Diet Meal Delivery - Nutrisystem, Medifast, Jenny Craig, Etc - Chandra's Healthy Eating

Hello everyone,

I joined this forum a while back, but rarely post. This is a great opportunity for me to get involved. Let me explain why.

I came across these threads recently due to my interest in home meal delivery. I lost 45 pounds a couple of years ago and had some medical issues, which have pretty much improved for the time being (female stuff). Anyway, I wasn't able to work out for a few weeks and work has gotten extremely busy. I eat healthy and cook healthy food, but things have gotten away from me. I am working lots of overtime and I am just tired. I still work out in the mornings, but I need a fix to the food problem right now. I don't want to gain any weight back (I have already gained about 4 or 5 pounds). I don't know when work will calm down, but that isn't likely to happen any time soon. I don't want to spend what little "off" time I have cooking, etc. I want to spend it with my husband.

Recently, I saw an ad for a meal delivery service called Chandra's Healthy Eating in our newspaper. I checked it out online and the prices are just outstanding. I also looked at some other ones as well, but this is something that my husband is interested in doing as well, so it would be incredibly expensive if both of us are doing it at the same time. Not the case with this company. I can't believe how inexpensive they are. I can't find much in the way of reviews, etc. I don't know if it is new or just not well known yet. This is why I am here. While I can't find anything in any of the threads, I thought I might make a pretty good guinea pig. I ordered it, but my first delivery isn't until July 6th. I thought I would try it and report back to you all, since many people are concerned with finances right now. Also, someone else here might want to investigate and maybe they can try it too.

The other thing I liked was that if you purchase their meals and sign up for auto delivery, shipping is free and you get a free week of food. Don't ask me how they can afford to do this, but I am not going to complain. I am obligated for 2 months. If I don't like it that much, I will cancel and try something else a couple of months down the road.

Apparently, everything is provided, except drinks. I don't drink milk. I have a slight intestinal problem. Dairy in small amounts seems to be okay, but too much and my tummy isn't happy. I'm not quite sure it is going to be enough protein, but I always eat 2 snacks and I can make sure they are high protein snacks.

Anyway, if anyone has any experience with this company, I would love to hear about. If not, then I will be the first to report and share my experience with all of you here. Who knows, if it turns out to be pretty good, we can give them some new business.

Gin

What is their maintenance plan? How many calories are in their foods? Is it all frozen? What ingredients do they use? Are you able to choose your own things or is it set menu?

From what I understand, it is a set menu. They have a 1200, 1500 and 2000calorie plan. It is supposed to be low fat and low sodium and it is fresh foods. They deliver twice per week. They have a 7-day and a 5-day plan. You can also choose just to do 7 days of dinners. Also, I think they have a 12-week menu, so you wont eat the same exact thing for 12 weeks. You have to order a month at a time. You can't just do one week. My guess is that when and if they are a larger company, they may be able to offer other packages, etc. I don't know. I don't remember reading anything about a maintenance plan, though. I think that is pretty much an individual thing. I should have shared the web site so that people can look at it. Chandrashealthyeating dot com. I am sure you will get more questions answered there. While I would like to take off 10 more pounds, I really want to keep from gaining weight while my life is so crazy. It will be nice not to have to think about what I am making for any particular meal.

Sorry, double post! :(

Without a maintenance plan I just wonder how anyone can sustain what they offer once you quit ordering meals. Btw, by fresh do you mean it comes ready to eat? Like, there are salads and fresh fruits and things?

Yes. There are fresh fruits, etc. They have menus on their web page. I will keep you posted after I have received my first order and tried the food. We will see how things go..... I guess for me, I don't really require a maintenance program. When I lost weight, I maintained very well until I got "ill" and wasn't able to stay active or spend much time in the kitchen. There might be something on the website about maintenance. I just might not have seen it. I really don't have all the answers about this service. I just needed a little extra help for now with my cooking, etc. It's worth checking out.

I love the idea - with my husband working out of town, I'm seriously considering this. Gotta run the numbers, but I think it would work for me and my son money-wise. I wouldn't have the savings I normally do, but . . . When I lost weight in my 20's it was on NutriSystem - the whole "don't have to think about the food" thing works for me. And I maintained for 5 years 'til my life changed on several fronts all at once.

Can you confirm that it comes with the grapes, fresh veggies, etc.? Well, I guess I could email them as well. Thanks for the info.

They aren't really good about answering e-mails, but you can call them. I can tell you that when I called, they assured me that it comes with all the food, even the fruits and veggies and that all you need to provide is the drinks. Milk, juice or water. I ordered it for my husband and son as well. They will add snacks and such. My son is home from college for summer break and I want to make sure he gets a hot meal too. Honestly, I am finding my grocery bill just crazy these days, so this may actually save me a few bucks. We will see. I know nothing of customer service, delivery, quality of the food or anything yet. I hope it is good, though, because for the price it would be a great deal.

fchs - I went out to their site...wow! The menu looks really tasty, and you're right, the price is amazing. Good luck, and keep us posted. I'll be interested in hearing how the food, shipping, customer service is.

Update. I am still waiting for the shipment. Apparently I was supposed to get my first shipment on the 14th, even though that isn't what I was told. I will let you know what I think of the food, but this little mishap doesn't particularly thrill me.

Hi.. I just joined and wanted to respond to your thread. I had also looked all over the internet for reviews of Chandras healthy living and couldn't find any. I decided to call them and they told me I had to pay for the first two months together and then after I could purchase one month at a time if I wanted to continue. There are no refunds, so if you don't like the food you are out the money. I decided to give it a try because it is the most inexpensive delivery service around. I ordered on the 7th of July and they told me I wouldnt receive my first shipment till July 28th. It seemed a little far off, but she said it was because of when they receive their food shipments. They did however take the money out of my checking account already. I will also keep you updated and give a food review when I receive my order.

Hi.. I just joined and wanted to respond to your thread. I had also looked all over the internet for reviews of Chandras healthy living and couldn't find any. I decided to call them and they told me I had to pay for the first two months together and then after I could purchase one month at a time if I wanted to continue. There are no refunds, so if you don't like the food you are out the money. I decided to give it a try because it is the most inexpensive delivery service around. I ordered on the 7th of July and they told me I wouldnt receive my first shipment till July 28th. It seemed a little far off, but she said it was because of when they receive their food shipments. They did however take the money out of my checking account already. I will also keep you updated and give a food review when I receive my order.

Awesome. I'm so glad I am not doing this alone.

Any review yet? I'm very interested in your thoughts. I'm doing JC right now but am very tired of the food. I've been on program since the end of January.

Any review yet? I'm very interested in your thoughts. I'm doing JC right now but am very tired of the food. I've been on program since the end of January.

I wont get my first shipment until next Tuesday, so not yet.

Well, I got my shipment today. I have only eaten one meal so far and I am not all that happy. Nearly everything was intact. Two of my small veggie containers came open. I ordered for 3 people and I received meals for 3 days, 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 3 dinners. Dinner was just okay. They advertise low sodium meals, but my dinner was Grilled Ginger Turkey and the turkey was processed and quite salty. That is the only meal I have had so far, so I can't give a full picture. I was disappointed, though, that I didn't get a menu at all. All the meals were grouped by dinners, lunches and breakfasts, but I have no idea what I was supposed to eat on what night and how many calories it had. I haven't really ordered meal delivery service before, so I don't know what most of the companies do. I really would like to know how many calories, fat, protein, carbs I am eating. I would also like to know how much sodium is in the food considering they advertise their food on the website as being "low sodium". So far, I am quite disappointed with them. I will keep you posted about the flavor of the food, though.

Hi. I've been waiting for you to get your food to find out how you liked it and I'm really disappointed to hear that you aren't too happy with it. I signed up too and wont get a delivery till the 28th. And you ordered for 3.. wow.. Did you have to pay for two months upfront for each person? They wouldn't let me pay for one month at a time when I called and they have already taken the money out of my checking account last week. You would think they would wait till they shipped the items. Now we know why the other plans are so much money. From reading the reviews on here it sounds like Bistro-MD is really great, but it is also roughly 200.00 a week. Was it in one of those styrofoam containers? This is my first time ordering a meal delivery service, too. What did the rest of your family think? I did read on their site that is $100.00 if you cancel early and the rest in non refundable. I'm hoping that maybe tonight you had a bad meal and maybe tomorrow it will be better for you. I would like to know the sodium, calories, fiber and carbs, too.. Thanks for letting us know your thoughts.. Please keep your reviews coming:)

The only took out for one month to start with. Of course, I ordered for 3 people. My son and my husband thought the food was okay. I will post tomorrow night too and let you know what I think of tomorrow's food. You know, I have been trying to think of it in a positive light. Since my son is home for the summer, I wouldn't be able to afford to do this for all three of us with any other food delivery service. Maybe when he goes back to school, my husband and I can go with a different company. Unless things improve, I am going to just stick with 2 months. At least this will make my life temporarily easier.

Okay. I made a phone call this morning and got a little bit of information about the nutritional makeup of the food. It is about 50% carbs, 22-23% protein and 17-18% fat. Also, the sodium is less than 2000 mg per day. This week is at about 1882 average per day.

Today, I had hashbrown fritatta for breakfast, which was pretty good and chicken broccoli soup for lunch, which was very tasty. Lunch also came with rice pudding. I ate it, but I don't happen to be a huge rice pudding fan anyway.

The lady I spoke with this morning (who I believe to be the owner) asked me for specific feedback about the condition of the package. She said they have had some problems with UPS throwing around the boxes. I had a few containers have a few cracks, so I told her about that and then told her about the veggies that came open. Apparently, they really want to correct the problems they are having, so if you get something from them and you aren't pleased about it, please call them and give them feedback. She told me they really need to know of any problems.

Also, I reported to her that the food I received was from last week's menu. I was afraid I was getting last week's food. She said the web designer has made a mistake and she will have them correct it. What it says is last week's menu is actually this week's menu.

That's pretty much all for now. I guess these guys are just new and working out some kinks. We will see.

They don't have an exclusive veggie plan, do they?

They don't have an exclusive veggie plan, do they?

I don't believe so. Actually, I think they just have one menu with different calorie levels.

I'm glad that you had a better day today with the food and that they are interested in your feedback. Is that a healthy amount of sodium for day? I'm looking forward to my first delivery. thanks for your reviews:)

So is it fresh and refrigerated food or shelf stable not needing refrigeration? I didn't know UPS had refrigeration.

[QUOTE=fchsfootballmom;2828348]

Now that you have been eating the meals for almost a week, I wonder what your feeling is now regarding the food?

What calorie level did you pick for yourself and your husband?

Are the meals filling?

Thank you.

[QUOTE=fchsfootballmom;2828348]

Now that you have been eating the meals for almost a week, I wonder what your feeling is now regarding the food?

What calorie level did you pick for yourself and your husband?

Are the meals filling?

Thank you.

Hey everyone. I have been out of pocket for a few days. My husband and I were away for a few days (24th wedding anniversary). I will fill you in later on this evening. Have a few things to catch up on first. So far, I am happy with the food, though.

For this plan, I would say the jury is still out for me. While I love the food, I wasn't home when the last batch was delivered. My son said a few of the containers were cracked. Apparently, they are having trouble with UPS throwing around the boxes? That's what the folks at CHE said. We have been pretty happy with the taste of the food, although I am still unhappy about the amount of sodium in it. I don't know what constitutes low sodium to most people, but 1800+ mg a day is more than I would like. My son ate some of the food while we were gone, so there were a few things I didn't get to sample. I am supposed to be getting another delivery this afternoon and I will let you all know the condition of the containers, etc.

Received my order last night. There weren't too many cracks in the containers this time, but the food was frozen again. Also, I didn't get a menu and it hadn't been updated yet on the website (still isn't). So.......I called them and had reported everything to them. First, I guess the packers are putting too much dry ice in the container, so I am receiving it frozen, but it is supposed to be cold and fresh, not frozen. They are going to try to use less dry ice next time. I asked about the menu and was able to get a rundown of what I am supposed to eat over the next few days. Some of the items come in separate containers, so it makes it hard to know what goes with what without a menu. For dinner last night, I had a small piece of tilapia, some mixed vegetables and 2 oatmeal cookies. It tasted very good, however, if you are carb sensitive then this type of meal will be a problem for you. I am carb sensitive, so this isn't going to be a long-term plan for me. I think there are going to be some times when I am going to need to share with my husband and substitute here at home with something I can have. The thing is, that sortof defeats the whole purpose, doesn't it? Anyway, those are my thoughts for now.

Hello everyone.. I finally get my food tomorrow.. I had to wait so long after ordering.. Almost the whole month! I hope it was worth the wait. I had ordered from the company because I saw an ad in the local paper and then I found this website. I wish I had found the website first because then I think I would of tried DTG or PFFS instead. Next time I know... Maybe I will be pleasantly surprised and it will be great! I'll let everyone know my reviews:)

Good morning. I actually am giving my food to my son now and doing my own thing. This program just has too many refined carbs for me. My weigh-in wasn't good last week, so I am back to clean eating. I just do better that way. Work has been crazy busy. I can do my own thing if my boys are taken care of and at least they like the food and I don't have to worry about them right now. When my two months are over, I'm done with them.

I just got my first shipment today.. All the containers arrived with no cracks and each one was labeled nicely. I also received a list of what to eat what day. I start tonight with some dijon beef.. I can't believe that I'm excited to get a food delivery, but hopefully it is the beginning of a new me! I'll write again when I try it! Have a great day!

2furbabies, that is awesome! Let us know how it goes for you!

I will.. Thanks Deana... What delivery system did you finally decide on?

Deana, I just saw, you are doing DTG.. I'm interested in that one too.. Keep giving us updates! Thanks..

Thanks so much everyone for the info on CHE. I saw the ad in today's Parade magazine and got excited but you've really helped me see the light. I don't drink milk, I eat yogurt, can't take eating some fruits, and I'm not a big beef eater. In theory it is just what I was looking for and the right price, but your evaluations and real-time comments have helped me realize like football mom, it's just too much trouble if I don't embrace the whole thing and start to supplement it with shopping for foods I can eat, which is what I'm doing anyway. I am a fulltime caregiver for my husband who has dementia and I work full time out of my home. I need to lose 70 pounds, don't have the time to cook even though I love to cook...and I'm carb sensitive too. So thanks again, I'll keep doing what I'm doing and keep reading this site, for support.

bgddgirl, so glad it helped. I have my husband and son eating my food and I'm doing my own thing.

Chandra's Healthy Eating food is awful.. I had gotten my first shipment this past Friday and wish that I had never ordered. The fruit and veggies are frozen, not fresh.. The breakfasts are extremely salty and the dinners become watery when u heat them. This is the only company that you have to pay for the entire month and wait the whole month before receiving your first shipment. I did not know about this website before I had ordered. I wish I had known because there are so many other companies out there. Tomorrow I want to call tomorrow and cancel my future orders if I can get these people on the phone. That is another problem. Consider yourself lucky if you don't get their voicemail that's always full. I give this company a definate thumbs down!! Now I would still like to try a delivery company and can't decide which one. Diet to go sounds good, but I've read different reviews about the sodium levels, bistroMD some don't like the breakfasts and the texture of the fish and Pure Foods Fresh Start some say they are still hungry. So now Im just undecided and confused..Maybe I'll start to dedicate Sunday to cooking healthy dinners for the week.. I'm just so tired after work that I end up eating not so healthy things.. Good luck to all...

I'm so sorry you aren't happy. That makes two of us. I have trouble getting them on the phone too. I told them about the problems with the food coming frozen. That is not supposed to happen, so make sure you tell them. This past week, the food was in better condition, since I called and complained. My guys like the food, so I am going to keep this going for now so that they are fed while I take care of myself. It helps that I don't need to worry about them. After the meal delivery is over, I am going to start bulk cooking as well.

I'd really like to smack around my UPS driver. So, my order comes yesterday in a big box that says "Perishable" on the side and clearly having large arrows (this side up). He delivers it and when I get to the door, it's sitting in its side. These people don't care, do they?

Anyway, although I am no longer eating the food, I thought I would let you know that the portions are tiny (and the food not particularly healthy) and if you don't want to be hungry all the time, this is probably not the right plan. This morning, my husband had a tiny piece of toast, grapes (probably totalling about 8) and a fatty slab of ham. Not particularly healthy to me. If it was lean, I could better understand, but it was very fatty. To top it all off, I have 3 orders for 3 people. They sent me 2 orders for lunch, 3 for dinner and 4 for breakfast. I would call and complain, but you can never get any one on the phone.

I have not been out here in ages (crazy schedule) but I was doing the Diet To Go and liked the Low Carb plan a lot (not so much the low fat one). I saw some talk about this plan and was very interested because of the cost and the meals looked yummy. I have to say that when I read their policy about shipping, I decided no way would I even bother (and now after reading through this thread, I am certain I won't be trying this company)!

They are the only meal delivery service that I have ever heard of or personally dealt with that bsically tells you that you are on your own if the food comes spoiled or delayed due to UPS pr Fed Ex. That is pretty unheard of and outrageous. They actually tell you the customer that you have to file a claim with UPS or GFed Ex and yet THEY are the ones who have the account with those shipping companies and they are the shipper who are the ones expected to deal with issues like that (not the customer)! UPS and Fed Ex will even tell you that they do not deal with the end users and only the shippers with the account so this company is bad news as far as I'm concerned. No thanks (also think it's outrageous how much money they want up front and that's because they must know that many might be unhappy and will want their money back otherwise it makes no sense).

Wow good luck to you guys.

I was debating about whether or not to update this thread. I don't eat the food any more. I give it to my husband and son. However, I felt it was important to report anything new that happens. We got an order today for 2 days of food (3 orders, 3 meals a day, 2 days of food for a total of 9 meals). We only had one food container that wasn't smashes and cracked. Most of the food was not salvagable. While the CHE people would like to blame it on UPS, my husband says it is packaging. They are not packing it correctly and in a way to protect it from getting smashed. My husband is livid.

I find this company a bit scary. My knee jerk feeling is that people are maybe best off staying away from this one. Not only are you on your own with any shipping problems which is unheard of in this business, but they are impossible to reach. I tried to leave a message for them on several days and each time the box was full which tells me that either (a) they don't care about returning messages and so they just let the box fill up and never check it) or (b) that it's filled up to that extent with unhappy customers desperately trying to reach them (the recording also sounds a bit whacky to me to). Either option is not good. The fact that you have to commit to so much time and put so much up front and everything smells to me (and it is not a good scent if you get my meaning). I get a bad vibe here on this one. Glad I checked and saw this thread before signing myself up because the price is amazing, but if all they have going for them is price, they won't last very long. Spooky.

I am so sorry to hear about your experience, but I am not surpised. I had a really bad feeling about this company which has an "F" rating with the better Business Bureau and never answers thier email or phone. I thought they sounded extremely suspicious from the get go. Here is the link to their BBB report (and by the way they are in Utah with a Utah address):

http://www.bbb.org/utah/business-reviews/restaurants/chandras-healthy-eating-and-in-salt-lake-city-ut-22240890

You should actually be contacting your credit card company to dispute these charges and tell them what this company has done. You can also point your bank to this link or use it in the paperwork they send you to get a refund to your card. This is incredibly unethical. I had a feeling that this company was a ticking time bomb. Everything about them seemed extremely strange. I am so sorry. This has to be very frustrating for you. You should do more than just contact the BBB. This is not just poor customer service,. This is unethical and illegal actually...very.

Your credit card company should absolutely refund your card and this will result in a chargeback for this company. Eventually when they get enough chargebacks, their merchant privelegexs will be revoked. Now I see why their mail box is always full! I had a feeling it was stuffed with desperate people trying to get some type of response from this company. The outgoing greeting also sounds bizarre. There probably is only one employee and that's the person named in the BBB report as the owner who is happily collecting people's money and not giving them anything in return.

I got a clue when I read their policy about shipping. That you are completely on your own with the shipping company which is unheard of! And if they are not even packaging things correctly, this is even more outrageous. I am soooo glad I did not sign up with these people. I hope they are put out of business soon. This is shameful and outrageous.

I have been looking at different meal delivery companies and came across this one and was excited about the price. It seemed so much less expensive than some of the others. I guess you get what you pay for. Has anyone here had any experience with Nutrisystem or Hourglass?

Hourglass is actually the program that that lady Ruby is on. She has her own show and she lost lots of weight following the diet. The food delivery system is actually called Ourlife Health Meal Delivery. I looked it up and read several reviews and they are all positive. I have had such a bad experience with Chandra's Healthy Eating that right now I am scared to try any other food delivery system. If you do decide to try it, post and let us know how it is..

I have had such a bad experience with Chandra's Healthy Eating that right now I am scared to try any other food delivery system. If you do decide to try it, post and let us know how it is..

Same here. My husband was so angry over the last order that came in smashed that he called them and cancelled. I don't see them staying in business at this rate.

I ordered the Chandra 5-Day 1200 Calorie Plan on July 5, 2009. I didn’t get my first order of food until the end of July.

Here is the "good" before I write on the bad:
The food was packaged in a full size Styrofoam box. Each meal was separately packaged in plastic container, which can be microwaved (not the plastic top). A handwritten label identified the meal as “breakfast”, “lunch” or “dinner” and brief labeling of the food (i.e. hard-boiled egg, toast). The main entrée is separated from the fruit, vegetable or dessert sides.

Now the bad:
The main reason I’m writing, as I never make critical reviews online, is that the second delivery arrived with the food spoiled. The food reeked, felt hot to the touch, had exploded inside the container. The smell leaked within the Styrofoam container. A small bag of what I assumed was dry ice had long since evaporated. No freezer bags were inside. Based on the menu dates, I was to start the first meal on 7/31 but I didn’t receive the package until Aug 4. To be fair, the company representative offered to send a new delivery, without cost to me. However, if you’ve ever seen spoiled food, you never trust the source again. I asked for a refund for food not received, but I was told that once you purchase a meal plan, you cannot receive a refund. This may be true, but I was badly dissatisfied with the service or food.

Here is information for you, since I couldn’t find any useful information on this diet service, prior to my purchase.
1. I liked the idea of fresh food. From the ad, I was lead to believe that the food would be locally prepared and delivered. There is nothing that indicates this is true.
2. There is no labeling of ingredients or nutritional value.
3. The taste is bland. The vegetables and fruits were once frozen are arrived limp.
4. There is no diet information, guidance or even encouragement. For example, no information on water intake, sugar limitations, how to beat the munchies, or increase physical activity.

Good luck and please heed the advice to avoid Chandra's Healthy Eating Plan.

As someone who worked for a credit card company for a few years, you guys should really be disputing these charges. You have every right to do so. You are not handcuffed to whatever this company doles out to you. You have rights but you have to exercise those rights in order to get some compensation or relief. Complaining to her (this company since it obviously consists of basically one person) is not going to do much for you.

Also in small claims court, many of a companies so called policies and rules get thrown out pretty fast if they are unlawful. She can tell you that you are on your own and stuck when you get a shipment of food that has spoiled all she wants but it won't fly in a court of law. It definitely will not fly with your credit card company if you call and let them know what is happening. She can only legally keep this money if you do nothing and allow her to do so.

I had a terrible feeling about her and this company the moment I went to their site. The reason this lady is still in business is because she is not being hit where it hurts (with people doing the right thing and disputing these charges with their credit card companies). She is also a start up that just began doing business in June. What she is doing is unethical and downright despicible. Makes me angry to see people being taken advantage of this way. You need to fight back. Filing a BBB dispute or complaining to her won't do a whole heck of a lot. Disputing the charges with your credit card company will. If you did not receive the goods that were promised you, you have every right to dispute the charges and get them removed from your card.

Something tells me this woman is up to her ears in trouble already and will either close up shop or suddenly only offer Paypal. Either way steer clear of this place. Bad news big time. Not only that but I would not trust her food as far as I could throw it.