Sensei introduced the next generation platform of its award-winning approach to health and weight management, Sensei for Weight Loss. The highly anticipated release includes new features such as a budget-friendly version of its popular meal planner, as well as a “Favorites” tab. The program is also now available in the App store for iPhone and iTouch users.

Proving that eating healthful foods on a budget is not an oxymoron, Sensei dieticians and nutritionists added these options to provide the planning and advice necessary to eat well and save money. The new budget-friendly version automatically creates weekly menus customized to suit individual preferences and optimized to reduce food bills. The “Favorites” tab enables users to flag their favorite ingredients or meals, as well as weekly sale items at their local grocer, and have them incorporated into their weekly meal plans.

Current subscribers to Sensei, a program that transforms a consumer’s mobile phone and desktop into their own “personal digital coach” (PDC), will notice a newly enhanced Web site that is richer in functionality and easier to navigate. The new program will be priced at $15/month for Web-only access, and $20/month for mobile and Web access, which is comparatively cheaper than most weight-loss programs currently on the market.

“Consumers are under the impression that in order to achieve a healthier lifestyle, specifically to eat more healthful and nutritious meals, they have to spend more money. Sensei for Weight Loss proves that this simply is not the case,” said Dr. Robert Schwarzberg, a respected cardiologist and Sensei chief executive officer.

Schwarzberg notes that Sensei is dramatically different from other weight-loss programs on the market and the first to offer a budget-friendly option as another way to engage consumers in learning to live a healthier lifestyle, leading to long-term weight loss. With the new budget-friendly plan, consumers receive the same number of calories as Sensei’s normal meal plan, but with a potential monthly savings of nearly $100. One Sensei user, Michelle, reports a monthly saving of $200 for her two-person household. “With the cost of food skyrocketing, Sensei is an ideal solution – both from a nutritional and financial standpoint,” said Schwarzberg. He notes that Sensei is also ideal for the growing number of Do-It-Yourself dieters, who prefer meal flexibility to the rigid structure and financial commitment required by other commercial weight-loss programs.