Paleo-Friendly P90X Nutrition Guide

One of the great things about the P90X Nutrition Plan is its flexibility. Sure, everyone starts with the same, basic three phases—the Fat Shredder, the Energy Booster, and the Endurance Maximizer—but beyond that, the sky is the limit. Once you’ve tried all three, you can move amongst them as you see fit. And what foods you populate them with is entirely your choice. That could mean vegan or vegetarian eating, raw foods, or you could even give Paleo a try.

What was that, you say? You thought Paleo and P90X were, like, opposites? No way! It’s true that Tony Horton’s personal, largely plant-based way of eating isn’t terribly in line with the Paleo ethos, which relies heavily on meat and animal products. But when you look at the foundation of these two ways of eating—fresh, nutrient-rich, whole foods—you’ll find the same core values. They’re both great ways to eat.

The only problem is that Paleo eating features a few guidelines that make it tricky to fit into the P90X Nutrition, namely the exclusion of grains and dairy, as well as the increased reliance on fats and protein.

But that’s an easy workaround. Here you’ll find our attempt to create a Paleo-friendly nutrition plan that works in the P90X (and P90X2) structure. Of course, there are many degrees of Paleo eating, so we’ve tried to come up with something that you can adapt for the particular model you follow. Dairy is out, as are grains. However, some Paleo eaters, especially those looking for extra carbs for sports performance, might eat legumes (beans and peas), so we’ve included them, marking them with an asterisk (*) so that you can remove them if you’d prefer.

We’ve also included quite a bit of fruit, again for carb-based energy. If this just isn’t your thing, feel free to replace a fruit portion with a fat or protein portion.

This is a work in progress. In the same way we featured the P90X vegan modification in the Beachbody Newsletter before it appeared in P90X2 so that we could get your feedback, we’d love you to comment below with constructive criticism on this P90X Paleo-friendly plan.

Enjoy, cave people!

The Paleo-Friendly P90X Plans

1800-calorie Fat Shredder
Pro: 7
Fruit: 1
Veg: 4
Fat:  2
Leg/Tub: 1
Cond: 1
Snacks: 2

1800-calorie Energy Booster
Pro:  6
Fruit: 1
Veg: 6
Fat:  2
Leg/Tub: 1
Cond: 1
Snacks: 2

1800-calorie Endurance Maximizer
Pro:  3
Fruit: 2
Veg: 7
Fat:  2
Leg/Tub: 1
Cond: 2
Snacks: 2

2400-calorie Fat Shredder                                             
Pro:  9
Fruit: 1
Veg: 6
Fat:  3
Leg/Tub: 1
Cond: 2
Snacks: 2+1

2400-calorie Energy Booster
Pro:  7
Fruit: 2
Veg: 8
Fat:  4
Leg/Tub: 1
Cond: 1
Snacks: 2

2400-calorie Endurance Maximizer
Pro:  5
Fruit: 3
Veg: 10
Fat:  4
Leg/Tub: 1
Cond: 1
Snacks: 2

3000-calorie Fat Shredder                                             
Pro:  11
Fruit: 2
Veg: 8
Fat:  4
Leg/Tub: 1
Cond: 2
Snacks: 3

3000-calorie Energy Booster
Pro:  9
Fruit: 2
Veg: 10
Fat:  4
Gr: 0
Leg/Tub: 1
Cond: 3
Snacks: 4

3000-calorie Endurance Maximizer
Pro:  6
Fruit: 3
Veg: 12
Fat:  4
Gr: 0
Leg/Tub: 2
Cond: 3
Snacks: 3

Food Lists

Fats
Avocado – 3 ounces
Olive oil – 1 tablespoon
Olives – 4 ounces
Raw Nuts – 1 ounce
Flaxseed – 3 tablespoons
Coconut oil – 1 tablespoon

Protein
Chicken or turkey – 3 ounces
Eggs – 1 whole egg or 6 whites
Fish or shellfish – 3 ounces
Pork tenderloin – 3 ounces
Red meat, lean – 3 ounces
Tempeh* – 2 ounces
Tofu* – 3 ounces
Venison – 3 ounces
* This is a legume. Many Paleos avoid legumes.

Legumes & Tubers
Beans* – 1 cup
Edamame* – 1 cup
Lentils* – 1 cup
Parsnip – 2 cups
Peas* – ½ cup
Potato – 1 medium
Sweet Potato – 1 large
Yam – 1 medium
* This is a legume. Many Paleos avoid legumes.

Fruit
As per P90X or P90X2 Nutrition Guide

Vegetables
As per P90X or P90X2 Nutrition Guide. Note that string beans are a legume.

Condiments
Each serving = 50 calories

Due to the avoidance of sugar and legumes, condiments can be tricky. These condiment-like foods are approved by many Paleo experts:
Lemon juice
Vinegar (except balsamic)
Extra virgin olive oil
Tahini
Maple syrup
Honey

Snacks
Each serving = 100 calories
Unsweetened dried fruit – 1 once
Fruit – 1 medium piece
Seaweed – 10 ounces
Pumpkin seeds – 1 ounce
Raw nuts – ½ ounce
Baked kale chips – 2 cups
Celery and nut butter – 5 medium stalks and 2 tsp. nut butter

Because most protein bars, as well as Beachbody Results & Recovery Formula don’t adhere to Paleo standards, we’ve incorporated their calories and macronutrients into the plan elsewhere. And, Admittedly, this is a thin list, so we encourage you to explore healthy Paleo-friendly snack recipes.

You might also want to check out these two cookbooks for great snack and condiment ideas:
Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo
The Paleo Diet Cookbook by Loren Cordain and Nell Stephenson