Sainsburys Diets Report

By WLR's Food Information Executive, Laurence Beeken

What is Sainsburys Diets?

Sainsburysdiets.co.uk is an online diet website which offers two methods for weight loss or weight maintenance. Members can choose from a range of calorie controlled meal plans plus a personal food diary. Marketed as an online diet service that fits around you, is SainsburysDiet any different to other online plans?

How do I get started?

When signing up to Sainsbury Diets online, you first select the method that you would like to follow, either food diary or meal plan. You are then asked to select your health status:

• I have type 1 diabetes.
• I have type 2 diabetes.
• I have coeliac disease / an intolerance to wheat.
• I am being treated by my doctor for high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
• I have a history of a serious illness.
• I am having dialysis for kidney failure.
• I have had surgery within the last 3 months.
• I have an eating disorder e.g. anorexia or bulimia nervosa.
• I am pregnant.
• I am breastfeeding.

Sign up continues with a series of tick boxes and questions to set up your profile, before you are asked to purchase membership.

Can anyone join Sainsburys diets?

If certain boxes are ticked on sign up regarding health status, you get an information message and this then cancels the process.

Why are there 2 Plan Options with Sainsburys Diets?

Different people prefer different approaches. The Food Diary allows you to make your own food choices within a calorie target personally calculated for you, while a Meal Plan suggests what to eat.

Food Diary

This option is ideal if you don't like being told what to eat. It's flexible and easy to use. Your personal online diary keeps you on track to lose weight.

Meal Plan

This option provides guidance on what to eat and you can select from 8 weight loss plans:

• Health & Vitality Plan
• Vegetarian
• Avoiding Gluten Plan
• Reduced Fat Plan
• Feel Fuller Plan
• GI Plan
• Healthy Heart Plan
• Higher Fibre Plan

Each diet option tells you a bit about it, as well as offering an example menu. You can pick one that looks best for you although the sample menus are all very similar. Sainsbury Diets state in most plans that they are based on the eatwell plate. Each plan has breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

What will Sainsburys Diets cost?

• 12 Weeks £24 – £2 per week
• 26 Weeks £51 - £1.96 per week
• 52 Weeks £99 - £1.90 per week
• After this initial period, the cost of the diet plan changes to £12 every 4 weeks (£3 per week) until you cancel. Sainsbury’s Diets will often run reduced membership price incentives, plus nectar card points.

What is included in the price?

As well as the food diary and meals plans, you get access to:

• A Body Shape plan to help you tone up
• Use of the Recipe Club
• Access via mobile phone
• Diet Forums for support
• Help and guidance in 'News & Views'

Can I try Sainsburys Diets free?

Unfortunately Not!  Your initial input will give you a forecast for calories needed to lose or maintain plus your BMI, but this is nothing different to the free tools offered by us.

There’s no free trial period, so can’t actually try before you buy. If you don’t like it, you’ll end up losing pounds from your purse rather than your waist.

Can I personalise the plan?

You can personalise the meal plans available at Sainsburysdiets, stating how much time you have to cook or eat each meal, whether you prefer cereal or toast or haven’t time for full breakfast. You are allowed convenience foods or you can cook recipes from scratch.

There is an option for a ‘look forward to’ meal. These include Indian, Chinese, Fish & Chips and Pizza and you can choose the day on which you can eat this ‘treat’.

Like many other new online diet sites, Sainsburys Diets recognises that alcohol forms part of our diet, and they have also included an alcoholic drinks section.

You can also choose to remove food from the Sainbsurys diet menu.

What Personal Details do I need to give Sainsburys?

• Gender
• Height
• Weight
• Age
• Activity levels
• Leisure activities

Can I set a goal?

You can choose to lose weight or maintain weight.
There are instructions for setting your goal and Sainsburysdiets do encourage you to use small goals which are more motivating. The maximum you can opt to lose at this point is 20% of your total weight. You can come back at a later date to change your goal if you want to.

How much weight can I expect to lose with Sainsburys Diets?

Rate of weight loss is automatically calculated from the data you enter based on a rate of 2lb each week. You cannot manually alter the amount of calories for your plan if you wish to lose weight at a rate slower than 2lb per week. This is the case whether you want to lose a single lb or 5 stone.