The Best Popular Diets

Saturday, March 22nd

2025 Popular Diet Reviews

Weight Watchers

• Cost: $10-23/month for basic plan, $25-45/month for workshop plan
• Doctor-recommended program with over 140 scientific studies showing effectiveness
• Focuses on 4 pillars: food, activity, mindset, and sleep
• Promotes sustainable healthy habits and balanced nutrition
• Virtual and in-person workshops
• Flexible food choices with no restricted foods
• Highly rated by customers for sustainable weight loss and flexibility

You've definitely heard of Weight Watchers (often simply referred to as WW) - it's the most doctor-recommended weight loss program out there. Unlike restrictive fad diets that never seem to work long-term, WW helps you build lasting healthy habits through small, manageable changes. With over 140 scientific studies backing their methods, they've proven they can help you lose weight and keep it off.

New features include weight loss meds and dietitian support

If you've used Weight Watchers before, you'll probably be interested to know that they've recently added some exciting new features to make the program even more effective. You can now meet with registered dietitians, use your phone camera to track meals, access 350+ zero-point foods that don't need tracking, and even get help finding affordable weight loss medications.

Point system gives you freedom to choose your foods

Instead of calorie-counting, Weight Watchers uses a simpler points system called SmartPoints. Each food gets points based on its nutrition - things like protein, fiber, sugar, and fats. One point is about 50 calories, but the focus is on food quality, not just calories. You can eat foods with low points more freely - think lean proteins, high-fiber carbs, and legumes. Foods with higher points should be enjoyed in moderation. Ready for some great news? Most fruits and vegetables have zero points, so you can eat those without tracking. (Finally, a diet that lets you eat unlimited strawberries!)

Personalized to you

Your daily points budget will be customized based on your specific goals and metabolism. The system guides you toward nutritious choices while teaching you proper portion sizes. There's no "forbidden foods" list - you can eat what you enjoy, just in smart amounts. It's all about balance, not deprivation.

Pricing is a bit complicated

You've got three options for joining Weight Watchers, but keep in mind the pricing changes after your initial period ends (which feels a bit sneaky). At the time of our review, the best value was the 10-month plan at $10/month plus a free first month with code GOALS, but it jumped to $23/month after that. The 3-month plan started at $15/month, while the monthly plan hit us with a $20 starter fee plus $23/month. All plans auto-renew, so you'll need to remember to cancel if you don't want to continue.

WW workshops have their own pricing plans

Weight Watchers also offers workshops, which are coach-led group sessions available both in-person and online. These 30-minute sessions give you private weigh-ins, weekly techniques, and a chance to connect with others on the same path. You can attend as many workshops as you want, and you're free to participate actively or just listen in. One major reason to consider signing up? Members who attend workshops lose twice as much weight as those going solo. While workshops aren't required, they will cost you extra - WW plans that include workshops start at $45 monthly, with options ranging from $25-30/month for longer commitments.

Not sure which plan to choose? Take a quick quiz

When you're trying to figure out which Weight Watchers plan fits your needs, you can take their 5-minute quiz to get personalized recommendations. You'll answer questions about whether you'd prefer workshops or solo tracking, if you need a dietitian or coach, and what kinds of recipes interest you. At the end, you'll be shown coaches who align with your personality preferences, and you can read their personal stories - many of them actually lost weight using WW themselves. (It's nice knowing your coach has been in your shoes.)

Our #1 choice

Weight Watchers has received a near-perfect rating in the Apple app store from over two million reviews. Across the internet, people are saying that WW really helped them utilize the "4 pillars” of food, activity, mindset, and sleep to lose weight and keep it off long-term. We love that you can still eat all your favorite foods - people who have struggled to stick with restrictive diets in the past report that Weight Watchers doesn't trip them up in the same way, thanks to the SmartPoints system. After reviewing quite a few popular diets, Weight Watchers stands out as our #1 popular diet recommendation for sustainable, long-term weight loss success.

Mayo Clinic Diet

• Cost: $149 for 12 months, $99 for 6 months, or $49.99 monthly
• No calorie counting required, focuses on developing sustainable healthy habits and better food choices
• 100-point scoring system to assess habits and track progress
• 8 different meal plans including Simple, Mediterranean, Higher Protein, and Healthy Keto
• Includes food tracking app with barcode scanning, meal plans with grocery lists
• At-home exercise routines, group coaching with Mayo Clinic experts
• 3-day refund window
• 74% of reviewers give it 5 stars

The Mayo Clinic Diet is the official weight loss program from one of America's most trusted medical institutions. Based on solid research and real clinical experience, this program helps you make better food choices and get more active. People have found great success following this diet, and some even credit it with saving their lives.

Get your Diet Score to learn about your habits

When you land on the Mayo Clinic Diet website, you should start by taking their quiz, which uses their 100-point scoring system to assess your potential for weight loss success. The better your habits, the higher your score will be. You'll need to think about your typical eating habits, including how many servings you consume of different food groups on a daily or weekly basis. Don't worry if you're not sure what a proper serving size is - the quiz includes photos and descriptions to help you out. It also asks about lifestyle factors like how often you eat in front of screens. While they advertise it as a 5-minute quiz, you might want to set aside more time since the questions might require some thought.

Aim for a better score each day

After completing the assessment, you'll see how your habits compare to the average person of your age and gender, and what areas you can improve in to bring up your score - like eating an additional serving of fruit, or cutting back on sweets and alcohol. When you start using the Mayo Clinic Diet app, your score will be front-and-center on your screen, updating as you log your nutrition and activity each day.

8 meal plans to choose from

The assessment will also match you with one of Mayo Clinic's eight programs, but you can choose a different one if you'd like. These include a Simple plan with easy-prep meals (also available gluten-free), a Superfoods plan that combines Mediterranean and DASH approaches, a Mediterranean option focused on plant-based foods and heart health, a Higher Protein plan to help control appetite, a Healthy Keto version that limits carbs to about 50g daily, a Vegetarian plan suitable for lacto-ovo vegetarians, and a specialized plan for people using GLP-1 medications. We were matched with the 6-week Original Mayo Clinic Diet plan based on our quiz answers, and you likely will too if you're overweight and don't have dietary restrictions.

Focuses on quality, not restriction

Here's the great news about the Mayo Clinic Diet: You won't need to count every calorie to see results. Instead, you'll focus on getting the right foods in the right amounts, with flexible meal plans that you can customize to your needs. You can easily swap meals to fit your dietary preferences. Plus, they'll give you weekly grocery lists that you can adjust for your family's needs.

Price only makes sense with minimum 6-month commitment

You can choose from three different membership options for the Mayo Clinic Diet, but it's pretty clear that they want you to opt for longer-term commitments - there was a "limited time offer” at the time of our visit, but it's highly likely you'll encounter this same deal frequently. With the deal, the 12-month plan offered the best value at $149 (supposedly down from $450.88), while a 6-month plan with one month free costs $99 (down from $349.93). There is technically a monthly plan, but at $49.99 per month, it doesn't seem like a good financial decision - and weight loss is a longer-term commitment than one month, anyway. You may be able to get financial help through your HSA or FSA funds with a letter of medical necessity from your doctor if you have a qualifying health condition like obesity or pre-diabetes.

Includes food tracking app with meal planning

So, what do you get with the Mayo Clinic Diet program? A lot. The app comes equipped with practical tools you'll use daily, including a food tracker with barcode scanning, meal plans with grocery lists, and at-home exercise routines. Beyond the basics, you'll get access to all of their meal plans, unlimited group coaching with Mayo Clinic's experts, and personalized programs for various health goals like weight loss and heart health. You can also connect with a supportive community, integrate your favorite fitness devices, and access everything through both the website and mobile apps.

A bit vague on the timeline details

We wish there was a little more information about the structure of the Mayo Clinic diet available on the website. There are a lot of pages that repeat the same basic points, and when we clicked on FAQ answers, there still wasn't much elaboration. We know from reviewing them before that the program used to be broken down into three phases ("Lose It," "Live It," "Love It") focusing on different goals and weight loss/maintenance targets, but it's unclear if this is still how it works.

People have had great success

When you look at what real Mayo Clinic Diet users are saying, you'll be pretty impressed by the results and satisfaction levels. A whopping 74% of their 1,000 Trustpilot reviewers give it five stars. People seem to love how flexible and sustainable the program is - you won't find any crazy restrictions here. Users rave about how easy-to-follow the meal plans and weekly grocery lists are, and they're getting real results too. One 76-year-old user dropped 22 pounds in just 3 months and eventually lost over 30 pounds in 6 months without feeling hungry. The supportive Facebook community is a big hit too, with users appreciating that there's no pressure to buy special products or attend meetings.

3 days to request a refund

Like any popular diet program, Mayo Clinic's has a few negative reviews, but they're mostly about cancellation policies rather than the program itself. You should know that you can get a refund within 3 days of signing up, but after that, things get a bit tricky. Your membership requires a minimum commitment (3-12 months depending on your plan), and if you want to cancel early, you'll need to pay the difference between your current plan and a shorter one. For example, if you're paying $19.99/month on the annual plan but want to quit after 3 months, you'll need to pay the difference to switch to the 3-month rate of $39.99/month - not ideal, but better than programs with no exit option.

No major criticisms

We think you'll find great value in the Mayo Clinic Diet, especially since coaching is included in the price (though you might want to wait for a sale to get the best deal). We love that you won't have to obsess over calorie counting - instead, you can focus on developing sustainable healthy habits that actually work for weight loss and keeping it off long-term. Our only criticism is that the website could do a better job at describing the current week-to-week structure of their programs. That said, when compared to other popular diet programs, the Mayo Clinic Diet checks all of the most important boxes.

Noom

• Cost: $70/month or $209/year, with options ranging from $129 to $205 for 2-11 month plans
• Users report significant results (16 pounds in 4 weeks, up to 50 pounds overall)
• Other health benefits: Improved relationship with food, sustainable behavior changes reported by 98% of users
• Unique features: Color-coded food system, daily psychology-based lessons, AI assistant, basic coaching with option for premium 1:1 coaching
• "A+” BBB grade

Noom helps you build healthy habits that last. You'll get personalized support to help you lose weight and keep it off, but not through restrictive dieting. Instead, Noom focuses on changing your habits and relationship with food through bite-sized daily lessons, human coaching plus AI assistance, and tools like meal logging and exercise tracking. The program includes on-demand workout classes for all fitness levels, and 98% of users report lasting behavior changes. While Noom has recently started offering weight loss medications through Noom Med (including popular GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic), their main focus remains on helping you develop sustainable healthy habits (which, by the way, are crucial for success even if you're using weight loss medication).

Getting started with Noom is time-consuming, but worth the effort

You'll need to set aside about 15-30 minutes for Noom's onboarding process (depending on how deeply you think about your answers). This will allow them to create a more personalized plan by gathering information about your weight loss goals, physical stats, and lifestyle factors. The questionnaire digs deep into who you are, collecting everything from basic measurements (height, weight, age) to more nuanced information about your lifestyle, preliminary knowledge about weight loss, and activity level. You'll specify your goals (whether that's losing up to 50 pounds or just maintaining your current weight), and complete a behavioral quiz to understand your habits. It feels a bit like a therapy intake form, but we honestly appreciate that Noom considers psychological factors - our mental states have a lot of bearing on how successful we are in developing healthy habits.

$70 a month or $209 a year

After all the personal questions, you'll reach the pricing page(s). First, you'll see an offer for a sliding-scale trial starting from just 50 cents up to $18.37 for 7 days. You'll also encounter some pressure tactics - "limited time" enhancement offers for add-on programs (like Stress Management) that expire if you don't commit to a subscription within 15 minutes. Finally, you'll get a quote for your weight loss plan. The full program ranges from $70 monthly to $209 annually, or $169 for 4 months - but you may be able to get it for less through your employee benefits or health insurance. You can cancel your subscription anytime, but make sure to do so before it renews, because Noom won't give you a refund under any circumstances. (We - and many others - found this out the hard way.)

Noom's color-coded food tracking system keeps things simple...

In Noom, you'll track your food using their unique color system that categorizes foods as green, yellow, or red based on how many calories they pack into each serving. Instead of cutting out entire food groups or counting macros like protein and carbs, you'll learn which foods help you feel full while staying within your daily calorie goals - meaning you can have that occasional peanut butter cup. The app encourages you to eat plenty of green foods, moderate amounts of yellow foods, and smaller portions of red foods.

...but maybe too simple

However, while the color-coding system could be good for beginners who stress about figuring out what they're allowed to eat, experienced dieters might find it too restrictive for specific goals - for instance, those aiming for high protein intake, since all lean meats are categorized as yellow foods despite their nutritional benefits. One thing we found frustrating when we used Noom is that it doesn't offer macro tracking for all users yet. This seems counterproductive since tracking protein, carbs, and fats is a natural next step for anyone serious about their fitness goals (and it's a bit baffling that such a basic feature is missing from such a premium weight loss app).

The program itself is your real coach

Remember the short lessons we mentioned earlier? Every day, Noom will assign you a few or several depending on the pace you choose. You'll learn about the psychology behind behavioral change and healthy habits, stress management, mindfulness, strategies for social eating, staying motivated when you hit a plateau, and more. This psychological framework helps explain not just what to do, but why you make the eating choices you do - which can make the difference between sticking to a diet and falling off. (Though if you've ever taken a psychology class or read a self-help book, you might find yourself rolling your eyes at some of the "insights" offered).

Basic coaching isn't what you might expect

Some people sign up for Noom over other popular diet plans because they're excited about the coaching service. However, it's pretty limited. Your coach can only provide basic tips, light emotional support, and help with technical issues - all with a 24-48 hour response time. They won't set goals with you, check in regularly, or even reach out proactively.

The AI assistant might be just as helpful

Instead of relying on the basic coaching, you might find yourself turning to Welli, Noom's AI chatbot. It can answer questions about nutrition, recipes, and how to use the app features. (Though honestly, this makes us wonder why they bother with human coaches at all.)

Upgrading to 1:1 coaching unlocks more personalized support

If you want in-depth coaching from another human being, you'll need to pay extra for a 1:1 Coach. These premium coaches can help set goals, keep you motivated, and build an actual relationship with you over time. Just note that they still can't give specific nutrition advice or mental health support. Noom isn't a replacement for a nutritionist or therapist.

A social network that fits your style

You can make Noom as social as you want by joining interest-based Communities after Day 10 of your program. These groups let you connect with other Noomers who share your interests in topics like food, exercise, and hobbies. You'll find Coach-led discussions and can participate by posting, commenting, and giving thumbs up to others' content.

Users love Noom's educational approach

Most users who rate Noom highly (59% give it 5 stars) appreciate its psychological approach to weight loss. They find that learning about the "why" behind their eating habits and using cognitive behavioral therapy to challenge their thinking patterns is effective. Several people celebrate significant weight loss results - like losing 16 pounds in 4 weeks or 50 pounds overall - while developing a healthier relationship with food and learning they don't need to go hungry.

Technical issues and Premium value frustrate others

The 23% of users giving 4-star reviews typically bring up the same issues. For many people, the app frequently needs reinstalling, with features like step counting and water logging becoming unreliable or disappearing altogether. The Premium package has been criticized for not being worth the extra cost, and many users are angry about a complicated cancellation process and Noom failing to remind them when their subscriptions are going to be auto-renewed. Also, customer support is said to be unhelpful and unresponsive. International users note that the app is very Americanized, with limited food databases for other regions (something to consider if you're outside the US). Despite receiving over 1,100 complaints in three years, though, Noom maintains an "A+” BBB rating by addressing these issues.

Recommended for beginners looking for hand-holding

You'll get a solid educational foundation in nutrition and healthy habits with Noom, along with some decent tools for tracking your progress. While the basic coaching might leave you wanting more, we think the program's psychological approach and flexible eating guidelines are great for new dieters looking to develop lasting healthy habits. Just be prepared for a significant time investment in the beginning and keep an eye on those auto-renewal dates. If you're already knowledgeable about nutrition or looking for an app with detailed macro tracking, you might want to look elsewhere.

Atkins

• Cost: Free program access with paid optional products; higher grocery costs for protein-rich foods
• Atkins-branded ready-made meals and snacks available
• Research shows effective weight loss through carb restriction and metabolic advantages over low-fat diets
• Other health benefits: Improved heart health markers, stable blood sugar levels, reduced cravings, better digestive health through high-fiber approach
• Three flexible plans (20g, 40g, or 100g net carbs), comprehensive app with food tracking, 1,600+ recipes, vegetarian/vegan options
• 4.7/5 rating from 74,000+ iOS app reviews, positive feedback on ease of use and effectiveness

The Atkins Diet has been helping people lose weight through carbohydrate restriction since 1963. Unlike traditional calorie-counting diets, this program helps you "flip your body's metabolic switch" from burning carbs to burning fat by gradually introducing carbs in a controlled way. The science-backed approach not only promotes weight loss but also helps maintain stable blood sugar levels and reduce cravings. It's especially beneficial for people who have difficulty processing carbohydrates, and research shows it can improve heart health markers and provide digestive benefits through its high-fiber approach.

It's free... kind of

You'll be happy to know that Atkins won't charge you anything to use their program. The website gives you free access to meal plans, recipes, shopping lists, and progress tracking tools. You can even join their online community for support. (But there's always a catch, right?)

The real expenses: your grocery bill

While the program is free, your grocery costs will probably increase. You'll need to stock up on proteins like meat, fish, and eggs, plus healthy fats from nuts and oils. (Those salmon filets will cost more than the pasta you're replacing.) So how does Atkins make money, you might ask? You can buy lots of ready-made Atkins products to help you stick with your low-carb lifestyle. Think protein shakes, frozen meals, snack bars, and treats (like those tempting keto caramel almond clusters - yes please). Whether you're rushing to work or need a quick snack, there's probably an Atkins product that'll fit your needs.

Getting started is simple

While a low-carb diet might not be the cheapest, it's simple with Atkins. You can get started in just 4 steps:

1. Pick your plan based on your goals
2. Learn the food rules (goodbye starchy veggies, hello nutrient-rich alternatives)
3. Download a free meal plan
4. Start tracking your progress with their tools

Three flexible plans to choose from

Atkins offers three different plans that adapt to your goals and lifestyle. The Atkins 20 is the strictest at 20g net carbs per day, perfect if you want the original approach or need strict guidelines. The Atkins 40 gives you more flexibility with 40g net carbs daily, ideal if you want more food choices. For maintenance or slower weight loss, the Atkins 100 lets you eat 100g net carbs per day.

Works for special diets too

You can follow Atkins as a vegetarian or vegan. Vegetarians start at Phase 2 with 30g net carbs, getting protein from eggs, cheese, and soy. Vegans begin at 50g net carbs and can get protein from nuts, seeds, legumes, and plant-based proteins like quinoa.

No calorie counting required

If you've had bad experiences with calorie counting in the past, you might feel more sane on the Atkins Diet, with no limit on the volume of food you eat. While there are suggested calorie ranges (1500-1800 for women, 1800-2200 for men), the focus is on carb control. Research suggests you might burn more calories on this approach compared to low-fat diets, too.

Not an "everything in moderation” kind of diet

Atkins says their approach is about teaching you how to "eat a variety of nutrient-dense carbohydrates for the rest of your life.” But what happens after you reach your goal weight? Atkins says that "most people” can enjoy things like "the occasional plate of French fries”, but that things like peanut butter cups will have to stay off the menu. (Honestly, we find that a little bleak.)

The app has all the features you'll need

With Atkins' handy app, you can search through a huge food database to check nutrition info, track your daily carbs (and other macros), and watch your weight loss progress. Plus, you can sync your steps, browse through food lists for each phase of the program, and explore more than 1,600 low-carb recipes when you need meal inspiration.

No app in the Google Play store

Unfortunately, the app appears only to be available for iOS users right now, with no Android version that we could find. But if you're an iPhone user, you're in luck - the app maintains an impressive 4.7/5 rating from 74,000+ reviews. The developers appear to listen to user feedback and make improvements based on suggestions.

Real people, real results

One user's experience really captures what makes the app special: they found tracking carbs much easier than counting calories, and actually enjoyed using the app instead of feeling guilty about logging food. After struggling with post-COVID weight gain, they lost 2 pounds in their first week and felt more energetic without sugar crashes. (And isn't that what we're all looking for - something that actually works?)

A no-nonsense approach to weight loss

Atkins sticks to what it knows best - teaching you how to manage carbs for lasting results. We're excited about the free tools, clear guidelines, and flexible plan options you'll get to meet your goals. While the grocery bill might be higher and you'll need to say goodbye to some favorite foods, the program's proven track record and science-backed approach make this popular diet plan worth considering.

Whole 30

• Cost: $20/month, $60/quarter, or $99/year for Whole30 plan
• Helps identify food sensitivities and inflammation triggers
• 88% of users report improved relationship with food
• 1,600+ kitchen-tested recipes, customizable meal plans, smart shopping lists with Instacart integration, extensive meal prep assistance
• 10-day money-back guarantee
• Mobile app available for iOS and Android

Unlike many popular diets meant to help you lose weight, Whole30 is a 30-day elimination diet meant to help you identify foods that might be causing health issues like inflammation or digestive problems. When you use the Real Plans app (approved by the Whole30 CEO), you'll get expert-designed meal plans from registered dietitians and health coaches. According to Whole30's CEO, 88% of people who complete their program say it changed their relationship with food. The Real Plans app saves you time and money by providing customizable weekly plans, shopping lists, and prep tips.

Whole30 goes from overwhelming to effortless with the Real Plans app

Elimination diets are daunting - no matter who you are or how experienced you might be with other popular diets. That's where the Real Plans Whole30 plan comes in. You'll get personalized weekly meal plans tailored to your family size and dietary preferences, plus access to over 1,600 kitchen-tested recipes.

Meal plan your way

When you sign up for Real Plans, you'll begin by sharing your eating style and start date, then create your account. Next, you'll choose from various dietary approaches - Whole30 and plant-based Whole30 paleo are there, but also the autoimmune protocol, GAPS, FODMAP, and so on. There are accommodations for virtually every allergy or dietary restriction - that's kind of the point of the app. The fun part comes when picking your meal planning style: you can go with an automated plan that does all the work, a calendar-free approach if you prefer flexibility, a blank calendar to fill in yourself, or even a macro-focused plan (body-builders, rejoice).

Smart shopping lists

Once that's set up, you'll get access to everything from smart shopping lists with Instacart integration (making it way less likely that you'll slip up and sneak something extra into your shopping cart) to a detailed timeline telling you exactly when to defrost ingredients. You can customize serving sizes to match your schedule and family size, and even import your favorite recipes from other websites.

Weight loss takes a back seat

While you'll get plenty of powerful features with this Whole30 meal planning app, you should know it's not really designed for weight loss. Sure, you can track your macros and calories, but it doesn't look like you'll find exercise tracking or step counting here. This is primarily a meal planner that happens to include some nutrition tracking features (and that's perfectly fine if that's what you're looking for).

$20 a month for the Whole30 plan with 10-day grace period

Unlike many diet programs that make money selling you pre-prepared food, Real Plans generates revenue through app subscriptions only. You'll pay $20 monthly for the Whole30 version, with better deals if you commit to quarterly ($60) or annual ($99) plans. While the annual plan offers the best value, you might want to stick with monthly since Whole30 is typically a short-term program - and hey, the price dropped from $36 to $20 per month since our last review. Trying out this meal planning app is pretty low-risk for your wallet. Real Plans offers a 10-day money-back guarantee on all web purchases, and you can cancel your subscription whenever you want. Even after canceling, you'll still have access to your plan until the end of your current billing cycle.

The app can help you save on food waste

If you think $20 a month is a bit steep when you still have to buy all the (organic, high-quality) groceries yourself, keep in mind that trying to wing the Whole30 diet could actually cost you more in wasted food. Real Plans helps you stay on budget with smart features like a pricing filter for budget-friendly recipes and by mapping ingredients to specific recipes to prevent overbuying. You can even join their Facebook community for money-saving ingredient swaps.

A helpful app with a very specific purpose

Because this app is excellent at what it does, we give it a strong rating.. That said, Whole30 isn't a typical weight loss program and won't be what most people are looking for. You'll need to completely avoid restaurants (since you can't be sure what ingredients they use), skip most holiday treats and celebrations (goodbye wine and charcuterie), and stick to whole, unprocessed foods without exception. If you're just looking to lose a few pounds, Whole30 may be too restrictive for you - and the post-diet cravings can be intense, potentially putting you right back where you started.

Keto Diet

• Cost: $4.82-12 per serving, with $90 discount across first 4 boxes for new customers
• Supports weight loss keto diet through carb-conscious meals
• Three meal prep options: Classic (30 min), Pre-Prepped (15-20 min), and Fresh & Ready (4 min)
• 7-day money-back guarantee
• Can help you learn low-carb meal planning skills

Curious about keto but not sure where to start? You have two interesting keto diet options to consider in our review. While one service offers a free app with meal plans but no included food, Sunbasket's keto diet is just the opposite approach: ready-to-cook keto meals, but without tracking tools or strict guidelines. Feeling clever? Consider combining both of these popular diet plans to get the best of both worlds - meal delivery convenience plus progress tracking.

The science behind keto weight loss

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carb eating plan that transforms your body into a fat-burning machine. When you restrict carbohydrates to around 20-50 grams per day, your body enters a metabolic state called ketosis, where it begins using fat for fuel instead of glucose. This shift not only helps you shed pounds more effectively, but it can also lead to improved mental clarity, reduced inflammation, and better blood sugar control (though the first week might have you wondering if it's worth it). You'll focus on foods like avocados, eggs, fatty fish, and plenty of vegetables, while cutting out bread, pasta, and sugary treats.

Sunbasket discourages highly restrictive eating

We recommend taking a look at Sunbasket's previous menus to get an idea of what you'd be eating. Unlike their Paleo diet that we've also reviewed here, there's unfortunately no way to filter for their keto-friendly (sometimes titled Carb-Conscious) meals. Looking at their menu will still help you get an idea of the cuisines that might show up in your box, though, And good news - you're totally allowed to mix and match your meals if you see something that really appeals to you but is outside of the keto diet. That's part of Sunbasket's philosophy - that restrictive eating habits can backfire, and as long as you're eating healthy, fresh, whole ingredients that are rich in nutrients a majority of the time, you'll be on track to a healthier lifestyle (and weight loss if that's your goal).

Dinner for two, or lunch and dinner for one

Another thing to know is that Sunbasket doesn't have breakfast options, just entrées, but it's typically pretty easy to throw together a low-carb breakfast yourself (think scrambled eggs and avocado on a piece of keto-friendly toast). When you're ready to sign up for Sunbasket's meals, you'll tell them which diet you want to follow and indicate any additional dietary restrictions, then select how many people are eating (2 or 4) and how many dinners per week (3, 4, or 5). Then check out and select your meals. If you want to eat Sunbasket meals for lunch too, choose a greater number of dinners per week or more serving sizes.

Cooking intensity varies by meal type

The cooking experience with Sunbasket can be as hands-on or hands-off as you prefer. With Classic Meal Kits, you'll spend about 30 minutes in the kitchen chopping, mixing, and cooking. For those who want minimal kitchen time, Fresh & Ready meals require just 4 minutes of heating. The Pre-Prepped Meal Kits offer a middle ground, with 15-20 minute prep times since ingredients come pre-chopped.

From $4.82 a serving for new customers

Sunbasket runs promotions for new customers with a $90 discount spread across 4 boxes and free shipping, which brings the average meal cost down to $4.82/serving (but that's likely with the largest possible number of servings per box, as price goes down with quantity). After your discount runs out, you might pay as much as $12 per serving.

Use Sunbasket to jump-start the keto diet

Sunbasket (or any meal delivery service, really) is kind of expensive and might not be affordable for the average person to use long-term. However, it could help you figure out if you like keto meals enough to stick to the diet. You might consider using Sunbasket as an incentive to start your weight loss journey or as a crash course in carb-conscious cooking. Take it from one customer who started as a complete novice - they went from following basic Sunbasket recipes to preparing an entire Thanksgiving feast within a couple of years, thanks to the clear instructions and hands-on experience.

Won't include everything you need for keto, but still good

Sunbasket is our favorite meal delivery service, so if you're going to use one to do the keto diet, this is the service we'd recommend for ingredient freshness, ethical considerations, and variety in meal offerings. If you're committed to following the diet strictly, make sure you have breakfast plans and a good tracking tool to pair with your Sunbasket meals.

Mediterranean Diet

• Cost: 2-4 servings per meal
• Enjoy natural weight loss through nutrient-dense foods
• Meals contain 400-800 calories with >10g protein and >5g fiber
• 98% organic produce, responsibly-sourced seafood free of antibiotics and hormones
• Mix-and-match meal options, choice between meal kits or pre-made meals, 7-9 Mediterranean options weekly
• 100% Mouthwatering Guarantee, will make issues right within 7 days of delivery

Sunbasket's meal delivery service is a fantastic way to get started with the Mediterranean diet. Each delivery includes everything you need to prepare authentic, health-conscious dishes without the hassle of grocery shopping or measuring ingredients.

Get slim with delicious whole foods

Instead of tedious calorie counting, this kind of popular diet plan helps you lose weight naturally by focusing on nutrient-dense foods. The meals feature Mediterranean staples like fresh produce, whole grains, and heart-healthy olive oil, complemented by carefully portioned fish and seafood. (And yes, you can have the traditional glass of red wine with dinner.) Each Mediterranean meal will have between 400 and 800 calories, at least 10 grams of protein (though expect it to be more like 20-30 in seafood entrees), and 5 grams of fiber.

Cook meals yourself, or heat and serve

You can get started with Sunbasket's Mediterranean meal delivery service by choosing two or more dinners from their weekly menu, with options for either two or four servings per meal. You'll have two main options: meal kits with pre-portioned ingredients for cooking (usually ready in half an hour), or pre-made meals that are ready in minutes. The pre-made "Fresh & Ready" meals come in compostable trays and can be prepared in just 4 minutes, while their "Prepared & Ready" meals are flash-frozen to maintain nutrients during shipping. Some days are busier than others, so we love that Sunbasket makes it possible to eat well without spending an hour (or more) in the kitchen between prep, eating, and cleanup.

Can't filter for Mediterranean meals without an account

Sunbasket makes their past menu items visible to people visiting their website without accounts. Only some of their diet plans (like paleo, gluten-free, vegan) can be filtered for on their menu, and Mediterranean isn't one of them. However, any meal with fish is probably something you can expect to see after you've signed up, given them your billing info, and proceeded to select the meals in your first box.

Plenty of Mediterranean meal options

You'll find 7-9 Mediterranean meal options each week through Sunbasket, with dishes ranging from light to hearty. The menu might include flavorful options like a 540-calorie superfood salad with quinoa and fruit, a satisfying 710-calorie roasted salmon with couscous, or a lean 410-calorie Mediterranean halibut with artichokes. And here's the best part - you're not locked into just Mediterranean dishes. You can mix and match from any of Sunbasket's meal options to create your perfect box.

Limited breakfast options

Sunbasket offers entrées (dinners and lunches) but not breakfasts, though they do have add-on snacks, desserts, and some breakfast foods (like an apple cinnamon oatmeal cup or broccoli quiche) in their Market. It might be easier and cheaper to buy a few staple groceries for breakfasts each week, but you still have the option to get them at Sunbasket if you need to.

Deep discounts for new customers

You'll get a great deal as a new Sunbasket customer, paying just $4.82 per serving with a $90 discount spread across your first 4 deliveries. After that intro offer ends, expect to pay up to $12 per serving - the exact amount will depend on how many servings and meals you order each week.

Satisfaction with your meal or your money back

There are other popular diet meal delivery services in our review that we wouldn't recommend as highly as Sunbasket (even if they're more obviously catered to people trying to lose weight). Often, that's because their meals really aren't very high quality. They're comparable to what you might find in the Walmart frozen food aisle - or they're worse. It doesn't matter how many promises those services make about how much weight you can lose and how quickly. If their meals are bad, you won't be satisfied, and you're going to compensate with other foods - maybe thinking you deserve that entire Costco tiramisu cheesecake to make up for how disappointed you are with a frozen meal you spent restaurant prices on. Sunbasket is different because they focus on quality ingredients and stand behind their meals with a 100% Mouthwatering Guarantee. If you're not satisfied, they'll make it right within 7 days of delivery.

98% organic produce and responsibly-sourced seafood

Plus, they deliver organic produce 98% of the time, partner with trusted farms, and ensure all their meats and seafood are free of antibiotics and artificial hormones. They even work with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program to source responsibly-caught seafood. Their commitment to quality means you're getting food you can feel good about eating, which makes sticking to your Mediterranean diet goals much easier.

Mediterranean is a popular diet for a reason

We're really satisfied with how Sunbasket performs in the meal delivery service industry. In the popular diet sphere, eating in a high-protein Mediterranean style will increase your satiety and energy levels, which can help you put on muscle or lose fat, depending on your goals. You'll just need to learn some basic information about how weight loss works (think calories in vs. calories out) and find a calorie and exercise tracking tool you like, and you'll be on the road to better health and a body you feel comfortable in.

Gluten-Free Diet

• Cost: $4.28 to $13+ per serving, with new customer discounts available
• Suitable for gluten sensitivity, but not for celiac disease due to cross-contamination risk
• Organic produce and sustainably sourced proteins
• Fresh & Ready, Classic, and Pre-Prepped kits with prep times of 4-30 minutes

If you're considering a gluten-free diet, you should know that it's not inherently a weight loss solution. This eating plan involves eliminating gluten - a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and spelt - which can cause inflammation and digestive issues in sensitive individuals. While going gluten-free isn't necessary if you don't have a sensitivity, some people do find that eliminating gluten improves their well-being. Sunbasket's version of this diet features organic produce, sustainably sourced proteins, and gluten-free alternatives to common wheat products.

Everything from microwave meals to DIY meal kits

Sunbasket is a meal kit delivery service meant to alleviate the hassle of meal planning, grocery shopping, and even cooking if you don't feel like doing it yourself. If you just want to pop a frozen meal in the microwave, they don't judge - Fresh & Ready Meals are good to go in 4 minutes. On the other hand, if cooking is how you unwind, you can opt for a Classic Meal Kit (comes with step-by-step instructions, ready in 30 minutes) or a Pre-Prepped Meal Kit (everything pre-measured and chopped, ready in 15 minutes).

Find your way with a new diagnosis

If you've just been diagnosed with gluten sensitivity, you might feel overwhelmed about your food choices. But don't worry - Sunbasket makes it easy to explore delicious gluten-free options. On their menu page, you'll find dozens of examples of gluten-free meals they've delivered to their customers in the past several weeks, including:

• Pulled-pork taquitos with tomatillo salsa verde and queso fresco (720 calories)
• Singapore-style cabbage bowls with curried shrimp and spiced almonds (430 calories)
• Blueberry-apricot pork chops with sauteed kale (410 calories)
• Bucatini carbonara with pancetta, peas, and romaine salad (610 calories)

Not approved for those with celiac disease

All of these dishes are flavorful, nutritious, and made almost entirely with organic ingredients. Just be aware that Sunbasket makes their gluten-free meals with gluten-free ingredients, but they make these meals in the same kitchen as their regular meals that contain gluten. This means there's a risk of cross-contamination, so people with celiac disease or severe gluten sensitivity should not order from this service.

$4.28 to $13+ a serving

So how much does eating gluten-free with Sunbasket cost? New customers could pay as little as $4.28 a serving with a $90 discount spread across your first four boxes. Otherwise, serving starting prices range from $9.99 to $12.48 depending on the type of meal kit. It's certainly not the cheapest diet plan, but we suppose some people will be able and willing to pay for the level of convenience Sunbasket delivers. If you can't justify the cost of using a meal delivery service for the long-term, you could still use Sunbasket as a tasty crash course in learning how to eat (and cook) with a gluten sensitivity until your new-member discount runs out.

Recommended for those who need healthy gluten-free meals

People love Sunbasket for the variety of gluten-free meals they offer, their proactive and caring customer service team, and their satisfaction guarantee. If you're going to go with any gluten-free meal delivery service, this is the one to choose. If you're trying to lose weight on a gluten-free diet, it's certainly possible, but you'll need to do some extra work - find a good calorie-tracking app (there are some in our review) and make sure the gluten-free meals you're ordering from Sunbasket fit within your daily limit.

Paleo Diet

• Cost: New customer offers as low as $4.28 per serving
• Organic produce and responsibly raised meats
• Multiple meal prep options (Classic, Pre-Prepped, Fresh & Ready, Chef's Table)
• Award-winning chef-created recipes
• 7-day satisfaction guarantee
• Flexible subscription with ability to skip weeks
• Multiple prep options ranging from 4-30 minutes cooking time

Looking to shake up your eating habits? Consider Sunbasket's Paleo meal delivery service to bring an ancient-inspired diet right to your door. This popular diet plan focuses on nutrient-rich whole foods like meat, seafood, fruits, vegetables, and some nuts and seeds, while saying goodbye to legumes, grains, and refined sugars. Unlike other restrictive diets that leave you hangry and deprived, this diet has gained popularity among athletes and anyone seeking more energy through nutrient-dense foods.

Breakfasts are not included in this meal delivery service

You'll start by personalizing your meal plan, selecting your dietary preferences like paleo along with any other restrictions such as gluten-free, vegetarian, or keto-friendly options. Then you'll choose whether you're feeding 2 or 4 people and select 3-5 dinners per week. Unfortunately, breakfast isn't included. (Don't worry though - planning your own paleo breakfasts is totally manageable.) After that, it's just a matter of creating your account, completing checkout, and picking your meals.

Meals may be too calorie-dense for many

If you want an idea of what you might be eating before you commit to Sunbasket, you can preview the meals that were served as far as several weeks back. On the menu, you might see meals like:

• Fattoush salad with soft-cooked eggs and za'atar-spiced chickpeas, 660 cal per serving
• Black Angus ribeyes with artichoke butter and garlicky green beans, 690 cal per serving
• Seared halibut over butter bean, edamame, and tomatillo succotash, 500 cal per serving

As you can see, Paleo is not a low-calorie diet by nature. If you're a petite woman or otherwise have a low Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), you might find it difficult to make the scale budge while on Sunbasket's Paleo meal plan. However, if you're an athlete or do a lot of physical labor (in other words, someone who burns a lot of calories in a day and needs high-protein, highly nutritional meals) you could still lose weight on this plan.

Your meal prep options are blessedly flexible

Whether cooking is how you unwind or you view mealtime as a means to an end, Sunbasket will have an option for you. Their classic meal kits let you cook everything from scratch in about 30 minutes. Pre-prepped kits save time by handling the chopping and measuring. For special occasions, there's the premium Chef's Table selection. And if you're really pressed for time, Fresh & Ready meals can be on your table in just 4 minutes. All the meals are created by award-winning chefs, so you know you're getting restaurant-quality food. And yes, they actually taste as good as that sounds. We've reviewed Sunbasket several times before, and they always earn high marks for flavor and freshness.

The ingredients are top-notch

One reason everything tastes so good is Sunbasket's commitment to quality and sustainability. In your Paleo meal delivery box, you'll get fresh organic produce and high-quality proteins, including responsibly raised meats without antibiotics or hormones. The seafood is either wild-caught or sustainably raised according to Monterey Bay Aquarium guidelines.

Starting at $9.99 per serving

Generally speaking, Sunbasket meals range from $9.99 to $12 a serving, but they run offers for new customers that could bring your cost down to $4.28 a serving. It's usually true for meal services that the greater the amount of food you buy at once, the more you save - although Sunbasket is a bit coy with their pricing. You won't be able to see it until after you've created an account.

You've got a satisfaction guarantee

If you're not happy with your Sunbasket meals, they'll make it right as long as you contact their Help Center within 7 days of delivery. The subscription is flexible too - you can skip weeks, change your delivery address, or cancel anytime before the weekly cutoff at 12pm PST.

While other Paleo meal services exist, Sunbasket is our pick

There are other meal delivery services you could use if you want to start the popular Paleo diet, but we'd still recommend Sunbasket over those. In terms of ingredient quality and satisfaction, they very often outshine (pun intended) their competitors.

Weight loss results may vary

The paleo diet's high-fat, calorie-dense nature means it's not typically recommended as a weight loss solution. However, if you're currently snacking throughout the day rather than eating proper meals, switching to structured portions through Sunbasket could help you reach your goals. (Just remember that breakfast is on you.)

We like Sunbasket, but Paleo won't be ideal for most

While we appreciate Sunbasket's quality and service, we can only give their Paleo plan a moderate recommendation when we compare it to other popular diets. It's an excellent choice if you're committed to the Paleo lifestyle, but may not be the best fit if weight loss is your primary goal.

Nutrisystem

• Cost: Plans range from $99 to $279 for 28 days, plus additional costs for grocery add-ins
• Pre-portioned meals delivered
• Program uses lower-glycemic foods to control hunger and blood sugar, dieters eat six meals per day
• App for meal tracking and recipes
• Flex meals allow eating out
• Full menu viewable before signup
• Money-back guarantee only available for first-time customers on 4-week plans, must request within 7 days of delivery

Meal planning and prep can be the biggest hurdles to overcome when you're trying to lose weight. Nutrisystem offers a solution - they're a science-backed, high-protein meal delivery service that's been helping people shed pounds for over 50 years. Their dietitian-designed program uses lower-glycemic foods to control hunger and blood sugar, while providing perfectly portioned meals made with quality ingredients (or so they claim). You'll still get to enjoy treats and desserts, because they understand that completely restricting yourself isn't sustainable.

Detailed menu info available before signing up

Something we appreciate about Nutrisystem is that you can view their full menu before creating an account - which is not always a given with traditional meal delivery services. On each product's page, you can see nutritional info, read a detailed description of the meal or snack's flavor profile, and even check out a Q&A section for your burning questions about carbs vs. net carbs. Customers are able to leave reviews and rate their favorite Nutrisystem foods. For example, people say the Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich, which has 130 calories, is just as good as old-fashioned ice cream sandwiches. The Beef Lo Mein, with 21 grams of protein at 360 calories, apparently tastes like it's from a "real Chinese restaurant” and is ready after 10 minutes in a skillet.

Three plans ranging from $99 to $279

Nutrisystem offers three different meal subscription plans.

• Meal Plan: starts at $99 (which we presume is weekly, though Nutrisystem doesn't make it clear) and includes high-protein (up to 30g per meal) or carb-conscious meals, depending on your diet goals. (It's not very clear how many meals this plan includes.)
• Signature Program: starts at $279 (again, we think that's weekly), includes three full meals and one snack per day - it also appears to be the only plan with a money-back guarantee.
• Club Advantage subscription: starts at $39.99 for a 6-month subscription - but be aware that this doesn't cover the cost of the food itself. Each option carries its own cost, and what you pay will depend on what you select. You choose the number of meals or snacks you want, as well as how frequently you want them delivered.

Nutrisystem doesn't make it obvious how long the Signature Program or the Meal Plan subscriptions last, so it's hard to tell what you're really getting for your money.

"Monthly” plans last only 28 days

It gets more convoluted from here. There are apparently three more program options - one for women, one for men, and one to feed two people at a time. The checkout page for any of the plans we've named are rife with "upgrades” and add-ons (like 28 protein shakes for $39.98). At checkout, it's suggested that the Meal Plan and Signature Program last 28 days each, but if that's the case, we wish they would just say so in plain English on the main Pricing page. (It also does not escape us that Nutrisystem uses the fewest number of days required to be called a monthly plan - it's always February when you're a subscription service trying to save a buck.)

A total of 6 meals and snacks per day

You'll eat six times per day on Nutrisystem, which helps maintain steady energy and control hunger. The standard women's plan includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and three snacks throughout the day. Men receive an additional Nutrisystem snack daily. All meals are portion-controlled, but you'll have to supplement with your own grocery add-ins like fruits, vegetables, and nuts to create a complete nutrition plan. (Another complication to factor into your budget.)

You can still eat at restaurants or parties

While most of your meals will come from Nutrisystem, the program includes "Flex meals" where you can eat out or cook at home. You'll get access to detailed guides for restaurant dining and grocery shopping to help you make smart choices. You'll also get access to their app, which helps track meals and provides recipes for when you're cooking on your own.

$125 charge may apply to cancel

You can cancel your auto-delivery program by contacting Nutrisystem before 6 PM ET the day before your scheduled order. However, you may have to "pay a ransom for your freedom” as one disgruntled ex-customer puts it: if you cancel after your first 7 days but before paying for your second shipment, you'll need to pay back a $125 auto-delivery discount.

No refunds for Partner or Club Advantage plans

As for refunds, you can get your money back if you're not happy with your first order, but you'll need to call within 7 days of delivery. Keep in mind this guarantee only works for first-time customers buying 4-week plans. (Partner Plans and Club Advantage members are out of luck on this one.)

The menu isn't what it's cracked up to be

If you check out independent customer feedback about the food quality, you'll find a very different story from what Nutrisystem shows on their site. Former customers consistently report that the food quality has declined significantly over the years and is now "awful". While their website showcases glowing reviews about restaurant-quality meals, real customers say you'd be better off buying frozen dinners from Walmart. This suggests that Nutrisystem suppresses negative feedback on platforms they can control.

Better options available

Nutrisystem receives a dismal rating on Trustpilot from over 2,000 customer reviews. Unhappy customers request refunds, only to be told by customer service that there's nothing the company can do - that they should have read the fine print. We don't think that's right. Any company that buries important information regarding pricing and cancellation in dense Terms of Service documents or makes you look for answers in FAQ articles is clearly trying to rip you off. If what you're after is a meal delivery service to help you kickstart your weight loss, you have so many better options.

Jenny Craig

• Cost: $139.40 to $170/week for meal plan, or $69.99 for 6 months of Club Jenny membership (food costs extra)
• Virtual coaching, recipes, nutritional guides
• Much more expensive than most similarly-structured diets
• Customer service is lacking

Jenny Craig is a weight loss company that you might remember from its heyday of 700+ centers across multiple countries. While they used to offer in-person weight loss counseling with frozen meal delivery, the company went bankrupt in May 2023. They've been revived by Nutrisystem's parent company as an online-only service, and now only provide virtual coaching with their meal delivery program.

Cost is intentionally hard to figure out

There are a few different Jenny Craig plans to look at. We started with the 14-day plan. Right off the bat, we were frustrated with how opaque the pricing was. To paint the picture for you, Jenny Craig advertises how much you can save, but they don't disclose how much they charge - until you get several steps into the checkout process, which makes it hard to tell if something like opting for a customized menu versus a menu of customer favorites increases the cost. For us, the Customer Favorites plan with Anytime Bars (each plan includes snack bars in the cost) wound up being priced between $139.40 and $170 a week.

Club Jenny plan doesn't include food

The Club Jenny plan is advertised as costing just $69.99 for 6 months, but if you think about the numbers for a second, you'll realize there's no way that includes the food. It's actually just the price of entry for the ability to select your meals (which must be paid for separately) and choose your delivery schedule. There are a few other perks, but they're really not unique to Jenny Craig - you can find nutrition guides, healthy recipes, and weight loss support groups many places online without paying a dime. The only included benefit we could imagine being of any value is the 1:1 coaching.

Commit to 8 weeks to get advertised $66/week price

Finally, there's the Meal Plan, advertised as starting at $66 a week. It comes with 14 breakfasts, 14 entrees, and a 6-month subscription to Club Jenny. The more shipments you buy (they come every 2 weeks), the less you'll pay - $85/week for 1 shipment or $69.70 for 8 weeks (or $65.95 with a new-member discount).

The food isn't good

Having been acquired by Nutrisystem's parent company, you'll notice some similarities between the layout of both websites. For example, the menu page allows you to filter by kind of diet, food type (entrée, dessert, snack) and view customer reviews. However, like Nutrisystem, while Jenny Craig's menu items are raved about on JC's website, third-party platforms (whether that's social media or consumer review sites) aren't as complimentary. The food is frequently and frankly referred to as "bad”.

No chance for a refund (even if it's their mistake)

Jenny Craig is not currently rated by the Better Business Bureau, and 85% of reviews on one independent review platform give it just 1 star. In addition to complaints about the taste of the food, you'll find reports of shipments that never arrive (or arrive thawed and inedible), unhelpful customer service reps, and indiscriminate refund denials.

Steer clear

It almost goes without saying at this point that we would not recommend Jenny Craig. While this used to be one of the most popular diet plans in the world, Jenny Craig is the same company in name only now. We recommend checking out one of the higher-rated popular diets in our review instead.

Lumen

• Cost: $199 to $359 for device, plus $15 to $19/month subscription
• Weight loss success reported
• Claims to measure CO2 in breath to determine fat/carb burning
• 30-day refund policy - with restrictions
• 1-year warranty
• Can feel complicated
• Not suitable for users with diabetes, severe asthma, COPD, kidney disease, cancer, thyroid disorder, or who are pregnant

Lumen is an Israeli startup founded by twin sisters with PhDs in physiology. They claim that their device can measure your metabolism in under a minute through a single breath - replacing lab processes that can take hours to complete. (Sound too good to be true? We thought so too.) By tracking whether your body is burning fat or carbs, the device is meant to provide specific meal recommendations to help you reach your fitness goals, whether that's losing weight or building muscle. After raising over $1 million on Indiegogo, Lumen is now being sold worldwide.

Requires careful nutritional calibration to be of value

Right off the bat, Lumen seems best suited for people who already consistently track their daily nutrition and understand how to count macros. If you're overwhelmed at the prospect of counting calories daily - and having to alter your meal plan on the fly every day after your reading - you probably won't enjoy or get much use out of Lumen.

Not for those with asthma

Also, if you have diabetes, severe asthma, COPD, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should not use Lumen since these conditions can affect the accuracy of its measurements. The device's nutritional recommendations also aren't suitable if you have kidney disease, cancer, or a thyroid disorder.

Monthly subscription required in addition to device

Lumen catches you when you're coming and when you're going. You'll need to shell out quite a bit for the Lumen device - it costs between $199 to $359 by itself - but that's not all. You'll need to pay a monthly subscription fee to actually use the app: either $15/month with an annual plan (plus $199 for the device) or $19/month with a $249 device fee. When what you're getting is a breath analyzer and some basic nutrition tracking features, the price seems pretty steep. And if you want to have access to chats with Lumen's nutritionists, you'll need to spend an additional $30 a month. Need an extra charging port, a carrying case, or a 2-year warranty? Yeah, that'll cost you extra, too.

Deceptive money-back guarantee

The Lumen device comes with a supposed 30-day money-back guarantee, but there's a major catch: once you open the package, you can't return it. (How convenient for them that you can't test if it works before committing to keeping it.) Several customers found this out the hard way and posted their tales of woe on social media channels in the hopes of preventing others from falling victim to Lumen's predatory tactics, too.

Questionable accuracy

The device's accuracy is dubious at best, with keto dieters reporting that it incorrectly showed them burning primarily carbs. While Lumen claims it can accurately measure your metabolism through a single breath and provide personalized nutrition advice, you should be skeptical. Those claims oversimplify the complex process of metabolism, which is affected by many factors like your activity level, stress, and hormones that a simple breath test can't capture. Lumen hasn't gone through the same rigorous testing as professional lab equipment, either, making all the hype seem more like clever marketing than proven science. (Let's do a critical thinking exercise - if Lumen was as accurate as they claim, would anyone still be doing expensive and time-consuming lab tests?)

Not worth your money

We aren't saying that you won't lose weight with Lumen. On the contrary, it's easy to find testimonials from people who met or exceeded their goals while using it. However, from everything we've seen, Lumen is basically your own personal placebo effect gadget. Just like the feather that made Dumbo believe he could fly when he actually had the ability all along, this expensive device might make you feel more in control of your metabolism, but any success you experience is likely due to an increased awareness of what you're eating. We think this device is likely to end up as a fancy addition to your junk drawer, and would not recommend supporting this company. Check out one of our other popular diet plans instead - you can achieve the same results for a fraction of the price.