Bistro MD is a meal delivery program designed by board-certified bariatric physician, Dr. Caroline Cederquist. The purpose of the program is to help people lose weight by home-delivering full, chef-made meals that follow a dietary formula designed specifically for weight and fat loss. Bistro MD offers a variety of menus and dietary options designed to suit the needs of all members. Meals are delivered weekly, and membership can be canceled at any time. Bistro MD has over 450 reviews at 4 and 5 stars worth of positive reviews.
The factors that rank highest in Bistro MD customer satisfaction are: 1) food quality and taste, 2) the convenience of the delivery service, and 3) weight loss results. Bistro MD prices start at around $9 per meal. The company offer discounts, but customers can also design their plans to make them even more cost-effective.
About Bistro MD
The Bistro MD program was created over 20 years ago by doctor Caroline Cederquist, M.D. She is a bariatric physician with a specialty in nutrition and metabolism. Her training and experience working with metabolic dysfunction in patients led her to design a weight loss plan is based on the following formula:
- A daily calorie budget of 1,100 to 1,400 calories.
- 50% of the daily calorie budget comes from protein
- 20-25% of the calorie budget comes from healthy fats
- 30-35% of the calorie budget comes from complex carbohydrates.
The science behind the formula is called “metabolic correction.” It treats metabolic dysfunction by providing the body with an exact combination of macronutrients that target fat loss.
Every meal that comes in the program follows the metabolic correction formula. This allows customers to simply eat their meals without having to count calories, or any other macronutrients, thus saving them time.
Delivery Service
Bistro MD offers over 150 meal choices for customers. The meals are delivered frozen, in a refrigerated package that preserves the freshness of the ingredients. All meals are microwaveable and take only about 5 minutes cooking time. Additionally, customers can select how many meals they get per week.
The plans are:
- 7-day program- 7 breakfasts, lunches, and dinners
- 5-day program- 5 breakfasts, lunches, dinners
- 7-day Lunch and Dinner only program- 7 lunches, 7 dinners
- 5-day Lunch and Dinner only program- 5 lunches, 5 dinners
The plan offers free shipping during its first week. After the first week, regular shipping charges are included. The cost of shipping covers, in part, the containers that keep the frozen meals cold during delivery.
Since these are auto-shipments, all orders are expected to be charged and shipped automatically each week. However, customers can cancel their shipments at any time if they do so within the deadlines established by the company.
All members have until Wednesday of each week at 5 p.m, Eastern Standard Time, to cancel or make changes to the next week’s shipment. New members have until Sunday at 12 midnight of their first week to cancel or make changes. After the first week, the deadline switches back to Wednesdays at 5 p.m. EST, again. If a cancellation is made after the deadline, the customer is responsible for the final shipment.
Meal Programs
Bistro MD has specialized meal programs for men and women based on their macronutrient needs. These meal plans satisfy every dietary lifestyle.
These are the programs:
Standard plan- A healthy balance of macronutrients targeted for fat loss using the metabolic correction formula. By “standard,” it means that the food is varied and does not follow any specific dietary need, unlike the other plans. You can choose dishes made with
- beef
- chicken
- seafood
- turkey
- pork
You can also select pastas, stews, soups and plant-based options.
Gluten Free- This program offers meals designed for people suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Celiac Disease or leaky gut. It is important to note that the foods in Bistro MD are natural, so the gluten free menu options may not be too different from other plans.
Some popular menus from the gluten free (GF) plan are roasted corn and scallop chowder, chicken rice and vegetable stew, and hickory smoked BBQ pork with broccoli.
Heart Healthy- This option features meals with a macronutrient content that follows the recommendations for nutrient content of the American Heart Association. The heart-healthy options menu shares a lot of dishes with other specialty diet menus such as gluten free and diabetic. This means that you can customize the program in a wide diversity of ways.
Diabetic- The diabetic program features a low-carbohydrate, high protein menu that helps to regulate and balance blood sugar levels. Popular dishes in this diet, such as beef stroganoff and linguini, are also shared with other diets such as low sodium, gluten free, and the menopause based program.
Menopause- This program is designed to address the nutritional needs faced by women in hormone replacement therapy or who are perimenopausal. The menu for menopausal needs features nearly all the meals available on Bistro MD. This is because of the balanced combination of nutrients in each food option.
Vegetarian- These options are mainly plant-based, but you will find pescatarian (seafood-based) dishes within this category.
Silver Cuisine- This program is designed to meet the nutritional needs of people 50 years and older. This program is approved by AARP, so Seniors can enjoy deep discounts and other benefits. The convenience of home-delivered meals that meet full, nutritional daily values, and the chance to get them at a discount, is a great way for Seniors to stay healthy.
Balance by Bistro MD
Bistro MD also offers meals from a program named Balance by Bistro MD. It is basically the same thing as the traditional Bistro MD, with the exception that it offers some meals at a cost of less than $7, plus the following options:
Dairy Free- The dairy-free program is from perfect for lactose intolerant customers and, when selected along with other vegetarian options, it is also great for Vegans. This program consists on foods without dairy, or hidden lactose. It is not just for vegans or vegetarians, but also for people with celiac disease and irritable bowel syndrome.
Mediterranean- This plan explores exotic flavors and invites customers to try new dishes so that their diet plans do not become boring or too repetitive.
Custom programs- As an added benefit, customers can still customize their eating programs even further by selecting the meals that they want. Therefore, a “mix and match” from different meal programs is also an option for Bistro MD users.
According to the website, the 7 and 5-day programs work best for people who want to lose significant amounts of weight, as well as for people who want a total metabolic “do over”.
All they need to do is go to their personal Bistro MD webpage, MyBistro MD, and “experiment” with their selections until they get the plan that truly satisfies them the most.
The Breakfast Option
To save on costs, Bistro MD offers a no-breakfast plan option that saves customers over $50 per week.
Customers who add the breakfast option to their plan can expect to eat morning meals that are no different than the common breakfast favorites. The highest ranked breakfast meals in Bistro MD include:
- Cranberry Orange Multigrain Cereal with Ham
- Steak and Egg Scramble
- Bagel Sandwich with Egg Turkey Sausage and Cheddar
- Strawberry and blueberry waffles
- Pork crepes
- Breakfast tostadas
The breakfast options are quite substantial and well-balanced. The macronutrient combination in each meal is meant to leave dieters satisfied until the next meal.
If customers cannot afford, or do not want, the breakfast meal options offered by Bistro MD, they can still go to the website to get hundreds of breakfast ideas and recipes that also follow Dr. Cederquists’s metabolic correction formula. This means that program members can still benefit from a full range of food options, whether they purchase them directly from the website, or make the foods themselves at home.
EATS Snacks: Sweets, Savories, and Crunchies
Customers have the option of adding other items to their program meals. One of these options are the EATS snacks. “EATS” stands for “Essential and Tasty Snacks.” These work as an addition to the meal program that consists on cookies, sweet/salty treats, crisps, jerky, shakes, nuts, fruit, and even cheesecakes.
The idea behind offering EATS snacks is to satisfy cravings, curb hunger, and still keep users on their weight loss track. The price for EATS is separate, and it is completely optional. The snacks come in packs of 8 or 13, depending on the item. Snacks are intended to be eaten twice a day, between meals. Hence, the ideal consumption of snacks is just two per day.
If customers wish to add snacks to their diet, but cannot afford, or do not wish to have, the EATS snacks offered by Bistro MD, they can always consult with the Bistro MD dietitians. They can offer snack alternatives, and other diet support, via chat, email, or calls. The dietitian help is one of the benefits that come with membership.
Supplements
The other add-ons that customers can choose are Weight Management supplements. These are balanced formulas that further support the metabolic corrective process by pumping the body with extra vitamins and minerals. These nutrients target and support healthy weight loss, fat burning, and increased metabolic rates.
These supplements are always in very high demand, and it is suggested to get them as soon as membership begins. The positive feedback found on the website says that the supplements are very good at curbing hunger and giving users an extra shot of energy.
How You can Join BistroMD
Step 1:
Once you get to the main page of BistroMD, you will be asked to enter your full name, weight, height, age, gender, lifestyle (moderate, sedentary, active) and weight goals.
Within seconds, a diet profile is created for you. Based on your information, the feedback will tell you whether you are overweight, obese, within a normal body mass range, or under a normal body mass index (underweight).
Based on that information, the site will also provide users with suggestions on how much weight to lose, and in what recommended time range.
Step 2:
If you are satisfied with the generated profile, you will be prompted to the second step, which is to choose a food program. This is where you select the previously-mentioned options, which include: a) vegetarian, b) heart healthy, c) diabetic, d) standard, etc.
You are not obligated to remain on the same food program. Once your membership is paid, you will have the flexibility of going into your personal MyBistro ID site to customize your meals to better fit your taste and budget.
On Step 2, you will also select the delivery plan that works best for you. As previously mentioned, you can choose how many meals you get per week. This option alone significantly reduces costs and allows you to make full use of the entire program.
Step 3:
The third step is to enter your billing and shipping information to be “officially” entered in the program. After your first payment clears (for your first shipment), you will have access to the highly customizable MyBistro MD. This is a personal “homepage” for you to take control of what you get.
The Food: Something for Everybody
The quality and flavor of the food are the two factors that get the most positive feedback from users. This is what makes MyBistro MD interesting and fun to use. Dietitians select the best diet parameters, nutritionists plan the menu, chefs cook the meals, and customers get them, ready to make. These benefits greatly take away the common nuisances of dieting.
Bistro MD takes pride in using fresh, high-quality products for their meals. They collaborate with local farmers’ markets to make optimal use of food and benefit the community.
A look in the Bistro MD menu shows that the options are quite varied. Gluten-free program options include eggplant lasagna casserole and jerk chicken with sauteed spinach. These menu options show that the gluten-free program meals can also be ordered for the diabetic program, since they both call for more lean meats and vegetables while dropping the total of carbohydrates.
Similarly, someone who follows a Paleo diet (dairy, sugar, legume-free), or a Keto diet (high fat, low carbohydrate) could benefit from Bistro MD’s diabetic program options since they reduce the use of grains, carbs, sugar, and legumes.
It is arguable that the success of the program is, in part, due to the ability of users to customize food to their unique tastes and needs.
MyBisto MD
MyBistro MD is an online space where users go to meet all of their diet needs. In there, they can customize their meals, consult with dietitians, and meet other dieters for support. In addition, this site offers:
- recipes
- articles
- highlights
- offers
- lifestyle tools
- full customer support
This is the place where users can also go to plan their shipping dates, cancel orders, or add additional things to their plans, such as EATS snacks and supplements.
The Benefits
The Bistro MD programs have an overall rating of 5 stars with over 450 reviews of high customer satisfaction. Part of the reviews says that the benefits of membership are worth the price of the program.
Membership provides access to the entire “menu database” of over 200 choices of foods and menus.
Other benefits that ranked high in customer satisfaction include:
- Flavor of the food
- Quality of food ingredients
- Validity: The program is designed by a board-certified expert on weight loss
- Convenience: The food is delivered frozen and is ready in 5 minutes
- Availability: The food options offered in Bistro MD satisfy the needs of nearly every dietary lifestyle including low sodium, diabetic, menopausal, vegetarian, heart-healthy, and dairy free.
- Senior citizens: Bistro MD is an AARP approved program. Senior citizens can benefit from healthy food, delivered to their homes, at discounted member prices.
- Flexibility: Bistro MD allows its program to be fully customized to meet the specific needs of users. Shipments and meals can also be customized at any time.
- User-friendly: MyBistro MD is the place where program members go to get all their information, make contact with dietitians, get recipes, and change their plans when needed.
Points to Consider Before Buying
The few negative reviews from Bistro MD customers are mainly about some food choices not tasting well.
There are also mixed reviews about the pricing of the program. This latter point is important to discuss because it tends to be confusing to some people.
When you first sign up for Bistro MD, you get a 25% discount that includes free shipping. When the second week’s shipment comes, regular shipping prices are applied to the final price. This means that the price of the first week in the program will be much lower than the price in weeks to come.
There are ways to avoid surprise charges. Prior to each week’s shipment, members should check which are the options that they signed up for. Some members may have a selection that is applied by default toward the next shipment.
Customers should always be mindful of the Wednesday 5 p.m EST deadline to cancel or change shipments. The time prior to the deadline is the best time to make big changes to meal plans which can save a lot of money in the long run.
If you are not entirely satisfied with the taste of your food, the best solution would be to keep customizing the plan until there is a dish that satisfied both taste buds and budgets. Unfortunately, there are no refunds or returns for food items.
Another way to save money while still using the program is to do a 50/50 where 50% of your meals are purchased, and 50% of the food made at home comes from the hundreds of recipes found on Bistro MD. The recipes still follow the metabolic correction formula that makes the plan so popular among dieters.
Since breakfasts are optional, customers can start saving by simply ordering lunches and dinners.
Snack choices can be supplemented by options from home, and users can consult with Bistro MD dietitians to obtain snack lists that follow the metabolic correction formula. This way everyone can stay on track while still enjoying the chef-prepared meals from Bistro MD.
Final Thoughts
Bistro MD is a highly convenient food delivery program. It ranks high in customer satisfaction, and it meets the needs of different dietary lifestyles. The price of the program includes personalized menus, chef-prepared meals, dietitian support, customer support, recipes, and a chance to engage with a big community of fellow dieters.
This program works best for busy dieters who are always on the go, since it saves them time from having to cook, buy groceries, or even keep track of macronutrients. However, Bistro MD is particularly beneficial for Senior citizens. They can enjoy healthy, balanced meals without having to spend time cooking. They also get the AARP approval seal, which means that they can enjoy the program with money savvy discounts.
Bistro MD is high ranking in customer satisfaction because it delivers high quality, good tasting food in a convenient way. Its price averages the same as other food delivery box programs. The key difference between Bistro MD and other programs is that this one gives you the added benefit of targeted weight loss and balanced nutrition.
Final Rating: Bistro MD gets a high score in convenience, ease of use, food quality, and the fact that the meals for the program are designed with the purpose of weight and fat loss. It is a convenient service that serves multiple purposes, embraces multiple dietary lifestyles, and is beneficial for Senior citizens.
Overall, the cost of the program (an average of $9 a meal), is fair considering the convenience of the service and the quality of the product. It saves people time and the nuisance of having to track macronutrients. Finally, it works on a formula designed to work for people who have a lot (or not so much) weight to lose. Not all food delivery services ensure a healthy outcome, but Bistro MD does. It is worth trying it.
