Insanity Nutrition Guide
I felt the need to post this article because so many of the people I’m coaching through Insanity tell me that they can’t afford the food in the Insanity Elite Nutrition Guide. I’ve done Insanity twice and I can tell you nothing is further than the truth!
My suggestion for everyone who has asked me this question is to look through the nutrition guide again, but this time carefully. When we first get a new workout program, we can be very excited to start and just glance through the guidebooks that come with it. And when you just quickly flip through the nutrition guide you might not see all the affordable meal options in there.
The Insanity Elite Nutrition Guide has you eating 5 meals per day. The base for the program is 1500 calories with each meal coming in around 300 calories. You have the option to add more if you’re caloric needs require more food. There are several different options for each meal (breakfast, mid-morning meal, lunch, mid-afternoon meal and dinner). Look through the nutrition guide and pick the meals that are the most economical for each part of the day.
I follow a plant-based way of eating (no meat, no dairy, no eggs), but I know a lot of my readers do eat dairy and eggs. So here is an example of what an inexpensive day with the Insanity Elite Nutrition Guide could look like:
Meal 1 – Cereal Bowl on pg 20
Meal 2 – Yogurt Bowl on pg 27
Meal 3 – Whole Wheat Pasta With Vegetables & Feta on pg 37
Meal 4 – Insanity Special Nut Butter & Jelly Sandwich on page 40
Meal 5 – Dinner Omelet on pg 49
I highlighted some of the meat free meals because if you’re trying to save money, you might want to cut down on your consumption of meat. You will still be getting plenty of protein in as well as some healthy carbs. I eat vegan so I don’t do dairy or eggs and that saves me more money!
So before you think you just got into something you can’t handle with the nutrition plan, think again! You can do this!
I’d love to hear from you! What is your favorite inexpensive meal?
Love & Light!
Jessica
51 Responses to “Insanity Nutrition Guide”
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I'm a wife, stay at home mom, fitness coach, fitness instructor and Pilates Instructor who loves to cook. I'm dedicated not only to my husband and kids, but also to my team of fellow coaches and my thousands of Team Beachbody members nationwide. I'm ready to help you in every way possible to achieve your health, fitness and positive lifestyle goals.
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Hi Jessica,
Thank you so much for all of your really helpful posts!
I’m really interested in starting Insanity, but I’m worried about the nutrition guide that comes with it. I’ve been reading your replies to other readers’ questions about the Insanity Workout and I noticed that you were stressing the importance of following the nutrition guide. I’m a strict vegetarian with vegan tendencies and the idea of an omelet for dinner is really unappealing. Since you stated above that you’re a vegan I was interested to hear whether you followed a modified version of the Insanity nutrition guide or just stuck to a healthy vegan diet. Please let me know- this is the only thing standing between me and Insanity!
Hi Marisa! Great questions and so happy to hear that you are almost vegan too! I just recently became a vegan in April. I just started Chalean Extreme in June (I did a little bit more of Les Mills Pump after finishing the Ultimate Reset), and I have been following a healthy vegan nutrition plan. But there is also another option you can try and that is Club membership with Team Beachbody. You get free custom meal plans and 10% off all Beachbody purchases. They have a Power Vegetarian plan that will work with all the Beachbody workouts. Another options is P90X2. That nutrition plan comes with vegan and gluten free options because at the time, Tony Horton was vegan. You can check out the club membership here https://teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/club?referringRepId=37971 and you can check out P90X2 here http://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/X2-Base?referringRepId=37971
Hi! I’ve been trying to follow the Insanity Meal plan…I was wondering if it mattered that I choose a meal from each of the 5 meal sections throughout the day or if I can eat whatever meal I want at whatever time of day. I hope that makes sense. Some things are just easier to throw together than others, so I would rather grab the bowl of cereal they suggest for lunch, instead for my snack. THANKS!!
Hi Brindy! You can mix meals up!! They’re all the same number of calories. BUT make sure you are getting enough veggies please!
I recently started Insanity but I don’t have the nutrition guide. I was wondering if just eating clean (& have 5 300cal meals per day) would still give good results. I’ve been reading up on reviews and a lot of people are saying there were almost zero results when they didn’t follow the nutrition guide. Also, are there any extra “supplements” that it absolutely requires? The only thing I have is Whey protein powder.
Hi Jordan, if you don;t have the Elite Nutrition Guide, you might want to try signing up for Team Beachbody Club Membership and get custom meal plans for you doing Insanity. The meal guide for Insanity suggests 5 – 300 calorie meals, BUT that’s just a basic plan. If you weigh more or less than the model, they suggest & list options for lowering the cals or raising them. You can learn more about Club Membership here http://www.xtremefitnessathome.com/become-a-coach/club-membership-custom-meal-plans
hi i was wondering if i really have to follow the meal plan i dont have that much time to cooking alot if i just eat healthy and watch my cals can that work the same way thanks
The recipes in the Elite Nutrition Guide are really easy. They’re probably the easiest recipes out of any Beachbody program. How were you planning on eating without cooking? Going out to eat isn’t the best idea. For instance I ordered a salad from a restaurant and came to fine out it had over 1200 calories in that one meal. I’d suggest re-reading the Elite Nutrition Guide and finding the easiest recipes in there and sticking with those
Hi Jessica.
i really want to try out this work out.
as i cant afford it im borrowing it of my friend but he doesnt have guide due to moving house he cant find it. i just want to know the best 5 meals to have a day. i dont mind eating the same each day either, makes things a little easier. also i would like to know the best times spread out through the day to eat these meals and the time which is best to eat the last meal. also im fairly big in size would this work out still work for me in 60 days.
kind regards
James
Hi James! First see if you can have your friend call Beachbody at 800-470-7870 and see if they can replace his nutrition guide. If he bought it from Beachbody or through a Team Beachbody Coach, they might send him a replacement.
If that options doesn’t work, you can sign up for the Club Membership with Team Beachbody at http://www.fitiwthjessica.com It’s $39 for 3 months of membership, but if you don’t like it within 30days you can get a full refund. What you get is a custom meal plan wizard that will work perfectly with Insanity. And you also get 10% off all purchases. Timing of meals depends upon your daily schedule and how your body responds. Ideally you want to eat every 3-4 hours. But there are times I eat every 2 hours if my meals are smaller. You want to feed your body nutrient dense foods. You want to eat breakfast, mid morning, lunch, mid afternoon, dinner and maybe another small snack/meal after that if needed.
Yes, 60 days will help you. You just need to put the work in and follow a good meal plan. Nutrition is 70-80% of getting in shape. You mention that you’re big in size, so you need to make sure you eat enough calories to keep your fire inside of you going. Lots of people make the mistake of cutting way back in calories and wind up failing miserably. This is why I suggest signing up for the Club Membership and if you need to cancel it.
Hey Jessica! I’m also a vegan and I’m almost through month one of insanity. My eating was really good at first, but my hunger was so off that my friend suggested I eat more and now I’m not as healthy. I live on a college campus, so it’s more difficult to find healthy vegan-friendly options. What are some meals you used throughout? Did they all require a kitchen?
Hi Elise! I highly suggest following the Elite Nutrition Guide that comes with Insanity (there is a section in the back that explains good non-meat, non dairy subs). College life can be rough on your nutrition if you let it. But you need to be strong and say no to the bad choices and yes to the good ones. I get my protein from nuts, beans, quinoa and I use Shakeolgoy Vegan Tropical Strawberry. If you have a Whole Foods near you, check out some of their prepared vegan options, but make sure you make wise choices. Just because something is labelled vegan doesn’t make it healthy. Any of the vegan recipes I have on this website would be great to eat while doing Insanity. Make sure you’re eating enough and don’t skip meals.
hi i work full time at a call center and im 135 5’11 , i wanna do insanity and get ripped but i wont be able to do the nutrition or since im doin calls all day , should i just not bother with this program
Jordan, at 5’11″ and only 135 you;re going to have to make sure you eat enough so you don;t get too skinny. If you worl on a call center, bring your meals with you. Eat them on breaks.
hi jessica,
I work a variety of shifts so its hard to keep on track wiv 5 meals a day,,,what can i do to replace these meals and still consume the calorie intake??? would protein shakes do the trick??? Help.
Regards andy
Hi Andy! I know it can be tempting to fall back on protein shakes & bars, but I recommend only using one or two supplements a day. Whole foods are best. Is there any way you can pick a day on the weekends to prepare a bunch of foods to take with you to work or eat at home?
Hey Jessica, in the meal plan, it gives you several food options for meal 1, 2, etc. Is it okay to eat one food from meal 1, and eat another meal from the same list for meal 2? For example, the insanity nut sandwich and the tuna tomato salad are in meal 4. Could I eat the tomato salad for lunch and the sandwich for the mid-afternoon meal?
HI Sean! Yes, you can do that! All the meals are around 500 cals so you should be good with doing that
Hi Jessica
I finished month one of Insanity but without the nutrition guide
I want to start follow the nutrition guide but I can’t get it or register to beachbody website ’cause i’m from Israel and the membership is only for U.S/Canada residents.. So how can I get the guide?
Also my work got me working 1 week in a day shift and then 1 week of night shift and it’s pretty hard to follow a diet plan with those shifts
I aprriciate any advise you may have
Thank you
Hi Jacky, the minimum caloric requirements for Insanity is 1500 cals broken out in 5 small meals at 300 cals each. The meals all consist of complex carbs & a protein. Complex carbs would be either whole grains, veggies or fruits and your proteins would be eggs, peanut butter, chicken, fish, or tofu/tempeh for vegan.
If you can I’d prepare your meals for that week and bring a cooler to work each day so you can eat healthy at work.
I too work shifts and the only way I manage to ensure I have enough nutrition is to oven cook my chicken breast in advance and then take it into work in tupperware, and eat it cold, if I don’t have chance then I buy cooked chicken breast from supermarket. I also use protein shakes and get extra carbs from Maltodextrin powder. This may not be ideal for you though not sure.
I will admit that my work is easygoing so it is not difficult for me to ensure I get the meals but I’m sure it could be done.
My advice would be to sit down on a rest day and think a lot about it, your levels will depend on what you want to achieve but given 1g Protein/Carbs = 4 cals and 1g fat = 9 cals its much easier to work out than you might think. For the maths its easy – decide how much of each macro you want say 45% Protein, 35% Carbs, 20% Fat – just an example – and then multiply the amount of calories you want to eat say 1500 by the decimal value of each percentage, and then divide by the number of cals in a gram – (1500*0.45)/4 = 168.75g Protein per day.
Keep it that simple and you should be alright – the values don’t matter just find what works for you!
I put together a meal plan on the computer and then used that to take my food into work – for the past 3 weeks I have eaten chicken breast, vegetables and protein shakes and little else, although am now eating oats for breakfast and was eating pasta right after training. It takes time and is frustrating but I’m sure you can find a plan that works for you.
Hi Dan, good advice! As you demonstrate, nothing is impossible and when the will is there you will find a way
Hi! I actually borrowed the insanity dvds from a friend but I have a nutrition guide from the Brazil buttlift plan… would it be ok to use that with insanity?
Well, BBL is has a lower caloric intake than what Insanity would have you using. The minimum calories for Insanity is 1500. But without knowing your age, height, weight I can’t give you an exact amount of what you need.
Hi Jessica, I just got Insanity yesterday. I am currently in the middle of P90X. Well day 60. I have gained 7lbs and have not lost one pant size. So I am a little frustrated. I am positive I was not eating enough calories. I was netting 1400 for the day after the workouts. I ordered Insanity because I was referred by a FB post on the P90X website. I am going to start Insanity on Sunday then do P90X from scratch after Insanity is complete. I have problems sticking with the diet plans due to food allergies. I am allergic to all tree nuts, milk and whey protein. I also do not eat red meat (I got ecoli a few years back and was in the hospital for a week). So using Shakeology is not an option for me unfortunately. I also am up at 4AM everyday and drive 90 min to work. So making breakfast in the morning is very difficult for me as my office has no oven, Only a microwave. I normally pack lunches from home from what I made for dinner the night before. I do the workouts right when I get home from work around 5:30 and eat dinner around 645-7. I am in bed by 8:30. So I am unsure if eating so close to bed is a factor in not losing weight but with my hours at work this is my only option. I find it hard to consume the amount of calories I need to. Is the calorie amount realistic? I am 27 years old, 5’7 and I weigh 165. P90X wanted me to eat 2400 and Insanity 2150. Is that the net after the workout? Or the amount of calories to consume for your entire day then subtract out your calories burned to get your net?
Hi Ashley, okay, one reason you may be gaining weight with P90X is you might not be drinking enough water. You may be retaining water and need to flush it out. Also, yes, the caloric intake is realistic. It takes in account your gender, age, etc. So you may be under-eating. But I feel you could probably up it to 1800 instead of 2400 and 2150. But ,my calculator is showing 2100 for you to lose some weight doing P90X and the same with Insanity.
You can eat close to bed as long as it’s not a really heavy meal. Some people actually claim to lose weight by eating a light snack before bed. You do not need to eat red meat to get enough protein.
As far as Shakeology goes, there is a vegan formula which you might want to look into. I use it and love it! I hope I answered some of your questions.
Hi Jessica, I just started Insanity on March 10th and still going strong. However, I did not start following the nutrition guide until today. I generally eat extremely healthy with the occasional slip up on the weekends. I typically consume 1200 calories or less. I’m 5’5″, 31 years old and I weigh around 135. I hope to lose 10 lbs. and really tone up. I’ve never been athletic and never played any sports. I do have a neck and back injury, so I go at my own pace and I’ve made it through each and every workout w/ some advil afterwards here and there haha! My question is how many calories should I consume and if I can’t finish the meal is that ok and I can just toss it? Too full at every meal. Today it was really tough for me to even begin to eat my 2nd snack of the day. Thanks for your help! Danielle
Hi Danielle, you don’t need to force feed yourself. If you;re not hungry don’t force it, but make sure you’re lack of hunger isn’t from drinking coffee. You want to make sure you;re feeding your body what it needs and sometimes caffeine can mask that. So if you are drinking coffee try to cut back a little
Also make sure you;re drinking lots of water too. When I ran your numbers you should actually be eating around 1900 cals to lose some weight doing Insanity. Your appetite may pick up so, let’s see hat happens. I know it sounds weird that you need to eat more to lose, but it does work. Try to stick to the meal plan. Again if you drink coffee, limit that 
Hello, am thinking about trying insanity as I have found other workout routines either rely to heavily on supplement (£360+) or simply are unrealistic (the bizzy diet – shape up in 21 days doing 4 intense workouts a week, incl HIIT and high rep low weight lifting). Although bizzy diet may work if I was to take all the suggested supplements I don’t have the money to buy all of them.
Before I commit to trying insanity it would be helpful to have an idea of the supplement/nutrition – you say above whole foods are best and the nutrition plans are simple and affordable but don’t mention much about supplements.
I currently have Protein, BCAA, Maltodextrin, All in One Shake, Cutting Stack and Omega 3,6 and 9. Once this stock is gone I do not intend to buy any more unless they come recommended with insanity. If you can provide some guidance – I may need different ones to what you used but some idea would be helpful. Many Thanks
Hi Dan, the Insanity Nutrition Guide is very easy and not heavy on supplements at all. They give you a lot of choices for all 5 meals. You can totally do Insanity by not using lots of supplements at all
The nutrition guide does have a recipe for a protein smoothie, as well as a recipe using Shakeology (but that’s only avail in the US & Canada). Other than that all of the recipes are whole foods.
Hi,i just got insanity yesterday,i read the elite nutrition guide,and i saw that some meals “contains” shakeology,protein powder and these stuff,i can t affort buying them from beachbody.com or everywhere else,is that a problem that i dont include them in my meals?i mean, i could eat veggies fruits healthy meats….but that.. I don t know..(sorry for my english, i m not american.. Or english.) oh, and.. The insanity t shirt.. If i didn t purchase the kit from beachbody, is there a chance to get it if i send them a before and after pic? I m from europe
thanks and i m waiting for an answer.
The Shakeology is just an option and not mandatory. But it only costs about $4 per serving and is a whole meal. If you didn;t purchase Insanity through Beachbody or a Team Beachbody coach you will not be eligible for the t-shirt.
Hiya Jessica I would just like to ask is it possible to Achieve amazing results with insanity without following the diet because I was just gonna eat healthy and eat protein foods etc and carbs but my problem is work I Wouldn’t have time to eat all the five meals or even prepare then then the price because you need to eat them five times a day it would be difficult do you have any suggestions that could help me as I really wanna do insanity and want great results butu problem is getting me down
HELP !!!
John, anytime you deviate from the way the program was written and designed you run the risk of not getting the results you desire. I understand that life gets busy and schedules aren’t easy, but the nutrition guide for Insanity is made for busy, working people. Nothing hard at all. and nothing is expensive at all in there. And you can prepare meals in advance. Invest in some good containers and some freezer packs to keep in a cooler and bring that to work with you. That’s what my husband does.
Hi Jessica,
I am willing to give 100% to Insanity but I find it difficult to keep up with the calorie diet . I know that the easier diet that works for me is Dr.Atkins’s diet.
Please advise on how to tackle this.
Atkin is too low in carbs for Insanity which is a cardio based program. The caloric intake varies from person to person. I took in about 1500 and that was easy because it’s broken into 5 small meals.
Hey Jessica! I borrowed the Insanity workout from a friend but she never gave me the nutrition guide…would the result still be the same if I work out but only eat fruits and veggies?
Danielle, You can eat a vegan diet with Insanity, but you will need to incorporate grains and nuts!!
So great to read your post. I am looking into starting insanity and also eat a plant based diet. Wanted to know if the program worked with a plant based diet, as many do not encourage it, so to speak. What was your starting weight and end results? Thx.
The Elite Nutrition Guide has a section with vegan and vegetarian options as well as some vegetarian meals
This post and the responses are very informative and I appreciate them very much.
I am 5’9″ tall, 36 years old, and weighing in at 180lbs. I am on day 10 of insanity. Previous to this I have been going to the gym (for the last year) but my weight has not been subsiding. I have been gaining muscle strength but I realized that my cardio endurance wasn’t improving and my weight isn’t going down.
At the moment I do not follow the meal plan but I do split my meals to 6 intakes a day (and i don’t eat/drink junk).
So my question is, for a person of my size/weight/age, do you have any caloric recommendations for me? Also, will insanity work for me at my age? I sometimes tend to skip a night due to work reasons. Thanks.
Hi Mike! Okay you need to be eating about 2400 calories per day doing Insanity. And yes, Insanity will work at your age! And 36 isn’t old!! Skipping one night now and then shouldn’t cause you to have bad results. Just make sure you stick to eating clean and drinking lots of water.
Hello, Im starting INSANITY on Monday but my biggest issue is that im allergic to fish, tree nuts, and eggs, to which they have substitutes for both fish and eggs but everything, since i have to take in 560 cal a meal, pretty much tells me to add some sort of nuts and I cant seem to find a viable substitution for this issue, Id really appreciate the help.
I would just use lean chicken or if you’re not allergic to soy try a little organic tempeh or tofu.
Hi, my wife and I are thinking about starting Insanity. We are both about 20 to 25 lbs. overweight but I am in my mid 40s and she is in her late 30s. Would this work for us?
Thanks!
Fernie, if you and your wife stick to the nutrition guide and do the best you can without getting discouraged, yes you can both do this!
Hi jessica… i work full time at call center Can still do insanity? I mean i can the workouts when i get home but how am i going to eat 5 meals a day when im takin calls all day???
Hi, I have done Insanity last year, however did not follow the meal plan. I have just started again and am following the meal plan to every detail. However some of the meals don’t say the exact amount of vegetables to include, e.g. Grilled chicken salad tells you the exact amount of chicken, greens etc but not cucumber, also one of the food blocks says 1 boiled egg with baby carrots, but doesn’t say how many baby carrots. would this mean it does not matter of the exact amount?
You can eat sa many raw veggies as you want. The more the better!
Hi! This is my second week on insanity. I’ve decided to start following the meal plan, but due to dietary restrictions (I don’t eat gluten, soy or diary) I’m finding it hard to follow. Do you have any suggestions?
Stick to the meals that don’t have gluten products or use a gluten free sub. And use almond milk instead of dairy and skip the soy.