Em's power cookies faq

Q. Why do you call them “powercookies”? 

A. Because they’re full of good stuff (real-food ingredients) and they pack a lot of punch (compact energy snacks). If you have one for breakfast it will get you through to lunch! The name reflects the brand value of empowerment, in that you need energy to do powerful things. This concept is directly connected to Em, her energy affinity and nutritional philosophy.    

Q. Why would someone buy Em’s Power Cookies over a competitor’s product? 

A. Our customers prefer to have a product that they connect with and that they trust. They want healthy snacks that taste amazing, without additives, over-processing, or ingredients such as soy/whey protein isolates that can negatively affect palatability. Em’s Power Cookies is the clear winner when it comes to taste. Active people who use Em’s for sports nutrition know that our products will not let them down. Em’s delivers nutritional integrity and genuineness to our customers. Contrasting with our competitors, Em’s were not conjured up in a science lab, or boardroom, nor are we a “me too” brand.

Q. How did Em’s Power Cookies start? 

A. Emily Miazga created them in her own kitchen, using ingredients that are commonly found in most pantries. She needed energy as a sporty kid, and loved to bake. Over the years friends/colleagues always said she should sell them because they were so good. So in 2004 after racing C2C the first time, Em found that her “powercookies” were the perfect energy snack for the gruelling event and decided to start the business. Em went on to win the C2C Longest Day 3x and is a Nutritionist (M.Sc. Clinical Nutrition), so her nutritional and athletic experience has been poured into Em’s Power Cookies. 

Q. What about the sugar content?

A. When evaluating the sugar content of any product we recommend looking at the nutrition info panel for the grams of fibre and protein in conjunction with the ingredients list. Our customers are discerning and trust that Em’s only uses real food, natural ingredients. Our sugars have several important functions: 

Energy – these are energy snacks which are used for active people or snacking on the go, so the compact nature of the products and energy provided comes in part from sugars in order to achieve this objective

Palatability – the sugars help the product taste good, and this is a big reason why customers love Em’s

Digestibility – for our athletic customers using Em’s for sports nutrition, the digestibility of a product is crucial. One major challenge for athletes is finding products that can be eaten under exertional stress, and not cause stomach upset. The sugar helps with this. 

Natural sources – the sugars in the recipes come from ~50/50 mix of natural and added sugars, and we never use processed sugars such as glucose or high fructose corn syrup. Our sugars come from a combination of dried fruits, coconut, natural yoghurt, real dark chocolate, rice syrup, brown sugar, date syrup and honey (depending on the SKU)  

Glycaemic Index – the GI is the time it takes for dietary carbohydrate (which includes natural and free sugars) to turn to blood sugar, and the slower the better. Sometimes this gets confusing because natural sugars are actually low GI, vs. certain starches which have zero sugar, but are high GI! The rolled oats, nuts, fats fibre, and natural sugars together create a low GI response in Em’s Power Cookies. Our Original Sports Cookie was tested at 50 (<55 is low GI). 

Q. Are Em’s Power Cookies “keto”?

A. No. Ketogenic diets have a place for obesity, diabetes or paediatric epilepsy nutritional therapy, but we do not believe that ketogenic diets are safe for long-term health, and they are considered a diet fad so we do not make keto products because it conflicts with our brand values and nutritional philosophy. 

Q. Do you make any protein cookies or bars?  

A. Yes! We were the first to market in November 2018 with our Hemp Protein Cookies which are vegan, high protein, good source of fibre, made with gluten free ingredients and no added cane sugar. They are made of NZ-grown hemp protein, natural peanut butter, and date syrup. 

The 85g energy cookie and 80g bar range (excluding the Choc Cranberry Craze) contain 5 – 7.4g protein per serving which is considered a source of protein, but not high. The protein in the energy range comes from the rolled oats, nuts, egg, and natural yoghurt. 

Q. Are any of your products Vegan?

A. Yes! Our Hemp Protein Cookies are Vegan. The Peanut Chocolate Bomb, and Chocolate Cranberry Craze are made with 99.99% plant-based ingredients; there is a trace of dairy in the real dark chocolate that we use. 

Q. Are any of your products Gluten Free?

A. Yes and no. The Hemp Protein Cookies and Chocolate Cranberry Craze are made with GF ingredients; however our contract bakery is not certified GF so we cannot make a claim on our labels due to the risk of contamination. The Peanut Chocolate Bomb is wheat-free. 

Customers who have coeliac disease, or those who choose to follow a GF diet for other reasons, may consume these products, providing they read our Allergen statements on our labels, “may contain gluten”, and make an informed decision based on that. 

Q. What about nut allergies? 

A. The Original Sports Cookie and Chocolate Oat Explosion are both nut-free, however due to the presence of nuts in the bakery, tree nuts are listed as “may contain traces” under our Allergen statements on our labels. The other products in the range contain either peanuts or almonds. 

Q. Are Em’s OK for people with Diabetes?  

A. Because Em’s provide a slow blood sugar response, or low GI, they are appropriate for people with Diabetes. Those with Type 1 Diabetes (insulin deficient, requiring insulin injections to survive) need to understand their carb to insulin ratio, in order to match the carb content of Em’s with their fast-acting insulin. Those with Type 2 Diabetes (insulin resistant, and managed by moderating carbs, healthy diet, exercise and sometimes medication) can have Em’s as well, however we recommend limiting to ½ of a large Cookie or Bar or 1 Power Bite, as a snack or treat. It is important for Type 2 people to moderate their carb intake and avoid free sugars. They still need carb to function and have energy. As long as portions of Em’s are kept small, they can fit into the meal plan as a beneficial and tasty snack. The Hemp Protein Cookies are an appropriate snack for anyone with Diabetes. Some people with Diabetes are fearful of eating any sugar, natural or otherwise, so they may not choose to have Em’s. 

Q. What are the top selling flavours? 

A. Sales over the last 12 months in ranking order:
Choc Oat Explosion 80g**
Choc Cranberry Craze 80g** 
Hemp Protein Cookie Choc Brownie*
Hemp Protein Cookie Natural PB* 
Apri-Choc Attack 80g 
Peanut Choc Bomb 80g
Original Sports Cookie 85g
Power Bites Choc Oat Explosion 240g
Power Bites Apri-Choc Attack 240g
Power Bites Choc Cranberry Craze 240g
**Choc Oat and Choc Cranberry 80g ranged in FSSI DC
* Hemp Protein Cookies ranged in Countdown DC

Q. What are some accolades or notable things about Em’s Power Cookies?

A. In 2008 we were a category winner at the NZ Food Awards with the Choc Oat Explosion and Peanut Choc Bomb, and in 2015 we were a category finalist with the Choc Cranberry Craze. We supply High Performance Sport NZ, NZ Sevens Rugby, NZ Netball, and NZDF Patrol Packs via Lockheed Martin. We have sent product to the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics for the NZ team. We have sponsored some of NZ’s premier sporting events such as Ironman, Challenge Wanaka, Coast to Coast, Spring Challenge as well as top athletes such as Sam Clark and Simone Maier (C2C), Cameron Brown (Ironman), and Mayan-Smith Gobat (climbing) and many others over the years. We only sponsor events and athletes that genuinely love Em’s Power Cookies.