Question about recipes using IP products
 

I'm finally experimenting with a few new recipes. If a recipe uses an IP packet, how is it generally counted in the daily packets? I have a recipe that uses the banana pudding for banana cookies. It makes more than you would eat at one time. Also, I've made a cake out of the chocolate drink, adding baking powder among other things, so I'm thinking that would replace the restricted item? Any rules of thumb I should know? Thanks!!

As long as you eat your packet within the day you are okay. Just eat your food: 3 IP Packets + 8oz protein + 4 cups veggies. If you make a ton of cookies from 1 Packet and split it up into 2 snacks - great, just get all of it in for the day.

1 Packet is 1 Packet is 1 Packet. Whether it be in cookies or pudding - it's still just 1 packet. Also check with your coach, but the 2 egg whites/day MAX are usually counted as free - as they contribute ~35 calories, all from protein, which makes the "0 carbs / 0 fat / 0 sugar" rule stated on our Phase 1 sheet as allowable extras.

As far as baking powder, a 1/2 tsp adds ~4 calories from ~1g carb, it's the same approximate amount as 1 packet of Splenda (fyi, Splenda has ~4 calories from ~.9g carbs, as does 1 serving of Walden Farms products). I count the baking powder as an "extra", which should all be done in moderation. My coach advised me to keep all the "extras" (Splenda, WF, Mio, SF gum, etc) at 6 servings or less a day, as they DO have hidden/negligible carbs & calories which can add up if you lose track. The FDA requires <5 calories and <1g carbs to be labeled "0/0/0", so just assume that every "extra" is adding 4.9999999 calories from 0.9999999g carbs.

Great question and thanks LizRR for the answer! I was curious too. But I assumed I had to cut my 8 oz down to 6 if I used the eggs. But then I was assuming baking powder, ect. was just a freebie! Glad to have this cleared up.

So... going off the asker's orig question though...
Do you count the "recipe" since it has extra carbs as your restricted IP for the day? Or since you may have made it with pudding do you just count is as your unrestricted and therefore can eat a bar later? Thanks!

If it's made with a restricted IP packet - it's a restricted packet, and we can only have 1/day
If it's made with an unrestricted IP packet - it's an unrestricted packet, you can still have 1 restricted in the day

Some folks make recipes using 2 IP unrestricted packets (Wildberry Pancakes = IP WB Yogurt + IP Crispy Cereal, both unrestricted) - they count as 2 IP unrestricted packets.

Some use recipes using 2 IP packets - 1 restricted + 1 unrestricted (Cookies & Cream Ice Cream = Crushed Soy Puffs + IP Vanilla Pudding Ice Cream) , they count as 2 packets = 1 restricted + 1 unrestricted.

Any extra calories from 1/2 tsp baking powder are as negligible as other extras - Splenda, Walden Farms, etc. and should be accounted for as an extra & logged in your food journal. Some folks find they are sensitive to these extras, so logging & tracking them is always important in case tweaks are needed. But you can only find this out for yourself and looking at your losses and intake.

And only 2 egg whites/day MAX are counted as "free" - at least with my coach, ALWAYS check with your own coach - as they are so low in calories and come from all protein.

These recipes are composed of the packets and 2 egg whites with negligible calories/carbs from "extras" for a reason - so they can be easily tracked and accounted for as the packet they were created from.

Thank you so much for the info, got it! I've lost 34lbs in 8 weeks, feel great. I have about 70 more to go, I definitely don't want to do anything that's going to hinder my progress, but it's time to try some new things!

Thank you!! All this info is great!