Nutrition Products Best Online Nutrition Counseling Programs Teladoc's online nutrition counseling offers 24/7 access to a registered dietitian By Stephanie Valera Stephanie Valera Twitter Stephanie is a writer who covers health and wellness. She has written for Mashable, Everyday Health, HuffPost, and more. Learn about our editorial process Updated on March 26, 2023 Medically reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and nutrition and exercise healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Melissa Rifkin, MS, RD, CDN Medically reviewed by Melissa Rifkin, MS, RD, CDN Melissa Rifkin is a Connecticut-based registered dietitian with over 15 years of experience working in the clinical setting. Learn about our Medical Review Board Fact checked Verywell Fit content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. We rely on the most current and reputable sources, which are cited in the text and listed at the bottom of each article. Content is fact checked after it has been edited and before publication. Learn more. by Kayla Farrington Fact checked by Kayla Farrington Kayla Farrington is an expert fact-checker across various mediums. She has experience across several industries and is highly regarded as a research specialist. Learn about our editorial process Print We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. An overhaul of lifelong dietary patterns isn’t easy. This is where online nutrition counseling comes in. Online nutrition counseling is similar to traditional nutrition counseling, but it’s often offered at a lower price point and takes up less time because you don’t have to commute anywhere. If you’re ready to revamp your eating habits, start by learning about the best online nutrition counseling programs. Best Online Nutrition Counseling Programs of 2023 Best Overall: Teladoc Best Budget: Amwell Best for Children and Families: Lemond Nutrition Best Self-Guided: Noom Best for Medical Nutrition Therapy: Anderson’s Nutrition Best Template-Based: Renaissance Periodization Best Online Nutrition Counseling Programs View All Best Online Nutrition Counseling Programs Our Top Picks Teladoc Amwell Lemond Nutrition Noom Anderson’s Nutrition Renaissance Periodization See More (3) Final Verdict How to Choose FAQs Methodology Best Overall : Teladoc Teladoc Sign Up Now Key Specs Fee: Starts at about $75 per visitAccepts Insurance: YesPlatform: Web browser and apps for iOS and Android Why We Chose It Teladoc’s online nutrition counseling provides around-the-clock access to a registered dietitian who can customize a meal plan, shopping guide, and educational resources. Pros & Cons Pros Available in every state App is easy to set up Simple appointment scheduling Cons Response times can vary Overview Teladoc is a relatively well-known telehealth company that first focused on primary care. Since its inception in 2002, Teladoc has expanded its services to dermatology, mental health, sexual health, and nutrition. With Teladoc’s online nutrition counseling, you have access to a registered dietitian seven days a week, and the company works with registered dietitians (RDs) in every state. To start, sign up for Teladoc services and complete a questionnaire online or in the Teladoc app. Based on your answers, you’ll be put in touch with a dietitian who specializes in your needs. After an initial consultation that covers your medical history, current dietary habits, physical activity, and more, you and your dietitian will work together to create a personalized nutrition guide with a custom meal plan, shopping guide, and educational materials. Teladoc Nutrition integrates nicely with the rest of Teladoc’s offerings, including preventative clinical care, which helps members see all aspects of their health in one place. Teladoc pricing starts at roughly $75 per visit, but costs vary based on the service you choose and your insurance plan. Some insurance companies may cover Teladoc Nutrition services. Best Budget : Amwell Amwell Sign Up Now Key Specs Fee: Starts at about $79 per visitAccepts insurance: YesPlatform: Web browser and apps for iOS and Android Why We Chose It Amwell offers affordable online nutrition counseling with a registered dietitian who can help with weight loss, food sensitivities and allergies, and other concerns. Pros & Cons Pros Visits last 30 minutes 24/7 on-demand availability Dietitians and nutritionists are certified in telehealth Cons Currently only available in the United States Overview Amwell, another telehealth company, offers online nutrition counseling for around $79 per visit, but this may vary based on your health insurance plan (some companies may cover Amwell nutrition services). This is a great rate, considering that standard rates for registered dietitians go up to $300 per hour, depending on location and expertise. With Amwell, you can virtually visit a registered dietitian at any time during operating hours for the pay-as-you-go fee. There are no monthly fees or mandatory memberships, and all visits last 30 minutes, which puts the hourly rate at the lower end of what’s expected for nutrition counseling. Amwell dietitians can help with weight loss, food sensitivities and allergies, diabetes, prenatal nutrition, sports nutrition, supplementation, high blood pressure, celiac disease, and more. Best for Children and Families : Lemond Nutrition Lemond Nutrition Sign Up Now Key Specs Fee: Not disclosedAccepts Insurance: YesPlatform: Web browser Why We Chose It Lemond Nutrition offers pediatric and whole-family nutrition counseling to address individual and family eating dynamics and improve nutrition with customized assessments. Pros & Cons Pros Initial sessions run 60 to 90 minutes Easy access to dietitian via patient portal Customized assessments Cons Only available in 21 states Must contact company for pricing Overview If you need online nutrition counseling for your child or the whole family, consider Lemond Nutrition (physically based in Texas, but offering online nutrition counseling in 21 U.S. states). The company was founded by Angela and Jeff Lemond when the couple realized there was a need for pediatric and whole-family nutrition counseling in their region. With Lemond Nutrition, you can expect an initial 60- to 90-minute session, followed by 45-minute follow-up sessions with a dietitian matched to your child’s needs. Pediatric nutrition counseling is tailored to the individual’s needs, but with whole-family nutrition counseling, Lemond Nutrition dietitians look at your entire family’s eating dynamics. You can expect customized assessments, as well as individual and family goals. Contact the company for pricing information. Best Self-Guided : Noom Noom Sign Up Now Key Specs Fee: $70 per monthAccepts Insurance: NoPlatform: Apps for iOS and Android Why We Chose It Noom combines the convenience of an app-based service with a self-paced program that includes access to a nutrition coach who can help you meet your fitness goals. Pros & Cons Pros Access to nutrition coaches Uses cognitive behavioral therapy techniques Convenient app Cons Pricey No face-to-face interaction Overview Noom has mixed reviews online, but there’s no arguing that it has a great success rate. It relies on basic nutrition tactics that are proven to work, such as meal logging and weigh-ins. This app-based, self-paced program includes access to a coach that can answer your questions about nutrition, help you make choices that support your diet needs, and guide you toward weight loss (or whatever goal you may have). The main downside to Noom is that it doesn’t require its coaches to be registered dietitians, which is a major drawback for some and something to consider if you’re looking for comprehensive meal plans. Noom can’t provide that. Noom, with subscription plans that start at about $70 per month, is best for people who want to focus on habit change and overarching nutrition principles. What Is the Noom Diet? Best for Medical Nutrition Therapy : Anderson’s Nutrition Anderson’s Nutrition Sign Up Now Key Specs Fee: $150 for consultation, $75 for follow-upsAccepts Insurance: YesPlatform: Video conferencing or phone, in person in select locations Why We Chose It Anderson’s Nutrition offers online medical nutrition therapy for almost all major chronic diseases and collaborates with your doctor to develop a customized therapy program to assist in your individual goals. Pros & Cons Pros Offers face-to-face interaction Addresses major chronic conditions, including cancer Accepts insurance Cons In-person appointments only in select locations Overview Medical nutrition therapy is a subset of nutrition counseling that deals with specific medical conditions. People who have digestive disorders, nutrient deficiencies, chronic illnesses, or autoimmune diseases can benefit from medical nutrition therapy. In some cases, it can reduce the need for prescription medication. With physical locations in Arizona and Pennsylvania, Anderson’s Nutrition offers online nutrition counseling across the U.S. for almost all major chronic diseases and conditions, such as cancer and autism. Be aware that some specific types of medical nutrition therapy may not be available in your state due to certification or licensure laws. You can choose a pay-as-you-go format starting at roughly $150 for your initial consultation and $75 for follow-ups with an Anderson’s Nutrition dietitian. Or, you can pick from other programs including Must Have (four weeks for around $350), Complete (eight weeks for about $550), or Ultimate (12 weeks for roughly $625). Best Template-Based : Renaissance Periodization Renaissance Periodization Sign Up Now Key Specs Fee: Coaching starts at about $200/monthAccepts Insurance: NoPlatform: PDF templates, email coaching Why We Chose It Renaissance Periodization uses calculations and individualized programming, including over 20 templates on diet, training, and more, to help you reach your fitness goals. Some plans and information are free. Pros & Cons Pros Easy-to-follow templates Different plans available Progressive Cons May not be good for beginners Overview If you’re looking for something even more self-guided than Noom, Renaissance Periodization might be a good fit for you. Known as RP for short, this program has long been popular with the fitness community, especially with people who like to track macronutrients to enhance their workout regimen. RP nutrition counseling—or, as the company calls it, nutrition programming—is best for people who already have a rather strong grasp of nutrition. If you’re a true beginner, RP may not work for you. RP offers both template-based programs and one-on-one coaching via email. Template programs include an easy-to-follow PDF that takes you through progressive nutrition phases based on your gender, weight, height, activity level, and some other key factors. One-on-one coaching is attuned to your specific needs, but depending on your needs, may still follow general RP protocols that you could get with the more affordable (sometimes even free) templates. Final Verdict Online nutrition counseling programs may be able to help you set and keep a healthy diet path, with Teladoc setting itself apart due to its established reputation, affordable fees, and access to real-life tools like meal plans and shopping lists. Our top picks are programs that serve a range of lifestyles, structure preferences, and budgets. Lemond Nutrition is a strong choice for nutrition support for children and families, while Noom and RP can help those who prefer a self-paced style. Choosing the Best Online Nutrition Counseling Online nutrition counseling often works just like in-person nutrition counseling: You start with an in-depth consultation about your eating habits, activity level, medical history, and relationship with food. Most programs offer comprehensive meal plans, along with weekly or monthly check-ins. Some programs offer extras, such as informational handouts you can keep, templates for meal planning, worksheets, and more. Online nutrition counseling can also be a bit more informal. For example, RP doesn't have an in-depth consultation about eating habits/relationship with food. Instead, its coaches address these topics in emails if a person has questions. Anyone who has nutrition-related goals can benefit from online nutrition counseling. You might be a good fit for online nutrition counseling if: You struggle to maintain a healthy weight or get stuck in cycles of weight loss and gain.You think you might have unhealthy eating habits or a difficult relationship with food and eating.You want to learn more about how nutrition affects mood, sleep, and other aspects of life.You want a meal plan that supports your lifestyle (e.g., you’re a marathon runner).You’re a busy person who doesn’t have time to make your own meal plans.You have a medical condition that could benefit from nutrition improvements. The nutrition counseling programs we've listed have different strengths and weaknesses, so take your time while researching which one may be the best online nutrition counseling program for your needs. Frequently Asked Questions Does Insurance Cover Online Nutrition Counseling? Some health insurance policies do cover online nutrition counseling, but it may depend on the purpose of the service. Insurance might cover online nutrition counseling for someone who needs to manage type 2 diabetes, for example. However, it might not cover counseling that isn't related to a medical condition. Is Nutritional Counseling the Same As Nutritional Therapy? Nutritional therapy is a specific type of nutrition counseling. It deals with specific medical conditions, like digestive diseases or chronic illnesses, that are best managed with diet and nutrition changes as part of the overall plan. Nutrition coaches or online nutrition counselors may be able to help with this, if they are trained in working with these types of clients. Who Is the Most Credible Authority for Nutritional Advice? Registered dietitians and other healthcare professionals who specialize in nutrition are the most trustworthy sources for advice about diet and nutrition. Methodology After gathering a list of more than 20 online nutrition counseling programs, we narrowed it down to the six you see above based on client success stories, availability, staff credentials, and program formats. A major point was choosing established companies with a successful prior client roster, as well as a team of multiple registered dietitians and certified nutritionists—the last thing we want is for you to learn about the perfect match, only to find out there’s a year-long waiting list. Shidlovski / Getty Images Article Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Chin SO, Keum C, Woo J, et al. Successful weight reduction and maintenance by using a smartphone application in those with overweight and obesity. Sci Rep. 2016;6(1):34563. doi:10.1038/srep34563 Ingels JS, Misra R, Stewart J, Lucke-Wold B, Shawley-Brzoska S. The effect of adherence to dietary tracking on weight loss: using HLM to model weight loss over time. J Diabetes Res. 2017;2017:1-8. doi:10.1155/2017/6951495 By Stephanie Valera Stephanie is a writer who covers health and wellness. She has written for Mashable, Everyday Health, HuffPost, and more. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit