Nutrisystem Introduces Members of First-Ever Celebrity Chef Culinary Council

FORT WASHINGTON, Pa.. March 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Nutrisystem, Inc. (Nasdaq: NTRI), the number one home delivery weight loss company, introduces the members of its first-ever Nutrisystem celebrity Chef Culinary Council, a team of award-winning  chefs who will support the Company in its ongoing mission to provide great tasting, high quality food to its customers.  The Council will be hands-on in guiding the development of new foods and menu selections and providing their expertise on the latest ingredient and culinary trends.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110330/NY74169 )

The members of the Nutrisystem Chef Culinary Council include:

• Tony Mantuano, chef/partner of the only four-star Italian restaurant in Chicago, Spiaggia; a James Beard Winner for Best Chef of the Midwest and a contender on Top Chef Masters Season 2
• Michael Solomonov, owner of Philadelphia's award-winning restaurant Zahav, 2011 James Beard Award finalist and recent contender on Iron Chef America
• Kent Rathbun, owner of Texas restaurants including: Abacus, Jasper's, Shinsei, Rathbun's Blue Plate Kitchen and Zea Woodfire Grill; a former winner on Iron Chef America
• Mark Estee, known for his awarded restaurants in Nevada and California and former personal chef to Britney Spears and Paul McCartney
• Carmen Gonzalez, a private chef, formerly from Miami, now working in New York; also a contender from Top Chef Masters Season 2

"We conducted extensive research and learned from our customers that taste and variety is paramount and that one of the primary barriers to weight loss success is the perceived inability to eat food that tastes good.  By working with this tremendously talented group of celebrity chefs, we are further investing in our mission to provide delicious and top quality food to our customers," said Joe Redling, Chairman and CEO of Nutrisystem. 

Last month, the Nutrisystem Chef Culinary Council convened in Dallas to create brand new, never-before-seen recipes for potential new menu items, as well as new recipes to help revamp current menu options. Council members also worked to create grocery lists of flavorful and healthy meal enhancers that will be available exclusively to members on the Nutrisystem™ program in helping them navigate the grocery store.

Earlier this year, Nutrisystem announced the revamp of its food program by incorporating its highest scoring, best tasting fresh frozen gourmet foods into all of its weight loss programs at the lowest price in the Company's history. The new Nutrisystem® Select® 28-day program now includes one-third frozen foods and two-thirds of pantry-ready foods.

The New Nutrisystem Select Program, available only in the Continental U.S., can be purchased by calling the Nutrisystem hotline 1-800-891-3215 or logging onto www.nutrisystem.com.

About Nutrisystem, Inc.

Nutrisystem, Inc. (Nasdaq: NTRI) is the number one home delivery weight loss company. Nutrisystem is sold direct to the consumer through nutrisystem.com, by phone, and at select retailers, with convenient home delivery. The Company offers proven nutritionally balanced weight loss programs designed for women, men, and seniors, as well as the Nutrisystem® D™ program, specifically designed to help people with type 2 diabetes who want to lose weight and manage their diabetes. The Nutrisystem programs are based on more than 39 years of nutrition research and the science of the low glycemic index, and offer a variety of great tasting, satisfying high-fiber, good carbohydrate meals that are heart healthy. Nutrisystem was named the "Least Expensive Home Delivery Program" by CBS Money Watch in January 2011. The program has no membership fees and provides weight management support and counseling by trained weight loss coaches and online weight management tools free of charge. Nutrisystem proudly supports the American Diabetes Association in its movement to Stop Diabetes™ and WomenHeart, The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, in its mission to bring about a greater awareness of the link between heart disease and obesity. For more information or to become a customer visit http://www.nutrisystem.com or call 1-800-891-3215. Follow Nutrisystem on Twitter @nutrisystem and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/nutrisystem.

SOURCE Nutrisystem, Inc.