We tried 12 of the most popular protein bars on the market - this is the only one worth buying

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

These "healthy" snacks can be stuffed with sugar and artificial ingredients.

• Protein bars are considered a workout staple because they have a high protein content, which is essential to building muscle mass.
• But they can also be packed with sugar and artificial ingredients.
• We tested 12 different protein bars available at a local CVS and ranked them based on nutritional content, taste, and cost.

After sampling 12 different protein bars, the only place I don't feel like going is the gym.

Protein bars are designed to be high-energy snacks that contain a large concentration of protein, a macronutrient that helps to build muscle mass and repair wounds or damaged tissues. Some contain around 20 grams of protein in a bar. To put that into context, a large egg has around seven grams of protein in it.

There's a big market for protein bars in the US, and other snack companies are wising up to this. In October 2017, Kellogg's bought the maker of RXBAR protein bars for $600 million in an attempt to cash in on healthier food trends.

But these "healthy" snacks can also be stuffed with sugar, artificial ingredients, and calories, making them about as healthy as a candy bar.

We decided we'd had enough of being fooled and headed to our local CVS store to sample all of the protein bar brands on offer. We've put together a ranking based on taste, nutritional content, and price. Find out which bar won, below:

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