Is Foodsmart Free? Dietitian Cost, Insurance and Fees
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Claude 
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Perplexity 
Foodsmart says 99% of its members pay $0 out of pocket to see a registered dietitian, because it bills your health plan or employer. If your plan is not on its list, its dietitian profile pages offer a monthly subscription at $69 a month, shown as 55% off a $150 price, next to a $150 per-visit list price. Some Medicaid plans add grocery money: Fidelis Care members in New York earn $125 in Foodsmart Bucks over their first five calls.
I work on the NutriScan team, which makes a food tracking app, so treat this as an outsider's reading of public documents. Foodsmart's website refuses automated requests, so I read its pages through the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, which holds copies made between April 2025 and March 2026. I give the date of the copy where it matters. Each source is linked so you can open the live page yourself.
Prices and policies checked on November 3, 2026. Foodsmart serves members in the United States. Plan-specific rewards change by insurer and by year, so your plan's own page is the one to trust.
IMPORTANT
Foodsmart pricing at a glance
- Dietitian visits are billed to your health plan or employer. Foodsmart says 99% of members pay $0.
- Without coverage, profile pages list a $69 monthly subscription, shown as 55% off $150, and a $150 per-visit price.
- The Foodsmart app is included free as long as you keep meeting with your dietitian.
- Fidelis Care Medicaid members in New York earn $25 in Foodsmart Bucks after each of the first five calls, $125 in total.
- Foodsmart Bucks buy eligible food on Instacart, expire 4 to 6 months after you get them and need a card or EBT on file for a 15% hold.
- Groceries outside those credits are yours to pay. Anthem's page says so in plain words.
- I found no published cancellation or no-show fee.
IMPORTANT
Your Foodsmart cost check at a glance.
Know your number before you book.
⏱️ Progress 0/4 • ~0 minutes in • Keep going
⏳ Step 1: What you pay with insurance
⏳ Step 2: What you pay without insurance
⏳ Step 3: Medicaid, Medicare and grocery rewards
🔍 The 5-step booking checklist that avoids a surprise bill (revealed near the end)
Is Foodsmart free? The quick answer
For most people who use it, yes. Foodsmart sells to health plans, Medicaid and Medicare plans and employers, and those payers cover the visits. You book, enter your member ID, and a care coordinator tells you before the visit whether you owe anything.
The general FAQ says visits are "often partially, or even fully, covered" by your insurance. The insurance page, captured March 3, 2026, gives the 99% figure and the phrase "as little as $0 per visit."
So the answer depends on how you arrive:
- Through a partner health plan or employer: usually $0 for visits. Some plans add grocery rewards.
- Through a plan that is not a partner: Foodsmart may still bill it, and you could owe a copay, coinsurance or deductible. The coordinator call is where you learn this.
- With no coverage at all: the $69 monthly subscription, or $150 a visit at list price.
- The app on its own: the FAQ ties free access to your dietitian visits, covered below.
I found no standalone pricing page. The only self-pay prices I found sit on individual dietitian profile pages.
The 99% figure is Foodsmart's own
It comes from Foodsmart's insurance page, not an independent audit. Check your own plan before you book.
Working out your real Foodsmart cost means reading three different pages. Here they are in one place.
What Foodsmart is and who runs it
Foodsmart is the trading name of Zipongo, Inc., a San Francisco company. The terms and conditions end with "Copyright © 2023, Zipongo, Inc., dba Foodsmart," and the iOS app is still listed as Foodsmart by Zipongo. The App Store shows the first release in July 2011.
In June 2024, TPG's impact fund, The Rise Fund, agreed to lead an investment of more than $200 million in Foodsmart. The announcement said Foodsmart served "over 2.2 million members" through Medicaid managed care plans, Medicare Advantage plans, commercial insurers and "over one thousand employers."
The service has three parts:
- Telenutrition. Phone or video visits with a registered dietitian, 30 or 60 minutes long, per the FAQ. Initial visits run an hour on Zoom, per the profile pages.
- The Foodsmart platform. Recipes, a meal planner, grocery lists, a deals feature for local store sales and price comparison across stores. The FAQ lists integrations with Grubhub, Amazon Fresh, Walmart and Instacart.
- Food benefits. Plan-funded grocery credits called Foodsmart Bucks, and help applying for SNAP.
Foodsmart cost with insurance
With a partner plan, the visit cost is usually $0. Foodsmart's insurance coverage page lays out the booking flow:
- Go to foodsmart.com/schedule and choose a phone or video visit.
- Pick a date and time.
- Enter the member ID from your health insurance card.
- Book the visit.
The Medicare page adds a detail: when the form asks "Is your visit covered by insurance or your employer?" you answer yes and pick your plan. The profile pages say "we will confirm if there is any cost prior to your appointment," and the Medicaid page calls booking "risk-free."
How many visits you get depends on the plan. The FAQ says "You can meet with your dietitian as many times as your plan allows" and points you to [email protected] or 415-800-2311 for your limit. A 2025 Medicaid page lists "Unlimited Visits" as a benefit, and the Anthem page describes a pilot with "more no-cost nutrition coaching visits." No page gives a number that applies to everyone.
The 99% figure is Foodsmart's own. The page does not say how it is measured or over what period. Most members arrive through partner plans, so the figure says little about a plan that is not a partner.
IMPORTANT
Checkpoint: here's where you are right now.
You know the insured price. Next is the self-pay offer.
⏱️ Progress 1/4 • ~3 minutes in • Keep going
✅ Step 1: What you pay with insurance (done)
👉 Step 2: What you pay without insurance (you're here)
⏳ Step 3: Medicaid, Medicare and grocery rewards
🧩 The booking checklist (coming soon)
Foodsmart cost without insurance
The self-pay offer appears on dietitian profile pages, for example the page for Jennifer S.. The archived copies from April 27, 2025 and January 16, 2026 carry the same two price cards:
- Pay with health insurance: "As low as $0," with "($150/visit)" printed under it.
- Start a monthly subscription: "$69/month," with "($150/month) 55% off" under it.
The subscription text reads: "Don't see your insurance below? No problem! Our monthly subscription gives you access to your very own dietitian each month for just $69/month."
The sentence does not say how many visits a month the $69 covers, whether the first one-hour visit is included, whether the 55% discount is a first-month offer or the ongoing price, or how to cancel. The terms have no section on subscription billing or renewal. Ask a care coordinator at (844) 741-1888 and keep the answer in writing.
Here is what a year could cost, assuming one visit a month on the subscription:
| Plan for a year | Cost |
|---|---|
| $69 subscription, 12 months | $828 |
| $150 list price, 1 visit a month | $1,800 |
| $150 list price, 1 visit every 2 weeks | $3,900 |
| Partner plan, 99% of members | $0 for visits |
If the $69 rate covers only the first month and the price then moves to $150, the year costs $1,719 instead. The pages do not settle which reading is right.
Figure 1: The same year of dietitian care runs from $0 to $3,900 depending on how you pay.
Find out what "each month" means before you pay
The subscription text promises access to a dietitian "each month" and names no visit count or renewal terms. A $69 charge for one 30-minute call is a different deal from $69 for two hour-long sessions.
IMPORTANT
Checkpoint: midway progress update.
You're halfway. The plan-specific rules come next.
⏱️ Progress 2/4 • ~6 minutes in • Keep going
✅ Step 1: What you pay with insurance (done)
✅ Step 2: What you pay without insurance (done)
👉 Step 3: Medicaid, Medicare and grocery rewards (current)
⏳ The booking checklist (next)
Does Foodsmart take Medicaid?
Yes, through Medicaid managed care plans that contract with it. The Medicaid page, captured July 15, 2025, says members "can meet with a personal nutrition coach at no cost" and offers up to $25 for completing the first visit, "available to members of eligible health plans." The same page lists:
- Unlimited visits by video or audio only.
- Dependents on your health plan can join the appointments.
- Children can see a coach, and "Under 14 years old, a parent must be present."
- SNAP help. Your dietitian can help you apply for SNAP benefits.
New York's Fidelis Care has the most generous terms I found. Its Foodsmart page, captured December 12, 2025, says Medicaid Managed Care members earn "$25 in Foodsmart Bucks digital grocery money after completing each of your first five phone calls (that's a total of $125!)."
The Medicaid pages also describe the second visit, when "you will be provided with your new Instacart Express or Walmart+ account." The page does not say who pays for that membership or for how long, so ask if it matters to you.
Does Foodsmart take Medicare?
Foodsmart's Medicare page, captured March 9, 2026, says "As a Medicare health plan member, you can meet with a personal nutrition coach at no cost to you" and that "Foodsmart works with a Medicare plans nationwide." The page lists Free Grocery Delivery among the ways it can help, and says your benefits depend on your insurance coverage.
By my reading, "Medicare health plan" here means Medicare Advantage, the private plans that replace Original Medicare. Foodsmart runs a separate page for Aetna Medicare members, which fits that reading. The page does not say it bills Original Medicare.
Original Medicare covers medical nutrition therapy only for diabetes, kidney disease and the 36 months after a kidney transplant, and it needs a referral from your treating physician, under 42 CFR 410.132. The transplant window is in the definitions at 42 CFR 410.130. If you have Original Medicare and none of those conditions, call Foodsmart before you book.
Employer and commercial plan programs
Many people meet Foodsmart through work. Several of the 50 most recent App Store reviews say the reviewer got the app through an employer, a school, a health insurer or a points program. One reviewer wrote, "I downloaded this App because of some points thing at my work."
Employer and insurer programs set their own terms. The Anthem page, captured February 11, 2026, describes a pilot that is "available to you at no cost," and it adds a line worth reading twice: "participants are responsible for the cost of groceries." It also asks members to sign up with a personal email address and a personal device, not a work account.
Foodsmart runs similar pages for other partners, such as The Cigna Group. If your employer offers Foodsmart, the program page or your benefits portal is where the visit limit and any rewards are spelled out.
How Foodsmart Bucks work, and the catches
Foodsmart Bucks are grocery credits that some plans give you for completing dietitian visits. The Foodsmart Bucks FAQ, captured January 16, 2026, says they appear as "Fresh Funds" at Instacart and can only buy items Foodsmart has marked as healthy. Desserts, soda and sugary snacks are excluded. Most household essentials and personal care items are included, and you can save credits toward an Instacart+ membership.
The rules have friction you should know about:
- Claim on the website, not the app. Codes land in your foodsmart.com account a couple of days after a visit. The FAQ stresses "NOT the app," and the codes do not work in Instacart's promo box.
- They expire. "You have 4-6 months from the time you receive your Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Fund) codes to claim it and use it!"
- Different amounts don't stack. You can combine several $25 codes, but a $15 and a $25 code cannot go on one order.
- You need a card or EBT on file. Instacart requires a payment method that can cover 15% of each order total. The hold is "refunded in 5-7 business days," and the FAQ says this is an Instacart policy "with no exception."
- Service fees may still hit your card. Fresh Funds cover delivery, tax and some service fees, but "In some states, this is NOT available," and the FAQ has a whole answer for members who see service fees anyway.
A quick example: you place a $60 order with a $25 code. Instacart can hold up to $9 on your card while the order is shopped, and you pay the remaining $35 plus any service fee the credit does not cover. For a member on a tight budget, a temporary $9 hold matters.
With a 4 to 6 month expiry on Foodsmart Bucks, don't sit on your codes.
Spend one denomination at a time
The FAQ recommends using up codes of one value before adding codes of another. It cuts the number of failed checkouts.
Is the Foodsmart app free?
Yes, with a condition. The FAQ answers "How much does it cost?" this way: "The cost of the platform is included with your visit, so you will have free access as long as you continue to meet with your RD." The App Store listing shows a free download.
The listing has a detail that surprised me. On November 3, 2026, it showed version 6.11.2, released December 28, 2022, with a 4.2 rating from 952 ratings. Every one of the 50 most recent reviews was written on that same version. Either Foodsmart updates the app in a way the store does not record, or the iOS app has not had a release in almost four years. The website portal at foodsmart.com is where Foodsmart Bucks live, so expect to use both.
How to cancel Foodsmart
The terms give one route. Section 8 says you can close your account "at any time and for any reason through the appropriate account management page on the Service, if available, or by sending an e-mail to [email protected]."
That section covers closing the account. It says nothing about stopping a $69 subscription, refunds for a partial month or how much notice you need. The terms are dated "Revised October 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022," which may predate the self-pay offer.
I also found no published cancellation or no-show fee. That is different from several other dietitian services, which charge $50 to $100 for a late change. Absence on the public site is not a promise, so ask about missed-visit charges when the coordinator calls.
What users say about Foodsmart
The iTunes reviews feed for the iOS app returns the 50 most recent written reviews, from May 2023 to October 2026. They average 3.4 stars, below the 4.2 the store shows across all 952 ratings. The 16 reviews from 2025 and 2026 average 3.3.
The pattern is clear:
- Login trouble. 11 of 50 reviews mention problems signing in, a rejected password or SSO that loops. A September 2025 reviewer wrote that the app "has a login issue every time," and an October 2026 reviewer said the app "freezes up and you cannot have access" after registering online.
- Required use. Several reviewers use Foodsmart for employer or insurer points rather than by choice. One wrote, "I am forced to use it by my job to get money."
- Dietitian visits get the best words. A March 2025 review called "the telehealth professionals" great, and a 2023 review credited "the weekly chats with a nutritionist."
- Scheduling slips. A 2023 reviewer said a dietitian did not show because of a time zone mix-up and a second visit was cancelled on the day. A 2024 reviewer said promised guides never arrived after two follow-ups.
None of the 50 reviews mentions a surprise bill. That fits a service most people use through a plan that pays for it.
What the research says about Foodsmart and dietitian care
Foodsmart has published several studies on its own users. All of them look back at self-reported data, with no comparison group, and the authors were Foodsmart employees, several of whom disclosed owning Foodsmart stock.
- Weight. Among 8,977 adults with obesity who used the platform between 2013 and 2020, 59% lost weight over a median of 9.9 months, and 33.3% of those enrolled for at least 24 months lost 5% or more (Hu et al., 2020).
- Sustained weight. In 1,740 adults with three or more weigh-ins over a median of 25 months, mean weight change was minus 6.2 pounds, and 22.4% kept off a 5% loss (Hu et al., 2021).
- Diabetes. Among 280 users with diabetes who entered at least two HbA1c values, HbA1c fell by 0.46 percentage points on average (Shea et al., 2021).
- Blood pressure. In 1,269 users with stage 2 hypertension, systolic pressure fell by 5.7 mmHg and diastolic by 4.0 mmHg (Bakre et al., 2022).
People who stay on a program and keep logging numbers tend to be the ones doing well, so these results may flatter it. They show what happened to engaged users, not what Foodsmart causes.
Independent trials of dietitian care are stronger evidence. A systematic review of 62 randomized trials found that weight management led by a dietitian produced 4.01 percentage points more weight loss than control conditions (Morgan-Bathke et al., 2023). In type 2 diabetes, a meta-analysis of 14 studies with 3,338 participants found HbA1c 0.47 points lower in the dietitian groups (Siopis et al., 2021).
Who Foodsmart is worth using for
Foodsmart may suit you if:
- Your health plan, Medicaid plan or employer lists it, so visits cost $0.
- Your plan pays Foodsmart Bucks, and you already shop on Instacart.
- You want help with diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol or a grocery budget, including SNAP enrollment.
- You want a dietitian who speaks Spanish. The FAQ says its dietitians speak "primarily English and Spanish."
Foodsmart may not suit you if:
- You would self-pay and cannot get the $69 subscription terms in writing.
- You have Original Medicare without diabetes or kidney disease.
- You want a modern phone app. The iOS app has not shown a release since 2022 and reviewers report login loops.
- You have uncommon food allergies. A 2024 reviewer found the recipes hard to use outside the top eight allergens.
If you are weighing other paid programs, these guides cover similar ground: the best Noom alternatives, Fay nutrition pricing, another insurance-billed dietitian service, Foodvisor vs Noom on dietitian coaching and Nutrisense pricing, which pairs a dietitian with a glucose sensor. For shopping on a budget without a program, see our guide to budget meal planning apps and our diabetic grocery list.
IMPORTANT
Checkpoint: final stretch before the checklist.
The checklist below puts every catch into five steps.
⏱️ Progress 3/4 • ~13 minutes in • Keep going
✅ Step 1: What you pay with insurance
✅ Step 2: What you pay without insurance
✅ Step 3: Medicaid, Medicare and grocery rewards
✨ The booking checklist (about to reveal)
How to book a Foodsmart dietitian without a surprise bill: 5 steps
- Find your plan's Foodsmart page. Search foodsmart.com for your insurer or employer. Plan pages such as the Fidelis Care and Anthem pages state the cost and any grocery rewards for that plan.
- Book with your member ID. Book at foodsmart.com/schedule, answer yes when asked if your visit is covered by insurance or an employer, and enter the member ID from your card.
- Wait for the cost confirmation. Foodsmart says a care coordinator confirms any cost before your appointment. Do not join the visit until you know the number.
- Get the self-pay terms in writing. If your plan is not covered, ask what the $69 monthly subscription includes, how many visits it covers and how to cancel it. Save the reply.
- Claim grocery rewards on the website. Foodsmart Bucks are claimed on foodsmart.com, not in the app, and expire 4 to 6 months after you receive them. Keep a card on file at Instacart for the 15% hold.
Tracking food between dietitian visits
The meals between dietitian visits are what the next visit works from, and the Foodsmart app is built around recipes, meal plans and grocery orders more than logging food you ate somewhere else.
NutriScan, the app my team makes, estimates calories and macros from a photo of any meal, including restaurant food, and lets you log blood glucose readings next to your meals. It has a Free plan with 5 AI food scans a week and a Premium plan at about $59 a year, listed in our pricing breakdown. NutriScan has no dietitians, cannot bill insurance and pays no grocery rewards, so it does not replace Foodsmart. Photo estimates can also miss hidden oil in mixed dishes. What it can give you is a meal record to bring to your next visit.
IMPORTANT
Recap: everything you covered.
Save this page before you call a Foodsmart care coordinator.
⏱️ Progress 4/4 • ~15 minutes in • Nicely done
✅ Step 1: What you pay with insurance
✅ Step 2: What you pay without insurance
✅ Step 3: Medicaid, Medicare and grocery rewards
✅ The booking checklist (revealed)
Foodsmart pricing FAQ
Is Foodsmart free?
For most members, yes. Foodsmart bills dietitian visits to your health plan or employer and says 99% of members pay $0 out of pocket. The app and recipes are included while you keep meeting with your dietitian. Groceries cost money unless your plan gives you Foodsmart Bucks.
How much does Foodsmart cost without insurance?
Foodsmart's dietitian profile pages list a monthly subscription at $69 a month, shown as 55% off a $150 price, and a list price of $150 per visit. The pages do not say how many visits the subscription includes, so ask before you pay.
Does Foodsmart take Medicaid?
Yes, through participating Medicaid managed care plans. Fidelis Care members in New York get visits at no cost and $25 in Foodsmart Bucks after each of their first five calls, $125 in total. Other Medicaid plans offer up to $25 for the first visit.
Does Foodsmart take Medicare?
Foodsmart says it works with Medicare plans nationwide, and its Medicare page speaks to Medicare health plan members. By my reading that means Medicare Advantage plans. Original Medicare covers nutrition therapy only for diabetes, kidney disease and post-transplant care with a referral.
What are Foodsmart Bucks?
Foodsmart Bucks, called Fresh Funds at Instacart, are grocery credits some health plans give you for completing dietitian visits. They buy eligible healthy items on Instacart, expire 4 to 6 months after you receive them, and need a card or EBT on file for a 15% hold.