Protein Bakery Cookies Part 2

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Team 101

The Protein Bakery Cookies

We previously wrote a review about The Protein Bakery’s brownies and cookies, and we swore that we would write another review about their awesome protein packed desserts, here is that review. The Protein Bakery says: “We chose the name Protein Bakery, for a good (and healthy) reason. Muscle-building protein is a huge component in all our delicious cookies, brownies and blondies. Every delectable, guilt-free bite is high in dietary fiber, low in gluten, and delivers up to 5 times more protein than the average baked treat”. They also say: “Our trans-fat free, preservative free, and wheat flour-free recipes are also nutritionally balanced. We combine natural ingredients like heart-healthy rolled oats, light brown sugar, and the finest chocolate”. To learn more about The Protein Bakery, be sure and head to their web-site for more information.

This review is going to focus on 5 different and delectable flavors that The Protein Bakery offers: Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter White Chip, and Oatmeal Cranberry. The first cookie we started our review with was their Chocolate Chocolate Chip cookie, which is aptly given that name because it’s made with a cocoa base and loaded with chocolate chips. If you’re a chocolate fan, then this is the cookie for you, because it has an awesome chocolate base and a few chocolate chips scattered throughout. Texturally, the cookie is soft with a bit of a crunch from the chocolate chips. We weren’t really expecting the texture to be as good as it was, simply because we were imaging that it would be dry and hard from all of the added protein. After that, we tried their Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookie out, which was pretty much everything we were hoping it would be. The classic peanut butter and chocolate combination never ceases to fail, simply because it’s one of the best duos around. Next, we took a turn for the more classic cookie, and bit into their Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookie. Nostalgia reigns supreme in this cookie, because you gets the strong presence of the oatmeal that goes perfect with the nice addition of chocolate chips. Our next cookie was the Peanut Butter White Chocolate Chip, and this cookie was pretty much the same as the peanut butter chocolate chip cookie, with the slight difference that this one was a bit sweeter. Perhaps the reason it’s sweeter is simply because of the white chocolate chips, but we thought we would just mention as a side note for anyone that wants a slightly sweeter cookie. Lastly, we tried out their Oatmeal Cranberry cookie, and this was another great flavor from The Protein Bakery for one reason–simplicity. The previous oatmeal chocolate chip cookie was simple, traditional and tasty; while this one is simple, tasty, and a bit nostalgic. Our testers loved the oatmeal and cranberry combination simply because they work well together, but it was also a nice change of pace from their richer and sweeter cookie flavors. Overall (4.5 out of 5).

The pros are that the cookies taste awesome, the texture of the cookies is soft, you can buy them directly from their online store, they have a ton of different products and varieties to choose from, and they have a decent amount of protein in them.

The cons are that they make you think they’re healthier than they really are, they have some fat and sugar in them, and you have to wait a couple of days for your awesome cookies or brownies to arrive.

Nutritional Information For 1 Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie:

Calories 100
Fat 6g
Sodium 60mg
Carbs 10g
Fiber 2g
Sugar 4g
Protein 4g

Yoplait Greek Yogurt

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Team 101

Everyone is already aware of Yoplait and the products they make, so we’ll keep the introduction short. The one thing we would like to note is that Yoplait is trying to jump on the bandwagon of Greek yogurt, in hopes of cornering part of the market. They have 9 different flavors in their Greek yogurt line, however, this review will focus on their Key Lime and Blueberry flavors. To learn more about Yoplait, head to their web-site for more information. Also, if you want to check out the Food Review 101 Facebook page, we wouldn’t stop you.

Yoplait says, “Greek yogurt is good but Yoplait® Greek is SO good. That’s because our Greek yogurt tastes as good as a Yoplait should! We all know Greek yogurt is thick, creamy and packed with protein… but only one has the great taste you expect from a Yoplait”. We’re not so sure that they rival the other major players in the Greek yogurt market; however, we didn’t hate it as much as we thought we would. As you can see from the picture, all of the fruit is on the bottom of the cups, so you have to stir it pretty heavily in order to bring everything to the top and mixed together. That isn’t too difficult to do, but the bad thing about this yogurt is that it isn’t nearly as good as the original mass producers of Greek yogurt. The first flavor we started with was Key Lime, and we usually wouldn’t try this flavor, and it became obvious half way through this review why. The key lime aspect was OK, a bit too tangy for a few of us, but the yogurt it-self isn’t as creamy as we were hoping it would be. The Blueberry flavor was much better than the Key Lime variety, however, it wasn’t nearly as good as other brands we’ve tried out. It has a decent amount of blueberries in it, but it also contains quite a bit of added sugar, which a few of our testers didn’t enjoy too much. If you’re looking for a cheaper Greek yogurt, perhaps this will do; however, if you don’t want to sacrifice taste or texture, we recommend you stick with the tried and true brands that started the Greek yogurt phenomenon. Overall (3 out of 5).

The pros are that they have 9 flavors to choose from, it’s cheaper Greek yogurt, you can find them at most grocery stores nation-wide, and it’s somewhat healthy.

The cons are that the flavors aren’t too great, the texture isn’t as creamy as other brands, and it has a decent amount of added sugar in it.

Nutritional Information For 1 Yoplait Blueberry Greek Yogurt:

Calories 160
Fat 0g
Sodium 100mg
Carbs 26g
Fiber 20g
Sugar 10g
Protein 12g

Marich Gourmet Chocolate Part 2

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Team 101

As we mentioned in a previous review of Marich, Marich Premium Chocolates is a company we found in Hollister, California; however, we wouldn’t be doing a review of a company unless you were able to purchase their products online. Marich has a huge collection of chocolate, chocolate fruits, chocolate nuts, caramels and toffee, as well as jelly beans and other sweets. We are going to break up our review of Marich into two separate reviews, allowing us to give you a more in-depth look at a few of the products they offer. This review will focus on their chocolate almonds, chocolate caramel, chocolate covered strawberries and blueberries. To learn more about Marich, be sure and check out their web-site for more information on their line of products.

The first chocolate covered goodie we tried out was their Chocolate Toffee Caramel, and as you can see from the picture below, it actually looks less sinful and heavy than you would imagine. The tiny ball of caramel is gently wrapped in a layer of milk chocolate, making this chocolate toffee caramel a bit of a sweet treat. The texture, however, is a bit chewy, but very inviting and addictive. Our testers loved the combination of caramel and chocolate, which is probably why we would recommend this to our toffee caramel lovers out there. Next, we tried our hand at their Chocolate Strawberries, which were an absolute crowd pleaser. What we loved most about this snack was how large the strawberries were, and the fact that they still tasted like fresh strawberries—which can sometimes be difficult when you purchase a lesser chocolate. Marich decided to use dark chocolate as the coating, a fantastic idea by the way, and lead our tasters to easily recommend this for anyone just looking for an awesome chocolate and strawberry combination. Sticking with that classical trend, we continued our review with their Milk Chocolate Almonds. Obviously you can’t go wrong with milk chocolate covered almonds, so we’ll keep this one short and just say that it’s another success in Marich’s line of gourmet chocolate goodies. Lastly, we tried out one of the more interesting products in their line, but our testers thought that their Chocolate Blueberries might’ve been the best thing they tried out all day. It isn’t too often that chocolate companies will offer you something as inventive as a milk chocolate covered blueberry, but after demolishing this whole bag, our judges think other companies should do it more often. The natural and sweet flavor that comes from the blueberries goes perfect with the milk chocolate coating, and is just another reason why you should try practically anything that Marich has to offer. If you think we’re wrong about anything in this review, let us know in the comments section below. Overall (4.5 out of 5).

The pros are that they have a huge line of chocolate goodness to choose from, everything taste like it should—and better, the texture of all the chocolates we tried out were good and you can order everything from their online store.

The cons are that you have to wait a couple of agonizing days for your gourmet chocolate to arrive, and it’s still chocolate after all.

Nutritional Information For 5 Chocolate Strawberries:

Calories 190
Fat 9g
Sodium 0mg
Carbs 27g
Fiber 2g
Sugar 17g
Protein 1g

Clif Kit’s Organic Nutrition Bars

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Team 101

Kit's Organic Bars

Everyone is fairly familiar with the Clif Bar company, so we’ll spare you most of their background information and just tell you that they are a nutrition bar company through and through. They make Clif Bar’s, Luna, Clif KidZ Bar, Clif Builder’s, Clif Crunch, Clif Shot, Clif Mojo, and Clif Kit’s Organic. Today’s review will focus on a few flavors in their Kit’s Organic line, which actually has 4 flavors in it: Berry Almond, Peanut Butter, Cashew, and Chocolate Almond Coconut. You can find their bars at any grocery store near you, or an online retailer. To learn more about Clif Kit’s Organic bars, be sure and head to their web-site for more information on their line of products.

The first flavor we started with was their Berry Almond bar, which surprisingly enough doesn’t even contain blueberries, rather, it’s made with barberries and bilberries—both of which we’ve never heard of. The bar’s only made with 4 flavors, so it makes sense that it would have a strong influence of berries and almonds—which it absolutely does. This bar is somewhat sweet, but definitely not candy bar sweet, it’s more refreshing than anything else. Texturally, it’s soft and somewhat chewy, much like a Larabar. After that, we tried out their Peanut Butter bar, which is simply made with dates, peanut, almonds and sea salt. If you’re a fan of peanut butter, then the chances are pretty high that you’ll enjoy this bar. All you taste is peanuts and almonds, which is a big plus if you enjoy the rich and hearty flavor of nuts. The texture of all the Kit’s Organic bars is the same, so expect the similarity throughout each bar. Lastly, we tried out their Cashew flavor, and our testers enjoyed this bar for the same reason they enjoyed the previous 2—simplicity. Much like the peanut butter bar, this bar was loaded with cashews, giving it a rich and luscious flavor. If you’re a fan of simple nutrition bars, perhaps you check out any of the four that Clif has provided you with. Overall (4 out of 5).

The pros are that they have 4 flavors to choose from, everything tastes great and like its namesake, the bars are made with simple ingredients, you can find them almost anywhere they sell food, they’re organic, and they’re free of gluten, dairy and soy.

The cons are that the sugar content might scare a few people off, but all of it comes from dates.

Nutritional Information For 1 Kit’s Organic Peanut Butter Bar:

Calories 200
Fat 11g
Sodium 95mg
Carbs 25g
Fiber 4g
Sugar 15g
Protein 6g

Honey Stinger Protein Bars

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Team 101

You may or may not have heard of Honey Stinger depending on how much you exercise, yes it’s a probably a factor, but we would like to give you a bit of background information on them before we get started. They say: “Honey Stinger’s energy and protein bars, waffles, gels and chews are all-natural foods designed for athletes and great for anyone looking for a healthy snack. Honey stinger is pure natural energy.” Honey Stinger makes two different sizes of protein bars, 10 grams and 20 grams, giving you the option to choose whichever one suits your diet the best. This review will focus on their protein bars, which we think sound pretty great—Mint Almond, Cherry Almond and Coconut Almond. We’ll be reviewing their gels, waffles and energy bars at a later date, but if you would like to learn more about Honey Stinger, then take a look at their nifty little web-site.

The first flavor we tried out was their Dark Chocolate Mint Almond bar, and as you can see from the picture below, it looks like a regular ol’ candy bar. If you’re looking for a mint chocolate bar, then perhaps this is the bar for you, because the mint wasn’t too subtle, and it combined perfectly with the chocolate that completely coats this bar. We’re not sure how potent the almond coating is, but our testers didn’t really miss it too much after we took our first bite. Texturally, it’s semi-soft with a bite to it, giving you pretty much your standard texture for a protein bar. After the mint almond bar, we decided to move on to their Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond bar, and our testers really enjoyed this bar from their first bite. The chocolate and cherry combination is fantastic, but that honestly goes without saying. This bar truly feels like you’re eating a chocolate covered cherry, with the main difference being that this is much healthier for you. The texture is the same throughout all of their protein bars, so expect consistency with each protein bar you bite into. The last bar we tried out was their Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond bar, of which is actually quite a treat. One of the things we enjoyed the most about this bar was dark chocolate and coconut combination, and judging from the name of this bar, that’s pretty much the only thing we have to judge. The bottom line for these bars is that if the name sounds good to you, then the flavor of the protein bar will be even better. If you’re in the market for a new, healthier protein bar, then perhaps you give Honey Stinger’s 10 or 20 gram protein bars a try. Overall (4.5 out of 5).

The pros are that they have 5 different flavors of protein bars to choose from, you can choose from 2 sizes, you can buy them at your local grocery store or at the Honey Stinger online store, the texture is great, the flavors taste like their namesake, and it’s made with healthful ingredients.

The cons are that some people might be deterred by the sugar content; however, it comes from honey, which is low on the glycemic index, meaning that it won’t raise your blood sugar as fast as other sweeteners.

Nutritional Information For 1 Honey Stinger Cherry Almond (10g) Protein Bar:

Calories 190
Fat 8g
Sodium 30mg
Carbs 19g
Fiber 2g
Sugar 16g
Protein 10g