The Jenny Craig Diet: Weight Loss Program Reviews, Cost, Foods, and More

foods that follow the jenny craig diet
You'll find everyday foods, from brownies to salads, on the Jenny Craig diet.Jenny Craig

Editor’s Note

The Jenny Craig company announced it was going out of business and shutting down all operations, including its retail stores and packaged foods, NBC News reported on May 3, 2023.

If you watch TV, there is a good chance you have heard of the Jenny Craig diet. A number of celebrities have publicly gone on the Jenny Craig weight loss program, and they can often be seen on commercials and talk shows.

What Is the Jenny Craig Diet?

The Jenny Craig diet is a weight loss program that involves meeting with a supportive consultant. You will meet with your personal consultant at your local Jenny Craig center or over the phone if you are doing the program from home. Your consultant will assess your eating habits, activity level, and motivation level, and customize the Jenny Craig weight loss program so it will work best for you.

When you are on the Jenny Craig diet, their meal plan features eating six times per day. Five will be prepared Jenny Craig meals, snacks, bars, or shakes, while one is your own snack. A typical day might consist of oatmeal for breakfast, an energy bar for a mid-morning snack, a broccoli and cheese stuffed potato for lunch, a piece of fruit for an afternoon snack, chicken marsala for dinner, and a piece of chocolate cake for dessert.

The cost of food is about $20 per day. (Weekly, the average cost of food is $156.) Part of the program is known as their “Fresh and Free Additions,” which are fresh fruits and vegetables that help you add volume to meals and snacks for few calories.

Along with eating the Jenny Craig foods to keep your calorie intake under control, exercise is strongly suggested, as is attending weekly meetings with your personal consultant to keep you on track. The program encourages developing an active lifestyle, and they provide videos to get you started in walking, balance, strength, cardio, and more.

The Jenny Craig Diet: Pros and Cons

Every individual responds to weight loss programs differently, and what works for some people may not work for others. The trick is to find a sound, healthy program that you like and are able to stick to.

The Pros

Here are some of the pros of the Jenny Craig weight loss program:

  • There’s no calorie counting. With the Jenny Craig diet, your meal plan is completely taken care of and you don't even have to cook, which can be a major benefit for people who don't like to get bogged down with counting calories. "There is actually no thinking about meal preparation at all," says Audrey Young, RDN, CDE, a nutritionist who practices in Peabody, Massachusetts.
  • You get one-on-one support. "The other great thing about [the Jenny Craig diet] is that they have a ton of support," says Young. "People are more successful when they take advantage of any support that is available."
  • It’s based on sound science. Young says that the Jenny Craig weight loss program is based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines for daily eating.

The Cons

But there are a few drawbacks to this diet:

  • There’s a lack of nutritional education. It’s true that many people can experience short-term weight loss while on programs like the Jenny Craig diet, but keeping the weight off becomes a major challenge, unless you continue to rely on the company's services. Jenny Craig offers a maintenance program, in which you can work with their consultants to learn about how to decode nutrition labels, incorporate exercise into your routine, and build your own menu with your own food.
  • The support staff is not nutrition-credentialed. While the support component of the Jenny Craig diet is one of its beneficial attributes, the support representatives are not necessarily trained health or nutrition professionals. "They are not counselors and they are not dietitians” who are registered, says Katherine Tallmadge, RD, a registered dietitian-nutritionist in Washington, DC, and author of Diet Simple: 192 Mental Tricks, Substitutions, Habits and Inspirations.
  • It’s expensive. "It can cost up to $100 a week for the prepackaged boxes, and you [have to] supplement that with your own fruits and vegetables," Young says. It is much cheaper to buy prepackaged, low-calorie meals and snacks from the supermarket, and supplement them with lots of fruits and vegetables.

While the Jenny Craig diet may help you lose weight, you may be better off adopting a diet plan that can teach you healthy habits to keep your weight down for years to come. Of course, if having support makes a critical difference to you, it may be worth considering.

The Benefits and Risks of the Jenny Craig Diet: An Overview

Here’s a glance at some more of the potential benefits and risks of trying this popular weight loss plan.

What Are the Benefits of the Jenny Craig Diet?

  • The food is preset. The people at Jenny Craig have done all the thinking for you. Because meals and snacks are prepackaged, you don’t have to worry about measuring out portions or overeating. “You only get so much food, which means you will probably only eat that much,” says Amy Goodson, RD, a sports nutritionist who is based in the Dallas–Fort Worth area in Texas.
  • You get fruits and vegetables. It’s a plus that you get to add in fruits and vegetables to meals and snacks. Not only does it help make the dishes taste fresher, as Jenny Craig notes, it also helps you get more nutrients, says Goodson.

Are There Any Risks to Following Jenny Craig?

  • It may not be sustainable. “You have to think about things like will your family get tired of you eating this way? Will you miss eating out with friends?” says Goodson. Eating is a hugely social activity and dieting with prepackaged meals means you may have to bring said meals over to someone’s house, skip eating at a restaurant, or cook a meal for your family and not eat it, if you want to stay on the plan.
  • Long-term success is shaky. As Tallmadge mentioned, after you go off the plan, you are essentially left to fend for yourself. “My biggest issue with commercial prepackaged plans are maintenance,” says Angela Lemond, RDN, co-owner of Lemond Nutrition in Plano and Rockwall, Texas, who explains that they can make keeping the weight off as hard as losing it.

Jenny Craig Diet Reviews

When it comes to considering plans like Jenny Craig versus Nutrisystem, the basic crux is that prepared meals are sent to your door. Because of that, they’re going to be pretty similar in terms of their pros and cons, says Lemond. Both can be expensive, especially since you’re also supplementing them with your own food, and they don’t arm you with knowledge about how to eat well long term, but they do provide convenience in terms of ease of meal prep and food decisions, she says.

One study on overweight dieters found those on Jenny Craig for 12 weeks lost about 12 pounds (lbs), outperforming Curves, Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers (WW), and a control group in that measure, according to a review of the diet published in January 2019 by U.S. News & Word Report.

U.S. News also detailed a study from April 2015 published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine that also found Jenny Craig helped people lose more weight compared with popular diet plans like Nutrisystem — 4.9 percent more weight loss after a year compared to controls.

What Is Jenny Craig Rapid Results?

Jenny Craig Rapid Results is a plan that claims its members can lose up to 16 lbs in the first four weeks, with average results being 11.6 lbs. It takes a cue from intermittent fasting, where followers eat for a 12-hour window (for instance, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and fast for a period overnight. You will still eat six times a day, but you’ll consume more calories in the morning and taper off as the day goes on. The idea is to “optimize your metabolism” and take “advantage of your body’s natural fat-burning ability, so you lose weight faster,” the website says.

How Much Do the Jenny Craig Diets Cost?

First, you’ll pay an enrollment fee. U.S. News & World Report outlines it as such: Members pay a $99 enrollment fee and at least $19 a month for the “Premium” plan. A month-to-month “Trial” membership costs $39 per month (without the enrollment fee).

Look for promotions, too. For instance, they may charge a reduced enrollment fee ($49) on a Premium plan that can be refunded to you if you hit your goal weight.

As for the cost of food, you are supplied with five meals or snacks daily. The Jenny Craig website advertises this as about $20 per day. In the fine print, they note that the average person pays $156 per week for food. Add up the cost of food plus your monthly membership fee to know how much your personalized plan will cost.

What Food Can You Eat on the Jenny Craig Diet?

The food you eat on Jenny Craig diet is prepackaged (thus portion- and calorie-controlled) plus you’ll add in your own fruits and vegetables. They supply classics so that you don’t feel deprived, including desserts. On the plan, you might eat cinnamon rolls, lasagna with meat sauce, pepperoni pizza, cheese ravioli, chicken tacos, as well as favorite snacky foods like cheese curls and kettle corn popcorn.

Jenny Craig Food Menu and Sample Shopping List

The good news is that on the plan, you are not responsible for buying foods to cook the meals. Five of the six meals or snacks you will be eating in a day are the prepackaged Jenny Craig meals. However, you will buy your own fruits and vegetables to add to those meals and snacks with things like side salads or mixing into the entrees. It’s up to you depending on your tastes, but during your weekly grocery shopping on Jenny Craig you might buy some of the following fresh foods:

  • Raspberries
  • Blueberries
  • Strawberries
  • Apples
  • Pears
  • Cucumbers
  • Spinach
  • Lettuce
  • Celery
  • Carrots
  • Tomatoes
  • Broccoli
  • Peppers
  • Green beans

A 3-Day Sample Menu on Jenny Craig

The below is a sample of how you might put together the meals and snacks offered in the One Week Menu Kit.

Day 1

Breakfast Cinnamon Rolls

Snack Caramel Peanut Delight Essential Nutrition Bar

Lunch Tuna Dill Salad Kit

Snack Ranch Snaps

Dinner Classic Cheeseburger

Snack or Dessert Bowl of berries

Day 2

Breakfast Egg and Vegetable Sunrise Scramble

Snack Orange

Lunch Loaded Baked Potato

Snack Cocoa and Nut Bar

Dinner Beef Merlot

Snack or Dessert Chocolate Lava Cake

Day 3

Breakfast Egg, Cheese, and Turkey Sausage Burrito

Snack Sliced veggies

Lunch Chicken Street Tacos

Snack Cheese Curls

Dinner Meatloaf and Vegetable Medley

Snack or Dessert Lemon Cake

A Complete Jenny Craig Food List

Here you’ll find the items that are currently included on the Jenny Craig meal plan, which you can choose from to create your daily and weekly menus:

  • Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
  • Apple Crisp
  • Asian-Style Beef With Vegetables
  • Baja-Style Chicken Quesadilla
  • Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
  • Cranberry Almond Barscotti
  • Beef Merlot
  • Blue Corn Tortilla Chips
  • Blueberry and Oats Square
  • Blueberry Pancakes and Sausage
  • Breakfast Syrup
  • Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Potato
  • Butternut Squash Ravioli
  • Caramel Peanut Delight Essential Nutrition Bars
  • Cheddar Cheese Crisps
  • Cheddar Cheese Omelet
  • Cheese Curls
  • Cheese Ravioli
  • Cheesy Beef Enchilada Bowl
  • Cheesy Broccoli
  • Cheesy Egg and Bacon Skillet
  • Cheesy Egg and Sausage Scramble
  • Cheesy Potatoes and Chicken
  • Chicken Burrito
  • Chicken Cranberry Salad Kit
  • Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
  • Chicken Marsala
  • Chicken Pot Pie
  • Chicken Ranch Melt
  • Chicken Street Tacos
  • Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • Chocolate Dream Shake
  • Chocolate Lava Cake
  • Chocolate Walnut Brownie
  • Chocolate Muffin
  • Chunky Vegetable Medley Soup Addition
  • Cinnamon Rolls
  • Cinnamon Coffee Cake
  • Classic Chicken Carbonara
  • Classic Cheeseburger
  • Classic Lasagna with Meat Sauce
  • Cocoa and Nut Bar
  • Classic Waffles
  • Classic Salisbury Steak
  • Country Sausage Gravy Scramble
  • Creamy Penne with Vegetables
  • Cranberry Almond Cereal
  • Creamy Herb Dressing
  • Egg and Vegetable Sunrise Scramble
  • Egg, Cheese, and Turkey Sausage Burrito
  • Creamy Tomato Vegetable Soup Addition
  • Fiesta Chicken and Rice
  • Garden Vegetable Frittata
  • Fish and Chips
  • Grilled Chicken Teriyaki Bowl
  • Green Beans with Garlic and Olive Oil
  • Ham and Swiss Baguette
  • Grilled Chicken Sandwich
  • Iced Lemon Essential Nutrition Bars
  • Italian Style Wedding Soup
  • Hearty Beef and Potatoes
  • Iced Oatmeal Cookie
  • Homestyle Beef Pot Roast
  • Lemon Cake
  • Lemon Cookies
  • Loaded Baked Potato
  • Kettle Corn
  • Maple French Toast
  • Multigrain Hoops Cereal
  • Margherita Pizza
  • New York Sesame Bagel
  • Meatloaf and Vegetable Medley
  • Pork Carnitas Burrito Bowl
  • Peanut Butter Cookies
  • Pecan Glazed Chicken
  • Pumpkin Loaf
  • Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich
  • Pepperoni Pizza
  • Ramen Noodle Bowl with Chicken and Veggies
  • Ranch Snaps
  • Romano Pasta with Chicken
  • Southwest-Style Chicken Fajita Bowl
  • S’mores Bar
  • Ranchero Skillet
  • Spaghetti with Meatballs
  • Three Cheese Macaroni with Broccoli and Carrots
  • Sunshine Sandwich
  • Tuna Dill Salad Kit
  • White Bean Chicken Chili
  • Turkey and Wild Rice
  • Vanilla Cream Shake
  • Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
  • Vanilla Buttercream Cupcake
  • White Cheddar Popcorn
  • Turkey Burger
  • Turkey Bacon and Egg White Sandwich
  • Homestyle Turkey and Mashed Potatoes

How Much Should You Exercise on Jenny Craig?

While it is recommended to exercise on Jenny Craig in order to “build an active lifestyle,” there is not a specific prescription for how much exercise you should do or how often. They do encourage using their workout videos to create a full 30-minute workout and increasing the intensity or number of repetitions to build fitness. You will work with your personalized consultant to determine a personalized exercise plan.

How to Get Started With Jenny Craig

If you’re interested in joining Jenny Craig, your best bet it to visit their website: JennyCraig.com. From there, you can find a location nearest you and visit to learn more information or you can sign up online via the Shop Plans tab. There, you’ll be able to choose a 12-week Trial Program or the 12-month Premium Program depending on what is right for your budget and lifestyle.

Jenny Craig Before-and-After Pictures

For inspiration, Jenny Craig features some of its weight loss success stories on its website and on Pinterest. You’ll find before-and-after photos and information on how they lost the weight and are keeping it off.

Here are some before-and-after snapshots of real people who found success on Jenny Craig:

Sheila K.
Shiella K. – age 36, Fremont, CA, 16 lbs weight lossJenny Craig
Tanya P.
Tanya P. – age 53, Houston, TX, 15 lbs weight lossJenny Craig
Rashid H.
Rashid H. – age 50, Waterford, CT, 30 lbs weight lossJenny Craig

Additional reporting by Krisha McCoy.

Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking

Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.

Resources

References

  1. Jenny Craig Diet. US News & World Report. January 2019.
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