are healthy cookies packed with 16g of .
Well, that’s how they’re advertised.
Surely they must be much healthier than eating a regular , right?
Well, not necessarily. While it depends entirely on what your specific definition of “healthy” is, these cookies may be deceiving you.
What is Lenny & Larry’s Complete Cookie?
Image: Lenny & Larry’s
Lenny & Larry’s burst onto the scene years ago with their “Complete Cookies.” While they now have other products on the market, let’s look at these first.
The fact that it’s a “complete” cookie doesn’t refer to its nutritional breakdown, it refers to a random assortment of terms that this specific company deems important for overall health.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that the cookie will be healthy by your standards, but these are the factors they list for their Complete Cookies:
- 16g Plant Based Protein
- 10g Fiber
- Non GMO Project Verified
- No Soy Ingredients
- No Dairy Ingredients
- No Egg
- Vegan
- Kosher
- No High Fructose Corn Syrup
- No Artificial Sweeteners
- 0g Sugar Alcohols
- Sustainable Palm Oil
They’re vegan, containing no dairy products. They contain no soy, non-GMO ingredients, artificial sweeteners, or high fructose corn syrup.
All of these terms don’t necessarily mean that the cookie is healthy, they just mean that they check those specific dietary boxes.
This is not to say that Lenny & Larry’s is NOT healthy.
The thing about “healthy” is that we all have different definitions.
If a vegan, non-GMO cookie is healthy by your standards, then that’s great! But when it comes to Lenny & Larry’s, it is often pushed very heavily in the fitness community as a protein cookie that is comparable to a protein bar, and that is where I find a discrepancy.
In terms of actual nutrition, Lenny & Larry’s are just cookies with some extra fiber and protein. When you look at the label, remember that the nutrition is for HALF a cookie (what kind of psycho eats only half of a cookie?), so you need to take that into account when looking at the full nutrition facts.
I recently got a so-called “normal” cookie from a local deli, and couldn’t help but notice the nutrition was almost identical to a Lenny & Larry’s cookie, minus some extra protein and fiber.
As you can see here, there are nearly identical calories, fat, and sugar for the Complete Cookie and the regular bakery cookie.
Why is that?
Because they’re both just cookies.
I don’t know about you, but I prefer the taste of a fresh-baked cookie WAY MORE than these packaged “protein” cookies.
I’ll sacrifice the extra 5g of protein in favor of better taste. If you’re watching what you eat, be careful not to assume that just because there’s more protein, that the product is automatically much healthier.
If you enjoy the taste of Lenny & Larry’s Complete Cookie, or you have dietary restrictions that make the cookie favorable, then, by all means, enjoy it!
But remember, you should never just choose a food based on the fact that it sounds healthy.
Are Lenny & Larry’s Complete Cookies a good source of protein?
Just because something is marketed as a high protein option, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best source of protein.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with eating a Complete Cookie to get some extra protein in- don’t get me wrong.
But there is absolutely something wrong with consuming it instead of actual foods you enjoy, like a fresh-baked homemade cookie, just because you think this is a healthier option.
Look at this nutrition comparison above to put things into perspective.
The “live your life diet” comes out on top in almost every single category, except having slightly less fiber. You can eat flavored Greek yogurt, flavored almonds (the sriracha ones are amazing, by the way), and a beer, and come out with more favorable macros than a single protein cookie.
This example can be any combination of foods, or that oatmeal raisin cookie referenced in the graphic before this one, but the point remains the same.
Just because a food isn’t labeled as “healthy” or “protein whatever”, it doesn’t mean it’s bad for you. You can pair a beer, which most view as empty calories, with some delicious, healthy snacks and still be well within your goals.
You don’t need to rely on a Complete Cookie because it says it’s high-protein.
Learning to read and understand nutrition labels is the best gift you can give yourself.
Sure, you can eat the Complete Cookie if you enjoy it. But it isn’t necessarily a great source of protein.
Yes, 18g of protein is a decent amount. But when you look at the nutrition facts as a whole, you can see that you can easily get just as much protein, if not more, with common foods that you really enjoy.
How healthy is Lenny & Larry’s The Boss! Cookie?
Image: Lenny & Larry’s
New in 2021, Lenny & Larry’s released an actual protein cookie called The Boss! Cookie.
In the past, the Complete Cookie has been marketed as a protein cookie, and I always took issue with a 420 calorie cookie with 16g of protein being referred to as a protein cookie.
Unlike the Complete Cookie, The Boss! Cookie is not fully plant-based, and uses both plant & dairy as its protein sources.
The Boss! Cookie Chocolate Chunk breaks down like this:
- 220 Calories
- 12g Fat
- 18g Carbs
- 6g Fiber
- 1g Sugar
- 18g Protein
These nutrition facts look much more favorable than the Complete Cookie.
Now, here’s something to keep in mind: The Boss! Cookie weighs 57g, which is the same size as half a Complete Cookie. In other words, you’re not getting a super large cookie, but rather a regular-sized cookie with extra protein.
In terms of how the cookie tastes: I reviewed it for you so you can decide for yourself if it’s worth it…
Which is the healthiest Lenny & Larry’s cookie?
Lenny & Larry’s now offers 4 different types of cookies: The Complete Cookie, The Boss! Cookie, The Keto Cookie, and The Complete Crunchy Cookie.
While there are multiple flavors of each ( and are two popular flavors, with seasonal flavors like pumpkin spice also popping up), let’s compare the chocolate chip flavors of each type to see how they stack up against each other…
These cookies all have different serving sizes, but by comparing them, we can determine which is the healthiest based on what it is you are looking for.
Lowest Calorie: The Complete Crunchy Cookies, with 160 calories. A single serving bag of these crunchy cookies will be your lowest calorie option, although the serving size is slightly smaller than the other cookies. Side note: in my experience, these definitely have the best of all the options.
Highest Protein: The Boss! Cookie, with 18g of protein. It has more protein than the Complete Cookie even though it has half the calories!
Lowest Sugar: The Boss! Cookie has the lowest sugar content, with only 1 gram in the entire cookie. This is shocking to see, as The Keto Cookie has more sugar in it (only 2g, but still more). If you’re gluten-free and/or can’t have , you’ll want to stick with the keto .
Highest Fiber: The Complete Cookie, with 10g of fiber. While the fiber is the highest in the cookie, it also comes with significantly more calories and overall carbs than the other options.
Lowest Fat: The Complete Crunchy Cookies, with 8g of fat. If all serving sizes were equal, the fat content would actually be the same as The Boss! Cookie, since that serving size is 50% larger.
Vegan: The Complete Cookie, The Keto Cookie, or the Complete Crunchy Cookies. Any of those 3 will satisfy a vegan diet!
As you can see, there are a ton of variables to take into account when determining which cookie is the “healthiest,” but I hope this comparison can help!
Making your own Lenny and Larry cookies at home… but better.
Making your own cookies at home is not only possible, but totally worth it!
In case you’re new here, I have a TON of high- recipes on my blog. One of my favorites is the giant I created.
It took a ton of experimenting to get it just right, but check out how my compares to Lenny & Larry’s Complete :
Not to toot my own horn or anything, but this is unreal. And trust me, it has ; it doesn’t just taste like a with . It’s the real deal!
Click here to check out the Giant Protein Cookie Recipe!
And if you want some other protein cookie recipes to try (that taste way better than anything store-bought), here are some of my high-protein cookie recipes to get you started:
- Half Pound Chocolate Protein Cookie with 50g Protein
- Protein Cornbread Cookies
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Stuffed Protein Cookies
- No-Bake Protein Cookies
- Keto-Friendly Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies
