When you are in need of a quick meal it’s easy to get caught in the habit of eating fast food high in saturated fat, but Protein House, located in the Apex center, offers the same convenience with healthy fats and proteins.

Protein House created a menu that is clean and healthy for the human body. They advertise that their food is good for you by putting reminders everywhere they can; even the floor has “Thy medicine be thy food” projected on it.

The restaurant’s positive atmosphere reflects the objective of their food. At first glance it resembles the outdoors after the first snowfall; everything is so white and clean. Right across from the entrance three TVs that show the menu hang over the ordering counter and shelves of Protein House shirts, hats and water bottles. To the left shiny white tables are spread across the room and against the far wall with the large lettering “healthy fit kitchen.” The tables stop once they reach the juice bar containing the words “eat clean, train mean, get lean.”

Just by being in there I could tell Protein House is a big advocate for healthy lifestyles. Their approach on clean eating definitely works because by eating there I felt like I was doing the right thing for my body and didn’t feel guilty about eating quickly-made food.

They follow the modern body positive lifestyle. All food is served with a flag that says something along the lines of “you’re beautiful,” “keep trying,” or “stay positive.” They also share the calories, protein, carbs and fat in all their food and don’t try to hide anything from the consumer.

They have a variety of different meals for any time of the day. The menu offers different types of pancakes, wraps, bowls, burgers and much more. Some unique options were froyo pancakes ($11.50), PH breakfast burrito” ($12.50), “the sexy bowl” ($15) and ninja burger ($15). To accompany meals there is a range of drinks from juices to protein shakes. Even if you have a sweet tooth there is food for you with their options of frozen yogurt ($5), brownies ($4) and cookies ($4). The brownies and cookies are put on display at the order counter, but I had no desire to get one as they were the smallest I have ever seen, probably around the size of brownie bites.

I ordered the Caesar Wrap for $12 which is described as “Grilled All Natural Chicken, Romaine Lettuce, Parmesan Cheese, Sunflower Seeds, Croutons and Light Caesar Dressing on a whole wheat tortilla. ” It took around ten minutes for the wrap to be delivered to my table.

The meal came with a tiny bowl of fruit, containing around six small pieces pineapple, oranges and cantaloupe. The wrap itself looked appetizing, although I was expecting something bigger for the price, but it was clear it was filled as much as it could be. It tasted good on the aspect that they did not over-do it with the dressing, but the lettuce inside was mostly the softer darker green kind. Whether I get a caesar wrap or salad, I expect it to be the lighter romaine lettuce, so it was more chewy than crunchy and I did not like that.

While the only reason I would chose Protein House over another fast food restaurant is they makes everything fresh, it didn’t look or taste different from any other wrap I’ve gotten other places. I could only eat half of it and it was good, but it was not satisfying. I felt like I needed to eat something else afterwards.

Their shakes and acai bowls have been a big hit since they opened. There is a lot of excitement around Protein House opening, but the consumer must decide if it is worth the money. Not many places in the area sell acai bowls, so Protein House can get away with selling a small twenty-four ounce bowl for $12. Senior Zoe Scangas got the nutty butter acai bowl and said she enjoyed the flavor, but wishes it was less expensive for the size.

Their shakers are healthy so they have been gaining customers’ attention, especially with flavors like with like peanut butter dream, tropical tease, and apple butter. A smaller shake is $8 and the larger one is $9 which is a lot to pay  for a shake, but maybe not if you’re getting enough protein and calories to make it a meal. You can also substitute for vegan protein for $1 in any of the shakes.

Personally it was not the best food I have ever had, but I would recommend going at least once, especially if you’re a healthy eater, because it is different from other fast-food restaurants. There are also many vegan and vegetarian options, such as veggie burgers and bowls that other places do not offer.

A visit to Protein House is good for inspiration and ideas for healthy meals to make yourself at home, which may be your best option if you’re balling on a budget because there is not a meal you can get for under $11.