Shopping for the Vegetarian P90X-er
If you don’t eat meat, many of the recipes in the P90X Nutrition Guide won’t work for you. Because of this, the Portion Approach would likely be a wiser choice. Shopping for your P90X plan will also cause you to be a little creative. Knowing what you are up against and the goals of the P90X Nutrition Plan will make it easier, however. As a vegetarian you are no doubt used to being flexible and making adjustments to your diet needs. This will be necessary in the P90X diet plan as well. There is quite a big focus on protein especially in the Fat Burner stage of the plan. This means you will need to really be conscious that you are getting the recommended portions of proteins every day.
Also, some meat substitutes and protein rich foods that aren’t animal derived contain many carbohydrates. For instance, one cup serving of Kidney Beans contains 8 grams of carbohydrates and an equal 8 grams of protein. So, this would equal a ½ serving of protein and a ½ serving of carbs for your daily total.
Being conscious of nutritional labels will be crucial as you are getting started on the program. Once you are accustomed to the foods and getting the level or recommended protein, it won’t seem so tedious.
When you go grocery shopping for a week’s worth of foods, check out this grocery list for the Portion Approach and substitute some of the following foods for the proteins:
Beans (kidney, chili, etc.)
Lentils
Cottage Cheese
Egg Substitutes
Egg Whites
Garden or Soy Burgers
Hummus
Tofu
Soy Yogurt
Yogurt
Non-fat Cheese
Other meat substitutes including crumbles or faux chicken nuggets
Protein supplements are another good way to get the necessary protein servings in everyday. Try a Whey Protein shake or Protein Bar for breakfast or snack to get your levels up for the day.
As a vegetarian, you are used to being super conscious of what goes in your mouth. The level of protein needed for this plan is somewhat high and may take a period of adjustment but your body will thank you for that extra work in the end.
