Nutrisystem Vegetarian: Pros, Cons, and Review

Nutrisystem is a popular weight loss program that offers low calorie, frozen, or shelf-stable meals and snacks to help you lose weight without having to track your food.

Nutrisystem Vegetarian is a plant-based version of the Nutrisystem program that features the same benefits, but provides only meatless meals and snacks.

This article reviews what Nutrisystem Vegetarian is, if it works for weight loss, and the pros and cons of the program.

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What is Nutrisystem Vegetarian?

Nutrisystem is a weight loss program that boasts it can help you lose up to 18 pounds (8 kg) “fast.”

The service delivers a set number of prepackaged meals and snacks to your door so you can complete the 4-week program.

The vegetarian plan features meals and snacks that are free of meat, but they may include dairy products, eggs, or animal-based additives.

There are over 90 vegetarian options in the Nutrisystem catalog. Some examples include:

• cinnamon raisin bagel
• spicy kung pao noodles
• fiesta macaroni and cheese
• strawberry shortcake cupcake
• white cheddar popcorn

How it works

Nutrisystem is a 4-week program in which you eat 6 small meals per day. Most of the food you eat is provided by the Nutrisystem program and formulated to be low in calories so that minimal tracking is required.

In addition to your Nutrisystem-provided meals and snacks, you’ll choose meals and snacks that are lean, low in calories, and rich in fiber and protein.

Vegetarian examples may include a tofu scramble with kale and mozzarella cheese, or hummus with carrots and celery.

For men, the Nutrisystem program — when followed correctly — provides about 1,500 calories per day, and for women it provides about 1,200 calories per day.

On Nutrisystem Vegetarian, all the food you’ll need for the first full week is provided. You’ll receive enough meals, snacks, and shakes for 6 small meals per day for 7 days.

In addition, you’ll receive enough food for 5 days out of each week for the remaining 3 weeks of the program.

You can repeat the program as needed if you want to lose more weight.

Cost

The regular price for Nutrisystem Vegetarian for women is about $290, which works out to about $10 per day.

For men, the price is slightly higher. Because men typically have higher calorie needs, Nutrisystem sends more food to men. Nutrisystem Vegetarian for men costs about $330, which is approximately $12 per day.

You also have the option to add 28 extra shakes for $40.

Shipping is always free.

Summary

Nutrisystem Vegetarian is a meatless version of the Nutrisystem diet program. It’s a 28-day program that provides most meals and snacks you’ll need. These meals are formulated to be low in calories.

Does it work for weight loss?

Although Nutrisystem Vegetarian hasn’t specifically been studied for its weight loss benefits, the standard Nutrisystem program has.

You should note, though, that some studies conducted on Nutrisystem have been funded by or received assistance from Nutrisystem or Nutrisystem employees.

One Nutrisystem-funded study in 78 people compared Nutrisystem to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet to investigate weight loss.

After 16 weeks, the Nutrisystem group had lost an average of about 13 pounds (6 kg) each, compared with the DASH diet group’s 4 pounds (1.8 kg) (1).

Another study noted that people on Nutrisystem had about 4% more weight loss after 12 weeks than a group that received education and counseling rather than a structured program (2).

Additionally, there’s some evidence that vegetarian diets may be more effective for weight loss than non-vegetarian diets, although this effect appears to be reduced in vegetarian diets that also include dairy and eggs — like Nutrisystem Vegetarian (3).

Summary

Nutrisystem does appear to work for short-term weight loss, and there may be a slight weight loss advantage to following a vegetarian diet, compared with non-vegetarian diets.

Other benefits

The Nutrisystem program may offer some blood sugar control benefits for people with type 2 diabetes.

One review of studies noted that Nutrisystem reduced hemoglobin A1c, the measure of a person’s average blood sugar levels over 3 months, by 0.3% more than counseling alone after 6 months (4).

Additionally, Nutrisystem and Nutrisystem Vegetarian offer convenience for people who want to lose weight but are too busy to spend a great deal of time meal planning, shopping, prepping, and cooking.

Summary

Nutrisystem may help to improve blood sugar control, and the program offers a large degree of convenience to people who want to lose weight but are too busy to cook or shop regularly.

Downsides

Nutrisystem Vegetarian is fairly expensive, at between $10–$12 per day. If you need to complete more than one round of the 28-day program, these expenses can add up quickly.

However, it may be worth the cost for you if you value the convenience and time savings, or if you would otherwise be dining out anyway.

Another downside of Nutrisystem Vegetarian is that it’s not appropriate for vegans. In fact, it’s best for lacto-ovo vegetarians, which are vegetarians who eat eggs and dairy.

The Nutrisystem branded foods are also highly processed, despite being low in calories.

Highly processed foods are generally less filling than whole foods, and have been linked to a number of health issues. It’s generally better to choose whole, unprocessed foods when possible (5, 6).

Finally, little is known about the long-term weight loss results of people on Nutrisystem. The Nutrisystem program can be excessively restrictive, and following calorie-restricted diets can often lead to rebound weight gain (7, 8).

Long-term studies on Nutrisystem are needed to determine if participants are able to maintain their weight loss.

Summary

Nutrisystem Vegetarian isn’t appropriate for vegans and can be very expensive, especially if you do more than one round. The foods are also highly processed, and the diet itself is restrictive and may not result in lasting weight loss.