By Susan Brady. Editor of The World Is a Kitchen.

Is the Z.E.N. Foods diet climbing its way up the weight-loss ladder or is it just another fad born out of Hollywood? Z.E.N., which stands for Zero Effort Nutrition foods, is a food delivery service that provides calorie-controlled meals to aid in weight loss. Currently available in the Southern California area, Z.E.N. has been given some high visibility, by both the press and celebrities.

Z.E.N. offers five meal delivery programs:

• Weight Loss Program: guided by portion size and designed to help you lose unwanted pounds. Classic Program: nutritiously balanced meals designed to help you manage a healthy weight, stabilize blood sugar, and decrease cholesterol levels.
• Custom Program: tailored to the individual needs of each client, allowing for personal caloric requirements and dislikes.
• Cleanse Program: calorie-controlled, properly balanced meal delivery program, which includes two weeks of David Allen Nutrition’s “Ultra Cleanse Plus™.”
• Family Dinner Program: healthy delicious meals at affordable prices, delivered as often as 6 days per week, but you decide how often you would like to receive your dinners. Perfect for busy families.

Z.E.N. Foods’ meals are nutritiously balanced and based on a 40-30-30 philosophy: 40% complex carbohydrates, 30% lean protein and 30% healthy fats. Each daily package contain breakfast, lunch and dinner with a snack and dessert and is delivered to your door in a cooler bag . All meals are freshly prepared, never frozen, and are rich in antioxidants and contain no trans-fats. Calorie counts vary, but are generally between 1200 and 2000 per day. The food choices, changed seasonally, sound tasty, with dishes such as Blueberry Ricotta Crepe with Fresh Blueberry Compote, Baby Field Greens with Walnuts, Mango & Grilled Chicken, and Filet Mignon with Creamy Butternut Squash & Asparagus. Desserts include cheesecake, apple pie and crème brulee.

Z.E.N. is popular with young stars such as Vanessa Hudgins and her ex, Zac Efron, who went on the diet after gaining weight for his role in The Lucky One. Unfortunately, you may need to be a star to afford the price of this program. At $45 and up per day, a one-month supply of daily deliveries will cost you in excess of $1,350, which is more than double what the average American family of four would spend in a month.

Susan Brady, the editor of The World Is a Kitchen, is a woman with a passion for food. When not living the life of a typical suburban soccer mom, she spends long hours in the kitchen testing recipes from around the world, and travels to faraway places to learn new cuisines.