Nutrisense Review: This CGM Service Is A New Way To Look At Food (2024)

The products featured in this article have been independently reviewed. When you buy something through the retail links on this page, we may earn commission at no cost to you, the reader. Sports Illustrated editorial staff are not involved in the creation of this content. Learn more here.

Metabolic health is a huge concern for many people—especially since roughly one-third of Americans have metabolic syndrome, a cluster of health markers that puts them at increased risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease and other chronic health conditions.

Nutrisense.io is a metabolic health company that helps people understand their blood sugar levels through the use of continuous glucose monitoring, a food and activity tracking app and health coaching from registered dietitians.

Nutrisense has been successfully used by many people for weight loss, improving metabolic health, improving blood sugar levels and optimizing athletic performance.

In this review, we’ve compiled what you need to know about Nutrisense before you subscribe, including how it works, pricing and how it compares to alternative metabolic health services. We also spoke with three registered dietitians to get their expert opinions on Nutrisense, who it’s best for and how to get the most from your membership.

Users can take $25 off their order with code: SI25OFF. 

This content is meant to be informative, but should not be taken as medical advice. It is not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention or treatment of health problems. Always speak with your doctor before starting any new supplement or exercise regimen.

What Is Nutrisense?

Nutrisense is a wellness company that offers continuous glucose monitoring, a feature-packed food-logging app and access to coaching from registered dietitians.

Using continuous glucose monitoring while also logging what you eat and your activity, you can easily identify how foods, meals, exercise, sleep and meal timing affect your blood sugar levels.

Although it does center around blood glucose, Nutrisense isn’t for people with diabetes who require insulin. It is marketed towards people who have other health goals that may be affected by blood glucose control, like weight loss or athletic performance.

Related: Best Diets for Diabetics

With a Nutrisense subscription, you’ll receive continuous glucose monitoring devices (CGMs) every month, plus full access to the Nutrisense app and dietitian-led coaching to provide support for your wellness goals.

Key Features:

• Provides two two-week CGMs per month
• Robust tracking app with food journal, activity journal and blood sugar trends
• Access to a registered dietitian for one-on-one support and coaching

How Nutrisense Works

Here’s what you can expect after you sign up for a Nutrisense membership.

Calibrating Nutrisense CGM

Each month, Nutrisense provides two Freestyle Libre CGM sensors. These small devices can be quickly and painlessly placed on the back of your arm. Each device measures your blood glucose level continuously for two weeks.

In order to set up your CGM, you’ll need to download the Abbott LibreLink app in addition to the Nutrisense app.

The instructions on the LibreLink app will guide you through preparing, placing and calibrating the device. From there, you will be able to connect it to the Nutrisense app for real-time insights into your blood glucose levels.

One on One Support from Nutrisense’s Nutritionist

Nutrisense also has a team of registered dieticians who provide one-on-one coaching to Nutrisense members.

Dietitians are credentialed nutrition experts, so they are able to provide more tailored, advanced advice than non-credentialed health coaches. They can help you interpret the data you receive from Nutrisense, set goals and make concrete plans to achieve your goals.

For the first thirty days of your membership, dietitian access is free. After that, it’s available for an extra monthly fee.

Nutrisense App

The Nutrisense app uses the blood glucose data collected from the Freestyle Libre device and synthesizes it with the food and exercise data you enter. This way, it can provide custom insights regarding how to optimize what, when and how much you eat to meet your health goals.

Some of the data it provides includes:

• Blood glucose charts detailing averages, fasting glucose, variability and spikes
• Meal glucose scores that detail your blood glucose response to food
• Breakdown of the macronutrients, vitamins and minerals in the meals you log

It can also sync with other health and wellness apps and wearables like Google Fit, Apple Health Kit (Apple Watch), Oura Ring and Fitbit.

Users can take $25 off their order with code: SI25OFF. 

Cost of Nutrisense

Nutrisense has a fairly high price tag, mostly from the cost of purchasing CGM devices. If you prepay for a longer subscription period at once, you can save a significant amount.

Additionally, they regularly offer cost-saving promotions for new users.

Users can save $25 off their order with code: SI25OFF, too. 

Subscription Options

Nutrisense currently offers three plans based on plan length:

• Optimize: three months, $299 per month
• Improve: six months, $250 per month
• Progress: twelve months, $225 per month

Each subscription comes with a free month of in-app dietitian access. After this first month is up, you can purchase additional dietitian access for $100 per month.

How Accurate Is Nutrisense?

Continuous glucose monitoring makes it extremely easy for anyone to gain detailed insights about their blood sugar levels. However, there are some concerns about the accuracy of CGM devices compared to traditional blood glucose monitoring devices that require a small blood sample from a finger prick for testing.

Studies show that CGM devices may provide readings that are slightly different than a traditional glucometer. However, they still provide accurate and useful data for the most part. In a 2023 study in Diabetes Therapy, researchers found that readings on the Freestyle Libre were within 20 percent or 20 mg/dl of glucometer readings 88.9 percent of the time.

If you have diabetes, it’s recommended to have a traditional glucometer to verify readings on the CGM that may not be completely accurate. However, if you’re using Nutrisense to improve your health but you don’t have diabetes, you probably don’t need a back-up glucometer.

Related: Best Protein Powder for Diabetics

What Experts Are Saying About Nutrisense

We asked three registered dietitians to provide their expert opinions on Nutrisense and continuous glucose monitoring.

“Everyone will have variations in their blood sugar throughout the day,” explains Chelsea Newbrough, RDN. “Nutrisense allows a person to work with a nutrition professional to provide some much-needed context for these ups and downs.”

Kathryn Piper, RDN, LD, of The Age-Defying Dietitian, adds, “It offers individual insight into the body’s response to food, exercise, stress and sleep. The added support of registered dietitians helps members interpret and apply CGM data. This specialized approach can be a formula for weight loss success!”

However, Ashley Kitchens, MPH, RD, owner of Plant Centered Nutrition, cautions that people at risk of disordered eating should be careful with Nutrisense. “The frequent monitoring of blood sugar can lead to an increased fixation on food and weight, potentially triggering feelings of guilt or shame,” she says. She adds that high readings should never be used as a reason to over-exert yourself, and that Nutrisense data should be used only as a tool to help improve health—not as a marker of worth or success.

User Reviews

On Trustpilot, Nutrisense currently has over 130 reviews and an average rating of 4.2 out of five stars.

Most negative reviews are related to customer service and auto-renew payment issues. However, some users report that they didn’t think the CGM readings were accurate, or that the monitors were painful or difficult to set up.

Still, most reviews for Nutrisense are positive. Several reviewers expressed that Nutrisense helped them reverse their prediabetes and lose weight. One user wrote, “I learned so much about glucose and how it affects my health. The CGM and app have been invaluable tools.”

They also spoke highly of their interactions with Nutrisense dietitians, and the quality and practicality of the advice the dietitians provided. Wrote one reviewer, “I feel much better and understand how and what to eat. I can wholeheartedly recommend this program to anyone looking for insight into their blood sugar management.”

Comparisons

Here’s how Nutrisense compares to other similar devices and programs designed to help improve metabolic health.

Users can take $25 off their order with code: SI25OFF. 

Nutrisense vs. Lumen

Lumen is a metabolic health device that measures the amount of CO2 in your blood to show if you’re burning fat or carbohydrates for energy. You breathe into the device in order to obtain this measurement. This data can be used in a similar way as data from Nutrisense—such as helping guide food choices for weight loss or athletic performance. However, the Lumen device doesn’t measure blood glucose.

Like Nutrisense, Lumen features an accompanying app with coach access, food tracking and many other features. The Lumen device costs $299, and the app membership is $19 per month.

Nutrisense vs. Levels CGM

Levels is Nutrisense’s closest competitor. Both companies offer CGM devices and app-based individualized insights for anyone who wants to use blood glucose data to improve their health. However, one major difference between Nutrisense and Levels is that Nutrisense offers optional access to a registered dietitian for one-on-one consultations and advice.

Levels costs $199 for annual app access, and each CGM kit (providing four weeks worth of monitors) costs $199.

Nutrisense vs. Dexcom G7

The Dexcom G7 is a CGM device, while Nutrisense is an app and service that analyzes and summarizes the data it collects from CGM devices. Currently, Nutrisense partners with Freestyle Libre for their CGM devices.

If you want a Dexcom G7, you will need a prescription from your healthcare provider. If you don’t have diabetes, you will probably need to pay the full price out of pocket. Dexcom sensors appear to cost around $120 per two-week sensor, although the price may vary depending on your insurance coverage and where you purchase it.

Nutrisense FAQs

Is Nutrisense covered by insurance?

No, Nutrisense is not covered by insurance. Currently, most CGMs are only covered by insurance for people with diabetes.

Do you need a prescription for Nutrisense?

Yes, but the prescription will be handled by a Nutrisense-affiliated physician when you sign up for the program.

Does Nutrisense help with weight loss?

Nutrisense can help with weight loss, although weight loss is not a guarantee. Understanding how different foods affect your blood glucose levels may help you to choose foods that are more filling—helping to naturally reduce your calorie intake.

How long do you wear Nutrisense?

Nutrisense provides Freestyle Libre CGM devices, which can be worn continuously for two weeks before they need to be replaced.

Final Thoughts

Nutrisense can give you a comprehensive understanding of how your lifestyle—including food choices and meal timing, exercise, sleep and stress levels—affects your blood glucose. Using the insights provided by Nutrisense, many of its users have successfully lost weight, reversed their pre-diabetes or improved their physical performance. Although it’s expensive, Nutrisense’s CGM program may be a worthwhile investment if you want to learn more about how to fuel your body optimally.

Users can take $25 off their order with code: SI25OFF. 

Prices are accurate and items in stock as of publish time.