Diet-to-Go vs. Freshology 2023: Best Service For Health

Wondering which is better? Diet-to-Go or Freshology? Well, you may be surprised. They are, basically, the same service. The only difference in each respective website is the brand. The menus, the options, and the meals are all identical.

So, if I’m going to run a head-to-head matchup between the two, the obvious only possible result is a tie. Both companies have a great selection. They have the same menus for the same price delivered according to the same schedule on the same carriers.

Given that, this isn’t going to be a typical comparison post. Rather, I’ll go through both companies and provide you with the details you’re interested in. Let’s dig in and see what we find.

At a Glance: Who Won Each Category?

Menu Variety

Winner: Tie

The Diet-to-Go/Freshology menu is split into five different menu types: Balance, Balance-Diabetes, Keto-Carb30, Vegetarian, and Mediterranean. Each menu is split up between breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

There are no extras or add-ons available for purchase. However, if a meal requires a condiment or such, like mayo or BBQ sauce, it comes automatically. There’s no need for you to order it.

The meal plan with the most options is the Balance menu. The Balance Menu offers 35+ options for dinner, another 35+ options for lunch, and even 25+ options for breakfast every week. The way it works for each menu is that your weekly menu is preselected by the Diet-to-Go/Freshology team.

You can order two or three meals for five or seven days a week. If you order two meals you won't get breakfast. Both services select meals for you but you can make substitutions from the lunch and dinner substitution menu.

The number of options is defined by the menu. So the Balance menu offers 35+ substitution options for dinner but the Balance-D menu offers 15+. You definitely won’t get bored with any menu but equally, if you want to order the same meal several times then you can. Every five weeks, the menus rotate to add even more variety.

Also, it’s worth noting that many of the meals offered appear on multiple menus. The Veggie Rice Bowl, for example, appears on the Balance menu, the Vegetarian menu, and the Mediterranean menu.

Most of the Diet-to-Go/Freshology meals can simply be heated in a microwave in five minutes or less, or they can be heated in the oven for about 20 minutes or so. Additionally, as the meals are pre-prepped, they require virtually no skill on your part, and you can eat any one of them cold – just like leftovers. Lastly, all meals are single-portion meals.

The types of cuisine offered range across a number of ethnic varieties. For example, one sampling of 25 meals consisted of 12 Italian, 6 American, 4 Asian, and 3 Mexican. That’s a pretty decent range of options, in my opinion.

Additionally, there are some kid-friendly meals, like Macaroni and Cheese, but since the whole service is dedicated to weight loss and specific health issues, it’s probably not a good option for kids on a regular basis.

Meal Customization

Winner: Tie

Neither Diet-to-Go nor Freshology offer customization of individual meals (that is, swapping out ingredients). However, both offer customization of the respective menus using substitution options.

You have five different diets to select from: Balance, Balance-Diabetes, Keto-Carb30, Vegetarian, and Mediterranean. If a meal doesn’t interest you, you can swap it out with a different meal from the substitution list. You can also opt for “No Seafood” in your menu and select your gender as this will determine the number of calories in your menu.

You might be able to tailor your menu to other types of diets provided you’re willing to sift through all the nutrition facts for the meals you wish to select. If you do, though, that’s not a guarantee that you’ll be able to maintain that diet as the menu options change from week to week.

Another more serious issue is the topic of allergens. The meals aren’t tailored for allergens nor are there screens or filters on the site to sort through potential allergens. Again, you can visually inspect the nutrition labels for any of the meals.

However, the company prepares all meals in the same facility and can’t guarantee that there’s no cross-contamination. So, if your allergy is really serious, you may have to seek out some other company altogether.

Ordering, Delivery, Unboxing

Winner: Tie

The Ordering, Delivery, and Unboxing procedures of both Diet-to-Go and Freshology were pretty straightforward.

Ordering

To place your first order, you have to sign up and subscribe. This involves filling in six consecutive screens. The procedure is as follows:

• Select Order Now

• Enter your Zip Code and click View Delivery Options

• Select View Meal Plans

• Choose Your Plan (Balance, Balance-Diabetes, etc…)

• Check Out

• Personalize Your Menu

As you can see, it’s not too complicated. From there, all your future orders are preset and will continue without any more input from you.

You can customize the details of your plan from your customer account. This includes meal substitutions, and pausing and restarting service among other things. Your minimum initial order is a five-day subscription (Mon-Fri) providing two meals per day (10 total meals per week).

If you wish for a smaller order, you’ll have to contact customer service and discuss the details with them.

Delivery

Diet-to-Go and Freshology both deliver to the entire contiguous United States (every state but Alaska and Hawaii). Both offer two different kinds of delivery services: nationwide and local. Local deliveries arrive on Tuesdays and Fridays. Nationwide deliveries are sent out on Mondays and normally arrive within 2-4 days.

If you must reschedule delivery for whatever reason, you can do so provided you haven’t missed the weekly cutoff deadline (available in your account info). You can either log into your customer account and reschedule the delivery yourself, or you can contact the company and ask for assistance.

Diet-to-Go and Freshology will also send you the shipping information, including a tracking number if you’re using a national carrier. This info is sent out every week as your deliveries are shipped.

Unboxing

Diet-to-Go and Freshology both ship two kinds of delivery boxes. The first type is sent to nearby local locations (Tuesday and Friday) and they arrive with cold packs in insulated boxes. They, typically, arrive fresh.

Longer distance shipments are sent through nationwide carriers. The meals are flash-frozen to preserve freshness and sent in special coolers carrying dry ice. The amount of dry ice is determined by the time of year and the climate at the destination. Sometimes the meals arrive thawed, and that’s totally fine provided the meals are still fresh.

All the meals are pre-prepped and cooked, so they require very little in the way of organization. As soon as they arrive, the meals should be placed in the refrigerator. Meals typically have a seven-day shelf life although, if necessary, meals can be frozen to preserve them longer.

Side dishes such as fruit cups, sandwiches, or what-have-you need not be heated. In fact, you really don’t even have to heat the meals. Each one is fully cooked and perfectly good cold. However, if you do heat a meal, you should drain off any excess fluid that might have occurred from defrosting before doing so.

Packaging for both Diet-to-Go and Freshology is recyclable. Meal trays are recycled with other plastic products. The styrofoam coolers go back to specific facilities located throughout the country. In those parts of the country that don’t recycle styrofoam, it should either be reused or thrown in the garbage.

Meal Prep

Winner: Tie

Diet-to-Go and Freshology both flash freeze meals that’ll be delivered via their nationwide carriers. Such meals may, or may not, require thawing out. In all likelihood, leaving the meal in a refrigerator overnight will probably do the trick. Failing that, defrosting in a microwave should work.

Once the meal is defrosted, any resultant fluid should be drained off before the meal is reheated. Regardless, unless stored in a freezer, the meals should be consumed within seven days. Of course, the meals come in plastic containers that are fully microwavable. The meals can be heated in under five minutes in the microwave or around 20 minutes in the oven.

Since the meals are, basically, microwave-ready upon delivery, you should have virtually no prep to do yourself. All ingredients are incorporated into the meal with the occasional exception of sides and extras like slaw or peanut butter.

Customer Support

Winner: Tie

Naturally, both Diet-to-Go and Freshology use the same methods for customer support. The help page of each has the same phone number (1-800-743-7546) available at the same times (Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm EST). There’s also an online email support form.

Email inquiry to Diet-to-Go’s customer support using the contact form

As Diet-to-Go/Freshology is, really, the same company going under two different names I only tested the Diet-to-Go customer support system. I sent an inquiry at 2:10 pm and got a response at 2:29 pm the same day. 19 minutes is pretty good.

Canceling your plan, or just pausing it, for that matter, is really easy and is discussed in the FAQ on the Help page. You merely have to call the company at 1-800-743-7546 during business hours or just send an email to customer service (service@diettogo.com). There are no cancellation fees or other surprises.

The only stipulation is the cutoff date. For local services, the cutoff is Monday at noon EST. For the mail order service, it’s Friday at noon EST.

Pricing

Winner: Tie

The lowest price per serving for Diet-to-Go and Freshology is $4.60 per serving. Naturally, since they’re basically two names for the same business, the price is the same for each.

Neither company offers any snacks, add-ons, or accessories. Both companies charge the same shipping fee: $9.99 or $19.98, depending on location.

Features Comparison: Diet-to-Go vs. Freshology

And The Winner Is: Diet-to-Go and Freshology

Diet-to-Go and Freshology offer an extensive menu and excellent substitution options for dieters. This makes both companies excellent meal delivery services for weight loss and health. As they differ only in branding, and not in substance, there’s no meaningful discernable difference between the two.

Either one may serve people who are just looking for healthy meals or someone looking for a meal delivery service that caters to specific dietary needs like diabetes or vegetarianism.

FAQ

Is Diet-to-Go Healthy?

Diet-to-Go is definitely healthy. The entire service is designed to serve as a healthy, weight loss option. It offers five different menu plans (Balance, Balance-Diabetes, Keto-Carb30, Vegetarian, and Mediterranean), each of which is health-oriented in nature, although they may differ in their respective health considerations.

Where Can I Find Diet-to-Go Nutritional Information Online?

You can find Diet-to-Go’s nutritional information on the myDietToGo customer portal, and the meal listing for each meal on the menu page. You’ll find ingredient lists as well as full nutritional information for each meal.

How Do Freshology Meal Plans Compare To Diet-to-Go Meal Plans?

Freshology Meal Plans are pretty much exactly the same as Diet-to-Go meal plans. Freshology and Diet-to-Go are, for all intents and purposes, the same company, differing only in branding. The meal plans (and cost), the actual menu options, the contact info, and everything else is basically identical.