The Jane Plan Diet: What is it, how does it work and how much does it cost?

The Jane Plan Diet is a meal plan delivery service by Jane Michell - but does it actually work?

a dining table with several Jane Plan dishes such as pasta, curry and fish pie
(Image credit: Jane Plan)

Jane Plan’s weight loss programme is popular with many because of its convenient delivery service. This means you can’t be tempted by treats when you do the shopping because your meals come straight to your door. 

Looking for a healthier way to reset your weight for good? Jane Plan is a complete weight loss programme, which provides everything you need to reach your weight loss goals in a sustainable way. Not only do they deliver all your meals, ready to enjoy in mere minutes, but they also have a team of experts on hand to support you at every step of your journey. They’ve even created an online area full of articles, recipes, and workouts - just for you.

What is the Jane Plan Diet?

The Jane Plan diet is the brainchild of nutritionist and weight-loss expert, Jane Michell.

The mum-of-three retrained as a nutritionist after her third child and was working at a London hospital helping "people who were really challenged by their weight and who needed to make significant changes to become a healthy weight."

Inspired by this, in 2010 Jane started out by creating meals for friends (from Waitrose ingredients, no less!). Before realising there was a gap in the market for easy, yet healthy and wholesome diet food that would help people reach their ideal weight.

Eleven years on and Jane Plan is thriving, having just launched their brand new Lose Learn Live programme. Whether you’re trying to reach your ideal weight, or need help maintaining it, Jane Plan is for you. They’ve sold over 25 million meals to 95,000 happy members and counting, each with their own success story to share. 

Jane Plan’s new Lose Learn Live programme helps you reset your weight for good. Not only are all your healthy meals delivered right to your door, but you also receive the support you need to reach your goals. Without the worry of what to cook every day, you’ll have more time to focus on making those long term, healthy changes to your lifestyle. The Lose Learn Live programme is split into two phases to help you lose weight and keep it off for good.

Lose & Learn focuses on helping you reach your goals and create healthy habits, all with the help of their team of experts.

Learn to Live helps you navigate those challenges that come with maintaining your weight loss goals. They’ve also created bespoke meal bundles which help you stay on track when going it alone.

What do you get with Jane Plan?

With Jane Plan you get three meals a day – breakfast, lunch and dinner – as well as a snack so you don't feel hungry. You then add some fresh fruit or veggies of your own before 'heating and eating' the meals for a quick and easy answer to the usual hunger pangs a weight loss programme can bring.

All the meals are carefully portioned out to help you stick to 1,200 calories a day without having to count calories yourself or worry about tracking what you eat. And the 75 available recipes include high-protein, vegetarian, gluten, wheat and dairy-free options - to cater to all dietary needs.

All food comes pre-packed and surprisingly doesn't need to be stored in your fridge. The meals are all cooked using traditional methods and then sealed and steamed in a pressure cooker. This keeps the foods fresh whilst preserving all the good nutrients and flavours - without the need to add any nasty additives.

On top of your meal box (containing 28 days of food), Jane Plan offers ongoing, tailored support to help you at every step. They have a team of experts, the Change Champions, who have created an online area dedicated to you. It’s packed with inspiring recipes, motivating workouts, articles, workshops and much more. There are also live events each week with the Change Champions where you can take part in a live cook-along or ask their team of qualified nutritionists for advice. They’ve covered every corner to make reaching your goal weight that little bit easier.

How does the Jane Plan diet work?

It's not rocket science, the Jane Plan Diet goes back to basics by counting calories and focusing on good old portion control - ultimately providing balanced meals.

By calorie controlling each portion and offering nutritious meals and healthy snacks, Jane has helped thousands of people shed the pounds. In fact, Jane herself used the programme to lose weight and has remained happy and confident in herself ever since.

The message is simple, if you take in fewer calories than your body burns every day, you'll lose weight. We always thought common sense is underrated when it comes to diets!

How it Works- Jane Plan - YouTube How it Works- Jane Plan - YouTube
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Who is the Jane Plan diet good for?

Jane Plan is perfect if you don't have a lot of time on your hands and are looking to lose weight, and keep it off, over a steady period of time.

There are men's programmes too, with added calories. So if you're attempting to do a weight loss programme as a couple this could be perfect.

The programme can also be tailored, so if you have an allergy or specific requirement (like gluten free, for instance) the team at Jane Plan will be able to help put together a personalised menu for you.

Is Jane Plan suitable for diabetics?

Yes, the Jane Plan diet is suitable for diabetics.

On their website the brand says: "We do not exclude any food groups, and our meals have been approved by a diabetic nurse as suitable for diabetics."

The site also includes the success story of Community Nurse Elizabeth, a diabetic who lost 2 stone on a 4 month programme. Proving that weight loss is achievable with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.

How much weight can you lose with Jane Plan?

Jane Plan says that their programme could see you lose 2lbs a week. This is based on their 1200 calories-a-day programme cutting out the extra 800 calories that makes up the NHS's recommended daily calorie intake.

This being said weight loss obviously depends on a lot of factors, like how much you are aiming to loose, what your metabolism is like, how much time you have to exercise, etc.

The programme does seem to get good results, with many users shedding the pounds. Here are just a few real life examples to give you an idea of how people have responded to Jane Plan.

a before and after picture of a Jane Plan member

(Image credit: Jane Plan)

Success story: Claire Combes and Natasha Frampton

people who have lost weight doing the jane plan diet

The lovely Clare Combes, above left, did the gluten free Jane Plan weight loss programme with her partner and managed to shift 2 stone, dropping to a very enviable size 8. Doesn't she look fab?

We also love Natasha Frampton's story, above right. Natasha was told by her GP that she couldn't be referred for IVF because of her weight. Previously 19 stone, Natasha lost an incredible 9 stone with Jane Plan. And the best part? Her baby was born in December.

Success story: Natasha

A photo posted by on

Further inspiration comes from Natasha who lost just over 6 and a half stone on Jane Plan. She credits the diet as helping her to achieve a healthier perspective on her eating habits: "Jane plan has been the perfect plan for me. I am safe around food in the programme. It gives me boundaries I cannot create in my own mind" .

Big Brother winner Chantelle Houghton also dropped from a size 16 to a size 10 while on Jane Plan.

What are the pros?

  • Weight loss - The results speak for themselves and many love it so much that they stay on the programme even once they've achieved their goal weight. Which can only be a good sign.
  • Hassle-free meals - you don't have to think about what you're going to have for your next meal. There's no weighing, calculating or complicated tracking so it's easy from the get-go.
  • Nutritious and diverse dinners - There's 75 different meal offerings to choose from and they've all been created by dedicated nutritionists - so you know you're getting the goodness your body needs from each mealtime.
  • It's not a fad diet - The Jane Plan focuses on 3 calorie controlled meals a day that are both filling and delicious. This isn't an extreme diet that will see you starving yourself or feeling faint whilst working towards your desired weight.
  • Support from experts – Jane Plan has a team of experts, their Change Champions, on hand to help you at every step of the programme. There’s also an online area packed with articles, and a private Facebook group where all the members chat and ask each other questions.

What are the cons?

  • Individual programme's - Each package is designed for one person, so it obviously wouldn't suit a whole family, unless you're still willing to cook a different meal for the kids. That being said, the veggie side dishes you make to accompany your meal would definitely be good for the kids too, so you could still share some elements of the same meals.
  • It's not a quick fix - The Jane Plan is a sustainable weight loss programme which helps you healthily lose weight over time. So don't expect to drop a dress size overnight.

How much does the Jane Plan Diet cost?

The cost of Jane Plan starts at £229 a month for a one month programme, but the monthly cost gets cheaper the more months you sign up for:

  • 1 Month plan: £359/month
  • 2 Month plan: £339/month
  • 3 Month plan: £319/month
  • 4 Month plan: £299/month
  • 6 Month plan: £249/month

There's also a reduced plan offering called 'Weekend Off' which provides food for 5 weekdays, giving you Saturdays and Sundays off.

Whatever plan you choose, boxes are delivered to your door every 28 days, with payment taken in advance of each delivery.

Interested? Goodto Readers save £50 off your first month plus free delivery. To redeem visit janeplan.com or call 020 3489 4770 and quote GTK5023

Can you cancel Jane plan?

Yes, you can cancel Jane Plan - as long as you cancel before your Pay Monthly Plan renews.

You need to give 5 days notice before the renewal date for your plan too - so just make sure to cancel in advance of your monthly plan ending, or you will be charged for another month.

For more information on cancelling your Jane Plan subscription, see Jane Plan's FAQs.

What does a typical day on the Jane Plan diet look like?

Unlike lots of fashionable diets this isn't about cutting out specific foods or drinking magic potions to help you lose weight overnight. You'll recognise your favourites on the meal plan, like Thai chicken curry and cottage pie.

An example menu for a woman looks like this:

  • Breakfast:  Pecan and Maple Granola or organic muesli with goji berries and cranberries 
  • Lunch: Salmon salad with dill or curried sweet potato and butternut squash soup
  • Dinner: Massaman pork curry or slow cooked beef in ale with a side of root vegetable mash 
  • Snack: Spicy ginger cookie or a luxury chocolate bar

a lifestyle image showing a bowl of Jane Plan chicken arrabiata

(Image credit: Jane Plan)

Can you eat other foods on the Jane Plan?

You are actively encouraged to add fresh fruit and vegetables alongside your packed meals. Think berries and bananas with your granola or broccoli and carrots with your meat dinner.

Some users also add a dollop of low-fat greek yoghurt with their breakfast granola, as outlined in the accompanying programme booklet.

There's also no need to fear eating out on the programme. With their on-hand experts available to navigate you through a family dinner out or lunch with the girls.

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Lucy Gornall
Health & Fitness writer

Freelance writer Lucy Gornall is the former health and fitness editor for various women’s magazines including Woman&Home Feel Good You. She has previously written for titles including Now, Look and Cosmopolitan, Woman, Woman's Own, Woman's Weekly and Chat. She lives and breathes all things fitness.