If you are a Quest Nutrition fan or simply looking for high-protein cookies, you may have come across Quest cookies.
Quest Cookies are one of the most popular cookies made by Quest Nutrition. The Quest cookies come in two varieties: Protein cookies and Frosted cookies. Protein cookies come in 5 flavors, while frosted cookies come in 2.
These cookies are marketed as a healthier alternative to regular cookies due to their high protein and fiber content.
And while Quest cookies taste delicious, are they healthy for you?
Short answer: Quest cookies are healthy for you as they do not contain added sugar and are high in protein and fiber. However, they do contain high saturated fat and couple of processed ingredients, they are still better option that most of the other cookies.
Let’s dive deeper into Quest cookies, including their ingredients, sugar, protein, sodium content and much more. I’ll also compare Quest cookies to other cookies to see if they truly stand out from the crowd.
So let’s start.
Also read: Are Aussie Bites Healthy? The Truth About These Cookies
The exact ingredients in Quest cookies vary depending on the variety or flavor.
In general, Quest protein cookies are made up of Protein blend, Butter, Soluble corn fiber, Erythritol, Plam oil, Unsweetened chocolate, Water, Calcium caseinate, and Natural flavors.
They also contain other ingredients in smaller quantities (2% or less), such as Natural flavors, Sea salt, Soluble corn fiber, Lecithin, Natural color (Beet root powder, Annatto extract, Turmeric extract), Baking soda, Sucralose, Xanthan gum.
On the other hand, Quest frosted cookies are made up of Milk proteins, vegetable oils, Erythritol, Water, Cocoa, Glycerin, Polydextrose, Palm kernel oil, and Cellulose.
They also contain other ingredients in smaller quantities (2% or less), such as Natural flavors, Sea salt, Soluble corn fiber, Lecithin, Natural color (Beet root powder, Annatto extract, Turmeric extract), Baking soda, Sucralose, Xanthan gum.
Let’s get to know a little about some of these ingredients.
Protein blend: Quest protein cookies are primarily made up of a blend (or mix) of milk protein isolate and whey protein isolate.
Soluble corn fiber: It is a dietary fiber derived from corn. It is also known as resistant maltodextrin and is not the same as regular maltodextrin.
Polydextrose: It is a food additive used as a replacement for sugar, fat or starch in foods.
Erythritol: It is the main sweetener used in Quest cookies in replacement to sugar. It is similar in taste and about 70% as sweet as regular sugar.
Vegetable oils: Quest cookies contain various vegetable oils such as palm, sunflower, canola and soybean.
Glycerin: It is an odorless liquid made from fats and oils. It is used as a sweetener or preservative in foods.
Calcium caseinate: It is a protein derived from the casein(a protein) found in milk.
Cellulose: It is an insoluble fiber found in plants. It is added to improve Quest cookie’s fiber content.
Natural flavors: Quest cookies use various natural flavors that helps improve the flavor of the cookies. However, exactly what flavors and how many are used are unknown.
Also read: Are Quest Peanut Butter Cups Healthy? Here Is The Answer
Quest cookies do not contain any added sugar, but they do contain a minimal amount of total sugar, which is 1g or less per serving, depending on the flavor.
Instead of sugar, Quest cookies are sweetened using sugar alcohols such as Erythritol. They also contain other sweeteners in smaller amounts, such as Stevia(in protein cookies) and Sucralose(in frosted cookies).
Let’s get to know a little about Erythritol.
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that is naturally found in fruits and vegetables. However, it can also be made synthetically in labs.
Though Quest cookies contain natural or synthetic erythritol is unknown. However, even though if it’s synthetic, it’s still a better option than regular sugar.
Erythritol has zero calories and does not have negative effects of sugar, such as increased blood sugar levels and tooth decay.
However, it is still important to consume erythritol in moderation as too much can result in digestive issues such as bloating, gas or cramps.
Quest cookies contain 4-6g of sugar alcohol per serving, depending on the flavor. The daily sugar alcohol limit is 10-15g.
Overall, Quest cookies are a great option for those looking to cut down on added sugar.
Here is a table showing the sugar content of all Quest cookie flavors.
| Quest cookie flavor | Added sugar(g) | Total sugar(g) |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate chip | 0 | <1 |
| Double chocolate chip | 0 | <1 |
| Peanut butter | 0 | 1 |
| Snickerdoodles | 0 | <1 |
| Peanut butter chocolate chip | 0 | 1 |
| Chocolate cake (frosted cookie) | 0 | <1 |
| Birthday cane (frosted cookie) | 0 | <1 |
Quest protein cookies are a great source of protein containing 15g per serve. The peanut butter chocolate chip flavor contains the most protein, with 16g per serving.
The Quest frosted cookies variety is lower in protein containing 5g per serve.
The protein in Quest protein cookies comes from a combination of whey protein isolate, milk protein isolate, and calcium caseinate.
On the other hand, the protein in Quest frosted cookies comes from milk proteins such as whey protein isolate, calcium caseinate, sodium caseinate and micellar casein.
Although there are more protein sources in frosted cookies, they are significantly lower in protein than the protein cookies variety.
Overall, Quest protein cookies are a great snack option for anyone wanting to increase their protein intake.
You can use them as a pre-workout snack to provide an energy boost or a post-workout snack to aid muscle recovery.
Quest protein cookies are an excellent source of fiber containing 9 to 12g per serving depending on the flavor. That’s about 52% of daily recommended fiber for women and 36% for men.
For comparison, most Quest protein cookies have more fiber than in a fiber one chewy bar.
However, the frosted cookie variety contains only 3g of fiber per serving.
The fiber in Quest protein cookies comes from various fiber-rich sources such as soluble corn fiber, polydextrose and cellulose.
Here is the table showing the fiber content of all Quest cookie flavors.
| Quest cookie flavor | Fiber(g) |
|---|---|
| Chocolate chip | 9 |
| Double chocolate chip | 11 |
| Peanut butter | 12 |
| Snickerdoodles | 11 |
| Peanut butter chocolate chip | 12 |
| Chocolate cake (frosted cookie) | 3 |
| Birthday cane (frosted cookie) | 3 |
Quest protein cookies are low to moderate in sodium containing 190 to 230mg per serving, depending on the flavor. The Quest frosted cookies are even lower in sodium, with less than 100mg per serving.
While sodium is an important part of a diet, consuming too much can cause many health issues, especially if you have sodium related issues.
Fortunately, Quest cookies are not bad for you in terms of sodium as long as you consume them in moderation.
Here is a table showing the sodium content of all Quest cookie flavors
| Quest cookie flavor | Sodium(mg) |
|---|---|
| Chocolate chip | 210 |
| Double chocolate chip | 190 |
| Peanut butter | 220 |
| Snickerdoodles | 220 |
| Peanut butter chocolate chip | 230 |
| Chocolate cake (frosted cookie) | 95 |
| Birthday cane (frosted cookie) | 85 |
Quest Protein Cookies are high in saturated fat, with the Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate Chip, and Snickerdoodle flavors being the biggest culprits.
These flavors contain around 9-10g of saturated fat per serving, which is more than 50% of the recommended daily limit.
This saturated fat comes from multiple sources, such as vegetable oils and cocoa butter.
While saturated fat has been known to increase the bad cholesterol levels in the body, the new studies deny this. However, I won’t go deeper into this argument here.
But despite high saturated fat levels, Quest cookies are still a better option than other snacks as they have high nutrition profile.
Just ensure to eat in moderation, and you are good to go.
Quest cookies are good for weight loss as they are low in sugar (1g or less). In addition, they are high in protein and fiber, which help you feel satisfied for longer and prevent unnecessary eating.
However, Quest cookies are high in calories containing 220 to 250 calories, which is quite a bit for a snack(without any sugar).
Although, the frosted cookie variety contains 90 calories per serving.
However, despite being high in calories, Quest cookies are way better than regular cookies, which contain only sugar in the name of nutrition.
Quest cookies in moderation won’t be likely to affect your weight.
Remember that weight loss depends not on only one specific food but on overall diet and lifestyle.
Are Quest cookies good for diabetics? Quest cookies are good for diabetics as they are free from added sugar. Instead, they use Erythritol, which has a low glycemic index. In addition, they are high in fiber, which helps to regulate the blood sugar levels.
Quest protein cookies are keto-friendly as they are low in net carbs(4 to 5g). The frosted cookie variety contains 1g of net carbs.
At first glance, the total carbs in Quest cookies may seem high.
However, it’s important to consider the amount of fiber and sugar alcohol in the cookies.
To get net carbs, subtract the fiber and sugar alcohols from the total carb count.
For example, the popular chocolate chip cookie contains 19g of total carbs, 9g of which is fiber. It also contains 6g of sugar alcohol.
So, total carbs – fiber – sugar alcohol(erythritol) = Net carbs.
In the chocolate chip cookie case, it’s 4.
Is soluble corn fiber keto? I know some of you might be wondering this. Soluble corn fiber is keto friendly as it does not spike blood sugar levels like regular sugar or maltodextrin. However, it’s still important to consume it in moderation.
Quest cookies are not highly processed, but they do contain processed ingredients like vegetable oils and sea salt.
However, they are still better than other cookies or snack options that contain added sugar, salt, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.
Quest cookies are gluten-free because they are primarily made from milk-based ingredients and do not contain any naturally gluten-containing ingredients.
However, if you have a soy allergy, Quest cookies are unsuitable for you.
Quest cookies are not vegan as they contain dairy-based ingredients like milk proteins and butter.
Let’s compare Quest cookies to some of the popular cookies.
Quest Protein cookies are healthier than Lenny and larry cookies.
This is because Quest cookies do not contain added sugar and have more protein, fiber, and calcium while being gluten-free.
But that’s only when you choose the protein variety of Quest cookies and not the frosted one.
Quest cookies are healthier than Oreos.
This is because Oreos are made from enriched wheat flour, which is low in nutrition(protein and fiber). In addition, Oreos are high in added sugar and contain high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavor.
Quest cookies are healthier than Grandma’s cookies.
This is because Quest cookies do not contain added sugar and have more protein, fiber, and calcium. In addition, Grandma’s cookies are low in nutrition and contain high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavor.
Quest cookies are healthier than Nutter Butter.
This is because Quest cookies are free from added sugar and contain more protein and fiber. In addition, Nutter butter contains hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial flavor.
Quest cookies are healthier than Chip ahoy.
This is because Quest cookies are free from added sugar and contain more protein and fiber. In addition, Chips ahoy contain high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavor.
Final words
Quest cookies are a healthy for you as they contain no added sugar and are good source of protein and fiber to keep you feeling full and energized.
In addition, they are gluten-free, keto-friendly and safe for diabetics.
However, they are high in saturated fat and do contain a couple of processed ingredients such as vegetable oils and sea salt, they are still a healthier and better option than most of the other cookies out there.
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