NoGii protein bars - a review

Snacks are a big deal in my house. My kids have a snack mid morning and then one in the evening, when hunger strikes in between lunch and dinner. But finding a healthy, filling and minimally processed snack has always been a challenge. Either the product has too much sugar or is not filling enough or doesn't entice my kids' taste buds. When I got the opportunity to review the NoGii product line, courtesy GreenMomsMeet, I was really curious. I hadn't heard of the products before. The 'G' stands for gluten, so NoGii would mean that the products were gluten free. Although my family does not need to be gluten free, we do relish traditional Indian food that is quite often gluten free.
Back to the product, the shipment from NoGii left me quite speechless. They sent the entire product line, which meant that we got to sample all the different flavors of protein bars that were manufactured under the NoGii line!

Here are a few facts about the protein bars:
* These bars were created by Elisabeth Hasselbeck, gluten free mom, Emmy Award winning talk show host and Best Selling Author of " The G-Free Diet" and "Deliciously G-Free".
* It is a line of certified gluten free protein bars, protein powders and paleo bars.
* NoGii's High protein Peanut Butter and Chocolate bar is a certified gluten free and Non-GMO protein bar with 20g of high quality protein. Its also delicious!
* They are made with sustainably sourced premium ingredients and have an ideal balance of protein, fats and carbohydrates. They do not contain HFCS, hydrogenated oils or transfat.
* They are extremely portable, can be enjoyed by the entire family at any time.
* NoGii's High Protein Peanut Butter and Chocolate bar retails for $2.50 to $2.99 for one 1.93 oz bar

Our Experience:
My family, including my two school aged kids enjoyed these bars, mainly for snacks, to tide them over until the next meal. With high protein content, they provided enough satiety. These bars were also vegan, which made it easier for our vegetarian household to enjoy them. I could easily pop a few in my handbag or in the car for easy on-the-go snacks.
They made excellent school snacks as well.

The only concern I had was the soy protein used in the bars. These bars are predominantly soy based and I am not yet sure about frequent consumption of soy products. But, with some moderation, these are a really nice option, especially for people who have to follow a gluten free diet for health reasons.

Readers, you can have a the chance to win a trip to New York, where you will meet and have lunch with Elisabeth Hasselbeck.To enter, visit www.facebook.com/nogiigluten, look for the link for the contest and the complete the entry form. Hurry, Contest ends on July 31st 2015!

Please visit the following links for more information:
www.nogii.com
www.facebook.com/nogiigluten
www.twitter.com/nogiidiet
www.instagram.com/nogii_nogluten


Disclaimer - I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I have agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily refelct those of May Media Group LLCor the manufacturer of the product.

Citrusy Nutty Tea Bread

The weather down here in North Dallas has been very weird, fluctuating like a yo-yo. Hot and humid one day and cold, windy and rainy the very next. I don't mind cloudy and rainy days, they offer a perfect reason to snuggle up under a warm comforter with a good book in hand and soulful music playing in the background...and although yesterday was once such day, even good books and beautiful music seemed insufficient...I looked to the kitchen for a rescue and found it in this recipe from MyRecipes. I didn't have all the necessary ingredients at hand, so substituted accordingly. The loaf turned out very well indeed !
It was not as sweet as cake, but was perfect for an afternoon snack with a  steaming cup of coffee. My son enjoyed it in his lunch box too !



Ingredients:
1¾ C all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼tsp salt
¼ tsp nutmeg powder
¼ tsp allspice powder
½C sugar
½ C yogurt
¼ C chopped nuts
3 Tbs milk
3 Tbs oil
3 Tbs apricot pineapple preserves

2 flax eggs (2 Tbs flax meal with 6 Tbs of water)
2 tsp orange rind

Glaze
2 tsp orange juice
½ C confectioner's sugar

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and the spices in a medium sized mixing bowl. Mix well.
3. Combine the sugar, yogurt, milk, oil, preserves, flax eggs, orange rind and the nuts.
4. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix in gently until everything is nicely moistened. Do not over mix.
5. Spray a 9 X 5 inch loaf pan ( or an 8 X 4 inch pan) and spoon in the batter evenly.
6. Bake for about 45 minutes.
7. When a wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean, remove from the oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.
8. Cool completely on the rack.
9. Mix in the ingredients for the glaze and pour evenly over the loaf.
10. Slice and serve :-)



Notes:
1. I used a combination of white whole wheat and unbleached flour.
2. The original recipe called for buttermilk, which I replaced with sour yogurt.
3. I doubled the quantity of baking powder, since I wasn't using any eggs.
4. The loaf really was very tasty. But I think next time I will use orange marmalade and orange rind for a more citrusy flavor. (There  will definitely be a next time ! )
5. The allspice added a nice spicy note to the bread. If you do not have any, you could use any of your favorite spices.
6. The glaze adds an additional sweetness to the loaf, but is not cloyingly sweet.
7. The loaf can easily be made vegan by using non dairy milk