Showing posts with label protein bars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label protein bars. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Manbake

Protein bars make up a very big part of my diet.  Maybe a little too big of a part...but that's not important now... I just love them! Convenient, portable, easy, prepackaged, high protein, and if you find the good ones, healthy and tasty!

I was seeing some bars by a company called Manbake all over Instagram and knew I had to try some!
I was very excited when they send me 10 bars to taste and review!

Before the tasting party can begin, I had to check out the nutritional stats.  
I like my bars to have around 20 grams of protein.  Check! 
The macros vary slightly but the bars are 160-190 calories 5F 24C 20P.
Doesn't hurt that they are also gluten free and paleo friendly!

I would absolutely consider these a healthy protein bar.  Most of Manbake's recipes contain chia seeds, flax seeds, and hemp.  Super foods! They also use lots of different nuts and seeds instead of sugars and preservatives.  
They even have a vegan friendly bar! I decided to try the Mocha Fudge first.  This bar also contains some caffeine for an extra energy boost!

As soon as I tore through the wrapper I smelled chocolate and coffee! I checked in the ingredients and they even use real coffee. 
I was pleasently surprised to find whole almonds throughout the bar.  The bar was slightly soft and chewy.  This bar was not very sweet at all.  I could really taste the coffee.  I am not a huge fan of coffee flavored things, but if you are, this might be a good flavor for you to try. 

Let's try something a little fruity!
I must warn you...I am not a huge fan of fruit flavored things...I love fruit, but I usually don't really like fruity flavored things like yogurt, ice cream, granola bars, candy, cereal...

I went into it with an open mind! 
I actually kinda liked it! Same soft, chewy texture.  There were tiny bits of strawberry swirled throughout.  I like that there wasn't huge chunks of strawberries, but some strawberry essense.  Strawberry essence?? Ya, sure... 

Sticking with the fruity-ness...
Apple Pie is quite delicious! It is one of the fruity desserts I actually like.  Can't go wrong with cinnamon and apples.  

It smelled fantastic!! Just like apple pie from the oven.  
Loved this one!! The bar was pretty smooth.  No real chunks or anything.  I don't know how they got so much apple cinnamon flavor in there, but they did real good with this one!

I took the other Apple Pie bar to the soccer fields.
Let it sit in the sun for a few minutes to get really soft...heavenly!! It really was like warm, gooey apple pie!

I decided to have some fun with the Double Chocolate Chip bar.  
I see little chocolate chips hiding in there!

The texture of this bar is cookie dough-ish I figured...
Why not turn it into actual cookies!!

I microwaved the bar for 10 seconds, broke it into little pieces, formed tiny cookie dough balls, and baked them at 350 for 5 minutes.
Ta-Da!! Itty Bitty Cookies!!! These were not quite as sweet and chocolatey as I would have liked, but still pretty tasty.  I have baked other bars into cookies before and is my absolute favorite way to eat them!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough was up next so I HAD to try more cookies!
This bar was much softer than the Double Chocolate Chip.  

So they spread a lot more when baked. 
Next time I need to use a bigger baking sheet and spread them out.  
But they tasted amazing!! Slightly crunchy and then just melted in my mouth!

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough bar was by far my favorite!
I tried the other one right out of the wrapper.  Literally tasted like the raw slice and bake cookie dough you buy at the store.  Only this is good for you!!

I work as a nanny and sometimes it can be hard to always sit down and eat when and what I want. 
These bars are a perfect snack to toss in my bag for when hunger strikes! 

Would I recommend Manbake bars?!
Yes!! With all the different flavors, I am sure you will find one that suits you!
You can buy right from their website or check and see if they are sold in stores near you.  Manbake also carries a line of nut butters that all sound fabulous.  

Be sure to check out Manbake on your favorite social media sites!

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Caramel Butterscotch Blondies

Caramel, butterscotch, and white chocolate...do I need to say anything else?! Didn't think so!
Let's get baking! 

You will need...
MTS Caramel Sutra whey, garbanzo/chick peas, canned pumpkin, egg substitute, vanilla, baking powder, sweetener, white chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips.
*If you don't have MTS caramel whey, you could sub any vanilla protein powder*
*Any white bean will work*

Add your beans, egg, and vanilla to a blender and puree.
If you need to, you can add a little water, milk, or more egg to get everything to blend smoothly. 

Stir in everything but the chips.  Pour batter into a sprayed baking dish.  I used a 5x7 dish which gives the bars a perfect thickness.  If you use a bigger pan you will just have to adjust the baking time.  Feel free to double the recipe to make more!
Add as much white chocolate and butterscotch chips as you like!! You could even mix some in the batter.  Into the oven at 350 for 2-25 minutes.

Shh...I snuck a handful or two to snack on while the bars were baking...
Feel free to get creative! You can add dark chocolate, milk chocolate, nuts...

I love how the chips get a little melty on top!
Now, would you believe me if I told you that this whole dish is only 345 calories?! 

Well you should because I never rarely tell a lie!
Yup, not only are these bars delicious and easy to make, they are also good for you!

I will easily eat all 6 bars for breakfast! The entire batch will give you 8F 38C 33P.
That means each bar is only about 58 calories! If you can stop after just one, you have some crazy good will powder!

 The MTS Caramel Sutra really is perfect for this recipe!
You can order some here.  
Use code KH30 and save 30%

Don't worry if you don't have any Caramel Sutra whey though...
I have made these bars with vanilla, chocolate, pumpkin, and cinnamon protein powder!! All of them have been amazing! So go grab whatever protein you have, and get busy! 

 You can thank me later :)
Oh, and if you prefer video recipes, just click here!

Caramel Butterscotch Blondies
  • 1 scoop MTS caramel sutra whey (30g)
  • 1/2 cup chickpeas (130g)
  • 1/4 cup canned pumpkin (60g)
  • 3 T egg substitute (46g)
  • 1 t vanilla
  • 1/2 t baking powder
  • sweetener to taste (4-5 packets)
  • 1 T butterscotch/white chocolate chips (14g)
  1. Drain and rinse beans
  2. Puree beans, egg and vanilla
  3. Add everything else except chips
  4. Pour batter into sprayed baking dish
  5. Sprinkle chips on top
  6. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes
Makes 6 bars - 58 calories each
Entire batch - 345 calories 
8g Fat 
38g Carb 
33g Protein

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Nutrilite Review

A few weeks ago, Pittsburgh held their annual marathon.  I have no desire to run that long...ever...but I did want to check out the Health and Fitness Expo downtown.  One of the first booths I came across was a company called Nutrilite.  I honestly had never heard of them before.  I sampled a drink mix kind of similar to a Mio or Crystal Light.  Ya know, the stuff you squirt in your water to make it actually taste good! Well the ones I sampled were awesome! A day or two later, one of the representatives contacted me asking if I was interested in some of their products.  We ended up meeting at a local Panera and he brought me one of the best free goodie bags ever!!!
This company seemed really awesome! For starters, how many people would meet with you to actually go over the products they want you to sample?! Not many! Also, Nutrilite has been around since 1934, so I am pretty sure they know what they are doing! They have everything from green cleaning products, make up, vitamins and supplements, stuff for kid, weight management, and sports nutrition.  

Of course I was mainly interested in their sports nutrition products.  We all know that I love baking with protein powder! I was so excited to try using this non flavored all plant protein powder.  While I usually bake sweet desserty foods, I sometimes like to make more savory dishes.  I already knew a couple of my recipes I wanted to use this in.  Each serving is 12.5 grams.  Only 50 calories 0.5F 0C 10P.
A great thing I learned about this company is they own and operate all of their own farms!! Can you say amazing product control!? They know exactly where all of their ingredients come from! Of course their farms are all organic and they don't use any synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers.  

I knew this protein was going to be amazing in my Spinach Pancakes.  I would usually use vanilla protein powder, but I wanted to make this batch more savory.  They turned out better than I anticipated!
Super easy too! Mix together 4 T protein powder (25g), 6 T egg substitute (92g), 1 cup canned spinach (240g), 1/2 t baking powder, salt, and any other veggies you like (pepper, onion) Cook like regular pancakes.  The protein powder made the batter nice and thick! It mixed up very easily too, no blender or special equipment needed.  You gotta try these!!!

Speaking of protein...they also have delicious meal replacement shakes.  
Normally I don't really like to drink my protein.  I would rather make something to eat with it.  But sometimes you are in a hurry and just need a quick meal or something to keep you going!  These are perfect for that! No shaker bottle needed either.  Just toss these in your bag and you're good to go.  These are honestly the best tasting shakes I have ever had.  In the past I have had ones that are kinda gritty and really artificial tasting.  Not these! So smooth and amazing vanilla and chocolate flavor! 

Perfect breakfast on-the-go!
Each one is 140 calories 3F 15C 15P.  

More drinks! They have a whole line of energy drinks.  There are 11 flavors to choose from.  I was lucky enough to try 3 different ones. 
Now I am not gonna lie, I don't really believe in energy drinks...I know that sounds silly, but I don't really feel like they give me more energy.  But, I do enjoy them for the taste sometimes! These vary a bit and have anywhere from 8-45 calories per can.  The best part is they have no sugar.  I can't say that about most energy drinks out there...They are also packed full of vitamins and key amino acids!

I would absolutely drink the Electric Lemon Blast again!! 
Reminded me of Sun Drop! Or like a fizzy lemonade.  So refreshing!! 

I was hesitant to even try the grapefruit because I despise the stuff!! Seriously, hate it!! I wanted to do a good review so I had to taste everything...I loved it! Go figure.  It was sweet and fruity and simply delicious! The only slight downfall is that it does have 45 calories and 10 carbs for the can.  But, it was worth it to me.  

Citrus Blast also got a big thumbs up! Like an even better orange pop.  I love that these are carbonated.  I feel like sparkling drinks always quench my thirst better.  Great alternative to all the pop I drink...

I hate water! Well, I hate drinking plain water anyhow...so boring... Problem solved!! Fruit and vegetable drink mixes.  These are so much better than any comparable ones you might find at the store.  
Not only do they taste great, but they also contain a full day's worth of vitamin A and C.  I love the little individual packets.  Also, they are liquid so they dissolve super easily.  No shaking the bottle like crazy trying to get all the powder to mix.  These don't taste articial at all.  Very fruity! Only 5 calories each.  The twisted berry and mango citrus both scored a 10 from me!

You have probably figured out by now that I am snacker! My husband says I eat like a bird sometimes.  Not because I eat too little, but because I am always snacking.  Little bites here and there, all day long! I was very happy that my goodie bag contained some snacky food!
Granola is pretty much always delicious.  Not always that great for you though...Most granolas are packed full of sugar and really no better than a bag of candy! This bag of Strawberry Almond Clusters is an exception! Made with gluten free oats, strawberries, and almonds.  

This is the best tasting granola I have ever had!! Just look at those ingredients!! It is sweet from the chewy strawberry pieces but not overly sweet like some granolas that have just been covered with sugar.  The oats and almonds give it a nice crunch too.  Perfect texture.  The bag is only 150 calories 6F 19C 4P.  Perfect snack to throw in your bag for when hunger strikes!
The only bad part is that I wanted to eat so much more of it!! I am a volume eater and with granola the serving size is usually pretty small.  But, no one says you can only have one bag! This would be amazing mixed up in some nonfat greek yogurt! Would absolutely eat this again.  
Another fun product I got to try were some endurance cubes. I have tried some similar gummies from other companies before and was never a huge fan.  They always tasted really artificial, and kinda like medicine...The texture was also usually pretty awful....These were nothing like those other gummy chews!!
 The texture was perfect! I felt like I was just eating some regular old gummy bears!  They were sweet, soft, chewy, and very yummy.  
They are supposed to give you energy, but as I mentioned before, I don't always think energy snacks and drinks work for me...I would absolutely just enjoy these as a little snack or pre workout treat!!
Each serving is 90 calories 0F 22C 1P.  They have potassium and electrolytes so they would be great if you're going on a long run, bike ride, or hike! I brought them with me for a day at the park with the kiddos! Even the kids tried one and they just thought they were eating candy!

They have a line of snack bars too.  Each bar is only 100 calories.  The macros vary a bit depending on the flavor, but the Cranberry Crunch has 3F 15C 4P.  Look at those cranberry pieces! 
This bar was not my favorite.  It was a little hard and chewy, and I just prefer a softer bar.  Cranberries are not my favorite, so I had a feeling I wasn't going to love the flavor.  In general, I am not usually a huge fan of small snack bars.  Only because I feel like they are a little small and not very satisfying.  I would rather eat a bigger bar that has more protein.  However, this bar did not go to waste! My husband gobbled it up!! So there ya go, just because it wasn't cup of tea, doesn't mean you won't love it! 

I did like the white chocolate coating on the bottom.
I will have to try the other flavors.  These also come in Fudgy Brownie, Caramel Creme, and Chocolate Caramel. 

It is no secret that I am a big time protein bar connoisseur!! I never go a day without eating at least one! In addition to the snack bars, they also have whey protein bars, meal bars, and energy bars. 

I tried all the energy bars first. Vanilla Pretzel!!! That sounds right up my ally! I love pretzels and I almost always prefer vanilla to chocolate. 
You can actually see the whole pretzels under that vanilla coating!

Oh my goodness!!! This might be the best tasting bar I have ever had! It reminded me of a Take 5 candy bar, but with white chocolate.  There is caramel and a soft nougat in there too.  
Amazing!! Love the macros too! 180 calories 6F 16C 14P.  I could eat this bar everyday!!

I couldn't decide which one to try next so I tried both!! Do those look good or what??
The Mixed Berry Smoothie was so soft and just the right amount of chewiness.  The Chocolate Nut Roll had nougat, caramel, little crispies on top, and covered in chocolate. 

This tasted better than a lot of candy bars!! Of course way better for you! So in love with this bar! It was soft and sweet and I felt like I was eating dessert!
190 calories 6F 16C 15P

Mixed Berry Smoothie? Super tasty! It was like a raspberry vanilla bar of awesome! The hubby tried it too and loved it!
190 calories 4F 28C 8P.  I could live off of this line of energy bars! Wow, just wow!

Next up was the meal bar.  I got to try Lemon Twist.  200 calories 3F 29C 10P.

I will admit, I was super nervous about this one...I have tried lemon flavored bars in the past and they have all tasted like cleaning product!! I brought this one with me on a shopping trip with the hubby and I brought a back up bar in case it was awful!

Guess what!? My back up bar was not needed! This was surprisingly really good!
There was a really good layer of a lemon gel, a slightly chewy layer, and a coating of creamy yumminess. The flavor wasn't too overpowering at all.  It was not the best bar I ever had, but I would absolutely eat it again! I usually don't like lemon desserts...you won't ever see me order lemon meringue pie... so for me to like this is major bonus points!! 

Last bar was from the whey protein line.  Cookies and Cream? Yes please!
I was loving all the protein in this one.  300 calories 12F 28C 24P.

It had a chewy chocolatey layer and a then a sweet creamy layer.   It also had some little crunchy cookie pieces and was completely covered in chocolate.  If I hadn't seen the package it came in, I would have guessed this was an unhealthy candy bar!!
It was better than a candy bar! Oh my! Love love loved it! I bet you could sample this against a real candy bar and people could not be able to tell the difference.  Yum!!! The husband stole a bite and agreed it was delicious!! 

So what's my overall opinion of Nutrilite!? I would have to say that it is one spectacular company!! They have quality products that taste amazing, they have been around forever, they use the best ingredients which come from their own organic farms, and their customer satisfaction is unreal! If you are not 100% satisfied with something you try, you can exchange or return with no questions asked! What have you got to lose!? I highly suggest you go here and try some of their products.  I am so glad I found this company! I look forward to trying more of their protein, bars, and drinks in the near future :)