Sample Meal Plan and Review for Week 1 of P90X

When you are wanting success in a fitness program, your commitment to the meal planning and eating healthier foods is going to be key to what kind of results you get from the program. For this article, I will be giving an example of a meal plan for the first week of P90X.

P90X comes with a nutrition guide that offers a couple of different approaches to eating for performance. The one I used was the actual meal guide because I am a busy at-home mom, and even if there's more cooking involved, if I have a plan, it's just a matter of gathering groceries. My first week below might be too involved if you don't have time to cook. I'll be publishing future articles on how to take this plan and simplify it for your lifestyle.

This was written out for both my husband and me. My calories are in parenthesis.

According to the P90X fitness guide book, my daily caloric needs are between 1700-2100 and my husband's are between 2300-3000.

Monday - P90X Chest & Back and AB Ripper X

Our boys, ages 11, 13, and 17 eat what we eat and because this is a low carb plan for the first P90X month, I throw in extra fruits, snacks, and healthy complex carbs for them! I've indicated the portion sizes for each individual, but will simply cook enough for a family and then portion out the meal.

Post workout snack every day: P90X Recovery Drink

Breakfast:

Mushroom Omelet

6 (4) egg whites, salt/pepper, ¾ cup brown mushrooms, 2 T. chopped green onion, ½ chopped roma tomato,2 (1) oz. goat cheese

1 cup frozen berries

1.5 (1) cups 1% cottage cheese

Snack: Chocolate Shakeology + 1 T. peanut butter, ice, almond milk (unsweetened)

Lunch:

Chef Salad

6 (4) oz. chopped fat-free deli turkey breast

1.5 oz. fat-free mozzarella cheese

½ roma tomato or 5 grape tomatoes

2 cups romaine lettuce

¼ cup artichoke hearts, chopped

1 oz. avocado

Balsamic vinaigrette (homemade)

Snack: 15 (12) almonds, raw

Supper:

6 (4) oz. grilled salmon

1 cup steamed asparagus

1 cup wild rice

2 (1) cups Pacific foods Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Tuesday - P90X Plyometrics

***Add whey protein in almond milk if needed for extra protein.

Post workout snack: P90X Recovery Drink

Breakfast:

Greenberry Shakeology mixed with 2 T. vanilla whey, 4 strawberries, ½ cup oj, water and ice.

1 (1/2) cup Fage Yogurt 0%

Snack: 15 (12) raw almonds

Lunch:

Shrimp Stir-fry

8 (6) oz. shrimp, ¼ T. low-sodium soy sauce, ½ t. rice vinegar, ¼ cup fat-free chicken broth, ¼ t. minced garlic, ¾ cup red onion, ¾ cup broccoli, 1.5 cups snow peas, 1.5 cups mushrooms, ¼ cup yellow bell pepper, ½ can water chestnuts. (Soy sauce through garlic in sauté pan over medium heat until tender. Add veggies and continue to sauté, stirring and adding more broth as needed. Add shrimp when veggies are halfway cooked and sauté until shrimp is opaque and veggies tender.)

Snack: 2 (1) lowfat cheese stick

Supper:

7 (5) oz. grilled chicken

1 cup green beans

2 (1) cups butternut squash soup (Pacific foods)

Wednesday - P90X Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X

*As always, add extra serving of whey in almond milk or water if needing extra protein.

Post workout Snack: P90X Recovery Drink

Breakfast:

Chicken Scramble

7 (5) egg whites, 3 oz chicken breast cooked and diced, 2 oz. fat free parmesan cheese, fresh basil if I have some.

3 (2) slices turkey bacon

6 (4) oz. fresh squeezed oj/lemon juice

Snack: 15 (12) raw almonds

Lunch:

Chicken Salad

8 (6) oz. Poached and chopped chicken breast, 2 T. low-fat mayo, ¾ T. Dijon mustard, 2 T. green onions, pepper and dill to taste, ½ c. chopped celery.

3 (2) cups salad greens

2 cups (1) Veggie soup (makes enough for 2 large meals...scale down as needed)

10 cups fat-free chicken broth, 4 red potatoes, 4 cups quartered onions, 1 cup sliced carrots, 3 cups celergy sliced thick, 2 cups zucchini or beans, 8 oz. tomato sauce, 2 cloves garlic, ¼ cup fresh parsley, dash of pepper, salt to taste

Snack: Chocolate Shakeology, 4 oz. almond milk (unsweetened), water, ice, 1 T. peanut butter

Supper:

7 (5) oz. grilled Salmon

1 cup wild rice

1 cup green beans/carrots

Thursday - P90X YogaX or One on One Fountain of Youth Yoga

Breakfast:

Strawberry Banana Blast Protein Shake

1 cup almond milk, 1.5 (1) scoop vanilla whey, 1 (1/2) cup frozen berries, ½ banana, ice

Snack: 1 cup Fage 0% yogurt, agave nectar, cinnamon and 5 walnuts

Lunch:

7 (5) oz. grilled chicken breast

3 (2) cups romaine salad greens

1 cup artichoke hearts (not marinated)

Vinaigrette

Snack: Chocolate Shakeology with 1 cup almond milk, 1 T. almond butter and ice.

Supper:

Grilled Salmon

1 cup wild rice (leftover from Wed.)

2 (1) cup Veggie Soup (leftover from Wed.)

Friday - P90X Legs & Back and Ab Ripper X

Post workout snack: P90X Recovery Drink

Breakfast:

Spinach Scramble

8 (6) egg whites, ½ cup Roma tomatoes, 1 cup spinach leaves, 3 (1) oz. feta cheese crumbles, fresh basil if available

1 (1/2) medium grapefruit

1 cup almond milk with 2 T. chocolate whey

Snack: Shakeology - Greenberry with 2 T. whey, ½ cup oj, water, ice, ½ banana

Lunch:

Turkey Burger

6 oz. ground turkey breast (97% fat free), 1.5 T. whole wheat breadcrumbs, 3 T. buttermilk, 1 T. green onions, 1 T. fresh parsley, ¼ t. Dijon mustard, 1 dash Worcestershire, pepper to taste

1 oz. low-fat swiss cheese

1 (1/2) cup coleslaw

(enough for 6..scale as needed.. 3 cups shredded green cabbage, 1 cup red cabbage, 1 cup jicama, ½ red onion, 2 apples finely diced, ½ cup fat-free mayo, 1/3 cup white vinegar, 2 T. sugar, 1.5 t. caraway, ¼ t. salt, pinch pepper)

3 (1) cup gazpacho

(Yield 10 cups! Scale as needed... 28 oz. canned tomatoes, 3 cups low-sodium tomato juice, ½ cup diced carrots, ¾ c. each green and red bell pepper, ½ red onion, 2 shallots, 2 garlic cloves, 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, 1/3 c. fresh lemon juice, 1 t. paprika, ¼ c. fresh oregano, basil, parsley if available...at least the parsley!, Tabasco sauce to taste.)

Snack: 12 (8) oz. 1% cottage cheese

Supper:

8 (6) grilled fish or chicken

1 cup cooked wild rice or red quinoa

1 cup broccoli or green beans

**What we ended up having is leftover veggie soup and a grilled chicken breast!

Saturday - Kenpo X or Kenpo Cardio Plus

Post workout snack: P90X Recovery Drink

Breakfast

Shakeology - Chocolate with 2 T. whey, 1 tsp. peanut butter, 1 cup organic unsweetened Pacific foods Almond Milk, water, ice.

Lunch

Chicken Salad (same as Wed.)

3 (1) cup Gazpacho (leftover from Friday)

1 (1/2) cup coleslaw (leftover from Friday)

Snack 2 (1) Boiled egg

Supper

Family Homemade Pizza Night

Homemade whole wheat crust, turkey pepperoni, black beans, black olives, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, leftover veggies in fridge, part-skim mozz. cheese. Dave and I will measure the cheese and use a very thin crust for our pizzas.

3 (2) cups Romaine salad

Sunday - Stretch X or Rest

Sundays we frequently eat out with friends. And we eat light, munching on leftovers from the week. It's also the day I pick up groceries for the next week.