Jenny Craig Diet: Reviews, Meal Plans and How It Works

The Jenny Craig diet is one of U.S. News & World Report's Best Diets of 2023. Read more for Jenny Craig reviews, meal plans, food lists and tips.

inBest Diet Programs

Program Score: 16

By Elaine Hinzey, RDN and Annika Urban

Reviewed by Dietitian Lisa Jones, MA, RDN, LDN, FAND

January 3, 2024

By Elaine Hinzey, RDN and Annika Urban

Reviewed by Dietitian Lisa Jones, MA, RDN, LDN, FAND

January 3, 2024

What is the Jenny Craig Diet?

Jenny Craig is a structured diet plan based on prepackaged foods that manage calories and portion sizes to promote healthy eating, an active lifestyle and behavior modification.

Members have access to coaches to help guide them and provide support throughout their entire journey. According to the company, you'll get support, motivation and guidance on how much you should be eating, what a balanced meal looks like and how to use that knowledge to maintain your weight. By following the plan, you’re expected to drop 1 to 2 pounds a week.

How does the Jenny Craig Diet work?

There are several Jenny Craig plans to choose from, all of which include breakfasts and lunches.
Your diet ranges from 1,200 to 1,700 calories a day and is designed around your current weight, gender, and fitness habits.

There are two meal plans available:

14-Day Plan. 14 breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks and desserts and recharge bars.
Club Jenny. A la carte menu with exclusive savings and benefits for people looking to order their favorite Jenny Craig meals to help maintain their successful weight loss.

Relaunched in 2023 after its acquisition by Wellful, Inc., the Jenny Craig plan incorporates the science behind intermittent fasting. You eat during a 10-hour nourishment period, then take a break for a 14-hour rejuvenation period, which includes sleep.

Many of the research protocols on time-restricted eating involve eating within a shorter window, while fasting for longer periods of time.

"The benefits of this appear to be more behavioral than metabolic," says Monica Reinagel, a licensed nutritionist, host of the Nutrition Diva podcast and co-founder of the Weighless program. "In other words, observing a restricted eating window can support weight loss. But it's more about cutting down on your food intake than about ramping up your metabolism."

To help make intermittent fasting easier, members can eat Jenny’s Recharge Bar toward the end of their 14-hour fast. Although most nutrition experts believe that eating these bars would break your fast, the company claims they are formulated to curb your hunger, while supporting your Jenny Craig fasting plan.

On the Jenny Craig Plan, you’ll eat three Jenny Craig packaged meals, a Jenny Craig Recharge bar, a Jenny Craig-branded snack or dessert, one snack of your choosing, five servings of your own fruit and vegetables and at least one lean protein or low-fat dairy equivalent.

Coaching is available over the telephone or online. Your coach will discuss your goals, food preferences and activity level to develop an individualized weight loss plan for you. However, the coaches are not trained nutrition professionals.

Can I Lose Weight on the Jenny Craig Diet?

If you stick with the plan, there's a good chance you'll see results in both long-term and short-term weight loss.

However, the faster the weight comes off, the less likely it is to be sustainable, Reinagel says.

"Most of the weight lost in the first week is water weight, not fat loss. As soon as you stop restricting calories and/or carbs, that water weight is likely to return," she says. "Rapid weight loss also tends to increase the loss of lean muscle tissue, which is not the kind of weight you want to lose."

In her practice, the most sustainable results come when people lose the weight slowly, especially the last 5 to 10 pounds.

"I call it 'coming in for a soft landing,'" Reinagel adds. "The habits and behaviors that get you to your goal weight turn out to be the same habits and behaviors that keep you there. It's not a dieting phase followed by a maintenance phase."

Short-Term Weight Loss

The company claims you can lose up to 24 pounds in your first eight weeks on the Jenny Craig intermittent fasting plan.

Studies have shown that people who followed the Jenny Craig 14:10 intermittent fasting plan experienced significant weight loss and improvements in blood sugar levels after eight weeks (1).
Compared to other diets, including Curves, Weight Watchers and Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig participants lost an average of nearly 12 pounds, which was slightly more than the other three commercial programs (2).

Long-Term Weight Loss

The company states that users can expect to lose one to two pounds per week while on the Jenny Craig plan.

Jenny Craig participants have been shown to lose more weight than other commercial programs over 12 months, with almost 5% more than a control group that was given nutrition education and counseling (3).

Weight Maintenance and Management

Once members reach their weight loss goal, they can enroll in Club Jenny to help support weight maintenance. During the Jenny Craig maintenance program, members can continue communication with their coach and still eat some Jenny Craig foods.

During this period, members receive important information to help them keep the weight off, such as proper portion sizes, eating in restaurants, self-care and the importance of physical activity. As time goes on, you’ll transition to eating your own foods. It’s recommended that you exercise for 45 to 60 minutes a day to maintain your weight loss.

Significant reductions in weight, waist size and certain cholesterol levels were observed over 24 months in overweight or obese women, according to a 2013 study (4).
In a 2020 study, Jenny Craig scored among the “most effective” in terms of six-month weight loss, reaching nearly 17 pounds. However, at one year, overall weight loss diminished for all diets (5).
A study showed that overweight or obese individuals lost and maintained significant weight over 24 months through either center-based or telephone counseling, with free food and clinic visits contributing to a low dropout rate (6).

French toast with berries and honey on plate, closeup view, selective focus

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Wine glasses and appetisers on the table in the vineyard orchard.

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Do: Eat Jenny Craig meals three times a day.

Among the prepackaged options are French toast topped with fresh fruit.

Getty Images

What Does the Jenny Craig Diet Cost?

Plans and pricing:

14-Day Plan. $22.19 per day.
Club Jenny. 6-month or 12-month memberships available from $99.99 to $149.99. Promotional discount pricing is available for $39.99 to $49.99.

What Costs Are Related to the Jenny Craig Diet?

The cost of your food and shipping costs, although most options include free shipping.
The cost of your groceries (mainly dairy, fruit and vegetables during the initial phase).

Doing Jenny Craig Diet on a Budget

There isn’t much that you can do about the cost of prepackaged Jenny Craig foods. However, when you’re planning and preparing your own meals, the following tips might help you keep costs down:

Look for fruit and vegetables that are in season.
When you’re making your meals, cook large recipes and freeze unwanted portions for later.
Learn how to make a few meatless meals that you enjoy, which tend to be cheaper to prepare than meat-based dishes.
Stock up when foods are on sale, but don’t buy more than you can eat or freeze before it goes bad.
Don’t shy away from frozen or canned fruit and vegetables.
Choose canned tuna or salmon.

Is Jenny Craig Diet Easy to Follow?

The Jenny Craig diet is ranked No. 9 in Easiest Diets to Follow (tie).

Jenny Craig has 40 entrées, desserts and snacks to choose from. Though portions are small, you'll eat three meals and two snacks a day – one of which is your own food. Plus, there's no carb-cutting or elimination of entire food groups. But for the most part, you'll eat Jenny Craig packaged meals exclusively until you lose your goal weight.

Meals are convenient with no extra preparation. What's not to like about prepackaged meals delivered to your doorstep?

Alcohol and caffeine are allowed in moderation, and your coach will help you determine appropriate amounts.

You have support systems at your fingertips with access to coaches 7 days a week. Feeling full should not be a problem. Nutrition experts emphasize the importance of satiety, the satisfied feeling that you've had enough. Hunger shouldn't be a problem on this diet. Jenny Craig encourages you to enjoy as many non-starchy vegetables as you’d like and drink plenty of water which helps aid fullness.

Who Should Not Try the Jenny Craig Diet?

Children under the age of 13 cannot participate since they are still developing. Once 13, they can sign up for the Jenny Craig Classic menu if they have no health conditions other than asthma or seasonal allergies. Their parent’s permission is required.
People who are pregnant cannot sign up.
Individuals with allergies – such as milk, soy or wheat – can't sign up.
You can participate in Max Up if you are 18 or older. However, Max Up is not an appropriate program for you if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have diabetes and are on insulin.
Those with diabetes on insulin can sign up for the Jenny Craig for Type 2 program.
Breastfeeding mothers can participate once their babies are six weeks old. The calorie level for nursing mothers is based on the child’s age and how often they’re breastfeeding.

Pros

Nutritionally sound.
Coaching and/or group support available.
Convenient – grab and go options.
A clearly defined plan with recipes.
Has proven health benefits.

Cons

Eating out is limited.
You’ll likely get hungry.

Jenny Craig Diet Rankings & Reviews

Jenny Craig Diet ranked No. 18 in Best Diets Overall. 30 diets were evaluated with input from a panel of health experts. See how we rank diets here.

Jenny Craig Diet is ranked:

U.S. News Expert Reviews:

"If you're not a cook and don't want to be one, this plan may be helpful."

Andrea Giancoli, MPH, RD

"I'm not a fan of this type of diet, where the focus is on cutting calories and portion control while eating processed, manufactured foods characteristic of the same Standard American Diet that causes problems in the first place."

Hollie Gelberg, PhD, RD

"Commercial weight loss programs like Jenny Craig can be effective for those who want a structured and convenient weight loss program with professional support, but its cost and lack of long-term sustainability may be a drawback for many."

Kylie Sakaida, MS, RD, LDN

"Relying on prepackaged foods is not conducive to learning new habits for living healthfully."

Michael Greger, MD

How to Get Started on the Jenny Craig Diet

Make room in your freezer. To get started on the program, you’ll just need to sign up online or at your local center. You’ll meet with your personal coach to assess your goals and pick up your food immediately at the center or get it shipped directly to you if you order online.
Go shopping for fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy options.
Set up a plan for success with your coach if you’re doing the Max Up Weight Loss plan.
Talk to your doctor and tell them about your plans if you have health problems or are on medication for diabetes or high blood pressure.

Success Stories and Tips From Real People

Danie Steel, 36, is an actor, theater teacher, writer and content creator based in Los Angeles. She started the Jenny Craig diet in 2014 to try to lose weight. She had seen commercials for the diet and was attracted to it because of its emphasis on meal preparation.

After struggling with meal portioning, she says the Jenny Craig diet provides “everything you need to be successful.”

One aspect that Steel emphasizes is important is having a Jenny Craig consultant. Every week, participants meet with the consultant to talk about weight loss and how to choose foods to eat for the week.

Steel ultimately lost 40 pounds on the program, at a rate of 2 to 5 pounds per week. She says she felt energized, rarely felt hungry and even got to enjoy desserts.

“Even your sweet tooth is satisfied on the program because of their dessert options,” she says.

Steel says that her health changed for the better with Jenny Craig and strongly recommends the program to anyone interested in trying it.

“The goal should be to condition yourself to portion your foods properly in order to lose weight and maintain the weight loss,” she says.

Not only did it help her lose weight by limiting portion sizes, but the program also eliminated the stress of wondering what to eat every day.

Ultimately, Jenny Craig helped her learn how to portion her food and get to her ideal weight. Since then, Steel has embraced her love for cooking and started working with more fresh ingredients.

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Support and Resources

If you're looking to start the Jenny Craig diet or have already begun your dieting journey, it's helpful to know how you can receive support throughout the process. Below are a few examples of how the Jenny Craig diet can support you:

The Jenny Craig app offers a Bluetooth connection to the company's wireless body weight scale, progress tracking, one-on-one coaching, success stories and recipes.
Jenny Craig's Healthy Habits Blog: recipes, motivation, testimonials, exercise articles and more.
One-on-one support plays a significant role. You'll typically talk with your coach weekly, either in person at a center, by phone or by video chat. No matter how you connect with your coach, you'll discuss how well you did the previous week and whether you had trouble sticking to the plan. You'll also choose the following week's meals and order your food.

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Why Trust U.S. News

With the help of our Best Diets panel of nationally-recognized experts in nutrition, obesity, food psychology, disease management, we developed a survey in partnership with The Harris Poll. The survey asked the panel to carefully compare diets for their nutritional completeness, health risks and benefits, long-term sustainability and evidence-based effectiveness. You can see our full methodology here.

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This article is based on reporting that features expert sources.

Sources

The U.S. News Health team delivers accurate information about health, nutrition and fitness, as well as in-depth medical condition guides. All of our stories rely on multiple, independent sources and experts in the field, such as medical doctors and licensed nutritionists. To learn more about how we keep our content accurate and trustworthy, read our editorial guidelines.

Monica Reinagel, MS, LD/N

Reinagel is a nutritionist, podcaster and behavior change coach in Baltimore. She also serves as the host of the Nutrition Diva podcast, co-host of the Change Academy podcast and co-founder of the Weighless program.