Having a sweet tooth no longer has to be a mark of shame for health-conscious eaters.
For gym buddies still craving the cookies and brownies that went away with their 18-year-old waistlines, The Protein Bakery is offering sweet solace for hunger pangs.
The unique line of scrumptious, yet figure-friendly delicacies is the creation of Manhattanite Stephen Lincoln, who had the brilliant idea to make cookies and brownies by substituting out some of their traditionally unhealthy ingredients.
Rolled oats are hand ground into flour, making them wheat-free on top of protein rich, thus reducing the amount of carbohydrates while increasing dietary fiber.
They also contain no unhealthy hydrogenated oil or preservatives and instead offer premium whey protein concentrate, with all-natural ingredients.
The results allows indulgence in foods that have previously been thought of as strictly taboo.
“My goal with the bakery is to encompass the sleekest, hippest gym with the finesse of Martha Stewart,“ says Lincoln.
The results are a line of cookies, brownies, blondies and minis in a variety of flavors they don’t sacrifice taste for healthy impact.
The balance between bakery taste and nutrition means they're not exactly low calorie or fat-free, nor can they replace a meal, but health clubs and luxury stores are both flocking to stock these snacks.
They have fewer carbs than a typical cookie or brownie and five times the protein, on average.
The man behind the idea is a mass of professional highlights. Lincoln is a former visual display and theater designer who decided to get himself in shape, back in 1995. Changing to a high-protein, low-carb diet. And in doing so, he found a new career as a top New York fitness instructor and trainer.
Working in that environment is what sparked his snack idea. He wanted to give his students Christmas cookies that were not in opposition to their fitness goals. He immediately started experimenting, working on the best way to combine old family recipes and protein without sacrificing taste.
His Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie got the seal of approval from his students and he then went to work on other varieties of cookies.
The Protein Bakery now offers cookies like (low sugar) Ginger Oatmeal Raisin, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Chocolate White Chip, blondies like Coconut Walnut Dark Chocolate Chip, Lemon White Chip and Peanut Butter, brownies like Black & White, (low sugar) Almond, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip. And minis, which are a selection of blondie and brownie flavors.
Luxury department store Henri Bendel was the first to snatch up cases of these unique morsels and Lincoln says the business skyrocketed to success from there. He now has a full bakery busy hand-making treats shipped all over the country and around the world.
There are now three ways to find his products-- at his Chelsea store at 144 W. 19th St., on the bakery's website proteinbakery.com and a growing list of nationwide retailers and gyms, all listed on their website.
Among his noted customers are Oprah (the bakery was on her O List), Bobby Deen (he visited for his Cookie Channel tv show), Rosie O’ Donnell (who passed them out to her audience).
The Express News staff sampled a batch of the delectable goodies and agree: eat to your hearts content, there are no substitutes for these treats!
by Ian Drew, Health & Fitness Editor, Express News