Weight Loss Meals

We compare Australian weight-loss meal delivery services that cater to low energy requirements to assist with weight-loss related goals. There are many weight-loss targeted meal services on the market, we’ll show you how to choose the best service for your needs.

Rose Fenasse
- Updated February 15, 2021
Fact checked Fully qualified and expert nutritionists have reviewed and checked this content to ensure it is as accurate as possible at the time of writing.

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What is the best weight loss meal delivery service in Australia?

My Muscle Chef is not only a competitively affordable weight loss service on the market, it provides a range of very tasty food options for those that eat meat. The meal plans also take into consideration exercise output and gender which not many meal services do collectively.

Otherwise for a vegetarian or vegan option Chef Good has a variety of options that were cost-effective and well-portioned for meals and snack distribution throughout the day. If consumers were to follow a standardised 3 meals and 2 snacks a day, their calorie intake would meet a 1200 calorie a day intake which is a standardised weight target many companies follow.

my muscle chef weight loss
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1. You Foodz – Offer meals that can be categorised by three tiers;

  • Clean – meals under 350 calories or snacks under 175 calories
  • Balanced – meals between 350-450 calories and snacks between 175-250 calories
  • Relaxed – meals up to 500 calories and snacks up to 250 calories.

Meals start as low as $9.95 and weight- loss bundles can be purchased to cater to 5-days of eating.

2. Thrive Meals – ‘Lose Weight’ Meal Plans offer a menu that caters up to 1200 calories a day. Consumers can select a weight loss meal subscription bundle of 3 days up to 7 days, including main meals and snacks. A 3-day bundle starts from $76.70 weekly and is inclusive of 6 meals (Dinner and Lunch). Otherwise alternatively meals can be selected individually starting as low as $9.95.

3. Be Fit Food – Follows a 5:2 philosophy, with intentions of achieving weight loss through a low carb, high protein diet with intermittent fasting two days in the week over a 4-week duration. Their weight loss prepared meals are a Very Low Energy Diet (VLED), each of their meals are near 250 calories, 20g of protein and 15g of carbs. You can sign up to a weight loss program as above from 7-day programs to 14-day seasonal challenges with options of a gradual weight loss goal, a rapid goal or a maintenance program – prices vary. Alternatively, you can purchase individual meals as low as $10.95 and breakfast items as low as $4.95.

4. Jenny Craig – Offers different meal plans developed by Accredited Practising Dietitians. Menu options can be differentiated by for women, for men, for mums, diabetes and vegetarian. Consumers can select a ‘Rapid Results Weight Loss Plan’ which includes 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 7 dinners, 7 snacks/desserts and a personal consultation with a team member and free delivery from $25.57 per day (or $179 weekly).

5. My Muscle Chef – These meals are nutritionist designed and chef-created calorie-controlled food plans. The consumers are prompted to select their gender and their exercise output from 1-3 times or 4 or more times a week. Once selections are made there are options based on 5-days, 6-days and 7-days. Each selection is tailored based on the individual details the consumer chooses to match their intake requirement. Meal options start as low as $9.31, and snacks as low as $4.95.

6. Chef Good – are weight loss designed meals that are energy controlled around 350 calories a meal. There are plan selections of 5 meals up to 14 meals a week. Prices per meal start from $10.30 and range up to $11.50 depending on which plan consumers select.z

Youfooz - weight loss
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Chefgood Meals - low calorie
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Key factors when comparing weight loss meal delivery companies

When choosing the right option for you, consider the following factors:

Energy (Calories/ KJ per meal)

Depending on your requirements, your energy needs will differ from the next persons. These requirements are based on several factors from life stages, exercise levels, pregnancy or lactation, recovery and many other factors (Health 1989).

Comparing weight loss prepared meals by their calculated energy per meal and their totals per day can help consumers recognise their calorie intakes from their arranged meals to their individual recommended intakes.

Nutritional Balance

An important consideration around weight-loss prepared meals is their nutritional calculations per meal. Protein is an important component of creating satiety with meals, so ensuring an adequate amount of protein is distributed between meals is essential.

Although energy requirements are less during a weight-loss plan the requirements for nutrients such as protein, essential fatty acids, dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals are very alike to those required as a normal adult recommendation (Dwyer, Melanson et al. 2015)

Meals per subscription

Analyse how many meals a day are they providing and is the quantity provided hitting your energy requirements, for example, if you are trying to consume 1200 calories a day are you receiving 3 main meals and 2 snacks that equate to this total? Or are you only receiving 3 main meals and no snacks? Consider the value versus convenience.

Volume of the meal

Although energy requirements are lowered, this doesn’t always equate to small portioned meals. Meals can still retain volume despite being lower in calories, whilst favouring foods that are satiating such as protein, fruits and vegetables (DS, PA et al. 2005)

Which brands specialise in weight loss for vegans or vegetarians?

vegan pros and cons fresh veggies

There are a few weight-loss meal subscriptions’ that cater to vegan and vegetarian diets:

  • Jenny Craig offers a vegetarian selection
  • Chef Good offers both vegan and vegetarian selections
  • Be Fit offers vegetarian selections
  • Thrive offers a very limited amount of vegan and vegetarian selections
  • You Foods offer a vegetarian selection

What are the Pros & Cons of weight loss meal delivery?

Vegetables at the supermarket

Weight Loss Mel Pros

  • Transition into eating portion-controlled meals – For many that are new or uneducated in eating portion-controlled meals, signing up to a meal plan or a weight loss prepared meal provides these portions, and can be a step in the right direction to begin their weight-loss journeys (Dwyer, Melanson et al. 2015).
  • Can teach consumers basics around eating meals - such as structuring a day’s eating patterns around 3 meals a day, 2 snacks a day. Many consumers may not follow a simple outline of the day. The pre-prepared meals are constructed for those that don’t know how to create a balanced meal, this can ensure certain nutrients like protein are adequately measured and considered.
  • A cost-effective approach to dieting in comparison to other methods – diets often come with additional costs along the way, whether they are designed to require a book, an added supplement or continual tailoring, a meal delivery service may be a cost-effective option in comparison to other traditional methods of dieting.

Weight Loss Meal Cons

  • Satiety – A nutritionally balanced meal is essential for creating satiety. Depending on the balance of the meals created, some meals may lack nutrient density such as adequate protein or fibre which can cause fluctuating appetite and lack of satisfaction with meals (Young 2017).
  • Lack of personalisation – Many meal services don’t consider individual factors such as gender, age, individual requirements around health conditions or pregnancy and so on. It’s important consumers critically analyse different weight loss meals and delivery programs as they may not tailor to their required needs (Adela Hruby 2016)
  • Most don’t consider physical activity – Many of the meal services catering to weight loss targets don’t consider how physically active or consumers incidental energy burnt through non-structured exercise such as working, walking to work, shopping etc (Adela Hruby 2016)
  • Doesn’t educate consumers how to eat off of a meal plan – Most people, if they follow meal plans or programs correctly, can successfully lose weight, however, once they transition off of a plan the progress unravels. This is due to the lack of education around personal behaviours or patterns, nutrition and how to maintain weight-loss long-term(FL 2015).
  • Restrictive – Not only is the plan itself restrictive in comparison to what many consumers were probably eating prior, but it can also be restrictive socially. Eating off of a plan or program can be detrimental emotionally and socially for those that aren’t allowed to eat of their program they have signed up to.
  • Compliancy – Often sticking to diets is hard especially when they lack flexibility. Consumers may struggle long-term due to their restrictive nature, especially around social settings (Dwyer, Melanson et al. 2015).
  • Not Sustainable Long-Term –These diets are not suited beyond their initial programmed stage, nor are safe long-term especially programs that are VLED Dwyer, Melanson et al. 2015). They may also contribute to nutritional imbalances, it is important that before making any dietary changes to always seek guidance from a health professional.
  • Potential to create nutritional deficiencies – Often with VLED diets there are mineral and vitamin deficiencies that can arise such as water-soluble vitamins, calcium, potassium, iron, zinc and many more (Dwyer, Melanson et al. 2015).
  • Do not substitute the need for professional care and supervision – Despite these programs having nutritional influence whether it is created under the supervision of an accredited dietitian or nutritionist they do not substitute the need for medical monitoring and supervision. Consumers that have medical conditions or disordered eating patterns require integrative care with a therapy-based approach (Dwyer, Melanson et al. 2015).

Weight Loss Meal Delivery FAQs

Not necessarily, the energy density of the meal is smaller however the volume of food doesn’t necessarily decrease to meet calorie requirements (DS, PA et al. 2005). Foods such as fruits and vegetables that are naturally lower in calories can be eaten in higher volumes whilst still meeting low energy targets.
For years carbs have been wrongfully demonised for causing weight gain, the truth to this is that any type of food eaten in excess will cause weight gain (B, A et al. 2007). Carbohydrates are an essential component of creating a well-balanced diet and restricting this entire food group can often do more harm than good. Low-carbohydrate diets often risk low fibre intakes, low nutrient intakes and in turn, many people consequently have higher fat intakes which can result in elevated intakes in saturated fat (Betterhealth 2021) (Sacks, Bray et al. 2009).
Some do include all three main meal options, as well as snack options. Whereas some just narrow the selection down to ‘main meals’ and snacks. Regardless of if there is a lunch or dinner option, the energy or calorie break down is usually the same.
Protein is an essential nutrient that the body requires for multiple functions from cell growth and repair, balancing hormones such as our hunger hormone ghrelin, can assist in reducing muscle loss (and maintaining muscle), with so many more benefits. Protein is an important component of anyone’s meal, however, whilst losing weight or trying to maintain weightless its important to eat am adequate amount of protein throughout meals to regulate appetite and satiety between meals (and throughout the day) (Sacks, Bray et al. 2009). Protein requirements are dependent on individual factors such as activity levels, age, gender, weight. Most companies catering pre-prepared meal plans will include protein portions of at least 25-30g per meal, which is an adequate serve to meet recommendations whilst creating satiety between meals (HJ, PM et al. 2015).
For years this has been one of the most heavily debated topics in the health and fitness industry. With many misdirected thoughts around what restricted people from losing weight, or what contributed to weight gain. We still find the answer remains, to lose weight an energy deficit needs to be created (B, A et al. 2007).
At this stage there is no hello fresh weight loss meal kits or delivery services avaliable. However, Hellofresh could be a great way for consumers to learn how to create nutritious meals whilst on their weight loss journey instead of relying solely on weight loss prepared meals.

Adela Hruby, P., MPH, JoAnn E. Manson, MD, DrPH, Lu Qi, MD, PhD, Vasanti (2016). Determinants and Consequences of Obesity, Am J Public Health. 2016 September; 106(9): 1656–1662.

B, S., et al. (2007). “Fat loss depends on energy deficit only, independently of the method for weight loss.” Annals of nutrition & metabolism 51(5).

Betterhealth (2021). “Protein – Better Health Channel.”
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/protein

Betterhealth (2021). “Weight loss and carbohydrates – Better Health Channel.”
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/weight-loss-and-carbohydrates

DS, W., et al. (2005). “A high-protein diet induces sustained reductions in appetite, ad libitum caloric intake, and body weight despite compensatory changes in diurnal plasma leptin and ghrelin concentrations.” The American journal of clinical nutrition 82(1).

Dwyer, J. T., et al. (2015). “Dietary Treatment of Obesity.”

FL, G. (2015). “Physiological adaptations to weight loss and factors favouring weight regain.” International journal of obesity (2005) 39(8).

Health, N. R. C. U. C. o. D. a. (1989). “Calories: Total Macronutrient Intake, Energy Expenditure, and Net Energy Stores.”

HJ, L., et al. (2015). “The role of protein in weight loss and maintenance.” The American journal of clinical nutrition 101(6).

Sacks, F. M., et al. (2009). “Comparison of Weight-Loss Diets with Different Compositions of Fat, Protein, and Carbohydrates.” http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa0804748.

Young, D. B. a. H. A. (2017). “Reducing Calorie Intake May Not Help You Lose Body Weight.” Perspect Psychol Sci. 2017 Sep; 12(5): 703–714.

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