Noom vs. Jenny Craig - Does Psychology or Meal Delivery Win Out?

By Summer Banks FNS, SPT on Jan 19, 2023

Noom vs. Jenny Craig – a psychology-based approach up against a meal delivery service. We know that controlling portions is critical to losing weight. Still, we also know you can’t rely on prepackaged meals forever – so you have to learn how to work with food yourself.

This is the battle we have between Noom and Jenny Craig. Let’s see what our researchers came up with.

What is Noom?

Noom is a psychology-based weight-loss app that changes the way users think about diet and exercise. Noom was developed by nutritionists, fitness experts, and psychologists to create a modern take on weight loss. Breaking old habits is hard, but Noom changes the way users’ brains work, making weight loss easier than ever before.

The Noom app tracks physical activity simplifies the food logging process and educates users so that they can continue living a healthier lifestyle long after completing the Noom program.

Noom increases success rates by matching each member with a Noom support coach. These coaches are highly trained professionals who act as a personal cheerleader for healthy living. They provide motivation, reassurance, and a wealth of information to create a positive and supportive environment for weight loss.

What is Jenny Craig?

Jenny Craig is a meal delivery service that offers portion-controlled meals and personal consulting to keep dieters on track. Jenny Craig promises to take the guesswork out of meal planning while providing support and structure.

Jenny Craig focuses solely on nutrition. They do not offer an exercise plan or a mobile app.

Noom vs. Jenny Craig Customer Testimonials
History

Noom vs. Jenny Craig – History

Brief History of Noom

The Noom app was released in 2016 after eight years of research and development. Since its inception, 50 million users have downloaded the app.

In 2018, Noom used four billion data points to determine which behavior patterns foster successful weight loss.

Noom is always evolving to provide its users with the most modern and efficient weight-loss strategies. In 2019, Noom added more than 1,000 new personal coaches. Later that year, the tech company partnered with Novo Nordisk, a Danish pharmaceutical company, to launch the Diabetes Prevention Program.

Noom is consistently ranked as one of the top-searched diet programs on Google. Noom is also proud to be recognized as one of the Centers for Disease Control’s approved lifestyle programs.

Take the approved lifestyle program for a test drive with the free trial offer available to Dietspotlight readers today.

Brief History of Jenny Craig

Jenny Craig got its start in Melbourne, Australia, in 1983. In 1985, the company expanded into the United States. By 1987, it was available in 116 countries.

Jenny Craig’s success continued into the mid-90s until it encountered financial difficulties due to high overhead costs and increasing competition.

In 1995, male employees from Jenny Craig’s Boston location sued the company for gender discrimination. It was the first known gender discrimination lawsuit ever filed by men.

In 1997, Jenny Craig introduced the “ABC” system. The ABC system placed foods into groups to simplify healthy meal planning. The company’s annual revenue rebounded for a brief period before plummeting again.

The New York Stock Exchange suspended trading Jenny Craig shares after the company reported losses for the previous four years. Rumors swirled that Craig would sell her shares of the company.

MidOcean Partners acquired Jenny Craig in 2002. MidOcean Partners then sold Jenny Craig to Nestle for $600 million in 2006. Jenny Craig changed hands several more times before being purchased by HIG Capital in 2019.

In the beginning, Jenny Craig clients would visit a weight loss center for a personal consultation. They would receive recipes and diet advice. It has since become a strictly online business.

Noom vs. Jenny Craig – Who’s Behind the Plan?

Who Created Noom?

Tech geniuses Saeju Jeong and Artem Petakov joined forces in 2008 to develop an app that changes behavior patterns in people struggling to lose weight. The two best friends wanted to use the power of science to battle the global obesity epidemic.

Saeju Jeong is a New York City-based electrical engineer born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. He earned several degrees from Hongki University and was later employed by his alma mater. Despite relocating to the United States, Jeong is still working to change lives in South Korea. He is a member of the South Korean Ministry of Science and Technology Committee. In 1999, Jeong founded BuyHard productions.

Artem Petakov grew up in Ukraine and relocated to the United States to attend Princeton University, where he was known for his impressive chess skills. He was employed by Microsoft and Google before launching Noom.

Who Created Jenny Craig?

Jenny Craig was founded by Jenny and Sidney Craig. Sidney Craig was the founder of Body Contour, a chain of fitness studios in the United States. Sidney met Jenny when he hired her as the director of Body Contour, New Orleans. Jenny and Sidney eventually married, and they sold Body Contour to Nutrisystem for $3.2 million. The Craigs moved to Australia to launch Jenny Craig to avoid violating a non-compete clause.

Jenny Craig struggled with her weight after giving birth to her daughters from her first marriage. Her entire family was overweight. Her mother and eight siblings all died before the age of 50 from weight-related health problems. Jenny wanted to lose weight and inspire others to live a healthier lifestyle.

Rules

Noom vs. Jenny Craig – The Rules

Rules of Noom

Noom users aren’t expected to follow the rules. By encouraging users to make gradual changes to their diet and lifestyle, Noom promotes sustainable weight loss. The company’s Chief of Psychology, Dr. Michael Michaelides, works with his team to develop ways for users to change the behavior patterns that are detrimental to their health and wellbeing.

Noom uses three tools to reinforce positive behavior: education, food logging, and fitness tracking.

Education

Noom users spend ten minutes each day, taking fun quizzes and learning about fitness and nutrition. Understanding nutrition, managing stress, setting goals, and forming healthy habits are all part of the Noom program.

Food Logging

Noom knows that food logging is tedious. That’s why they simplified the process. Noom users can manually enter a food, choose from a list of popular foods, or scan the package’s barcode with their cell phone. The app provides nutrition facts and categorizes the food as Green, Yellow, or Red.

Green Foods

Green foods are your best source of low-calorie, low-sugar nutrition. They make up 30% of your daily calories.

  • Watermelon
  • Peaches
  • Apples
  • Asparagus
  • Almond Milk
  • Spinach
  • Brown rice
  • Brussel’s Sprouts
  • Whole oats
  • Broccoli
  • Horseradish
  • Carrots
  • Non-Fat Yogurt
  • Green Beans
  • Blueberries
  • Cherries
  • Onion
  • Strawberries
  • Egg whites
  • Bananas
  • Lettuce
  • Whole grain bread
  • Oranges
  • Whole grain pasta
  • Tomatoes
  • Peas
  • Shrimp
  • Non-fat cottage cheese
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Lemon Juice
  • Tofu
  • Salsa
  • Canned tuna
  • Quinoa
  • Whitefish

Yellow Foods

Yellow foods are the main staple of the Noom diet. These foods make up 45% of your daily calories.

  • Lean Meat
  • Avocados
  • Grilled Skinless Chicken
  • Olives
  • Turkey Breast
  • Rice (yellow, wild, basmati)
  • Beans
  • Hummus
  • Low-Fat Milk
  • Fresh Tuna
  • Canned pineapple
  • Low-Fat Cheese
  • Eggs
  • Figs
  • Plain pancake
  • Lean pork
  • Corn tortillas
  • English muffins
  • Tempeh
  • Whole wheat bagel
  • Fruit cocktail
  • Couscous
  • Diet sodas
  • Guacamole
  • Orange juice
  • Fruit cup
  • Grapefruit juice
  • Light beers
  • Fruit smoothie

Red Foods

Red foods can be enjoyed on occasion. These foods contain unhealthy fat and sugar, and they can contribute to weight gain if they become a regular part of your diet. You should take in no more than 25% of the calories from red foods.

  • Ham
  • Peanut Butter
  • Salami
  • Sugar
  • Bacon
  • Fried Meat
  • Wine
  • Sausage
  • Fries
  • Mayonnaise
  • Pizza
  • Raisins
  • Pretzels
  • Chocolate
  • Nuts
  • Fruit Juice
  • Protein bars
  • White Flour
  • Croissant
  • Hamburgers
  • Flour tortillas
  • Dates
  • Trail mix
  • Dried cranberries
  • Potato chips
  • Tortilla chips
  • Cinnamon roll
  • White bread
  • Biscuits
  • Cupcakes
  • Butter
  • Granola
  • Whole milk
  • Ice cream
  • Chocolate milk
  • Chocolate
  • String cheese
  • Half and half

Noom allows users to eat their favorite foods, as long as they don’t go overboard. This can help satisfy cravings and prevent overeating in the long run. Check it out for a free trial offer.

Fitness Tracking

Think about your latest workout. It probably felt like time was moving slower than usual. It’s common for people to miscalculate their daily physical activity because exercise isn’t always enjoyable. Noom took this phenomenon into account when they developed a new take on traditional fitness trackers.

When you subscribe to Noom, you’ll be assigned a daily calorie goal. Noom wants to prevent unhealthy dieting, so the calorie goal for women will never be less than 1,200 calories. The calorie goal for men will never be less than 1,400 calories.

Let’s say your calorie goal is 1,600 calories per day. If you exercise for one hour and burn 400 calories, Noom will add 200 (50%) of those calories to your daily calorie goal. You’ll be able to eat 1,800 calories that day.

Noom only adds 50% of the calories you burn to your daily calorie goal to account for human error. Many people overestimate the intensity and duration of exercise, which leads them to think that their diets are ineffective.

Rules of Jenny Craig

The average daily caloric intake on the Jenny Craig diet is 1,200 calories. Still, your number may vary based on your height, weight, and level of physical activity.

Jenny Craig members eat six times a day. This includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and two snacks. Members are expected to purchase fresh foods in addition to their Jenny Craig meals.

The Jenny Craig Approved Foods List

  • Blueberries
  • Strawberries
  • Blackberries
  • Grapes
  • Raspberries
  • Lemons
  • Oranges
  • Limes
  • Grapefruits
  • Pears
  • Apples
  • Peaches
  • Plums
  • Nectarines
  • Cantaloupe
  • Watermelon
  • Bananas
  • Pineapples
  • Leafy greens
  • Salad greens
  • Pod vegetables
  • Root vegetables
  • Flower head vegetables
  • Celery
  • Asparagus
  • Rhubarb
  • Mushrooms
  • Zucchini
  • Tomato
  • Peppers
  • Cucumbers
  • Bottled water
  • Sparkling water
  • Black coffee
  • Unsweetened tea
  • Dried spices
  • Fresh herbs
  • Low-fat dressing
  • Pickles
  • Horseradish
  • Mustard
  • Non-fat yogurt
  • Non-fat dairy

Exercise is not required on the Jenny Craig diet, but they recommend exercising for 30 minutes five times a week for faster results.

Eating Plans

Noom vs. Jenny Craig – Eating Plans

The Noom Eating Plan

The Noom eating plan is pretty straightforward. Replace red foods in your diet with yellow and green foods. The Noom app does most of the work for you when it comes to food logging, and your Noom coach will answer any questions you have about healthy eating. Remember, Noom focuses on teaching and psychology in addition to changing how you eat.

The Jenny Craig Eating Plan

There are three Jenny Craig meal plans.

The Complete Weight Loss Plan

  • Personal coaching
  • 7 dinners
  • 7 lunches
  • 7 breakfasts
  • 7 snacks
  • $25.01 per day/$751 per month

The Essential Meal Plan

  • 7 dinners
  • 7 lunches
  • 7 breakfasts
  • $18.56 per day/ $556.80 per month

The Basic Meal Plan

  • 7 lunches
  • 7 breakfasts
  • $12.99 per day/$389.70 per month

Here’s a sample of what a day on the Jenny Craig diet looks like:

  • Breakfast: egg white and turkey bacon sandwich, one apple, eight ounces of milk (non-fat)
  • Snack: yogurt bar
  • Lunch: chicken fajita bowl and a small garden salad
  • Snack: sliced cucumbers
  • Dinner: butternut squash ravioli and a side of spinach
  • Snack: cantaloupe

Noom vs. Jenny Craig – Plan Duration

How Long Does Noom Last?

The Noom Healthy Weight Program is a 16-week program with weight maintenance support for as long as you need it. If you want to lose more weight than can safely occur in 16 weeks, a longer program will be suggested. The new Noom Diabetes Prevention Program lasts for 24 weeks with weight maintenance support for the duration of your subscription.

How Long Does Jenny Craig Last?

You can stay on the Jenny Craig diet for as long as it takes to reach your target weight. Once you are halfway to your goal weight, you can reduce the number of Jenny Craig meals you eat and resume cooking for yourself. If you subscribe to the complete weight loss plan, a personal consultant will help you with the transition.

Significant Differences Between Noom and Jenny Craig

The most significant difference between Noom and Jenny Craig is that Noom doesn’t offer meal delivery. Both programs focus on healthy eating as part of the weight-loss journey – but Noom takes it further by adding in psychological training to teach people how to eat right without prepared meals.

Can You Follow Jenny Craig on Noom?

Yes, you can subscribe to a Jenny Craig meal plan and follow the Noom weight-loss program at the same time. You’ll log your Jenny Craig meals in the app as you would any other prepackaged meal.

You can try out Noom for a free trial offer just for being a Dietspotlight reader – you have nothing to lose but weight.

Possible Side Effects of Noom vs. Jenny Craig

Both Noom programs have been studied extensively, and no adverse side effects were reported. Because Noom encourages users to make gradual changes, they don’t experience the fatigue, stomach discomfort, and intense cravings associated with traditional diets.

Jenny Craig is a meal delivery service. You may experience some mild gastrointestinal discomfort if you drastically alter your diet, but no serious side effects have been reported.

Research

Noom vs. Jenny Craig – The Research

Clinical Research on Noom

A study published in Scientific Reports followed 35,000 women who used the Noom app. A reported 77.9% percent of these users lost weight on the program. The research provided additional insight to guide Noom users in being even more successful. The participants who lost the most weight were the ones who frequently logged meals, especially dinner and tracked exercise.

Another study published in Metabolic Syndromes and Related Disorders demonstrates that Noom is effective for healthy weight maintenance after weight loss. A group of Korean men who’d reached a goal weight used Noom for 15 weeks. App users were more likely to keep the weight off than the participants who didn’t use the app.

Clinical Research on Jenny Craig

There is evidence to support Jenny Craig for weight loss. A randomized controlled trial published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism found that overweight women who adhered to the diet lost an average of 11.5 pounds in 12 weeks.

A 2016 study published in the Annals of Medicine compared Jenny Craig to other popular diet plans. Participants in the study who followed the diet lost nearly 5% more weight than participants who followed the Slimfast, Weight Watchers, and Nutrisystem diets.

It’s no secret that having a strong support system increases your chances of losing weight. A study published in Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, and Obesity confirmed that people are more likely to maintain a healthy weight after weight loss if they have regular contact with a nutrition coach. Jenny Craig does provide nutrition coaches for members who choose the Complete Weight Loss Plan.

There are some drawbacks to the Jenny Craig diet. The prepackaged meals are highly processed. This means they contain refined carbs and oils, additives, and artificial sweeteners. Eating processed foods occasionally may not be detrimental to your health, but a study published in Gut Microbes suggests that these ingredients may damage gut health, especially when consumed regularly.

Quick Facts

The Facts About Noom vs. Jenny Craig

Quick Facts on Noom

  • Noom is one of the top-searched health and wellness apps on Google.
  • Noom is listed as a positive lifestyle change program by the CDC.
  • Users can choose from the Healthy Weight Program or the Diabetes Prevention Program.
  • Noom allows you to eat the foods you love.
  • Side Effects are not a part of the Noom programs.

Quick Facts on Jenny Craig

  • Jenny Craig delivers frozen and packaged meals to your home.
  • The program has helped people lose weight since 1983.
  • Jenny Craig does not offer vegetarian or vegan meal plans.
  • Only premium members have access to a personal coach.
  • Jenny Craig does not have an exercise plan.
  • You’ll have an additional shopping list of foods to purchase along with the Jenny Craig meals.
Bottom Line

The Final Take on Noom vs. Jenny Craig

Meal delivery systems like Jenny Craig have been around for a very long time. Clinical research shows portion control, like the kind provided by these programs, is an effective means of losing weight. But, is the program as effective as it could be at teaching people how to live and lose weight without the branded meals?

We believe Noom is a program that addresses more than any other weight-loss system available today. Users are taught how to choose the best foods for health and weight loss. They’re given tools and skills to tackle slips and slides that happen when losing weight. The user even has access to a live coach who’s there every step of the way.

Give Noom a try today with a free trial offer – available only to Dietspotlight readers.

Noom vs. Jenny Craig Ingredients
Questions

Noom vs. Jenny Craig Questions and Answers

Does Noom give you a meal plan?

Noom does offer meal plans that can be customized to your wants and needs.

How much does Noom cost per month?

Noom costs about $59 a month, though you can get a discount for paying for a longer subscription.

Is Noom easy to cancel?

It is easy to cancel Noom. All you have to do is use the chat function to talk to your Goal Specialist to start the cancellation process.

Do you count calories on Noom?

You don’t count calories on the Noom program – the app does. When you sign up, you will take a quiz to show you how big your “calorie budget” is. When you log your food in the app, it will show a breakdown of the calories and other macronutrients you have consumed.

How do you log food on Noom?

On the home section of the Noom app, tap on the “Log Your Meals” section and tap the meal or specific foods you want to log. You can also use a barcode scanner to insert your foods. Once you have entered everything into the particular meal, click “Done” when you have finished.

Is Noom worth it?

Yes, Noom is worth it. The program offers tons of easy-to-use tools, customized workout and meal plans, useful information about your eating habits, and more. Plus, Noom is backed by clinical research.

How does Noom weight loss work?

By using clinically-proven psychological methods to help users achieve weight loss and change their behaviors for the better.

What is it called Noom?

Noom is just “moon” backward. The moon stands as a guide through the night. Noom sees itself as the guide through your weight-loss journey.

Is there a free version of Noom?

Noom does offer a free trial, so you can test out the program for yourself.

Does Noom really work?

Yes – Noom has been clinically proven to be an effective weight-loss program. One study showed that more than 77% of people who use the program report losing weight. Additional research also shows the app helps people keep weight off after reaching a goal weight.

Noom vs. Jenny Craig

Q:
What is the difference between Noom and Jenny Craig?
A:

The difference between Noom and Jenny Craig lies in the approaches they take to weight loss. Noom is an app-based program that focuses on education, lifestyle changes, and helping users establish a healthy relationship with food. Jenny Craig is more of a traditional meal-replacement program providing pre-packaged meals and snacks to help people manage their caloric intake. Both programs provide support and guidance to help users reach their goals, but the approach each takes is distinct.

About the Author:

Summer Banks has researched over 5000 weight-loss programs, pills, shakes and diet plans. Previously, she managed 15 supplement brands, worked with professionals in the weight loss industry and completed coursework in nutrition at Stanford University.

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