The Jenny Craig Diet Weight Loss Program Reviews Cost Foods and More Everyday Health MenuNewslettersSearch Diet & Nutrition The Jenny Craig Diet Weight Loss Program Reviews Cost Foods and More By Jessica MigalaMedically Reviewed by Kelly Kennedy, RDNReviewed: April 5, 2019Medically ReviewedYou'll find everyday foods, from brownies to salads, on the Jenny Craig diet.Jenny CraigIf you watch TV, there is a good chance you have heard of the Jenny Craig diet. A number of celebrities have publicly gone on the Jenny Craig weight loss program, and they can often be seen on commercials and talk shows. What Is the Jenny Craig Diet The Jenny Craig diet is a weight loss program that involves meeting with a supportive consultant. You will meet with your personal consultant at your local Jenny Craig center or over the phone if you are doing the program from home. Your consultant will assess your eating habits, activity level, and motivation level, and customize the Jenny Craig weight loss program so it will work best for you. (1) When you are on the Jenny Craig diet, their meal plan features eating six times per day. Five will be prepared Jenny Craig meals, snacks, bars, or shakes, while one is your own snack. (2) A typical day might consist of oatmeal for breakfast, an energy bar for a mid-morning snack, a broccoli and cheese stuffed potato for lunch, a piece of fruit for an afternoon snack, chicken marsala for dinner, and a piece of chocolate cake for dessert. The cost of food is about $20 per day. (Weekly, the average cost of food is $156.) (3) Part of the program is known as their “Fresh and Free Additions,” which are fresh fruits and vegetables that help you add volume to meals and snacks for few calories. (4) Along with eating the Jenny Craig foods to keep your calorie intake under control, exercise is strongly suggested, as is attending weekly meetings with your personal consultant to keep you on track. The program encourages developing an active lifestyle, and they provide videos to get you started in walking, balance, strength, cardio, and more. (5) Most Recent in Diet and Nutrition Later Meals Increase Hunger Decrease Calories Burned Zinc 101 Uses Dosage Foods Supplements Risks and More 6 Bugs You Can Eat and Their Health Benefits Whole Grains 101 Health Benefits Nutrition Facts Recipes and More The Jenny Craig Diet Pros and ConsEvery individual responds to weight loss programs differently, and what works for some people may not work for others. The trick is to find a sound, healthy program that you like and are able to stick to. The Pros Here are some of the pros of the Jenny Craig weight loss program:There’s no calorie counting. With the Jenny Craig diet, your meal plan is completely taken care of and you don't even have to cook, which can be a major benefit for people who don't like to get bogged down with counting calories. "There is actually no thinking about meal preparation at all," says Audrey Young, RDN, CDE, a nutritionist who practices in Peabody, Massachusetts.You get one-on-one support. "The other great thing about [the Jenny Craig diet] is that they have a ton of support," says Young. "People are more successful when they take advantage of any support that is available."It’s based on sound science. Young says that the Jenny Craig weight loss program is based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines for daily eating. The Cons But there are a few drawbacks to this diet:There’s a lack of nutritional education. It’s true that many people can experience short-term weight loss while on programs like the Jenny Craig diet, but keeping the weight off becomes a major challenge, unless you continue to rely on the company's services. Jenny Craig offers a maintenance program, in which you can work with their consultants to learn about how to decode nutrition labels, incorporate exercise into your routine, and build your own menu with your own food.The support staff is not nutrition-credentialed. While the support component of the Jenny Craig diet is one of its beneficial attributes, the support representatives are not necessarily trained health or nutrition professionals. "They are not counselors and they are not dietitians” who are registered, says Katherine Tallmadge, RD, a registered dietitian-nutritionist in Washington, DC, and author of Diet Simple: 192 Mental Tricks, Substitutions, Habits and Inspirations.It’s expensive. "It can cost up to $100 a week for the prepackaged boxes, and you [have to] supplement that with your own fruits and vegetables," Young says. It is much cheaper to buy prepackaged, low-calorie meals and snacks from the supermarket, and supplement them with lots of fruits and vegetables. While the Jenny Craig diet may help you lose weight, you may be better off adopting a diet plan that can teach you healthy habits to keep your weight down for years to come. Of course, if having support makes a critical difference to you, it may be worth considering. Editor s Picks in Diet and Nutrition 8 Budget-Friendly Ways to Follow a Mediterranean Diet The 11 Best and Worst Foods to Boost Your Metabolism What s the Difference Between Keto and Atkins 10 Popular Low-Carb Diets and Their Pros and Cons The Benefits and Risks of the Jenny Craig Diet An OverviewHere’s a glance at some more of the potential benefits and risks of trying this popular weight loss plan. What Are the Benefits of the Jenny Craig Diet The food is preset. The people at Jenny Craig have done all the thinking for you. Because meals and snacks are prepackaged, you don’t have to worry about measuring out portions or overeating. “You only get so much food, which means you will probably only eat that much,” says Amy Goodson, RD, a sports nutritionist who is based in the Dallas–Fort Worth area in Texas.You get fruits and vegetables. It’s a plus that you get to add in fruits and vegetables to meals and snacks. Not only does it help make the dishes taste fresher, as Jenny Craig notes, it also helps you get more nutrients, says Goodson. Are There Any Risks to Following Jenny Craig It may not be sustainable. “You have to think about things like will your family get tired of you eating this way? Will you miss eating out with friends?” says Goodson. Eating is a hugely social activity and dieting with prepackaged meals means you may have to bring said meals over to someone’s house, skip eating at a restaurant, or cook a meal for your family and not eat it, if you want to stay on the plan.Long-term success is shaky. As Tallmadge mentioned, after you go off the plan, you are essentially left to fend for yourself. “My biggest issue with commercial prepackaged plans are maintenance,” says Angela Lemond, RDN, co-owner of Lemond Nutrition in Plano and Rockwall, Texas, who explains that they can make keeping the weight off as hard as losing it. The 10 Most Famous Fad Diets of All Time From the Atkins diet to the South Beach diet, find out why these popular weight loss plans have stood the test of time.Photolist Jenny Craig Diet ReviewsWhen it comes to considering plans like Jenny Craig versus Nutrisystem, the basic crux is that prepared meals are sent to your door. Because of that, they’re going to be pretty similar in terms of their pros and cons, says Lemond. Both can be expensive, especially since you’re also supplementing them with your own food, and they don’t arm you with knowledge about how to eat well long term, but they do provide convenience in terms of ease of meal prep and food decisions, she says. One study on overweight dieters found those on Jenny Craig for 12 weeks lost about 12 pounds (lbs), outperforming Curves, Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers (WW), and a control group in that measure, according to a review of the diet published in January 2019 by U.S. News & Word Report. (6) U.S. News also detailed a study from April 2015 published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine that also found Jenny Craig helped people lose more weight compared with popular diet plans like Nutrisystem — 4.9 percent more weight loss after a year compared to controls. What Is Jenny Craig Rapid Results Jenny Craig Rapid Results is a plan that claims its members can lose up to 16 lbs in the first four weeks, with average results being 11.6 lbs. (7) It takes a cue from intermittent fasting, where followers eat for a 12-hour window (for instance, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and fast for a period overnight. You will still eat six times a day, but you’ll consume more calories in the morning and taper off as the day goes on. The idea is to “optimize your metabolism” and take “advantage of your body’s natural fat-burning ability, so you lose weight faster,” the website says. More Popular Diets Like Jenny CraigKeto DietPaleo DietSouth Beach DietWeight Watchers (WW)Military DietCabbage Soup DietAtkins DietLow-Carb Diet How Much Do the Jenny Craig Diets Cost First, you’ll pay an enrollment fee. U.S. News & World Report outlines it as such: Members pay a $99 enrollment fee and at least $19 a month for the “Premium” plan. A month-to-month “Trial” membership costs $39 per month (without the enrollment fee). (6) Look for promotions, too. For instance, they may charge a reduced enrollment fee ($49) on a Premium plan that can be refunded to you if you hit your goal weight. (2) As for the cost of food, you are supplied with five meals or snacks daily. The Jenny Craig website advertises this as about $20 per day. (3) In the fine print, they note that the average person pays $156 per week for food. Add up the cost of food plus your monthly membership fee to know how much your personalized plan will cost. What Food Can You Eat on the Jenny Craig Diet The food you eat on Jenny Craig diet is prepackaged (thus portion- and calorie-controlled) plus you’ll add in your own fruits and vegetables. They supply classics so that you don’t feel deprived, including desserts. On the plan, you might eat cinnamon rolls, lasagna with meat sauce, pepperoni pizza, cheese ravioli, chicken tacos, as well as favorite snacky foods like cheese curls and kettle corn popcorn. (3) Resources We LoveU.S. News & World ReportPinterest RecipesLivestrongThriftBooksJenny Craig Community Jenny Craig Food Menu and Sample Shopping ListThe good news is that on the plan, you are not responsible for buying foods to cook the meals. Five of the six meals or snacks you will be eating in a day are the prepackaged Jenny Craig meals. However, you will buy your own fruits and vegetables to add to those meals and snacks with things like side salads or mixing into the entrees. It’s up to you depending on your tastes, but during your weekly grocery shopping on Jenny Craig you might buy some of the following fresh foods:RaspberriesBlueberriesStrawberriesApplesPearsCucumbersSpinachLettuceCeleryCarrotsTomatoesBroccoliPeppersGreen beans A 3-Day Sample Menu on Jenny Craig The below is a sample of how you might put together the meals and snacks offered in the One Week Menu Kit. (8) Day 1 Breakfast Cinnamon Rolls Snack Caramel Peanut Delight Essential Nutrition Bar Lunch Tuna Dill Salad Kit Snack Ranch Snaps Dinner Classic Cheeseburger Snack or Dessert Bowl of berries Day 2 Breakfast Egg and Vegetable Sunrise Scramble Snack Orange Lunch Loaded Baked Potato Snack Cocoa and Nut Bar Dinner Beef Merlot Snack or Dessert Chocolate Lava Cake Day 3 Breakfast Egg, Cheese, and Turkey Sausage Burrito Snack Sliced veggies Lunch Chicken Street Tacos Snack Cheese Curls Dinner Meatloaf and Vegetable Medley Snack or Dessert Lemon Cake Most Popular in Diet and Nutrition Most Popular in Diet and Nutrition Everything to Eat and Avoid on the Keto Diet 5 Reasons You Should Eat Oatmeal Every Day The 7 Healthiest Salad Dressings for Weight Loss A Complete Jenny Craig Food ListHere you’ll find the items that are currently included on the Jenny Craig meal plan, which you can choose from to create your daily and weekly menus: (9)Apple Cinnamon OatmealApple CrispAsian-Style Beef With VegetablesBaja-Style Chicken QuesadillaBalsamic Vinaigrette DressingCranberry Almond BarscottiBeef MerlotBlue Corn Tortilla ChipsBlueberry and Oats SquareBlueberry Pancakes and SausageBreakfast SyrupBroccoli and Cheese Stuffed PotatoButternut Squash RavioliCaramel Peanut Delight Essential Nutrition BarsCheddar Cheese CrispsCheddar Cheese OmeletCheese CurlsCheese RavioliCheesy Beef Enchilada BowlCheesy BroccoliCheesy Egg and Bacon SkilletCheesy Egg and Sausage ScrambleCheesy Potatoes and ChickenChicken BurritoChicken Cranberry Salad KitChicken Fettuccine AlfredoChicken MarsalaChicken Pot PieChicken Ranch MeltChicken Street TacosChicken Tortilla SoupChocolate Dream ShakeChocolate Lava CakeChocolate Walnut BrownieChocolate MuffinChunky Vegetable Medley Soup AdditionCinnamon RollsCinnamon Coffee CakeClassic Chicken CarbonaraClassic CheeseburgerClassic Lasagna with Meat SauceCocoa and Nut BarClassic WafflesClassic Salisbury SteakCountry Sausage Gravy ScrambleCreamy Penne with VegetablesCranberry Almond CerealCreamy Herb DressingEgg and Vegetable Sunrise ScrambleEgg, Cheese, and Turkey Sausage BurritoCreamy Tomato Vegetable Soup AdditionFiesta Chicken and RiceGarden Vegetable FrittataFish and ChipsGrilled Chicken Teriyaki BowlGreen Beans with Garlic and Olive OilHam and Swiss BaguetteGrilled Chicken SandwichIced Lemon Essential Nutrition BarsItalian Style Wedding SoupHearty Beef and PotatoesIced Oatmeal CookieHomestyle Beef Pot RoastLemon CakeLemon CookiesLoaded Baked PotatoKettle CornMaple French ToastMultigrain Hoops CerealMargherita PizzaNew York Sesame BagelMeatloaf and Vegetable MedleyPork Carnitas Burrito BowlPeanut Butter CookiesPecan Glazed ChickenPumpkin LoafPhilly Cheesesteak SandwichPepperoni PizzaRamen Noodle Bowl with Chicken and VeggiesRanch SnapsRomano Pasta with ChickenSouthwest-Style Chicken Fajita BowlS’mores BarRanchero SkilletSpaghetti with MeatballsThree Cheese Macaroni with Broccoli and CarrotsSunshine SandwichTuna Dill Salad KitWhite Bean Chicken ChiliTurkey and Wild RiceVanilla Cream ShakeTriple Chocolate CheesecakeVanilla Buttercream CupcakeWhite Cheddar PopcornTurkey BurgerTurkey Bacon and Egg White SandwichHomestyle Turkey and Mashed Potatoes 10 Healthy Foods That Can Help Boost Energy When you’ve hit an afternoon slump, skip the candy and caffeine, and reach for these nutritious eats instead.Photolist How Much Should You Exercise on Jenny Craig While it is recommended to exercise on Jenny Craig in order to “build an active lifestyle,” there is not a specific prescription for how much exercise you should do or how often. They do encourage using their workout videos to create a full 30-minute workout and increasing the intensity or number of repetitions to build fitness. (5) You will work with your personalized consultant to determine a personalized exercise plan. How to Get Started With Jenny Craig If you’re interested in joining Jenny Craig, your best bet it to visit their website: JennyCraig.com. From there, you can find a location nearest you and visit to learn more information or you can sign up online via the Shop Plans tab. There, you’ll be able to choose a 12-week Trial Program or the 12-month Premium Program depending on what is right for your budget and lifestyle. (2) Jenny Craig Before-and-After Pictures For inspiration, Jenny Craig features some of its weight loss success stories on its website and on Pinterest. You’ll find before-and-after photos and information on how they lost the weight and are keeping it off. Here are some before-and-after snapshots of real people who found success on Jenny Craig: Shiella K. – age 36, Fremont, CA, 16 lbs weight lossJenny CraigTanya P. – age 53, Houston, TX, 15 lbs weight lossJenny CraigRashid H. – age 50, Waterford, CT, 30 lbs weight lossJenny CraigAdditional reporting by Krisha McCoy. NEWSLETTERS Sign up for our Diet and Nutrition Newsletter SubscribeBy subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking ReferencesOur Consultants Create a Personal Plan for You! Jenny Craig.Get a Complete & Convenient Weight Loss Solution. Jenny Craig.Food Menu. Jenny Craig.Fresh & Free Additions. Jenny Craig.At Jenny Craig We Want to Meet You Where You Are on Your Weight Loss Journey. Jenny Craig.Jenny Craig Diet. US News & World Report. January 2019.Rapid Results. Jenny Craig.One Week Menu Kit. Jenny Craig.All Products. Jenny Craig.Show Less The Latest in Diet & Nutrition Later Meals Increase Hunger Decrease Calories BurnedPeople who skip breakfast and eat a late dinner have more intense food cravings and burn less energy during the day, a new study suggests.By Lisa RapaportOctober 7, 2022 Whole Grains 101 Health Benefits Nutrition Facts Recipes and MoreBy Cristina HoltzerOctober 6, 2022 What Is the Longevity Diet A Detailed Scientific GuideBy Leslie BarrieOctober 6, 2022 Do Sports Drinks Count as Fluid They’re marketed as the ultimate in hydration, but are they really a better option than water? Read on to find out.By Kelly Kennedy, RDNOctober 3, 2022 Old Europe Cheese Recalls Brie and Camembert Cheese Due to Potential Listeria RiskA sample found in a facility has been linked to a multistate outbreak of the dangerous bacteria.By Becky UphamOctober 3, 2022 The Last Word Is Alcohol Use at Any Level Actually Healthy There’s little question that heavy drinking is a bad idea. But the science around moderate alcohol consumption is a lot more complicated.By Lisa RapaportSeptember 23, 2022 Krill Oil 101 Health Benefits Side Effects Who Should Take It and MoreBy Leslie BarrieSeptember 19, 2022 7 Potential Health Benefits of BeetsBeets are vibrant, colorful, and robust root vegetables — and they’re powerful supporters of your health.By Lacey MuinosSeptember 19, 2022 The 8 Best Foods for a Healthy BrainA growing body of research shows that certain foods have the nutritional makeup to help maintain mental sharpness.By Matthew Kadey, RDSeptember 16, 2022 Food Rx A Longevity Expert Shares What She Eats in a DayA Stanford longevity researcher has thoughts on restricting calories, intermittent fasting, the Mediterranean diet, and more.By Stephanie ThurrottSeptember 14, 2022 MORE IN The Best and Worst Diets for Sustained Weight Loss According to Registered Dietitians What Is the Shibboleth Diet and Can It Help You Lose Weight 23 Tips for Weight Loss That Actually Work