Diet Direct Review 2023: Meals, Diets, Prices, and More

Overview

Diet Direct is a multi-faceted online marketplace with food items for humans and dogs. The cornerstone of this service, however, is a diet plan subscription (for humans!) with 3 levels of meal replacements designed to help you lose weight.

The company's products can help you lead a healthy life, too. Even if you aren’t trying to lose weight, you may be interested in its products for specialized needs. For example, Diet Direct has food items for diabetics, gluten-free dieters, and more.

Like any service, Diet Direct has a number of pros and cons. I set out to learn as much as possible about this company to help you make an informed decision for your own health and needs. This in-depth review contains my honest expert opinions.

Overall, Diet Direct isn’t the best service of its kind out there. For example, BistroMD’s diet meals look much more satisfying. However, every dieter is different, so read on to see if Diet Direct is a good fit for your needs!

What’s on the Diet Direct Menu

Diet Direct has main courses, desserts, and snacks from various brands on offer. It also provides supplements designed to boost your overall health. You'll also find a variety of refreshing and hot drinks, among others, on its menu. 

You'll find products of several brands on the service's website. These are WonderSlim, BariWise, Fast Boost, Snackergy, Bariatric Choice, Sna-Keto, Save.Dog, and WonderFit. 

Meal Options

You can easily navigate the Diet Direct website to research its offerings. If you're after a product type, click on Products in the header. If you prefer searching based on specific diets, select Diet Type. But if you have a particular brand preference, hit Brands. 

The meal delivery service caters to various eaters, as far as main courses are concerned. Check the following table for the Meals & Entrees section details:

You may find suitable options in various product categories when researching the site. During my Diet Direct review, Meals & Entrees had 2 lactose-free recipes, for example. But Drinks had 5 products free of lactose while Breakfast had 7 options. 

I noticed some Italian recipes among Diet Direct's main courses. But I don't think the company caters to fans of international cuisines. If you prefer eating food inspired by acclaimed international cuisines, check out HelloFresh, which is among our favorite US meal delivery services. 

Each menu category features various products. Take a look at the following table to get the idea. 

Diet Direct’s selection can vary depending on what it has in stock. If you're looking for a more consistent dining experience, check out our list of the top meal delivery services. The services on that list offer a variety of meal styles at a range of prices.

Recipes you can find on the company website are ready-made. So you typically won't need much time to prepare them. Their serving time is up to 10 minutes, depending on the product type and recipe. Note that you may need to stir and regulate the heating temperature while preparing some of them if you don’t use a microwave. 

Meal Customization

The company provides various filtering options within each product category. That way, you can focus on finding suitable options among hundreds of products. Some filters you'll find between different product types are Category, Calories Per Serving, Protein Type, and Brand.

Filters may remain consistent across different product categories. Yet, they may contain distinct sub-filters. For example, the Meals & Entrees Category has Meals, Soups & Boullions, and Plant-Based options. The Snacks & Desserts Category introduces sub-filters like Puddings & Gelatins, Keto Snacks, and Cakes, Cookies, & Sweets, among others.

Diet Direct offers 3 diet plans for you to choose from: Basic, Core, and Premium. The number of daily meals should be your primary factor regarding these programs. If you opt for a 4-week box, the Basic plan provides 4 WonderSlim meals per day. The Core plan comes with 5, and the Premium includes 7 daily meals. Also, Core has more perks than Basic and fewer benefits than Premium.

You can't exclude particular ingredients from the company's prepared meals. You can only check the ingredients and nutritional info by selecting the dish. If you notice foods you dislike or are sensitive to, all you can do is skip the recipe. Check Home Chef if you prefer to customize your meal's ingredients. 

Certain Diet Direct items are available in various flavors. And you can choose your favorite by selecting the product. You can also decide how often to receive the item.

You also customize meal types if you opt for most of the company's diet plans. Several diet programs were subject to my Diet Direct reviews, but I'll take Core Classics 4 Week plan as an example. The procedure is the same with most of them. 

Core Classic 4-week and other plans come with a set amount of different items. Specifically, you can select 4 lunches, 4 bars and snacks, and 12 meal replacements with this particular plan. And your meal kit will include some extras, such as a welcome packet and a shaker bottle.

You can't customize the Basic/Core/Premium 1 Week Diet Plans. These contain customer favorites and are labeled as such. 

Unboxing

You'll find a couple of brochures when you open the box. You should find a receipt among them, too. Beneath, you'll discover neatly packed products in original packaging, stacked one next to the other. 

Diet Direct's packages are recyclable. But don't recycle the packaging before you consume your meals. In case you decide to return any products, you'll need them. On the other hand, the company doesn't specifically mention whether the packages are eco-friendly.

Cooking With Diet Direct

You can prepare most Diet Direct recipes quickly. And some of the service's products require no prep at all. For instance, if you choose Protein Pasta or Protein Pancake & Waffle Mix, you can expect a serving time of 10 minutes at most. And if you opt for its Meal Replacement Shake, all you need to do is mix the contents of the package with water and stir.

Find the prep procedure next to the ingredient and nutritional info of the selected item. Note that most company products are dehydrated and typically don’t have a set expiration date so long as you consume them within 12 months. 

Shortlist of My Favorite Meals

Protein Tomato Soup features 15 g of protein, 100 calories, and 9 g of carbohydrates. And you get 7 instant soup packets inside 1 box. And the prep process is simple, taking no more than 3 steps including mixing the content with boiled water and stirring. 

If you're not a fan of tomatoes, you can choose from 3 other varieties. These are Minestrone, Chicken & Noodles, and Chicken & Vegetable Cream. But if you're a hard-core soup enthusiast, go for the Variety Pack encompassing them all. 

Protein Creamy Macaroni & Cheese Pasta is another favorite meal by Diet Direct of mine. It features 220 calories, 35 g of carbs, and 12 g of protein, among other nutrients. And you'll need less than 10 minutes to get this recipe ready. 

The box contains 5 packages of this dish. Another available variety of the meal is Creamy Alfredo. You can have both recipes as a light entree, lunch, or dinner. 

Chocolate Caramel Mug Cake is my favorite dessert. This light delicacy contains 130 calories, 15 g of proteins, and 13 g of carbohydrates. And its serving time is around a minute. 

The Protein Mug Cake box contains 7 packets. And it comes in 2 extra varieties, which are Chocolate (without Caramel) and Blueberry. 

Prices

A few chief factors determine the cost of Diet Direct's products. For starters, subscribers enjoy lower prices than guests. Also, the dietary plan you select and the commitment period play a role. And you can save on the shipping fee if you make a large enough purchase. 

Dietary plans are crucial factors that determine the overall cost of your diet. And the meal delivery service has 3 of them – Basic, Core, and Premium. 

You might assume that the Basic plan is more expensive than the Core and Premium plans at 1st glance. But it includes fewer meals compared to the other 2 programs, resulting in a higher cost per individual recipe. But the total cost you pay for this program will be the lowest.

Delivery frequency also affects the overall cost. Generally, if you purchase food covering a longer period, like 12 weeks, you'll pay a lower price per dish compared to a package containing meals for a shorter period (4 weeks, for example). Note that the 1-week plan labeled Customer Favorites may be an exception to this rule.

Diet plans provide substantial discounts compared to purchasing individual items. You'll benefit from 44%, 45%, and 49% discounts for Basic, Core, and Premium programs respectively. So, you'll nearly halve the costs compared to the prices listed in the following table for a la carte purchases:

Note that most items cost $16.99. Prices in the lower price range may be discounted. If Diet Direct’s prices are beyond your budget, consider subscribing to Factor, 1 of the best prepared meal delivery services. 

You won't pay for shipping if your order, after the discount, totals $79 or more. This rule applies to customers within the mainland US. However, if your purchase falls short of that threshold, you'll pay a flat-rate delivery fee of $8.49. Shipments to non-mainland destinations are subject to shipping fees, as well as expedited delivery. 

Diet Direct accepts payments via credit cards and PayPal. Cards you can use to pay are Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover Card. 

Shipping & Delivery

Diet Direct processes orders on the same day if you purchase before 11 am ET. So, carefully review all the details because making changes may not be feasible due to the quick processing time. Most customers receive boxes in 2 to 7 business days from the purchase date. If you need your food sooner, choose expedited shipping, which typically takes 2 or 3 days. 

The meal delivery service may take longer to process orders occasionally. This typically happens with the increased order volume. Also, carriers may experience delays during transit. So, consider expedited shipping if you purchase during the warmer months to prevent the melting of certain products. 

You'll receive a tracking information email once you place an order. If unsure whether you'll be home when the package arrives, arrange for your neighbors or friends to receive the order. Another option is to have the box delivered straight to your workplace.

How Diet Direct Works

You can buy the service's products as a guest. But if you open an account, you can enjoy various benefits, with a 20% discount on all items being the most attractive.

How to Sign Up

Subscribing is a simple and intuitive process, and it goes like this:

1. Click on the icon next to the shopping bag in the top-right corner of the screen. 

2. Fill out the fields on the left side of the screen. 

3. Hit Create Account once you complete the form and confirm your password. 

4. Check your personal information and credentials and edit them, if necessary. Also, add payment methods and review your order history if you purchased before. 

Managing Your Subscription

Manage your account details or make any changes from the My Account page. You can update your credentials, delivery addresses, payment methods, and more. The Manage Subscriptions option will populate once you make an eligible purchase, as well as Order History. 

Customer Service

I contacted Diet Direct customer support 3 times and got 2 answers. These 2 times, I used the Contact Us chat bubble in the lower-right corner of the screen. 

The 3rd time (1st, actually), I sent a message through a link somewhere on the website. But, something was clearly wrong about it, which the severely limited number of characters heralded, so maybe agents didn't get it. Anyway, I managed to find the answer with a little digging.

The question I didn't get an answer to was whether the service has pescatarian meals. The other 2 were about the shelf life of the service’s products and whether the packages are recyclable and eco-friendly. 

Agent Ashley B. provided answers about the shelf life and the recyclability in 1 message, which I appreciated. But she didn't mention the eco-friendliness of the boxes, which dissatisfied me.

There are 3 ways for you to cancel your Diet Direct account. Firstly, you can reach out to customer support either by phone or by sending a message to subscriptions@DietDirect.com. Alternatively, go to the My Account page and select My Products to unsubscribe. 

Return food within 30 days from the purchase date if you're unhappy with it. Meals should be unused and unopened for eligibility. You can also return up to 1 partially used box, bottle, or container per unique product. Choose to receive a full refund minus optional delivery costs or exchange unsatisfactory items for others of equal value.

How Diet Direct Compares to Other Meal Delivery Services

Diet Direct vs. BistroMD: BistroMD is one of the leading prepared weight-loss meal delivery services. Unlike Diet Direct, which sends dehydrated meals, it ships freshly prepared and then frozen dishes. That way, it locks valuable nutrients in. Doctors formulate the company's recipes, and the service has over 150 weekly meals on its menu, depending on the dietary plan. 

Diet Direct vs. Nutrisystem: Nutrisystem is another great option for people seeking to lose weight because it has fresh and frozen recipes. It has gender-specific diet plans, unlike Diet Direct, and has programs for partners wishing to shed pounds together. Also, Nutrisystem has up to 4 programs per dietary plan and boasts an app that tailors weight loss based on 1's metabolism.

Diet Direct vs. Fresh and Easy: Fresh and Easy provides quick meals for busy and health-conscious dieters. And unlike Diet Direct, it has pescatarian options. What's more, you get pre-prepped, pre-cooked, and even pre-washed ingredients, so you may serve its food in a few or several minutes. And you can leave out a host of allergens, including tree nuts and sesame, from your meal plan. 

The Bottom Line: Is Diet Direct Worth It?

Diet Direct's a great option if you're looking for quick and convenient weight-loss meals. It caters to various types of diets, so you're likely to find meals, desserts, and snacks that suit your needs. The service also offers attractive discounts for recurring customers. And if you have furry friends, all the better since the company offers canine treats and supplements. 

This service isn't the right fit if you're looking for fresh meals. Also, I couldn't find any mention of organic ingredients on its site. So check Green Chef, a meal kit service that has quick meals on offer, among others, if you're after such food. Also, the company remains strangely close-mouthed about whether its packing materials are eco-friendly. So, consider other options if sustainability is a priority for you.

FAQ

Where is Diet Direct located?

Diet Direct is located in Wilmington, North Carolina. To learn more about the company, check out our complete guide to Diet Direct containing reviews of its various features.  

How can I lose 20 pounds a month?

Losing 20 pounds a month calls for discipline and changing habits. You may find that Diet Direct’s meal replacements help you adjust your eating habits in a beneficial way. Remember to consult with a health professional before embarking on serious changes to your diet or lifestyle.

What exercise burns the most calories?

Running burns the most calories. Some other physical activities that shed a lot of calories are swimming, rope jumping, and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts. Diet Direct’s energy-dense products can benefit an active lifestyle.