Your Comprehensive Guide to Flex Meals

If you’ve explored the world of weight loss programs, you know just how different each approach can be. Some programs provide all the prepared meals and snacks you need; others just give guidelines and recipes to help you shop and prepare your own food from scratch.

At Nutrisystem, we do a little of both­-and with good reason: We know that having delicious, ready-to-eat meals and snacks designed for weight loss and delivered right to your door is a foolproof way to ditch those pesky extra pounds. But we also know you want to maintain your weight loss success well beyond your days on the Nutrisystem® program. And to do that, you’ll need practice planning, shopping for and preparing healthy meals on your own.

That’s why we’ve incorporated some “Flex Meals” into our program. These are healthy meals you cook on your own (or order while enjoying a night out at your favorite restaurant), that follow specific nutritional guidelines. Flex meals will set you up with the skills you need to stick with your healthy lifestyle far into the future.

And if making your own meals here and there sounds intimidating, don’t worry! Once you understand what you should be putting in these meals, they’re actually quite easy to make.

Here’s everything you need to know about Flex meals – what exactly they are, what goes into them, and some examples:

Flex Meals

These are meals you cook using non-Nutrisystem food, but that stick to the same nutritional parameters. They are a combination of what we call “SmartCarbs,” “PowerFuels,” and veggies (more on these in a bit).

On the Nutrisystem weight loss program, you get to enjoy two Flex breakfasts, two Flex lunches, two Flex dinners and two Flex snacks per week (men will have four Flex snacks a week)—and you choose when to enjoy them. Planning a date night with your significant other Friday night? No problem: Just use our guidelines when you order, and you can count your restaurant meal as a Flex dinner. Is cooking breakfast with the grandkids on Sunday morning a family tradition? Keep it going! Just follow your Flex breakfast guidelines, and you can enjoy the meal right alongside them.

Flex meals aren’t just great practice for life after Nutrisystem. They’re also a way to continue living the life you love while you lose the weight you don’t.

SmartCarbs

These are “good carbs,” the kind that are packed with fiber. Some examples include brown and wild rice, quinoa, beans and legumes, fruits and starchy vegetables, like butternut squash.

Not so “smart” carbs? White bread, rice and pasta, cakes, cookies and baked goods. These tend to cause a rapid spike in your blood sugar followed by a sudden crash. That crash can leave you craving more energy—and fast, which means you could find your hand right back in the cookie jar not long after you pulled it out.

So, when your Flex meals call for SmartCarbs, stick to those listed in your Grocery Guide.

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PowerFuels

You’ll notice that many of your Flex meals call for these. They’re lean proteins, like chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt and tofu; and healthy fats, like nuts and nut butters. By sticking with these protein and healthy fat sources, you’ll help ensure you stay satisfied and strong long after meal-time.

Building Your Flex Meals

So how do you use these foods to create your Flex meals? Be sure to get your personalized Flex meal guidelines in the NuMi® app! NuMi SmartAdapt™ will show you what your Flex meals and snacks should contain for the best weight loss results. They will be a combination of PowerFuels and/or SmartCarbs.

Looking for portion size help? Simply consult our Grocery Guide here! >

And don’t forget: If you need some help getting started with your Flex meals, we have Weight Loss Coaches standing by to help answer all of your questions. Your success is our priority, and we’re here to help you every step of the weight loss way!

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