Aug. 8, 2018

This paid piece is sponsored by GreatLIFE Golf & Fitness.

When Jill Kleinsasser’s peanut butter protein balls appear in the case at GreatLIFE Golf & Fitness locations, they aren’t there for long.

She has made them since 2015 and demand has only grown.

“A guy at the gym just told me he gets his kids to the gym so he can work out and they can get balls afterward,” she said. “I have five kids, and I just want people to eat healthier and not feel restricted by their sweet tooth. That’s my mission.”

Kleinsasser, who previously co-owned Chef to Plate, has turned her passion for snacks into Be Right Bites.

“I just knew if I wanted to expand the snack line, I had to separate it and go that direction,” she said.

She’s already rolling out new bite-sized additions. After several months in development, double chocolate balls have been added to the lineup. Microwave them less than 10 seconds and they become a gooey brownie, she said.

This week brings another debut: Much-requested chocolate chip cookie dough balls.

“People have been asking when it’s coming out,” Kleinsasser said. “So I think there’s a need for the cookie dough.”

The goal is for all her snacks to have at least 20 grams of protein, she said. Recipes take months to perfect. She’s also working on a s’mores variety, a bar and a puffed rice product.

The snacks are available at GreatLIFE’s Woodlake and Performance Center locations.

“We love requests,” Kleinsasser added. “And we’re starting to expand to corporate clients. We had someone ask for 25 balls for a corporate event. And I think now that we have other flavors people might order platters. The demand is obviously there for something healthy, including at business events.”