My third NutriSystem day, and I decided to try their oatmeal for breakfast. The packet is about the same size as Quaker Instant Oatmeal packets – which I like. For the maple/brown sugar flavor of the NutriSystem oatmeal, I followed the directions and tasted it. My only question is: Do they deliberately try to make their food taste awful? Really, how do you ruin oatmeal? There are 200 calories in a serving of NutriSystem oatmeal. I checked my box of Quaker Old Fashioned Oatmeal, and found that there are 150 calories in a half-cup of it. So I cooked a half cup of it on the stove with 1 cup water for 9 minutes, added 3 teaspoons brown sugar (45 calories) and now I have a 195 calorie breakfast that tastes delicious – without being overly sweet and with no strange aftertaste. I don’t know what NutriSystem added to their oatmeal to add all those calories because there wasn’t a half cup of oatmeal.
I hate to say this, but I’m beginning to think that, except for a few dishes, I’m not going to be able to eat this NutriSystem food. I KNOW I won’t try another package of the oatmeal. Since I really like oatmeal, I ordered lots of oatmeal. Almost all the lunch entrees are those styrofoam cups that you add boiling water to – and which have not proven to be good. In only two days, I’ve had two NutriSystem meals that are truly inedible.
I just did a Google search for NutriSystem oatmeal, and I found this. Wish I had read this before I ordered NutriSystem.
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March 22nd, 2008 at 10:18 am
All of this is really discouraging because I’m not starting until Monday. Maybe I’ll have a different experience…but I did order the oatmeal
March 22nd, 2008 at 9:43 pm
hey i just looked on my quaker instant oatmeal that I eat each morning. I get the lower sugar. Not a good as the regular but pretty good especially with a little milk. It is only 120 calories. I usually eat two but that is only 240. Not bad and a lot better tasting. I read some people use it for only for like lunches or something else they have a harder time with. I bet it will still work if you keep substituting out similar stuff. AFter reading your review I’m going to do WW instead
.
March 23rd, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Yikes! I had planned on ordering NS tomorrow. The food looks so good on TV. Now I’ve got to think about it. I think I’ll try Jenny Craig instead.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:57 am
I feel the same. I tried, I really tried. I ate many of the meals and found them tolerable but I finally came to the conclusion I could NOT stay on this long term so I canceled my next order. Being on a diet is hard enough without the food tasting BAD! I am back on WW!
TMS: I cancelled my next order and got the return number. I’ll return my uneaten food tomorrow. Yuck! I don’t know what I’m going to do next. I don’t want to do Weight Watchers because I hate going to the meetings and doing the weigh-in each week. I have all my points stuff from another try a few years ago. So I guess I could do the points on my own.
July 1st, 2008 at 8:39 am
October 28th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
I also did Nutrisystem for a few months. In reality, I also couldn’t eat most of the food they sent to me. I have bags and bags of it that I am going to take to a food bank to donate because I can’t return it. I have tried Jenny Craig and although they are much more expensive, the food is 100% better. Right now, I am eating Smart Ones and Lean Cuisine. I have lost over 23 pounds by eating right and exercising. I will never try NS again! GROSS!
November 14th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Just about all of the NS food is terrible. I was on it for a month and am convinced most of my weight loss was because I could not eat the food. I got sick (literally) when I opened up the entrees. My advice is to get off of this program until the food is changed.
November 15th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
I couldn’t agree with you more, James. Back in July I finally made a long-term commitment and joined Weight Watchers. I eat real food, and I’m committed to changing my bad habits and making a lifestyle change. So far I’ve lost 20 pounds, and I see light at the end of the long tunnel of a lifetime of worrying about my weight. Good luck to you.
January 14th, 2009 at 12:00 am
I just started NS 4 days ago. I love it because not only do I not have to cook, I like the food. I thought it wsa going to taste like those cheap soup dishes. I love the black beans and rice and the red bean and I think it came with rice. I also love the double chocolate chip pudding. Yeah the oatmeal is a loose-loose situation, but I like the apple oatmeal bars on the go in the car and the apple scone was a real treat this weekend. Where can you get a pastry type entre on a diet? I woke up this morning and after 4 days had lost 3 pounds. I recommend this program to anyone, even if it just gets you going to find the right foods to eat for you. It’s the only thing that got me to exercise. It’s so easy to do. You have so many different kinds of exercise to do: walking, the DVD it comes with, the exercise pamphlet, etc. Give it a try!
January 27th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
I actually thought that NutriSystem was a pretty good plan. The problem is not the food it is their total disregard for the folks and they only care about their profit. They should make a profit. Unfortunately my experience is that they disrespect the elderly and disabled. When I complained about a delivery, They ignored me. I am sure they have done the same with others
August 1st, 2009 at 12:15 pm
i have been on the program for a week, i have only come across 1 thing that was bad, but because i have committed to this program financailly and mentally, i am determined to eat what is there. the hearty beef stew was pretty bad, yet, i ate it, not because i wanted to but because it was the only thing i had brought with me to work, it was edible, but nothing to look forward to. today i had the fajitas, they were very good, i added some fresh corn and 1 oz of shredded cheese, yum.
August 2nd, 2009 at 9:15 am
Good luck to you. NutriSystem works for many people. It was just a disaster for me.
September 11th, 2010 at 8:01 am
DON’T GO ON NUTRI SYSTEM — BEWARE SEIZURE PATIENTS!!! I went on nutri System D in hopes of losing weight & reducing my blood sugar levels. Three weeks into the program I had HEART PALPITATIONS, GRAND MAL SEIZURE AND SERVERAL SMALLER SEIZURE TO FOLLOW. Before the health problems started, I did lose some weight. However, if I could do it all over again, I would just get a reduce calorie meal plan and work with it to lose weight. THERE IS SOMETHING IN THE FOOD THAT AGGRAVATED MY (5YRS.)CONTROLLED SEIZURES. After being admitted to the hospital for seizures and cardiac issues I ended up with over $30K in medical bills, (HEART CATH, EEGS & ANY OTHER TEST U CAN THINK OF). Is this pain and suffering or what? I have appealed to Nutri System for reimbursement of the money spent on products and at least 20% of medical bill fees, and guess what, they couldn’d care less. They have continued to give me the run-around. WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
November 11th, 2010 at 8:36 pm
That is unfortunate. I agree, how can you mess up oatmeal? Too bad, because I know people lose weight with the program. I wonder if all the celebrities get the same meals as us regular folk.
May 4th, 2011 at 8:51 pm
Nutrisystems apparently doesn’t feel responsible for their advertising copy but says their internal policy takes precedence. Their guarantee says unequivocally “must return at least two weeks of food for full refund.” Their customer service responds that their policy is different,all but one week.
After wading through voicemail trees six times,I have asked for someone who doesn’t speak from a script to return my call, never to receive a return call. They’ve finally wore me down. Customer service is not a feature of any concern unless it means stacking the revenue.
May 27th, 2011 at 5:43 am
I am now on day 12…down 6 pounds. I have LOVED this diet so far and loved the food. I had oatmeal yesterday and I found it to be good! I think a diet is what you make of it and how bad you want to actually do it. This is a DIET…don’t give up. Tell yourself that you CAN do it!