further and have only dinners delivered or have them four days a week. It allows for even more flexibility while you work towards your goals.
The plans also differentiate between genders. They account for different ways in which men and women digest food and lose weight. Having set that up, you may enter your meal preferences.
Plan Costs
When it comes to the cost of the meals, Bistro MD is relatively expensive. The meals cost up to $9 apiece. What you pay a week depends on whether you go for 5 or 7 days, and which dishes you have delivered. Let's take a more detailed look.
- Prices per meal differ - about $6 for breakfasts, $8 for lunches, and $9 for dinners. So, a full day would cost just under $20 on average. By purchasing more comprehensive plans, you may save a few dollars.
- All meals are complete - you don't need any extra food or electricity to cook.
- The prices don't change in specific plans, such as diabetic and gluten-free.
Shipping
BistroMD sends their meals to the entire continental US, as well as Alaska and Hawaii. However, there are only several delivery spots in Alaska - Fairbanks, Eagle River, and Anchorage.
Other states enjoy a much more comfortable delivery. All the dishes will arrive in recyclable packaging, separately packaged meals, preserved by dry ice. They suggest that you put them in the fridge as soon as they arrive. Then, heat it before eating.
FedEx handles all deliveries. Typically, if you order before Tuesday, you will receive the box in the same week. The package arrives between Wednesday and Saturday in this case. The very day depends on the distance between the warehouse and your location.
Remember: there's an extra shipping cost of $19.95 (as well as an additional fee for Alaska and Hawaii).
The Bottom Line
To conclude, we must say that this meal delivery company impressed us.
Yes, they are somewhat expensive, and may even seem overwhelming to those just entering the world of healthy living. However, their discount codes, easy-to-navigate website,
and many services besides the food itself makes it much more comfortable.
The service is not for everyone, but it may be right for you. If you're serious about becoming a healthier and happier person but can't seem to muster the power of will to do it alone, BistroMD will help.
Pros & Cons
The service in BistroMD is something special, but as we know, no company is ideal. Having tested out the service, we thought about the positive and negative aspects it entails.
