Once your order ships, you should receive a tracking number in your email. Orders are typically picked up by FedEx Mon-Thurs, and delivered Wed-Sat each week. Once an order has been shipped, it normally arrives around 2-3 days, but we make sure to pack it with enough dry ice to keep your meals cold!
Frequently Asked Questions
Where Do I Find Tracking Information
Can I get a new copy of my welcome kit?
If youve misplaced the welcome booklet we sent with your first week of meals, you may download it here. You also should receive a copy of it via email that you can bookmark for future reference.
What is My Night?
On our 7 day programs, My Night is your one free night each week to enjoy a structured break from the program. This enables you to make healthy choices and also remain dedicated to the program longer. We encourage you to develop healthy eating habits, and this includes learning to enjoy food normally when you are not trying to lose weight. You are not charged for this planned meal, as the price of our 7 day plans which include the My Night are adjusted to account for the “missing” entree.
What forms of payment do you accept?
We only accept US-issued debit or credit cards by American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa for payment.
If ordering from out of the country, we ask you use a USA credit card or purchase a re-loadable card with the USA address (we only service the continental US)
We do not accept debit cards requiring a PIN, PayPal, EBT, SNAP, Medicare/Medicaid Waivers, paper checks, or electronic drafts from checking/savings accounts, etc. We also do not process or accept insurance payments.
How does billing work?
When you sign up and complete checkout, you’ll be charged for your first week, and we’ll send you a confirmation email. Your personal deadline to edit your menu and skip future weeks is also when we will do the billing for the following weeks shipment.
You can always double-check your weekly deadlines on your Deliveries page.
If you ever want us to confirm your deadline or help you skip a week, feel free to contact us.
What card do I have on file?
To protect our members, we keep all credit information secured on our side. If you're curious about which card you have on file, please contact us.
If you need to update or change the card on file, our customer service team is always happy to help with that too!
How do I get a receipt for my orders?
After you have finished the checkout process, an email will be sent to the email you used to create an account. If you have trouble seeing any emails, please follow the steps outlined here.
You can also look up your order history in your member portal under “Manage Plan” and then “Order History.”
If you cannot find a receipt for an order, please contact our customer service team. We will be happy to help!
Whats your return policy? Can I exchange food items?
We have confidence in our chef's ability to create tasty and healthy meals for our members, but we understand that everyone has different preferences. If there are any issues with shipping or packaging, we are happy to help credit your account. However, due to the nature of delivery, we cannot resend single meals or issue refunds or exchanges based on taste.
For the safety of all our customers, once the meals have left our kitchen, we do not accept them back in compliance with FDA guidelines under any circumstance.
Do you accept insurance as payment?
We apologize for any inconvenience but bistroMD, is a pay out-of-pocket company. We do not work with insurance or Medicare/Medicaid to cover the cost of our programs.
Some insurances allow for members to request reimbursement for meals, but bistroMD is not involved in that process. For more information we recommend talking to your insurance agent.
Where do you deliver?
How much does shipping cost?
Why cant I get my meals delivered on a certain day of the week?
We are always working to better the overall experience for our members, but currently to insure the most consistent meal preparation and delivery, we are constrained to a strict schedule.
We hope to update this in the future, but until we can guarantee consistency, we will be sticking to a proven method of delivery.
Who will be delivering my meals?
What time of day will my meals arrive?
Can I have my meals sent to a new address when Im traveling?
How do I change my shipping address?
I cant login!
Whether you are having problems logging on or remembering your info, we are here to help!
If you dont remember what email is attached to your account, please contact customer service so we can look it up in our system for you.
If you are having trouble with your password, click the forgot password button below the mybistromd login. Follow the instructions to reset.
If you are having other login problems give us a call! 866-401-3438
How do I unsubscribe from your emails?
I didnt receive my forgot password email. What do I do?
If you are have already requested a new password by clicking the forgot password link below your login, but havent seen a follow-up email, these steps may help you out!
- Make sure you have finished the reset process by following the prompts.
- Make sure you have given the process a few minutes for the email to arrive.
- Check your Spam or Trash folder in your email (sometimes it gets lots there).
If all these steps fail, please contact us, and we will be sure to get the login problems resolved!
I'm not receiving your emails. What do I do?
We first encourage you to check your spam or junk folders in case any emails were automatically directed there. If you still aren’t receiving emails about your order and delivery, or simply need to update your email address on file, please contact our customer service team so we can assist you further. If you are trying to receive our newsletter, you can do so by clicking here.
I want to collaborate with bistroMD!
We are excited to work with you too!
For individuals, consider joining our Refer-a-Friend program.
For affiliates, check out our affiliate page.
For corporations, please contact our marketing team.
What support is offered on bistroMD?
We offer virtual support from our team of registered dietitians as well as host webinars and regularly publish health and wellness articles in our health library.
Why does each person in my household that orders need their own login to my bistroMD?
Our service is designed to help an individual achieve their personal weight loss and wellness goals. To achieve these goals, weve built a user interface and system that allows diversity and flexibility for individuals.
We know everyone is different and has their own food preferences, with unique likes and dislikes. All of these things are managed within your account in mybistroMD, which is why its important for each person to have their own.
How to contact a dietitian
We highly recommend taking full advantage of our in-house dietitian team to support your journey! You can contact our dietitians by emailing them directly at dietitian@bistromd.com or logging into your member portal and following this sequence: click on the “Support” tab, then “Contact Us,” and finally “Message Our Dietitian.” If you don’t receive a response within two business days, we encourage you to check any “junk” or “spam” folders in case any messages were automatically directed there.
How to find nutrition information
All nutrition information is available in your mybistroMD account under the Weekly Menu option under the My Menu tab on your mybistroMD portal. Simply click on a meal to view its nutritional information and ingredients. You can also access it by clicking on My Menu tab and from the drop-down choosing Preferences. Here you will be able to view all meals, ingredients, nutrition, and remove any entrées you do not wish to receive.
How to reactivate your account
We have two ways to reactivate your account, please either call 1-866-401-3438, and an agent will be happy to assist you, or visit bistroMD to reorder, being sure to log in as a returning customer.
How to customize your menu
We want you to truly enjoy your meals each week, so we encourage you to review and customize your menu as needed. It's easy to do—simply log into your member portal and go to the "Weekly Menu" section, where you'll also see a countdown with the time remaining to customize. Scroll through the meals for next week and select the one you want to change. Be sure to click "Select This Meal" to save your changes to your menu.
How to heat your meals
Heat your meals directly from the freezer or after being thawed in the fridge within 48 hours.
To heat in a microwave:
1. Remove the tray from the outer cardboard sleeve. Do not remove or puncture the clear film.
2. Follow the heating instructions and time printed on the outer sleeve.
3. Let stand covered for 1 minute before serving.
To heat in a toaster or convection oven:
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (do not exceed 400°F).
2. Remove the plastic film from the tray.
3. Place all entrée contents into an oven-safe baking dish or put a pan under the plastic tray. Don’t worry, our CPET trays are oven safe to 400°F and do not release any harmful chemicals or plastic! (Read more about how your meals are packaged here.)
4. Heating times can vary based on many factors, although we recommend heating until the internal temperature is at least 165°F.
5. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 1-2 minutes.
For both heating methods, please handle the heated meal with caution as the meal and packaging will be hot.
How do I view my order history?
Where can I find ingredients and nutritional info for my meals?
How can I track my order?
How to cancel your subscription
If you decide you’d like to cancel your subscription, please log into your account, click the “Manage Plan” menu option in the top navigation bar, and then click Update Plan.
Here you can make requests to change your plan, or scroll down to find the cancel subscription link on the left side. You’ll have a chance to give us some feedback and then click Cancel Program to finalize the process.
If there’s any way we can help before you cancel, contact us. Either way, it’s easy to come back and reactivate your account whenever you’re ready.
Our customer service team is also here to help out if needed!
How do I skip a week?
How to change plans
We make it easy to change your plan right from your member portal! Simply log in, navigate to "Manage Plan,” and click "Update Plan.” You’ll have the option to “Upgrade Your Plan” (like to add snacks or upgrade to a 7-day menu) or “Swap Your Plan” to another program (such as Signature, Diabetic, and Keto Flex).
Don’t see the option you’re looking for? Please contact our Customer Service team at customerservice@bistromd.com or 866-401-3438—we’ll be happy to help!
Can I delete a payment method?
If you want to delete a payment method or exchange it for another, please contact our customer service team.
If you are looking to stop payments for a period of time, you can skip a week. Members can also can skip up to 6 weeks of deliveries using their member portal.
How do I change my delivery address?
In your portal, navigate to 'Manage Plan' and then 'Update Plan.' You will find your shipping and billing address listed, and you can click on this box to access a link for updating your shipping address.
How long will my meals last?
All of our meals are prepared with fresh ingredients and then flash-frozen to preserve their freshness and quality—just as if our chefs were hand-preparing the meals in your own kitchen! This freezing process also naturally extends the shelf-life of each meal to up to one year when kept continuously frozen. Once thawed, you can enjoy them within a 4-day window, much like other food leftovers.
How to handle Dry Ice
Handling dry ice safely is crucial since it is extremely cold and hovers around -109.3°F. Here are some recommendations:
-To safely dispose of dry ice, remove the entrées from the cooler and leave any remaining dry ice inside the cooler. With the box flaps left loosely opened, allow the dry ice to sublimate in a well-ventilated, safe area away from children or pets.
-Handle dry ice carefully and wear protective clothing/gloves to prevent freezer burn.
-Never dispose of dry ice in a sink, drain, toilet, or garbage can, as doing so can cause severe damage to pipes and surfaces.
-Never store dry ice in a tightly sealed container, such as a plastic or glass bottle, or any container with a screw-top lid that will not vent. Styrofoam is an appropriate storage material since it is both insulated and not airtight.
Is your packaging recyclable?
Yes! Most of our packaging can be recycled:
- The box and meal sleeves can be recycled with other paper products.
Once the dry ice has evaporated, bags and plastic trays can be recycled with other clean plastics.
- We use different liners depending on the time of year, your location, and shipping duration. Each option is designed to keep your meals safe while also reducing environmental impact and lowering costs by always using the most efficient option:
- Paper Liners – Made with 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) content and are 100% curbside recyclable. Simply place them in your home recycling bin.
- Denim Liners – Created from 100% recycled denim (PCR). These can be repurposed, donated to textile recycling programs, or disposed of responsibly if local textile recycling isn’t available.
- Bubble Liners – Made from 100% polyethylene. These are store drop-off recyclable (like plastic grocery bags). You can bring them to participating retailers with designated drop-off bins.
- Paper Liners – Made with 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) content and are 100% curbside recyclable. Simply place them in your home recycling bin.
- By tailoring liners based on season, distance, and cost efficiency, we ensure your meals arrive fresh while minimizing waste.
How do I customize my menu for excluding certain ingredients I don’t want?
Please go to "Manage Plan" in the main menu, then "Meal Preferences". From there, you can search by ingredients and click the X icon to remove meals or snacks from your options, so you never receive those items.
You may also email CustomerService@bistroMD.com to request specific ingredients and/or food allergens to be removed from your options. Our team will be happy to process this request for you.
What to do if I am not hungry and find it is too much food?
First, know that it can take a few weeks to adjust to a new eating pattern. But it’s important to try and eat all of your meals and snacks each day so youre getting adequate calories, protein, and nutrients. While filling from adequate protein and fiber, the meals are low in calories.
To ease this transition, eating smaller, more frequent meals every 2-3 hours can help. You could also eat a portion of the heated meal, store back in the refrigerator, then reheat when you are ready to eat again. The same goes for snacks - enjoy half and finish the rest a couple of hours later or even with a meal.
When do I eat my meals or snacks? Timing?
We generally recommend eating every 3 hours to keep your metabolism revved, blood sugar stable, and hunger at bay. However, we recommend structuring your meal and snack schedule for what works best for you!
You may have some days that one pattern works well, and other days that your schedule is different. Really, the important thing is to make sure that youre eating your meals and snacks each day so that youre getting adequate calories, protein and nutrients.
Can I eat my meals in any order?
In a nutshell, yes. However, we build your menu to create a specific balance of macronutrients and nutrients so the body is properly fueled and nourished each day.
For this reason, we recommend swapping out entire days (like Wednesday’s selections with Friday’s) or meals and snacks within that same day. For instance, you could eat Wednesday’s lunch for dinner and vice-versa.
We also recommend choosing more often from the ‘nutritionally balanced’ options, as those are nutritionally compatible with the original meal selected for your menu, when customizing your menu each week in your member portal (mybistromd.com).
The meals in the additional healthy options column are healthy meals on your plan but are not nutritionally compatible with the original meal selected for you. You may pick meals from that list and it may or may not impact your weight loss, depending on your situation.
For some people, like those that are more active or have higher calorie needs, selecting off the additional healthy list or mixing meals may not impact their progress. For others, it just may slow progress. For members with medical considerations, like high blood pressure and diabetes, having each day nutritionally balanced for sodium and carbohydrates is important.
How can I get additional support and coaching?
Because we want to support you throughout your entire journey, we’ve made it easy for you to connect with us! Simply log in to your mybistroMD account and click on “Member Support” in the top navigation. From here, you will be able to submit an email directly to our team of dietitians, watch a helpful welcome webinar, and gain access to exclusive articles in our Health Hub. We also encourage you to join our members-only Facebook group for additional access to our dietitians and encouragement from our members.
I have not lost weight in a couple weeks. What can I do to break the plateau?
How often should I weigh myself?
We generally recommend weighing once a week, on a designated day, and first thing in the morning after using the restroom and before eating/drinking to keep the process standardized and consistent.
If you prefer to weigh each day, know that daily weight fluctuations are normal and often unavoidable. Weight naturally fluctuates throughout the day due to normal fluid shifts caused by exercise, food/beverages, hormones, medications, salt, weather, water intake, restroom utilization, and other factors.
Know it is also okay if you want to focus on getting into a good routine with your meals and snacks and not weigh for a while (track healthy habits instead). Just do what works best for you!
We also recommend setting non-scale goals like how your clothes fit, how youre feeling, health goals like stress management, sleep habits, and fitness goals. All of these things factor into a much broader picture of your overall health and happiness!
If tracking progress with a scale, a healthy weight loss target is generally 1-2 pounds per week.
How will eating snacks help me lose weight?
The protein-based snacks from bistroMD are designed to keep your blood sugar stable and curb your food cravings. They also make sure that your metabolism stays steady throughout the day. If you have opted for a bistroMD plan without snacks, it is important that you add in your own snacks to insure youre getting enough calories and protein to lose weight.
In between meals your blood sugar can get low and your body will gravitate towards eating something high in carbohydrates in order to raise your blood sugar quickly. Sugar laden snacks will cause your blood sugar to spike and then drop, causing cravings. Your body will still want the sugar, or the carbohydrates and the cycle will begin again.
Starving yourself between meals will also hurt your weight loss progress by putting your body into what we like to call “starvation mode”. When you don’t drink enough water or have enough of the right food during the day, your body’s instinct will be to hold onto everything it gets. When your body holds onto everything you intake, it becomes much harder to lose weight, and in some cases you may see weight gain.
What can I drink on bistroMD?
When it comes to meals, we have you covered, but obviously you need something to drink with it! There are a few different options for drinks, so let’s break down what our choices are:
Water:
We recommend drinking a minimum of eight glasses (around 64 ounces of water each day) and consuming flavored zero sugar waters (i.e. Propel Zero, Fruit 2.0, Crystal Light) in moderation. This is because we want to sort of train our palates to not crave sweet beverages/foods.
To help make water more palatable, feel free to add a slice of fruit, vegetables (cucumber, citrus, pineapple), or herbs (mint) to make it more interesting. Its also ok to enjoy calorie-free sparkling water but keep in mind the carbonation in sparkling waters can cause gas and bloating, especially if consumed in larger quantities.
Diet Soda:
You can enjoy diet soda in moderation on your bistroMD program. After getting into a good routine with your eating pattern on bistroMD, you might consider cutting back on diet soda intake if the habit is more frequent.
We dont recommend making too many changes at one time, as this can be overwhelming. The nutritional aspect is the most important piece, so start by making sure you are comfortable and in the groove of eating your bistroMD meals and snacks.
Coffee and Caffeinated Drinks:
Feel free to enjoy your morning coffee or tea but be mindful of amounts, as caffeine in larger quantities can be dehydrating. If youd like to enjoy coffee (hot or iced), we recommend keeping it to no more than two, 8-ounce servings of caffeinated beverages per day. We also suggest using sugar substitute and reduced-fat creamer (or low-fat milk or dairy alternative) instead of creamer.
Alcohol:
If you are going to enjoy alcohol, please do so in moderation. For reference, one serving of wine is 5 ounces, 1 serving of beer is 12 ounces and a serving of liquor is 1 1/2 ounces. Moderate alcohol intake for women is 3 servings or less each week and 4 servings or less per week for men.
When the body is busy detoxifying alcohol, it cant focus on metabolizing food and fat as effectively, so less is more. We also suggest pairing your alcohol with protein to help keep your blood sugar stable.
Do I need to keep a food journal?
You don′t need to record what you eat on our program, but you can if you′d like. We do strongly suggest that you keep a success journal to record your goals, thoughts, and feelings during the process of your bistroMD program.
If you need to check previous meals, this article may help you out!
Does bistroMD offer special discounts for AARP members?
Yes! We are happy to provide an AARP member exclusive offer of 50% off plus free shipping on your first order, plus 10% off on all future orders. Simply verify your AARP membership here to redeem your offer.
