Review: Cookies & Cream Quest Bar

So on my quest (no pun intended) to begin a clean diet, I have been running across many who swear by high protein Quest Bars. Not only do they eat them straight out of the wrapper, but they also bake them, and cover them with a variety of high protein frosting and other toppings. They always look so delicious and they have such a following, I was so excited when I found I didn't have to order a case of them from their website. I found where they sell them locally for around $3.00. After a couple of moments of trying to decide between Cookies & Cream and Cinnamon Bun I finally decided on the former. The wrapper makes the bar look a lot more appetizing than it does when you take it out. Unfortunately I ran out of room before I could take a good picture but I wasn't impressed to say the least. I overlooked the appearance because that really means nothing when it comes to taste, but then when I took my first bite I was a tad bit disappointed. Perhaps I was expecting too much, but it was not at all what I expected. There appeared to be bits of "cookies" so it made me feel as if I were indulging in a way. And I guess if you have been eating clean and not taking in a lot of sugar or artificial sweeteners I can see how this would be a treat. I'm not going to give up on the bar quite yet. I still need to try Cinnamon Bun and Cookie Dough. They also have a number of other flavors. I also want to try using the bar in different recipes. It's 180 calories per bar so it's not something I would have on a regular basis but it would work as a meal replacement with some type of fruit. Have you tried the Quest Bar? Did you like it? Which is your favorite?

Oscar Mayer P3 Portable Protein Packs on Good Morning America

I recently reviewed the new Oscar Mayer Portable Protein Packs and was not impressed to say the least. Good Morning America aired a segment on them this morning. The experts agreed the snacks were high in protein and low in calories but no one mentioned the taste. I wasn't able to embed the video but here's a link.

Skinny Cow Salted Caramel Pretzel Bars

Slowly but surely I'm becoming enamored with anything salted caramel. Lucky for me, that's a flavor that is growing in popularity. I'm not a huge fan of Skinny Cow. I find their products to be overpriced and usually stick with Edy's Slow Churned ice cream which I find absolutely delicious. I must admit when I passed by these Skinny Cow Salted Caramel Pretzel bars I was immediately intrigued. I've fallen off the wagon quite a bit in the past month, so the thought of being able to enjoy my sweet treats and not compromise my weight loss journey was extremely appealing to me. The fact that I was going to pay almost $4.00 for five ice cream bars was a bit disturbing to me but I decided to throw caution to the wind and take a walk on the wild side. When I tried the first bar I was a bit disappointed. The ice cream had no taste and the only redeeming thing was the combination of sweet, gooey caramel and salty pretzel. I certainly did not want to waste my money so I continued to eat them. By the third bar I decided I really liked them. For some reason the caramel and pretzel were really, really good. The cold, vanilla ice cream meshed perfectly with the crunchy salted, caramel pretzel. They were not big, but just enough to satisfy my urge for a sweet, junky snack. There were a couple of drawbacks - the price for instance. Next time I will definitely search for a coupon and/or a sale before I purchase these. Also, 160 calories per bar is a bit much for me to eat on a regular day. I would prefer something much more filling. I would give these ice cream bars a 7 out of 10.