WonderSlim vs. Nutrisystem 2023: Battle of Weight Loss Meals

Nutrisystem is a full-on diet program comprising prepared meals and snacks. WonderSlim, on the other hand, is a collection of weight loss-specific prepared meals, snacks, and shakes created by a company called Diet Direct. You might be wondering what to make of all this confusion and which service will ultimately be best for your needs.

Both companies use calorie-controlled meals together with portion control to help you achieve your weight loss goals more easily. But I’m curious about the type of food you can get, the overall experience, and whether the results last. I’ve pitted both competitors against one another and analyzed them extensively to find out the truth.

Overall, I think Nutrisystem is better if you want long-lasting results. It offers an abundance of portion-controlled prepared meals, you get 1-on-1 weight loss coaching, and you can order enough food for the entire month. Essentially, Nutrisystem takes weighing your food, counting calories, and feeling guilty out of the weight loss equation.

At a Glance: Who Won Each Category?

Menu Variety

Winner: Nutrisystem

There are some major differences between Nutrisystem and WonderSlim. For instance, Nutrisystem is a full-on dieting program with 1-on-1 coaching. It provides you with many prepared breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, extras, and add-ons to help you lose weight. Each competitor’s meals are designed as single-serving.

On the other hand, WonderSlim is a private-label brand. Its offerings are made up of high-protein bars, shakes, snacks, desserts, drinks, entreés, and breakfasts, and it’s owned by a company called Diet Direct.

You’ll get the option of 4, 5, or 7 WonderSlim meals per day depending on which plan you choose. With each plan, you also get proposed meal times. These include breakfast at 7 am, a morning snack at 10 am, lunch at 12:30 pm, an afternoon snack at 3 pm, dinner at 6 pm, and dessert at 8 pm. To me, that seems like an unnecessarily large number of meals. However, it seems like the goal is to eat many smaller meals throughout the day to stave off hunger and cravings and prevent overeating.

Nutrisystem’s menu features a combination of frozen meals and microwave- or oven-ready foods for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Nutrisystem separates its meals into 2 main categories (for men and for women) in order to provide you with options that fit your caloric and nutritional needs.

There are also Nutrisystem plans that contain 5 or 7 meals per day along with snacks. For example, you can get the Essentials, Uniquely Yours Max+ plans for men and women, the Complete 55 just for menopausal women, or the Complete 55: Max Vitality just for men over 50.

The Essentials plan comes with 5 days’ worth of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you’d like 7 days’ worth of these, you’ll need to go with the Uniquely Yours Max+ or one of the Complete 55s.

Just like WonderSlim, Nutrisystem recommends eating around 3 to 4 meals per day. However, unlike WonderSlim, you’ll receive ready-made meals that are either frozen or ready to pop in the oven or microwave.

Nutrisystem offers fully prepared meals that are portioned for weight loss. Each meal combines healthy fats, lean protein, and smart carbs to create a delicious and tasty menu. Plus, you get to try a variety of cuisines, from good old American to Mediterranean, Asian, and more.

Meal Customization

Winner: Nutrisystem

Neither of the 2 companies allows you to add or remove ingredients from existing meals, but you have complete freedom to choose your own meals. Both Nutrisystem and WonderSlim have an a la carte system, whereby you choose the number of meals assigned to the selected plan.

WonderSlim is a bit more flexible, and you can choose between one of the 3 weight loss programs (each available in 2-, 4-, 8-, and 12-week plans) or you can order any product you want, in any quantity, at any time – just like you would from an online store.

Nutrisystem, on the other hand, only offers monthly deliveries, so you have to build your plan for the entire month (which is a bit tedious and time-consuming). However, Nutrisystem lets you choose if you want to leave menu building in the hands of the specialists (Chef’s Choice) or if you want to be in full control and choose your own meals.

Plus, Nutrisystem has an entire collection of shakes specially designed to support weight loss. These aren’t included in the main meal plans and come as an extra.

Both WonderSlim and Nutrisystem have options for a wide range of dietary needs such as vegetarian, diabetes-friendly, keto, paleo, low-sodium, and so on. However, the only one that offers a comprehensive filtering system while choosing your meals is Nutrisystem.

Just like Nutrisystem, WonderSlim’s menu can also be filtered pretty extensively. You can get options for high-protein, low-carb, keto-friendly, low-fat, bariatric, kosher, lactose-free, and tons more.

Lastly, in terms of allergies, neither competitor caters to any, specifically. If you have mild allergies, or simply prefer to avoid certain ingredients, make sure to read the menu labels carefully. If you have severe, life-threatening allergies, it’s best to avoid both services entirely.

Ordering, Delivery, Unboxing

Winner: It’s a tie

Ordering

To place an order, both companies require you to create an account. This is easy to do and only takes a minute or 2. Once the account is created, you can place your 1st order and choose the delivery frequency.

With both, it’s easy to tweak your plans, switch between plans, or cancel your current and future orders. Nutrisystem even has a money-back guarantee (within 14 days of delivery) if you’re not happy with your order.

WonderSlim also has a flexible returns policy and will take back any unopened and undamaged products in exchange for a full refund.

If you need to make a change to your order, Nutrisystem makes this easy. You just have to do so by no later than 6 pm Eastern Time the day before your order is processed.

WonderSlim, on the other hand, can’t let you change your order if you’re ordering a la carte. If you do have an active subscription, you would need to make changes at least 2 days before the order is set to fill.

Delivery

In terms of delivery, both services use FedEx and deliver all over the US. WonderSlim also delivers to some international destinations.Please refer to the official Shipping Info page on the Diet Direct website for a list of all locations to which WonderSlim ships. You can also check out Nutrisystem’s shipping page for similar information.

Nutrisystem has a 10-day delivery window (but most boxes reach their destination in 7 days) while WonderSlim’s is 2 to 5. Also, both services will email you a tracking number so you can check your box’s status. Since the WonderSlim boxes don’t contain fresh or frozen ingredients, the packaging is quite regular, with a combination of cardboard, paper, and plastic. However, the company doesn’t specify which of these are recyclable.

Nutrisystem even goes so far as to send frozen foods in a separate box (non-frozen foods have their own box). The frozen food is packed in a special box that uses dry ice to keep everything inside cool. These cooling boxes are 92% biodegradable and can be recycled at any local center.

Unboxing

Everything you get with both companies comes neatly organized in the delivery boxes with labels for easy recognition. For instance, Nutrisystem orders come in 2 separate deliveries – 1 for frozen items, and 1 for non-frozen items.

Once you receive your boxes, it’s important to place the frozen or ready-made meals in the fridge or freezer (prepare to dedicate a lot of space to this). The rest of the foods (are shelf-stable so you can keep them in a cool, dry place.

Keep in mind that WonderSlim’s items neither have to be refrigerated nor frozen since it’s all dry ingredients. In terms of recyclability, Nutrisystem’s delivery boxes and meal containers are recyclable. WonderSlim also offers packaging that can be recycled. This also includes meal trays and styrofoam coolers.

Meal Prep

Winner: It’s a tie

Both Nutrisystem and WonderSlim make sure the meals are ready quickly, with minimum prep time. Most WonderSlim products will require you to add some water or milk (depending on the dish) and, if necessary, a few minutes in the microwave or on the stove.

Nutrisystem’s meals are just as easy to prepare, but frozen dishes may require a bit more time in the microwave or oven. Each meal comes with heating/prepping instructions, so make sure to follow the instructions on the box.

Overall, both companies try to make things as easy as possible for you. Everything’s ready for you to prepare and enjoy in under 10 minutes (including cleanup).

Customer Support

Winner: It’s a tie

Both Nutrisystem and Diet Direct offer support via a few channels. You can chat, phone, and email support. Both also have extensive FAQ sections where it’s easy to find detailed answers to some of the most commonly asked questions.

For instance, Diet Direct’s customer support representative answered my question very quickly. I didn’t have to wait long to connect with someone. Chat and phone is available from Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm Eastern Time.

It was also a pleasure to deal with Nutrisystem’s chat rep. The representative connected with me quickly and addressed all of my concerns professionally. Reps are available in several ways. Pre-sales chat is available from Monday to Sunday from 8 am to 11 pm Eastern Time. Calls can be made from Monday to Sunday from 7 am to 12 am Eastern Time.

Once you’re a customer, you can call Nutrisystem from Monday to Friday from 8 am to 8 pm Eastern Time, and on weekends from 9 am to 5:30 pm. There’s also the coaching department which is available from Monday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm Eastern Time. You can also email the support team or the coaching department anytime.

Pricing

Winner: WonderSlim

Both companies offer 3 main plans, each including a specific number of meals. To get the lowest price per serving, you’ll have to purchase the plan with the most meals (this is the case for both Nutrisystem and WonderSlim).

WonderSlim’s plans include:

• Basic (2 WonderSlim meals per day).
• Core (5 WonderSlim meals per day).
• Premium (7 WonderSlim meals per day).

Each of these plans is available in bundles for 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. For this review, I used the most common plan, which is the 2 weeks bundle.

In this case, Wonderslim's lowest cost per serving is $1.73, but if you want to get to the lowest possible cost per serving ($1.64), you’d have to order the Premium plan for 12 weeks.

Overall, I like the freedom provided by the WonderSlim plans since you don’t have to worry about auto-renewals. You can start with a 1-week Basic plan ($69.99 for 30 items) to test the waters and decide if you want more. Also, you don’t have to pay for delivery as long as your order is $69+. There is however a $7.99 flat rate for orders below $69.

Nutrisystem calculates its costs per day, not per meal. For instance, the Essentials plan is $11.43 for men and women and includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can also add 28 shakes for an additional cost when you check out.

The Uniquely Yours Max+ plan will get you the best bang for your buck, at $14.82/day for men and $13.21/day for women. This price is for monthly auto-delivery without extras. While this may sound like a lot, keep in mind that this plan includes 2 meals per day, 5 days a week. Women also have the option to choose the 7-day plan, which will cost $15.00/day for women. 

Lastly, with Nutrisystem, shipping is free for all prepay orders. For à la carte and one-time orders, you’ll be charged from $7.99.

Features Comparison: WonderSlim vs. Nutrisystem

And The Winner Is: Nutrisystem

Nutrisystem shows you how to add different healthy foods to what you eat. You'll still use shakes and powders, but they're usually just extras.

However, WonderSlim and Nutrisystem each offer a different take on weight loss programs. WonderSlim is more focused on short-term effects (rapid weight loss) and, in doing so, builds a program that’s dependent on meal replacement products and shakes.

Overall, you have a better chance at lasting results with Nutrisystem. However, if you don’t have the budget for it (Nutrisystem can get expensive), WonderSlim is a cheaper alternative. Both programs deliver results and provide useful guidance for your weight loss journey.

FAQ

How much weight can you lose on WonderSlim?

You can lose up to 5 pounds a week during the first couple of weeks if you follow the menu and guidelines provided by WonderSlim. After this period, you’ll still lose weight, but it will be at a slower pace.

What are the disadvantages of Nutrisystem?

It can get tiring to eat prepackaged foods all the time. Note that you can customize your menu from 1 month to another. Plus, the portion size is small and you may feel hungry even though you’re encouraged to eat around 6 meals per day.

Are there any health risks with Nutrisystem?

There have been no side effects associated with Nutrisystem foods. But if you’re on a special diet, it’s best to talk with your doctor first. Nutrisystem doesn’t recommend its program to anyone who has a health condition or dietary restrictions.