Melts

One big point in Nutrisystem's favour is that the food generally is quite good. There are a few meals that I think really hit it out of the park, and a few that just don't work for me. But that would be true of any restaurant menu, especially since I am a picky eater.

I always recommend to new customers, that you try everything at least once for yourself. Even things that you think you might not like, or things that other people say they hate. One of my favourite meals from 2010 looked like cat vomit and the majority of customers hated it, but I loved it! You might be surprised by what you like and dislike.

In addition- you may consider trying things again, several months into your weight loss journey. Our taste buds do change, and you might be surprised by what you now enjoy that you didn't like before, especially if it was during Fresh Start week that you tried it! That's when things are the biggest shock to your system.

Try not to fall into a rut- variety really is one of the big factors to keep going on the program, so that you don't feel bored.

And on that note, here are a few entrée reviews that I haven't discussed here on Stomach Rumblings yet. Feel free to post your own thoughts on them here as well!

I do air fry all my melts- I found I didn't much like the texture in the microwave. I prefer them to be crispy from the toaster oven. Experiment and see what works best for you.

Broccoli & Cheese Melt (Frozen Lunch):

I'm using Nutrisystem's photo, because as I've said before it's really tough to take pics of the melts. And it's a relatively accurate photo. I'll probably stick with that for future melt reviews.

This was not great. I overwhelmingly tasted what seemed to me like knock off bland Tostitos queso with flavourless chunks in it. I ate it, because I hate wasting food, but did not enjoy it. I'm surprised, because I love broccoli and I definitely love cheese, and Nutrisystem has made some good entrees with both in the past, like the old lunch Broccoli & Cheddar soup. But this just didn't work for me and I won't be ordering it again.

Spinach & Cheese Pretzel Melt (Frozen Lunch):

I thought I'd really enjoy this melt, too, since it basically looked like it was stuffed with spinach dip and I LOVE spinach dip!

Unfortunately, this melt actually upset my stomach. I don't think I've had that happen with a Nutrisystem entrée in a really long time. I'm not sure why, because the ingredients all look good and I do love spinach and cheese... but this one is a no go for me.

Pepperoni Pizza Melt (Frozen Lunch):

While I find this melt to be bready, like the others, that didn't bother me with this melt because I happen to like thick crust on my pizza so this was a good choice for me. The marinara sauce was rich and with the cheese oozing into it, tasted kind of creamy, and I liked the spicing on the pepperoni bits. This will definitely make my reorder list.

Chicken Mozzarella Melt (Frozen Lunch):

I enjoyed the flavour of this melt. The chicken portion is tasty and filling, and I love the melted cheese. The spicing on the wrap is yummy, too.

Steak & Cheese Melt (Frozen Lunch):

Unfortunately I found this photo to be a little misleading. I got barely any meat in my melt, although it did taste like meat. Which is a little odd. I think next time I am going to microwave it enough to be able to split the melt in half so it's open faced, then top with mushrooms, onions, and peppers before I air fry it. I will save a Powerfuel and put some shredded mozzarella cheese on it as well. I think that would very much improve this melt.

Chicken Fajita Melt (Frozen Lunch):

Much to my surprise, this has been my favourite melt so far! It was zesty, delicious, and loaded with actual chunks of chicken. I wish I had ordered more. The new incarnation is much better than the one I tried back in 2011, although I suppose they've had a lot of time to work on the recipe!

What's your favourite melt? Do you eat them straight from the microwave or toaster oven, or do you do something to jazz them up?

Bagel Twists

Well, the scale has been good to me lately- it's been so positive to watch the pounds melt away. I am so close to my 40lb reward band! I can't wait to earn it. How are you all doing?

I've tried several new entrees lately and want to share reviews with you all, but today I thought I'd focus on just one very versatile entrée- the Honey Wheat bagel. As I've said before, this isn't an entrée I think I would order in my auto delivery because I can get low calorie bagels at the grocery store, but since I won this free in a reward pack from the NuMi app, I was looking forward to trying it.

Bagels really are a blank canvas and so versatile, so these ideas could definitely be used as a flex meal instead. Feel like something sweet? Toast it and add a little sugarfree jam as a free food or an extra depending on stats. Something rich and filling? Use your breakfast PF to add 1 tbsp. of peanut butter or a whole 1/4 cup of PB2! Since breakfast is a Nutrisystem entrée plus a Powerfuel, there are so many options here to personalize breakfast just the way you like.

Honey Wheat Bagel (Breakfast):

This morning's breakfast was so decadent and delicious! 1 tbsp. of FF herb & garlic cream cheese plus 3oz smoked salmon for my morning PF, topped with red onions and capers. High protein and filling- definitely not diet food. You can see it was so yummy there's even a bite missing already!

I really do like filling breakfasts, and I often prefer to make them savory when I flex since I enjoy Nutrisystem's sweet entrees so much. So for the next one, I borrowed my morning snack PF as well to have breakfast + 2 PFs- worth it!

1 Nutrisystem Honey Wheat Bagel, lightly toasted
1 egg, scrambled with finely chopped onions, red peppers, and baby bella mushrooms
1 slice low fat cheddar cheese
2 slices Ready Crisp bacon (sometimes I prefer ham instead but good either way!)

Those three additions total 180 calories, so perfect for 2 PFs. You can even fry your egg in 1 tsp butter if you want to use an extra! And it will be so filling I doubt you'll even miss that morning snack PF.

Need some more ideas for your bagel? How about an avocado bagel? Spread 1 PF worth of feta cheese on the toasted bagel and top with 1/8 avocado for NS entrée plus PF plus an extra. Or make a grilled cheese bagel with 1 tsp butter and 1oz cheddar cheese which also counts as entrée + PF + extra.

How about a pizza bagel? Top with 2 tbsp. pizza sauce, turkey pepperoni, and mozzarella cheese plus your favourite veggie toppings. Counts as one NS entrée, 1 extra for the pizza sauce, and if you split your PF between pepperoni and cheese then just one PF. Also remember that breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack are all 1 PF + 1 SC, so if you're not into pizza for breakfast (although who isn't?), you can eat this elsewhere in your day and be just fine! In that vein, it might also make a tasty deli sandwich if you use deli meat for your PF.

So many possibilities! What's your favourite way to eat the Honey Wheat Bagel?

Easter Flexing

Like I'm sure a lot of us did, I was craving some traditional Easter foods for the holidays. But we really can enjoy ourselves without going off plan; it just takes a little creativity. If you choose to mindfully go off plan and then restart after the holidays, there's nothing wrong with that choice either. But don't tell yourself that you HAVE to go off plan, because you don't! My dinner tonight was simple, delicious, and satisfying- and the dessert was mindblowing :)

I made a ham for dinner. I roasted it with a little water in the pan and it was juicy and delicious without anything added to it at all. 4oz is 2 Powerfuels. As my side dish, I boiled potatoes and then put them in my KitchenAid stand mixer with just a little of the water they were boiled in. The mixer whipped them and they were creamy and delicious with no milk or butter required. I had 1/2 cup as my SmartCarb and topped with 1 tbsp. bacon bits as an extra. I did zucchini slices in the air fryer with rosemary on top for my veggie. One flexed Nutrisystem dinner perfectly on plan, but that felt like a regular Easter dinner!

And of course, dessert was wonderful. I made a full sized cheesecake to share with guests, but I've reduced the recipe here to make a single serving. It's a more than generous portion, and at 176 calories, 1g fiber, and a whopping 14.5g protein it's a perfect flex dessert- and it doesn't taste low calorie.

Key Lime Cheesecake (Flex Meals- Dessert):

1 large graham cracker, crushed into crumbs
2 oz fat free cream cheese
2 tbsp. light ricotta cheese
1 tbsp key lime Greek yogurt
2 1/2 tbsp Splenda
1 1/2 tbsp Egg Beaters
1/2 tsp lime juice

1 tsp fat free whipped cream
1 small piece of lime for garnish

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix together cheeses, yogurt, Splenda, juice and Egg Beaters, and stir until well blended. Spray your baking dish with cooking spray (I used a mini silicone loaf pan). Add in the graham cracker crumbs and shake around to coat bottom of dish. Pour cheesecake filling into dish and put the dish into a larger oven safe dish and add water about half way up the side of the mini pan in the larger dish to create a water bath. Bake the cheesecake for 35 minutes, then turn off toaster oven or oven and let it sit in the oven for 10 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator for at least ten minutes before eating.

Ready to Lose?

If you've been reading my blog and you're thinking of signing up for the Nutrisystem program, now's the time! Not only will you see results quickly (I lost nearly 6lbs during my Fresh Start week!), but you'll find that the program is easy to follow and the food is pretty darn good. There's the added advantage of convenience so you don't have to think about food all the time, and flexibility so that you can cook yourself a meal on plan when you want to do that as well (don't forget to check out my Recipes tab for some great ideas!).

Not only can you get the current hidden sale price of $249 for Women's Uniquely Yours or $289 for the Men's program (men get an extra snack item each day), when the website currently has it listed at $349 and $389 respectively, but I can now offer a referral discount of $65 for any new signups from Stomach Rumblings! The base pricing is permanent ongoing pricing, and it will not increase over time as long as you keep your subscription active. You can delay your order as long as you like, as long as you don't cancel your price remains the same.

If you're currently on a program but you are paying more than the price I mentioned above, and you have received your required two auto delivery orders, you can call Nutrisystem and cancel, and then sign up again with a new email address and you will be able to get this lower permanent price, plus use all of my new signup promotional codes!

Start by emailing yourself a $30 coupon from me. It's good for your first order only, so make sure you claim it! Then sign up for a new account using the above hidden sale price link using the same email where you requested the coupon. Go ahead and choose your meals and go right to the end. Then, where it asks for promo codes, enter the code on the $30 coupon and it will deduct that from your first order.

Don't forget to add these as well! They will ALL stack on the same order, as long as you add the $30 coupon first.

3FREE will get you a free breakfast, lunch, and dinner (Nutriflakes cereal, white cheddar mac n cheese, and vegetarian chili).
10SNACKS will get you a 10 pack of popcorn and pretzels
COOKIES will get you 5 free packs of cookies
FREESHAKER will get you a free Nutrisystem shaker cup to drink your free shakes from!
SAVE10 will save you $10 (also needs to be put in at the end)



That's a total of $53.98 in free stuff plus your $40 off your first order! This gives you access to your choice of both the frozen food and the shelf stable food- any combination that you like.

Don't forget also that you can buy Nutrisystem gift cards from Costco.com  It's well worth the price of a membership. They are currently priced at $80 per $100 gift card, but sometimes go on sale as low as $55 per $100! You can use these cards to pay for an Auto Delivery order and also for a la carte orders as well. So let's say you ordered the $249 Uniquely Yours plan for women. If you pay with Costco gift cards, you're only paying $131.50 out of pocket for your monthly auto delivery program (even less the first and second month!) which makes it much more reasonable.

So if you're thinking of joining, now is the time- it's not going to get any better than this! After all, what else do you have to lose, except that excess weight?

Playing with your Food

One of my favourite things to do is play with my food. Well, not quite like my son! But I like to mess around with recipes. It makes it much easier to stay on track when I see recipes posted online and then I figure out a way that I can make them Nutrisystem friendly. Because honestly, most things with very few exceptions can be worked into the plan somehow. They might not be exactly the same, but they're often a reasonable facsimile.

I also find it makes it easier to stay on plan when I don't have to tell myself no, I can't have something. Instead, I focus on finding a way to have it. If you have a recipe that you miss, comment here and send it to me, and I'll see if I can find a way to work it to make it Nutrisystem friendly! I've got a list of recipes right now that I'm hoping to share soon.

I had a friend over for dinner tonight and she's on a very restrictive diet for medical reasons, so coming up with a meal that both of us could happily eat and enjoy was a little tricky. But I think you'll really enjoy this one and I definitely recommend it when you have Chinese food cravings!

Orange Sesame Chicken (Flex Meals):

10 oz raw chicken breast, cut into 1" chunks
2 cups broccoli, steamed
2 tsp sesame oil

2 cups orange juice
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp. light honey
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, diced thinly
1 clove garlic, prepared
1 tsp black pepper

Heat a deep frying pan to medium on the stove, and add the sesame oil. Cook the chicken chunks until cooked through, and set aside. While chicken is cooking, stir the ingredients for the sauce together. Heat the pan to high, and add the sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil and continue stirring until it starts to thicken. When the sauce starts to cling to the pan (it will reduce considerably), add the chicken back in and toss to coat. Serve over the broccoli (or any other non starchy veggie of your choosing). Serves two for dinner!

Count this as 2 Powerfuels (the chicken), 1 SmartCarb (the orange juice), 2 extras (honey, sesame oil), and 2 veggies.

It was delicious and definitely tasted decadent and filling!

The BBB!

My Big Brown Box arrived today! It's always so exciting. I know that I know exactly what's inside of it, but it still feels a little bit like Christmas every time. Of course, it helps that there usually is a gift or two inside the box for me!

I also got my 30lb band as a reward from NuMi! I really like this. Last time around, I collected the bears, but I just don't need more dust collectors right now. Since I always have the water bottle nearby, it's a tangible thing to look at and see how well I'm doing. I can't wait to earn the next one!

If you haven't downloaded the NuMi app, I would definitely recommend that you do so. It will give you a reminder of what you're supposed to eat on your personal Nutrisystem program, since they aren't all alike. I prefer not to do my actual tracking on NuMi, since it doesn't always recognize your grocery store items but instead to use it as a visual reminder. Instead, I press Quick Log just to indicate that I've consumed that serving. 

But the real reason to download NuMi is to get the free items they give you for completing the challenges! Basically, they are all some variation of use the app and log your food, and you earn rewards. Keep in mind that if you add the codes to your auto delivery order you won't even pay shipping to get them (see the Tips for Newbies page if you need instructions on how to do this)! I used this as an opportunity to try some of the Nutrisystem foods that I wouldn't normally order. For example, the Honey Wheat bagel. I can get low calorie bagels at my grocery store, so I'd much rather have a "special" and delicious breakfast like the cinnamon bun bar or the apple strudel bar. But one came in my free Grab N Go Breakfast Pack, so I'll be able to try it and review it here for my readers.

Don't forget when you get your order to double check the packing slip against your order in your Nutrisystem account, and then against the actual quantity in your box. Human beings pack the boxes, and people make mistakes. I've even seen where someone got an entirely different auto delivery order from what they chose! But if there are any issues, Nutrisystem will make it right for you. Just log into your account page at Nutrisystem.com and use the Live Chat (it's generally faster than using the phone), and let the customer service agent know what went wrong and they will take care of this for you. And if you got any substitutions on your order, they'll happily let you choose something else if you don't like what they sent you. Remember, you're paying for this food, so you should be happy with what you get!

Now if you'll excuse me- I'm off to finish sorting through my Big Brown Box!

Food Ruts

One complaint I hear often on the Nutrisystem Facebook group is that people are getting bored of the food. I have felt this myself in the past, and then I realized that the issue was mostly of my own making. I at least tend to order the same three or four items I really like, and yes, at that point it is indeed very easy to get bored after a while!

Routine makes things easy. If you like Greek yogurt as a Powerfuel, for example, it's really easy to have the same one each day and not change it up. But routine can also make things boring.

I did a count, though, and with the exception of breakfast (there are only 29, but that's still really close), you could have a different item each day for a month without repeating. And once you start changing up your add ins and vegetables, your meals don't have to be the same.

Maybe you want to do a little more flexing. Try a new recipe that you haven't tried before! Add some unique spices. Pick up that vegetable you normally walk by at the grocery store and see if a new method of preparation can make it more interesting, or if maybe your taste buds have changed since the last time you ate it. Maybe your shelf stable items need a little doctoring up to taste like a totally new meal!

Nutrisystem isn't meant to be all you eat for a lifetime, but it IS meant to help you form those healthy habits about what a portion is, and the building blocks of a nourishing meal. The plan just helps us with convenience in our busy lives, and to ease the pressure of trying to find healthy meals quickly. Well, that, and where else would I find a cinnamon roll that's so delicious and actually good for me?

Getting stuck in food ruts is also one of the things that leads to plateaus. Not only will it keep you feeling more positive about the program if you feel like you're not bored and still interested in the meals, but it will make it easier on your body to drop those pounds!

So tomorrow, try something new. Make a flex meal you might not have considered, or order a Nutrisystem entrée that you aren't sure will hit your palate. Remember that our tastes all differ and the entrees you hate will be someone else's favourite, and vice versa! See if you can shake up your routine a little bit, and shake some more pounds loose!

Pretzel Stand

Like I've said before, I'm not the world's biggest fan of plain pretzels. But I must admit that I saw a world of potential in those Nutrisystem soft pretzels, and I've been having fun experimenting with them. I have two more recipes in mind, so keep checking back or sign up to follow my blog if you're enjoying recipes! Don't forget that my blog is better viewed in web format as opposed to mobile to see all the tags and pages!

Order up!

Jalapeno Popper Soft Pretzel (Frozen Dessert):

1 Nutrisystem Whole Grain Soft Pretzel
1 jalapeno, half cut into pretty rings, half cut into thin strips
1 tbsp. fat free cream cheese

Broil the thin strips of jalapeno in your oven or air fryer until they start to crisp up, then remove them. Very carefully split the pretzel lengthwise. Smear the cream cheese on top of the bottom half of the pretzel and place the jalapeno strips on top of the cream cheese. Top with the top half of the pretzel and arrange the rings on top. If you want, use a free food's worth of shaved parmesan on top for garnish (you don't need much).

Bake or air fry until the jalapeno rings on top are crispy and the pretzel is hot.

This counts as one Nutrisystem dessert (which is 1 PowerFuel + 1 SmartCarb) plus 1 extra for the cream cheese; the jalapeno is negligible and the Parmesan counts as a free food if you use it.

Simple But Good

I have to admit that I didn't really think that the Nutrisystem stuffed chicken breasts were "worth" ordering. I like chicken, but I figured that I could probably make stuffed chicken myself as a flex meal. I decided to order one of each kind though, and so far I am glad that I did.

Broccoli & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast (Frozen Dinner):

I'm also a little surprised that these don't say to add a carb, since they are so low in carbs. It definitely does not seem nutritionally equivalent to, say, the pizza. I'm considering emailing Dietary Services and inquiring how an entrée that is so different affects weight loss. I know there's a pretty wide spread in terms of calories with the dinners, but most of them seem more balanced than this one.

On the other hand... OMG deliciousness! The chicken is tender and juicy, and the filling is so good. I would definitely eat this entrée again. It does not taste like diet food. I cooked it in the air fryer for 25 minutes and it was still moist and delicious.

I served it with parsnip fries (saved Smartcarb serving), and a delicious air fried Brussels sprout recipe that I found. Definitely tasty and would recommend!

Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts (Vegetable Ideas):

15 Brussels sprouts, ends cut off and split in half
2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Put the sliced sprouts in a Tupperware container, add the syrup and vinegar, and shake until the sprouts are well covered. Air fry for 15 minutes, or until they are crispy and brown. They definitely don't taste bitter! The recipe makes 3 servings and counts as 1 vegetable and one extra.

The parsnip fries were easy, too, and a nice change from sweet potatoes.

Parsnip Fries (SmartCarb):

1 cup parsnip, cut into fry shapes
1 tsp olive oil
garlic, black pepper, salt substitute to taste

Toss the fries in a container and shake it up with the oil and seasonings. Air fry for 20 minutes or until they are nice and crispy. Recipe counts as one Smartcarb + 1 extra.

Cheese please!

Ever since I saw that Nutrisystem had a soft pretzel in their dessert section, I had been dreaming of what I could do with it. I remember visiting a pretzel stand that made the most amazing pizza pretzels and I've been waiting for the chance to try it. I happened to be extra hungry tonight after dinner, so I decided to see if I could make it work!

It does feel odd calling this a dessert since it's savory, but wow did it ever fill me up and it was almost as tasty as the one I remembered. Definitely give this a try!

Whole Grain Soft Pretzel (Frozen Dessert):

The pretzel is a little small, but it definitely works. I advise allowing it to thaw a little before you cut it so that it's easier to split.

Slice the pretzel through the middle lengthwise, so that you have two thin pretzels. Take a low fat mozzarella cheese stick and cut it into thin pieces and put them on top of the bottom half of the pretzel, following the shape of the pretzel as best you can. Top with the other half of the pretzel, and use 1 tbsp. of pizza sauce on top to help stick down a few slices of turkey pepperoni. If you had any cheese leftover, sprinkle it on top. Air fry for 10 minutes, or until pepperoni is crisping and cheese is melty and gooey. Serve with 1 tbsp. hot pizza sauce for dipping!

Believe it or not, this delicious treat counts as one Nutrisystem dessert plus one Powerfuel (the combination of the string cheese + 7 turkey pepperoni slices was only 110 calories) and one extra for the 2 tbsp. pizza sauce (16 calories).

I wish I had more of these in the freezer when I am craving something savory instead of sweet!

Off Plan & Back On

I wound up taking the weekend off from Nutrisystem this past week. I was incredibly sick on Saturday and dying for comfort food, so I decided to have it. To me, sandwiches on big soft buns have always symbolized comfort food and at some point there's just no way to make that work. A big sub bun is somewhere around 3 SC servings.

I also had a wonderful meal with my family yesterday that I decided to enjoy as it, because I certainly wasn't going to get another chance at this again! We had a homemade flammkuchen and it was amazing. I'd never had one before and wanted to try it. But of course it was loaded with carbs and fat and calories. I did not fall off the wagon- I made the mindful choice to get off plan, and then get right back on today.

Much to my surprise, I was still down 0.8lbs this week. I'm sure that means I had been heading for a big loss before the weekend, so time to get on track and post that number next week!

I've been trying some more of the frozen meals lately and I've really been enjoying them. Here are some more pics and reviews.

Grilled Chicken Sandwich (Frozen Lunch):

Nutrisystem used to have a shelf stable grilled chicken breast that was just awful, so I was a little skeptical about this one. It got great reviews on the Nutrisystem Facebook page though, so I decided to give it a try with an open mind.

Like the frozen hamburger, it's pathetically small. I will admit that when I used to BBQ at home, I always had two burgers plus side items. Two normal sized burgers, not two slider sized ones like this! So I definitely had my doubts if it was going to be satisfying. That is a full size dinner plate, for reference.

Much to my surprise, the chicken tasted good and flavourful. I put diced red onion on the bun and a little dab of FF mayonnaise, squirt of lemon, and basil, and a slice of low fat Havarti cheese for my PF. Salad on the side with light lemon Italian dressing (free food).

I have seen people on the boards say they like to make this into a salad by chopping up the chicken and toasting the bun to make croutons. Honestly, while I like the idea, I think this one is much easier (and cheaper!) to flex rather than use a NS entrée like that. But if it works for you, then more power to you!

So far I have tried this both with a toasted bun on the BBQ, and just microwaving it as the package suggests. Oddly enough, since I have never liked bread products in the microwave, I do actually like it better microwaved. I find the bun tastes really dense in the microwave and since it feels "heavier" I'm more satisfied by it. It was light and crispy on the BBQ and just didn't taste quite as good to me. I definitely suggest trying it yourself both ways to see what you prefer!

Meatloaf Sandwich (Frozen Dinner):

People have posted that this tastes just like the lunch hamburger, except bigger. I decided to make this one by sauteeing mushrooms and onions in 1 tsp olive oil (extra) and topping with a slice of FF Swiss cheese (powerfuel).

It just didn't quite taste right. I am not sure if it's because I used oil instead of butter for the veggies and I will consider trying that next time. I think maybe 1 tbsp. of low calorie BBQ sauce might kick it up a little bit too (extra).

I will say that it was filling and satisfying, but it just wasn't quite what I was looking for. I made myself sweet potato fries with it in the air fryer (SmartCarb serving saved from snack).