Hmm, I think you may be right about the Pumpkin stuff. I'll have to recalculate it at home. I've been counting it as 2 no matter how much I eat of it and it seems to be working, but I don't want to over do it. For some reason I was thinking that the Pumpkin only came out to barely 1 for the can??? I'm probably mistaken Thanks! Isn't it delicious though?!

These are some great ideas!



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Lisa K.
6/00 - 202
2/17- 165
St. Paddies Goal -158

Here's a low point treat you should all try. It tastes exactly like an ice cream sandwich. Take chocolate graham crackers, break one in half so you have two squares (duh) spread with FF or lite cool whip and top with other half of cracker. I make up a package of crackers at a time. Then put in a zip lock bag and put in the freezer. For some reason the cool whip tastes just like the ice cream in an ice cream sandwich when it's frozen. I figured one sandwich out to be 1.5 points and they are so yummy. They satisfy both my chocolate craving and craving for sweets. Gotta love em!!!
Space

Pumkin is a free veggie, which explains the pudding/pumpkin recipe confusion. If you don't count the pumpkin, it probably does work out to 2 points, not 4.

Kim

pdx2mo,

Pumpkin is only free if you get the points from the Getting Started book. The Complete Food Companion lists only FRESH pumpkin as a freebie; canned is 1 pt for a cup. What a rip, heh?

Hey, ChrisNJakesMom, let me know what you come up with!!!! I just figure it's better to be safe than sorry when caclualting points. I try to get the most out of each point I count. Our WW Leader said that the points listed in the companion and guide books are only averages and it's best to go by the nutritional information on the side of the box/can. The 15 oz. can of Libby's pumpkin that I buy has 3.5 servings (1/2 cup each) in each can which totals 140 calories, 1.75 grams of fat and 4 fiber (actually, there's more fiber, but we can only count 4) for the whole can - that comes out to 2 points for the can. I am going to a different WW meeting today on my lunch hour and I'll get a few other opinions on how people are counting pumpkin.

And I love the ice cream sandwich idea - I've had that before. Although, again, with the new POINTS system, the graham crackers came out 1 point higher than before.

Liz.

But Liz, unless you eat the whole batch of whatever it is you put that can of pumpkin into, you can count as much as 4 g fiber PER SERVING. True, the whole can comes out the 2 points, but if you were splitting the calories/fat/fiber 4 ways and allowing up to 4 g fiber per serving, you might find what you are adding is just negligible.

There are lots of great ways to use pumpkin in baking. Try a box of chocolate or spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin to make some dense, rich, low point muffins or cupcakes. If you make 12 big ones, they'll be about 3 points--lower points if you make smaller ones, obviously.

Thanks, Bumby. The recipe is just a simple can of pumpkin, a box of sugar free, fat free vanilla pudding mix and a few spices (of course topped with fat free cool whip). I have been splitting the dessert into two servings and having it after dinner. I did not have a problem eating the entire mixture at one time - so when I do that, I should probably count it as 4 since I am eating the entire thing. Do you think that sounds right?

Liz, sounds right to me--it's 240 cal for the whole thing, so 4 points is fair. Bet this makes a filling and nutritious dessert!

Thank you for all of these great ideas!!! I am going to try them this weekend. And I think 4pts for a dessert sounds great. A lot more bulk than those small (but yummy) frozen ww desserts for 4pts.

Also, I am going to try the grahmcraker sandwhich thing.

Another good thing to do with cool whip (got this off the 20-somethihg board years ago) is to mix with yogart (ff/sf or regular depending on your preference) and freez. Makes an icecream as well. Points vary on kind of yogart.

Trish

[This message has been edited by Trish O (edited 02-22-2001).]

Bumby, this is definitely a filling and worthwhile dessert for 4 points! It's hard for me to pass up not eating the entire thing. If I have the points to spare, you can consider the entire dessert a goner!! What I usually try to do is split the mixture into two containers (2 points each) and top each serving with 2 tbsp of fat free Cool Whip (0 points). It's tastes just like a little pumpkin pie - which is a favorite dessert of mine!! I like to take one to work with me for a little treat in the afternoon. Something little like that makes the rest of the workday a little more bearable.

I calculated it per serving. One serving equals 0 points So technically 3.5 times 0 equals 0. But I think when you actually do the whole thing it is 2 points...that's where the new fiber rule screws you ... Then when I calculated the SF FF vanilla, I got one point. Oh well... whatever the points.. it is great!! I think I'll keep counting mine as 2 since I barely eat half of the whole thing at a time. So, if I ate the whole entire thing I'll count it as 4!!

Sorry for the confusion :confused:

You guys have some great ideas! I'm going to try the "Ice-Cream Sandwiches"

Lisa K

Re: the pumpkin pudding thing - I think the change in the pumpkin points came about with the "Winning Points" program. For 123 Success, pumpkin, canned or otherwise, was 0 points. So it depends on which plan you're following. :-) It's yummy and satisfying either way - especially warmed up with some FF Cool Whip on top!

Helen

I'm going to steal your idea about splittng it up and putting FF CoolWhip and making "Liitle Pies" ...That way i won't get bored with it.
I went to a different grocery store the other night, and couldn't find the Pumpkin, so I found the Grocery Manager stocking on a differnet aisle and asked him if it was in a different place. He took me to where it was supposed to be, where the tag was, but said they only order it during the holidays, b/c it doesn't sell... I was like "What???" I was so mad I begged him to order some, but b/c he has to order it by the case (and I don't want a whole case at this point) he said he couldn't.
I wish I'd of brought it to work with me now

Lisa K.

Lisa - You have GOT to be kidding???? What grocery store wouldn't keep pumpkin in stock? They obviously don't know how important it is! I bet if they tasted this dessert, they'd keep the pumpkin well stocked at all times!

Thanks, Helen, for the tip on warming it up! I didn't even think to warm it up a little bit! I will definitely do that tonight. I can't wait to go home and eat dinner so I can get to the dessert! The treadmill comes first though!!!

Liz

I tried that pumpkin desert~ oh my gosh, who ever invented this did a GOOD job!! I suppose you would have to be a pumpkin lover (I am) but oh so good and very low in points. You can even go further and put cool whip light with a couple of graham crackers! WW is getting eaiser!