Our Least Favorite Protein Bar Is An (Unappetizing) Classic 

It's no secret that protein bars are usually consumed more for their nutritional content than their flavor. If you expect a triple chocolate brownie or banana cream pie protein bar to taste anything like the delicious dessert by which it's theoretically inspired, you're likely to be disappointed. Still, that doesn't mean these convenient and protein-packed snacks have to taste completely terrible. These days, the protein bar aisle offers seemingly endless options for every palate and nutritional need, and many of these bars are actually pretty delightful. Unfortunately, there are a few which are truly unappetizing.

Luckily for you, we've done the dirty work of determining which protein bar brands to buy and which to skip. More importantly, we sampled 16 of the most widely available protein bars and ranked them from worst to best. The brand that earned the dubious honor of being our least favorite is a classic of the category: PowerBar. This brand has been around since the 1980s, and it's safe to say most of us have struggled to peel the wrapper off a chewy, slab-like, mystery-flavored PowerBar at some point or other. In this case, old isn't gold. The Takeout's reviewer found PowerBars dense, dry, dull, and generally void of flavor and joy. Other reviewers have criticized the bar's brick-like quality and overwhelming stickiness. In other words, PowerBar is a brand that's probably best avoided.

PowerBar was founded in 1986 by the Canadian entrepreneur and long-distance runner Brian Maxwell. According to company lore, Maxwell created the bars to satisfy a personal need for a convenient, portable, energy-packed snack to fuel his lengthy athletic endeavors. PowerBar quickly became a hit with athletes of all stripes, and the brand dominated the nutrition bar market for several years. However, in an era when a new horribly named protein bar seems to launch every other week, PowerBar has struggled to stand out from the crowd. The company has attempted to rebrand in order to compete in the ever-expanding protein bar market it helped create. Still, modern protein bar aficionados (including our reviewer) tend to find it lacking, and many people are of the opinion that PowerBar is experiencing a slow and steady decline into obscurity.

PowerBar is our least favorite protein bar when it comes to flavor and texture. However, memory plays a powerful role in taste perception, and there's no denying that the classic brand offers a certain nostalgic appeal for those of us who downed many a sticky, half-melted PowerBar on childhood bike rides and hiking trips. If nothing else, perhaps the sweet memories of PowerBars past will help this classic brand stick around for a few more decades.