Nutritionally Balanced & Delicious! The Protein Bakery Review & Variety Pack Giveaway!

At first glance, these look like either-or lists, right? Common experience with  healthy alternatives for sweets tells us we can’t be both. If you want to exercise, increase your energy, and lose weight, you cannot treat yourself with something scrumptious. Desserts and snacks should be poor imitations of the real thing; lifeless, dry, sweet, but not quite satisfying. Add in phrases like “heart healthy” and “natural ingredients” and your usually talking about carob and wheat germ.

I visited my friend Stephanie’s blog Babe’s Rockin’ Mami last week and there was a picture of her toddler Nate enjoying a huge, indulgent looking brownie. The blog post mentioned The Protein Bakery and I was immediately intrigued. This toddler’s treat was protein-packed, created by a fitness instructor, and delicious? This I had to try for myself.

The Protein Bakery generously sent my family a selection of treats to try and my daughter literally licked her lips in anticipation when I opened the box.

They had no clue that these natural treats were high in dietary fiber, low in gluten, and delivered up to 5 times more protein than the average treats they consume. They only saw a feast for the eyes made of generous portions, attractive packaging, and sweet smells.

For my part, I honestly felt a bit reluctant to share. The choices – from the Chocolate Chip Blondie, to the Chocolate Chocolate Cherry Cookie, to the Peanut Butter Cookies – all looked too tasty to miss. So, we decided to divide and conquer over the next couple of days. We quickly discovered that the advice to heat your treats in the microwave to “magically bring out our fresh-from-the-oven taste” is worth taking. While the blondies just get a bit softer and warm, the cookies get a much needed moisture kick that keeps them from being a bit too dry for my taste otherwise.

The Protein Bakery treats can be purchased locally in some areas or shipped to your home. They arrive quickly and last for 3 weeks on the shelf or 3 months in the freezer. Each item has a bakery fresh taste, which probably comes from being made in small batches from scratch daily. They are a bit pricey compared to your average candy bar or cookie, but are only slightly higher than a dry coffee shop muffin or a calorie-packed bakery confection.

I think I was most surprised by how satisfied I felt after eating only a portion of a brownie or blondie. These squares of goodness are compact and over-indulging can actually leave you with a bit of a belly-ache, something my kids experienced. I actually found this refreshing in a treat – it’s  not often that I find something completely delicious, but feel excited about squirreling away a portion for later. My kids could easily split a blondie or Colossal Cookie and one  half of a cookie pack is the perfect portion. Since you only need a small portion to be satisfied, compared to candy and cookies that always leave me wanting more, I think they will save you money (not to mention pounds) in the long run.

I am definitely a chocolate girl, so while I liked the peanut butter treats, I preferred the chocolate varieties. It’s a toss up for my favorite between the cherry goodness hidden inside the divine Chocolate Chocolate Cherry Cookie and the delicately balanced sweetness of the blondie bursting with high quality chocolate chips on top. I was also pleasantly surprised by how much I appreciated the subtle flavors of the oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. I would love to try Wicked Mint Brownie, but I was a bit underwhelmed by the Chocolate Chip Brownie when compared to it’s flavorful companions.

Are you licking your lips yet, reading about all of this scrumptious, healthy goodness? Visit The Protein Bakery to order some tasty treats to try today. You can also try for a chance to win your very own Variety Pack filled with an assortment of 2 blondies/brownies, 2 Colossal Cookies, and 4 cookie two packs! Yum! To enter, use the rafflecopter form. Good luck!

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