Jenny Craig vs. Medifast In-Depth Comparison for 2020
Jenny Craig
Jenny Craig is a nutritionist-designed, safe weight-loss meal delivery service which helps people to achieve the weight they want with plenty of support and structure. Their combination of meals, snacks and shakes, eaten in small portions but frequently, make it possible to lose weight while enjoying your food.
- Delivery Area: 50 States
- Average Price: $5.99
- Shipping Cost: $29
Medifast
Years in practice made Medifast weight-loss program very popular and effective, and 20.000 other doctors recommend it so far! Medifast is more than just a meal delivery service. It is also a team for psychological support which is necessary for anyone going through that kind of life-changing experience!
- Delivery Area: 50 States
- Average Price: $14.25 per day
- Shipping Cost: $0 (for orders over $250)
Meal Options
Jenny Craig
- Vegetarian
- Weight-loss
- Poultry
- Diabetes
Medifast
- Vegetarian
- Weight-loss
- Diabetes
- Gluten-free
Plan & Pricing
Jenny Craig
- Trial Program $4.66 / serving
5 Servings Per Day; 1 or 2-week selections available; No enrollment fee; Membership $39/month
- Premium Program $4.66 / serving
5 Servings Per Day; 1 or 2-week selections available; Enrollment fee: $ 99; Membership $19/month
Medifast
- GO Plan $341 / 30-Day Kits
Meals Per Day: 6
- ACHIEVE Plan $323-$399 / 30-Day Kits
Meals Per Day: 7
- THRIVE Plan $312.90 / 30-Day Kits
Meals Per Day: 7
Flexibility
Popular Meals
Jenny Craig
- Three Cheese Macaroni with Broccoli & Carrots
- Slow-Cooked Carnitas and Peppers
- Classic Lasagna with Meat Sauce
Medifast
- Dutch Chocolate Shake
- Chicken Cacciatore
- Peanut Butter Crunch Bar
Our Comparison
Meal Plans
Jenny Craig has a bundle specially created for diabetics, and their In-Clinic program gives diabetic customers dedicated medical support to make sure they are safe while losing weight. On the other hand, Medifast helps customers with an allergy to gluten, diabetes both types, seniors with chronic conditions, and nursing moms to lose their weight in a safe way! Daily menu with Medifast gives you 4-5 meals (depending on a plan), one Lean and Green meal, and a snack. More options on the menu for us means Medifast did a better job!
Jenny Craig offers two programs: a Trial Program and a Premium Program. These all come in varieties for men, women, vegetarians, and diabetics. The Trial Program lasts 12 weeks and charges no enrollment fee, though there is a monthly membership fee. This doesn’t include the cost of the food, which on average works out at under $25 per day. The Premium program, on the other hand, lasts 12 months and has an enrollment fee of $99 in addition to the monthly membership fee. If you reach your weight goal within the planned time frame, it’s possible to get this $99 back.
Medifast features three different Plans – GO, ACHIEVE, and THRIVE. Medifast GO is for you if you want to lose weight very fast; Medifast ACHIEVE is for those who believe steady and graduate weight loss is healthier. Remember that all plans are safe and doctor-approved, but it’s up to you to make a decision! Medifast THRIVE is for “after a period” – maintaining perfect weight and healthy lifestyle! In case you aren’t quite sure which is ideal for you, there’s a questionnaire on the Medifast website!
The Quality of the Ingredients
On their Food page, Jenny Craig state that they use “nothing artificial” but they do not provide much more detail about their ingredients. Medifast doesn’t provide any details about the quality of the food! However, they claim to use only natural food colors! With a lack of information on both sides, we leave you to make a decision!
Nutritional Value
Jenny Craig meals contain between 200 and 380 calories while Medifast doesn’t give us specific numbers. Anyhow, their meals are also diet and high in protein,fiber and minerals, but low fat and calorie. All three Medifast Plans have one mandatory meal per day – Lean and Green! Their idea is eating every 2-3 hours, so portions aren’t so big and the customer is never hungry! Medifast even has special plans if you are on a gluten-free diet, so in this category, we vote for them!
Recipe Variety
Both services offer a variety of meals, snacks, desserts, smoothies, etc. While Medifast has around 65 optional meals, Jenny Craig’s number is 100 items per month. Both are dietitian-designed so recipes can be customized towards your lifestyle needs. This category’s winner is a question of personal choice!
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The Packaging
Jenny Craig and Medifast both deliver to all 50 states and allow customers to make changes to their orders by a certain time. Jenny Craig has specific websites for orders to New Zealand, Canada, and Australia.
While Medifast gives free delivery on offers above $250, Jenny Craig charges for shipping, making Medifast winner of this category!
Customer Support & Service
Jenny Craig
- Switching plans – As the food is ordered every 1-2 weeks, you can change which menu plan you want upon ordering.
- Cancellation – For food orders, this is possible until an order has been processed.
- Refunds – Jenny Craig does not offer refunds or returns on their food products.
- Gift – At the moment, joining is free, and you can get 15 free meals. They also have a friend referral program, with which you can avail of $25 off food items if your friend joins.
- Free Trial – No free trial is available, but Jenny Craig’s Trial Program does not charge an enrollment fee. There are also frequent discounts on food and membership.
- Customizable – Possible with this company.
It’s important to note that enrollment in a program is necessary for ordering food with Jenny Craig. There is an auto-delivery option, and as food comes in 1 or 2-week selections, food is charged and shipped every 1-2 weeks. You can make changes to your delivery schedule or cancel orders up to 6 pm PST the day before shipping. There are no refunds or returns available on food products.
Medifast
- Switching plans – You can switch to another plan very easily via phone or website account!
- Cancellation – Again, contact the customer support team and cancel the order!
- Refunds – If a customer isn’t 100% satisfied, products must be returned within 30 days of the delivery date.
- Gift – Each Medifast kit includes few gifts for their Advantage Members!
- Free Trial – No free trial, only 5-10% discount for Medifast Members.
- Customizable – Medifast is open to any customization of your monthly orders.
Customer can change to another plan, customize meals, or cancel an order via phone or online account by 6 pm EST the day before the order processing date. Medifast Advantage members get free shipping over $250, discounts and gifts.
Our Verdict
The first thing we need to say is that we aren’t happy about the Medifast website look or quality of informations! It should be easy and intuitive, but it made this decision harder than it should be! Anyway, to sum up, all pros and cons – Medifast gives more meal options (Gluten-free Menu), prices are better (especially when you’re Advantage Member), and there’s Thrive Plan to keep you on track! For all these reasons, we have to say Medifast takes the win today!