What’s in Medifast?

I sometimes get specific questions about the medifast diet on my blog. The other day someone wrote to me and asked, “What exactly does medifast contain? What are the ingredients? What nutrients are in the food?” I will try to answer these questions in the following article.

Soy Protein and Medifast: Many foods in the diet contain soy which is high in quality protein and low in carbohydrates. Soy is often used in place of whey, and many meals contain around 6 grams of this substance. I was concerned about the taste of this ingredient, but I find it’s really not an issue. The shakes usually taste like regular shakes, even though they contain some as well.

What is used instead of sugar: Medifast sweetens its products by using a combination of fructose and acesulfame potassium rather than sugar. The company claims this is done because these ingredients keep the carbohydrates, sugars, and calories in foods low.

Are the products kosher? : Most foods are kosher. Examples of foods that fall into this category are shakes, puddings, bars, cream of tomato soup, oatmeal, fruit drinks, and crisps.

Are the products gluten free? : Most foods contain less than 20 ppm of gluten and are therefore considered “safe”. The only real exceptions to this are chicken noodle soup and some shakes. If you’re concerned about gluten, you should opt for the ready-to-drink shakes rather than the 55 or 70.

Are the products vegetarian? : Many foods are meatless. Some options contain fish. These are the products that are intended for heart health and some of the diabetic options (which contain added fish oil for heart health). meat protein as the main ingredient. But most items in the popular five plus one plan are fine.

Does Medifast contain stimulants? : The regular 5 plus one products don’t contain it, but the Momentum line (which contains a few foods to boost your metabolism) contains 100 milligrams of caffeine and 90 milligrams of EGCG (the antioxidant in green tea). However, these products are separate from the monthly packages of the usual women’s diet. Thus, they will not be included unless you request them.

Do foods contain MSG? : The only product that contains MSG is tomato soup.

Are there enough nutrients and vitamins in food? : All foods are fortified with vitamins and minerals. In addition, you eat one big fresh meal a day that you prepare yourself, which will also provide you with nutrition. Using the very popular chocolate shakes as an example (55), this meal contains at least 20% or more (and up to 45%) of a very long list of daily vitamins and minerals. Considering you’re consuming five similar meals a day, you’ll get more than enough of what you need, especially if your health conscious is your “lean and green” meal.