By Harriet Mallinson | Published on May 11, 2017
Last week the team at MACROS took on the challenge of munching their way through mountains of protein balls from various brands so you wouldn’t have to.
Our aim is to work out which ball is greatest, examining unusual tastes and textures, to help you ascertain which protein ball is best for you.
Here is part two of our definitive guide.
Boostball
Boostball pride themselves on their seven natural raw cold-pressed ingredients. There’s no gluten, wheat, soy or refined sugars as well as no baking and no refining. They boast a well-balanced ratio of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats and come in six flavors, some of which are vegan, including raw chocolate brownie, coconut fudge cake and maple and cinnamon roll.
Coconut Fudge Cake
The name doesn’t lie here as this ball packs a serious coconut punch and is really very tasty. Macrons and Bounty bars come to mind.
Taste – 5
Texture – 2
Maple and Cinnamon roll (vegan)
This proved the least favorite of the Boostball as the cinnamon proved far too overwhelming and made the outside of the ball fall too powdery, making the eating experience rather like trying out the cinnamon challenge. The center is slightly better though, although the maple is pretty indiscernible.
Taste – 1
Texture – 4
Raw Chocolate Brownie
This lives up to brownie expectations, as far as protein products go, although there is a strong cocoa taste which makes it slightly bitter. It’s also very chewy and sticks to your teeth long after you’ve finished eating it.
Taste – 3
Texture – 2.5
Our verdict
There is no doubting the dryness of most of the balls and you are left gagging for a drink afterwards, but three ball portion size is good and makes them great for sharing with your gym buddy if you can’t commit to all three. Overall, a good range of tastes which certainly leave you filled.
– RELATED: MACROS’ Definitive Guide To Protein Balls: Part One –
The Protein Ball Co
The Protein Ball Co serves its balls in tiny bite size portions with six to a packet, making it easier to spread consumption out if you’re so inclined. They are all gluten free, wheat free, vegetarian and contain no soy, GMO’s or added sugars. They offer three clean protein sources: whey, egg, and rice and pea which are rolled as powder with a few natural ingredients into a high protein snack.
Current flavors include peanut butter, cherry and almond, lemon and pistachio, cacao and orange, coconut and macadamia and goji and coconut.
Lemon and Pistachio (vegan protein)
The lemon hits your nose before this one even touches your lips and is certainly the overriding flavor while the pistachio seems to add nothing more than a pleasing crunch. These deliciously tangy balls are really more like little sweets than your average protein ball.
Taste: 5
Texture: 4
Peanut Butter (whey protein)
Undoubtedly a huge hit with peanut butter fans, these balls taste just like pure lumps of nut butter goodness yet stop short of being overpowering. Minuscule pieces of nut add to the texture, although some might think it’s on the oily side.
Taste: 5
Texture: 4
Cherry and Almond (egg white protein)
It’s the cherry in this one that is instantly noticeable, which could divide consumers. The predominant taste is almond but the ball is a little bit like a portion of extra chewy marzipan as a lot of masticating is required! Be warned it might stick to your teeth.
Taste: 3
Texture: 2
Our Verdict
The Protein Ball Co succeeds in mixing high protein levels (ranging from 15-20%) with tasty flavors. They have an exciting range of flavors and the portion size is good for those looking for bitesize balls to snack on, be it while on the way to the gym or sitting at your desk.
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Harriet is Editor of MACROS and perfectly capable of eating an entire log of goat’s cheese in one sitting.
