The 5 best protein bars for refueling after a workout or a midday snack

The 5 best protein bars for refueling after a workout or a midday snack

As a teen in the '90s, I remember hitting the weight room hard to bulk up for football season. To get the most gains, I was told, I needed a . Could I have consumed more chicken or ? Absolutely. Instead, I decided to choke down these bulky, gold foil-wrapped protein bars. It was a chore. There wasn't a single thing great about these bars, either. The texture was reminiscent of old gum and it took some serious concentration to get through even a few bites at a time. Forget about good taste, too — eating them was a workout in itself. Thankfully, in the last 25 years. You no longer have to settle for inedible junk. Today's options and go down so easy you'll crave them even when you aren't trying to make the most of your workouts. To help find the best protein bars currently available, I tested a variety of what's on the market from brands like Optimum Nutrition, Kind, and Quest Nutrition. What I found was not only a collection of bars I actually enjoyed eating but those that could reliably add more protein to my daily intake as needed. It's worth noting that prior to