High-protein everything has taken over American grocery aisles, and two outdoor editors decided to find out whether any of it belongs in a hiker's pack. Backpacker Editor-in-Chief Adam Roy and SKI Senior Editor Jamie Aranoff bought seven of the strangest protein-fortified products they could find and rated them on camera. The verdict was mostly harsh, with a couple of surprises worth knowing before your next resupply run.
The context first: protein supplements in the US have grown roughly 50% over the past decade and are now estimated to be a $9.4 billion industry. For thru-hikers and skiers who want shelf-stable protein that survives a pocket, the appeal is real — but taste matters when you're eating it day after day on trail.
The best performer was surprisingly mundane: a high-protein ice cream pint (Protein Pints) scoring 30 grams of protein across three servings with just 5 grams of sugar. Roy rated it a solid 3 out of 5 — not luxurious, but legitimately good grocery-store ice cream. The Legendary Cinnamon Protein Sweet Roll also held its own: 20 grams of protein, only 5 grams of carbs, gluten-free, individually wrapped, and durable enough not to get crushed in a jacket pocket. Aranoff called it the least offensive thing they tried — essentially an ultra-processed bar shaped like a cinnamon bun, and a decent emergency option for people with dietary restrictions.
It went downhill from there. Quest Tortilla Style Protein Chips (19 grams per bag, milk and whey protein) got a 2 out of 5, mostly thanks to a hot and spicy coating Roy compared to something a mad scientist would brew. Wilde Protein Chips — made from antibiotic-free chicken breast, egg whites, and bone broth — had clean ingredients and decent crunch but tasted like chicken and maple syrup, which nobody asked for. Scoring 2.5 out of 5 from Aranoff, the ingredients were the more natural of the two; the neon-red coloring was the dealbreaker.
The protein sodas fared worst. SkyPop's root beer flavor hid its sucralose badly, leaving a cloying aftertaste and a film on the tongue; Roy gave it 1 out of 5 and joked he'd sooner eat a lizard on trail. Genius Gourmet Sparkling Protein packed a genuinely useful 30 grams of protein and zero sugar, but tasted so sweet and artificial that Aranoff scored it 1.5.
The takeaway for anyone packing food for a hike or ski day: protein numbers don't equal palatability. Stick with products built on real ingredients, and maybe skip anything neon.