Prader-Willi Syndrome Calorie Counter Corner

Prader-Willi Syndrome Arizona Association

Prader-Willi Nilli News

Miss Willi Nilli

has some new

recipes for you!

CALORIE

COUNTER

CORNER

(New recipes have been added!)

Editor's note: While Karie was growing up, I kept her weight under control with strict calorie counting. My favorite calorie book is the one called "Food Counts" which is available at many Walgreen's stores. Karie is a master mathematician and has become a calorie-counting expert. This keeps her busy during meal preparation. I am aware that Karie thinks about food all the time, and often asks about the next meal and recounts what she has eaten for recently consumed meals. Accepting her preoccupation with food, I try to make her restricted diet easier to follow by allowing her the freedom of having something to eat whenever she feels hungry. All she has to do is ask, and I'll give her a snack. There are so many items to offer, like dill pickles, air-popped popcorn, sugar-free popcicles, and mini rice cakes. As long as Karie knows that she can have something to eat if she only asks, this seems to minimize incidents of unauthorized food consumption and seems to lessen her obsession with food. Using this philosophy (along with locked cupboards and an alarm on the refrigerator), I was able to help Karie keep her weight under 100 lbs. up to the age of 16, when she entered a group home. Even now, she is slim and trim at 114 lbs. following a 1400-calorie-a-day diet plan and daily exercise. - Teresa Kellerman

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Nana Banana Snacks (30 calories)

3 medium bananas (4 oz. each),
cut into quarters

1 T. lemon juice mixed with 1 T. water

and 1 packet of Sweet'N Low

Roll the banana pieces in lemon juice mixture to coat.

Insert a clean wooden stick into the center of each banana piece. Freeze on a sheet of waxed paper. Makes 12 snacks.

Sweetie's Giant Strawberry Milkshake
(100 calories)

5 frozen whole strawberries
(about 1 cup, or 5 oz.)

1/2 C. skim milk

1/2 C. water

1 packet of Sweet'N Low

Blend in blender until smooth. (Strawberries MUST be frozen to make shake thick.) Warning: Miss Willi Nilli says this makes a big pink milkshake mustache!

Movie Munchies (50 calories)

1 C. puffed wheat

1/2 t. dry lemonade powder mix.

1 sprinkle of Sweet'N Low

Shake in a zipper bag and take along to movie, meeting, church, doctor appointment, etc. This keeps little fingers busy, minimizes tantrums and reduces waiting time!

Let-Us-Eat-Sugar Snack (20 calories)

One large leaf of lettuce

One level teaspoon real sugar

Sprinkle sugar on lettuce. Roll it up. Nibble away!

Trim-the-Tummy Taco Salad (200 calories)

2 C. lettuce, chopped

1 oz. low-fat cheese, shredded

3 T. salsa

1 oz. "Light" crumbled tortilla chips.

Toss and gobble it up. For another 100 calories, you can add 3 oz. cooked and well-drained lean ground beef or ground turkey.

Tasty Tuna Salad (2 servings)
(80 calories per serving)

1 6-oz. can tuna (water packed), drained

1 large dill pickle, chopped

1 T. mustard

1 t. curry powder

Mix and serve on a bed of lettuce. Makes two servings. With the calories you save, you'll have room for dessert!

Green Beans Alfredo (60 calories)

1 lb. bag frozen whole green beans

1 packet alfredo sauce mix

1 C. boiling water

Add boiling water to sauce mix, stir into green beans, place in shallow baking dish, cover, and bake in 350 oven for 35 minutes. Makes 6 servings about 2/3 cup each. This can be prepared with Confetti Fillet of Sole.

Confetti Fillet of Sole (100 calories)

1 lb. sole, cut in 6 pieces (about 3 oz. ea.)

1 T. butter

1 green pepper, sliced

1 red pepper, sliced

1 onion, sliced

1 T. lemon juice

Dash of paprika, salt, pepper

Dot fish pieces with butter, sprinkle with lemon juice, season with dash of paprika, salt and pepper. Top with sliced vegetables. Cover and bake in 350 oven for 30 minutes, uncover and bake another 5 min. Makes 6 servings.

Pseudo Pspaghetti (150 calories)

2 C. spaghetti squash, cooked & drained

1 C. tomato sauce,
seasoned with basil and garlic

1 T. parmessan cheese sprinkled on top

The squash can be microwaved by placing one half of a squash in a glass pie pan with a little water, covering with saran wrap, and cooking until tender. Scrape it out with a fork and it looks just like spaghetti!

"Everything" Veggie Salad
(35 calories)

1 zucchini

1 tomato

1 bunch green onions

1 cucumber

1 celery stalk

1 broccoli stalk

1 carrot

1 bell pepper

Chop "Everything" up and toss with 1 T. wine vinegar and salt and pepper. It tastes best the next day! One 1/2 cup serving is only 35 calories.

Super Sandwich (Karie's favorite - just 200 calories)

2 slices diet bread

lots of mustard

1 slice lo-fat cheese

2 slices lo-fat ham

1/2 C. alfalfa srpouts

2 thin slices of tomato

1 dill pickle, cut into thin slices

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When Leona has her grandson David come to visit, she likes to fix his favorite veggie salads. Here's one: "Don't say 'no' until you try it," says Leona.

CUCUMBERS IN MILK

Melt 1 t. margarine, add 3 cucmbers thinly sliced,

3 sliced radishes, 1t. grated onion, cook 10 min.

(add a little water if needed).

Add 1/4 C. non-fat milk, dash salt & pepper.

Heat but do not boil. 5 servings, 30 cal. ea.

David also likes to snack on carrot strips that are

chilled in a jar of water that has been flavored

with a packet of no-cal sweetener. For a quick,

cool salad, Leona suggests tossing sliced

cucumbers, scallions and tomatoes with

balsamic vinegar - Mmmmmmm!

Zucchini Soup
1 lb. hot Italian turkey sausage (prick skin and cook in boiling water to remove extra fat, then cut in small chunks. Add:
1 C. chopped onion
2 C. cut up celery
2 cut up carrots
2 cut up green (or red) bell peppers
Cook together 1/2 hour.
In big stock pot, add to above:
1 Qt. tomato (or V-8) juice
2 t. Italian seasoning
2 chicken bouillon cubes
6 C. cubed zucchini (with skin) (about 4 big ones)
1 T. sugar
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 t. fresh basil, chopped
1 t. oregano
Cook (and stir occasionally) covered 15 minutes. Let it steep a while for immediate use. Better when it sits overnight. I like it pureed so seems creamed. Also some cooked pasta is a nice addition. You won’t believe how good this is ‘til you try it.

T-J Miracle Soup (aka Cabbage Soup)

6 large onions
2 green peppers
Whole tomatoes (fresh or canned)
1 head of cabbage
1 lark stalk of celery

Season with dry onion soup mix. Cut vegetables and cover with water in a large pot. Boil for 10 minutes. Cover, lower heat and simmer until vegetables are soft. Delicious and very low calorie. (I like to add a dash of Tabasco sauce.)

LEMON FISH
(Pitsburgh Institute Newsletter)

l pound fish fillets (snapper, sole)

1/4 C. chicken broth

4 lemon slices

1/2 tsp. Molly McButter

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 T. dried parsley

Bake uncovered at 450 degrees for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, or until fish flakes with fork.

Makes 4 servings, about 125 calories each.

FRESH FRUIT SALAD