Overall, I think Bistro MD is great. The food is high quality and generally tasty.

My only complaints are about specific meals that I just don't like. Unlike the previous poster, I really hate steamed spinach, and that is a side on several meals. But you can just tell them you don't want any meals with spinach as a side and you'll get them no more.

Even after removing 95% of the meals I don't like (probably 10 meals total of ?? I don't know how many), I still have a great diversity.

The only other objection is there is not too much variation in the spiciness or flavoring. It's hard to describe - the food is far from tasteless, but it's also not "strongly" anything unless the food itself dictates it. I tend to like spicy foods like curries and gumbos and these seem a fair bit milder than that, probably to avoid putting off people who don't like it - I have my own spices and condiments to add to some of these meals.

Some of the meals I just love though - the BBQ Beef Brisket is so tasty. I also love the asparagus and corn medleys that are the sides, and the mango chutney is delicious. The berry crepe and stuffed french toasts breakfasts are really delicious (and hit some of my "Dessert" cravings just right).

Overall it's so easy too - I have never been big on cooking so I knew it had to be a simple no-brainer. This is that.

I started out with snacks but I really didn't like them - they get them from 3rd parties and they're hit or miss. Some of the shakes (like Proticcino) are great; others I had a hard time choking down - tasted like liquid Jello mix. The soy crisps I mostly did not like. Overall the snacks didn't feel worth it. Instead I typically have 1 Atkins shake (since the 2 BMD snacks usually are about ~200 calories together), or a ~250 calorie salad that is really more like a 4th meal. (Exception - a couple of the snacks they make themselves are mini cheesecakes and cream-filled cake rolls and these are delicious and amazing. But given I only got about 1 of those a week it wasn't worth it. Maybe if I requested they only send those... )

The other thing I like about not having the snacks is it gives me a little leeway. I can eat 200 calories of whatever I want - so if I'm havng a desperate craving I can throw it away on a few squares of chocolate as long as I manage my meals for the rest of the day so I don't get hungry. I don't usually do that (often I find I'm craving the salad.. weird for me), but I think knowing I "can" makes the cravings easier.

Nice! Also, in the recipes section there are a lot of ways to flavor up your dishes without a lot of added calories and sugars. Might want to give that a go as well. ;-)

I've been on the Bistro MD diet for three months.

PROS:

1. Healthy, wholesome ingredients, more so than for any of the other delivery plans I've tried. A variety of vegetables accompany the main entree.

2. The meals are tasty and, at times, even delicious. The breakfasts are almost always good. Excellent use of seasonings.

3. I'm losing weight-about 1 lb. per week. I supplement the diet with salads and fruit, but I'm sure I'd lose more if I ate only at the frozen meals.

CONS:

1. The meals contain ingredients such as: malic acid, hydrolized soybean protein, "natural flavorings," and tricalcium phosphate (caking agent). If you want to avoid synthetic ingredients, this isn't the plan for you.

2. At first I ordered the snacks along with the meals. The cheesecakes were tasty, otherwise I didn't think any of the snacks were good. Waay too much chicken in the main meals. Lunches and dinners need a bit more variety.

3. The dry ice (included to keep the food fresh) has occasionally caused the plastic trays to crack and the food to leak.

4. On two occasions I asked for a refund because I lost the food due to the tray shattering. They agreed to refund my money but only AT COST, that is-their cost. In other words, they offered $4.50 for each of the meals. This is unfair! When I return an item to a store, I get the entire amount I spent refunded-not only the manufacturer's cost.

5. The website isn't useful. The FAQs don't answer the questions a real consumer would have.