A Little Update on Me

In some of my posts, I have mentioned that I am trying to go back on the PKU diet. I have been struggling a lot lately, especially with my small amounts of protein and drinking my formula consistently. I have always struggled with keeping my protein levels down, even when I was younger and on the diet. It's no different now.

I recently got a package in the mail, opened it, and discovered my formula! I was really excited to finally have it. I opened it, mixed some up, and drank it. I soon realized the taste had not changed. I can get past a gross taste as long as it doesn't smell gross, too. Thank goodness it smells like real strawberries. :) I still feel sick to my stomach for about 20 minutes after I drink my formula. I am not really sure why that is, but I can live through that as well. The only thing I have really been having trouble with is keeping my natural protein to a minimum. For so long I have had free reign on anything I wanted to eat. I never counted how much protein was in anything... Well, since going back on the diet means limiting my protein, I count it now.

I am only allotted 12 grams of protein a day. That isn't much considering how much protein is in vegetables even.

Potatoes : 2.1 Grams of protein
Broccoli : 4.2 grams
Banana : 1.2 grams
Orange : 1.1 grams
Spinach :  2.8 grams
Brussels Sprouts : 3 grams
Cauliflower : 3 grams
Sweet Onion : 2 grams

You get the point. I have to eat very carefully in order to not go over my daily amount. It's challenging to keep track and still eat right. I'm always looking for recipes for meals that have a very small amount of protein. They are out there... Most of them I have already tried and am getting tired of. I'm trying more and more recipes from my old PKU cookbook. I haven't tried too many but I will let you know when I have found some good ones.

Anyways, here is another recipe from my personal PKU cookbook.

Vegetable Pot Pie

(Dough Recipe Below)

Basic Vegetable Mixture:

1 cup diced potatoes

1 cup diced or sliced carrots

1/4 cup chopped onion

Vegetable Option 1

1 cup quartered fresh mushrooms or 1/2 cup sliced canned mushrooms 

2 tablespoons frozen peas

Vegetable Option 2

1 cup fresh or frozen cut green beans

1/3 cup chopped celery

Gravy

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1 pkg G. Washington's golden seasoning and Broth, or seasoning of your choice

1 3/4 cups water

Prepare pastry and set aside. Prepare vegetables from Basic Vegetable Mixture, then prepare vegetables from either of the two vegetable options. As all vegetables are prepared, dividing equally among 8 individual casserole dishes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper as desired.

To prepare Gravy, in a small saucepan mix cornstarch and broth powder. Add a few tablespoons of water and mix to a paste, then add remainder of water; bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened. Pour 3 tablespoons of gravy over vegetables in each casserole, just enough to cover vegetables. Cut pastry into rounds to fit casserole dish; place a round of pastry on each pie. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. 

Yields: 8 Pot pies

Storage Tip:

Pot pies freeze well, either baked or unbaked. Thaw and reheat in microwave oven, or bake as directed.

                                         

              Phenylalanine (mg)     Protein (gm)        Calories

Using Option 1

Per recipe        309                8.6                     231

Per Pie           39                 1.1                      29

(not including crust)

Using Option 2    294                 7.3                    226

Per Pie           37                  0.9                     28  (not including crust)  

Pot Pie Dough

1 1/2 cups Wheat Starch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup Butter flavored Crisco

1 tablespoon water

2 1/2 tablespoons light Karo corn syrup

Combine wheat starch and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender, fork, or 2 knives, until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs; sprinkle water over and blend with a fork. Dribble syrup over and continue mixing with a fork. Dough will be moist. Gather dough into a ball, adding wheat starch to your hands if sticky. toll out onto surface dusted with wheat starch, or pat out into desired shape.

Makes enough dough for one of the following:

10 pot pies

8 small turnovers

4 large turnovers

four 4-inch diameter pie pans

                                

               Phenylalanine (mg)  Protein (gm)        Calories

Per recipe          29             0.5                     1696

Per pot pie          3              -                      170

Per small turnover   4             0.1                     212

Per large turnover

or 4-inch pie pan    7             0.1                     424

I hope you enjoy that!

Until Next Time,

Phe 

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In Need of Cooperation!

I know it has been a while since we have talked! I have had a somewhat crazy schedule lately. On top of being busy, I am still waiting for my order of formula to get here. I'm not a very patient person to begin with... but let me tell you, my body isn't very patient either. Have you ever had those times when you were SO tired you wanted to fall asleep, but you still had things to get done? That has become an everyday thing with me lately.

When I last saw my Metabolic Specialist, I have been consuming 12 grams of protein a day. That is what Dr. Huntington thought my body needs in order to kick it into gear. I have no problem with that. I mean, sure, it's challenging at times, but considering I went from eating close to whatever I want to eating 12 grams of protein a day, I'd say I am doing pretty well.

Anyways, that's not the point. A woman my age should be consuming 46 grams of protein a day. But since I have PKU and my body can't break down that much protein very well, I need some help from medical protein. I get my medical protein from a drink that is most known as, formula. Like I said, I have no problem cutting myself down to 12 grams of protein a day, but I haven't received my order of formula, yet. Therefore, I run out of energy quickly, and get sleepy.

With only taking in a little amount of protein, my body likes to tell me I'm hungry. When I don't eat protein right away, I get sleepy. It is now to the point where, I wake up in the morning, take a shower, get dressed and ready for the day then I'm ready for a nap. My body has gone into panic mode, it thinks I am starving myself, even though I'm not. So, I tend to take a nap everyday that I can squeeze one in.

I'm so excited to get my formula, so I can stop feeling so tired and hungry all the time, and not have to worry about when I can fit in a nap.


PKU Friendly Monkey Bread

2 T sugar
1 ½ t cinnamon
3 ½ C Mixquick
1/3 C coffee rich
1/3 C water
2 T sugar
2 T margarine
1 t vanilla
1 t egg replacer, mixed w/ 2 T water (enough egg replacer and water to equal 1 egg)

Heat oven to 375. Spray a 9x5x3 loaf pan. Mix 2 T sugar and the cinnamon. Stir remaining ingredients until soft dough forms. Pinch off 1 ½ inch pieces of dough; roll into cinnamon sugar mixture and place in pan. Bake 20 – 25 minutes or until golden. Let stand in pan about 10 minutes and remove to wire rack. Drizzle with glaze and cut into slices. Serve warm or rewarmed in microwave.
Powered Sugar Glaze
½ C powdered sugar
2 -3 t water


Yield: 12 slices
Phe per recipe: app. 19mg
Phe per slice: app 2mg 




Thanks for reading!!

Until Next Time,
PHE


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