We Ate Basically All the Foods in the Supermarket. These Are the 50 Best.

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CONVENIENCE, DEMAND, AND probably all those damn ads on social media are fueling the multi-trillion-dollar market for packaged grocery stores goods.

To cut through the glut of well-marketed junk food—and celebrate the 20th anniversary of our Best Foods for Men awards—we searched hundreds of product labels to find the 20 most-nutritious and delicious products released within the last year.

And, because the best diet is a varied diet, we added 30 of our favorite all-time favorites to help round out the list.

What makes an award-winner, you ask?

Each year, our editors scan supermarket shelves (IRL and online) to find food and drinks with the most protein, fiber, and healthy fats for the fewest empty calories and added sugars. We also prize organic and minimally processed foods. And we taste-test everything.

Here are the 50 Best Foods for Men award-winners for 2023. The first 20 are new(ish). The remaining 30 are the oldies-but-goodies.

And they’re all as nutritious as they are delicious.

Kimchi Pickles

These formidable chips have a bracing heat that can stand up to beef bulgogi or bibimbap. They’re pretty great snacked straight out of the tub too.

Sweet Smoked Wild Mackerel

The tender, lightly smoky fish in this easy-open can has 15 grams of protein and offers an excellent source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Chicken Pasta Primavera

Slide the chicken breast, cauliflower penne, tomato sauce, and vegetables from the bag and into a skillet with oil. In six minutes, you have a high-protein feast.

American Green Yaupon Holly Tea

These leaves come from a holly busy, which makes them sweet, not bitter, like most green teas. Yes, it still delivers a nice ride of caffeine.

Sea Salt & Caramel Poppables

They’re dark-chocolate-covered bon bons made with a blend of milk and Greek yogurt. One contains 35 calories.

Unsweetened Black Espresso Cold Brew Coffee

Too many cold brands mask the off-flavors of crummy beans with added milks and sugars. Not, Stok, which offer just this potent-yet-balanced brew.

Jammy Tomato Hummus

Supremely creamy hummus, elevated by a small mound of sweet-tangy roasted tomatoes and red peppers. It’s great as a salad “dressing.”

Baked Bean & Lentil Bowl

This vegan frozen meal contains an impressive 18 grams of protein per serving and tastes pretty close to chili.

Wild-Caught Alaskan Salmon Nuggets

They satisfy like chicken nuggets, but have way more in the way of omega-3s. All they need is a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Boosted Blends Berry Spark Smoothie

Just blend these pre-portioned bags of blueberries, bananas, blackberries, cherries—along with small cubes that include acai and flaxseeds—with a liquid and go.

Veggie Spiral Skillets (Garlic Basil)

Sizzle these zucchini, carrot, and red bell pepper strips with the included no-sugar-added sauce and check “eating more vegetables” off your goals list.

Apple Cinnamon

They’re overnight oats, without all the work and waiting. One 5-oz tub has 200 calories, 6 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, and no added sugar.

White Cheddar

They have a Cheez-It vibe, but are made with fresh, not powdered cheese, so a handful has 6 grams. They’re good as croutons too.

Sausage Breakfast Bowl

This breakfast bake, studded with tater tots, has a fortifying 26 grams of protein per bowl. Top it with some salsa for even more flavor.

Honey Peanut Butter Superfood Cereal

This mix of oats, quinoa, amaranth, chia, and almonds is what so few good-for-you cereals aren’t: satisfying.

No Sugar Added Organic Tuscan Tomato Marinara

Chunks of tomato and onion. Pops of garlic and basil. Silky smooth texture. Who needs sugar?

Fire Roasted Salsa

This powerfully spicy salsa has a finely chopped consistency and just-made freshness that make it equally well matched for tacos and scrambled eggs.

Zero-Sugar Original Smoked Sausages

Not like Stevia-sweetened “zero sugar.” Just no sugar at all. So you can enjoy the taste in all its beefy-peppery glory.

Al Bronzo Penne Rigate

It’s die-cut, which isn’t a gimmick. Those micro-grooves actually help sauces cling to the pasta better, which means more good stuff in every bite.

Creamy Peanut Butter

This luscious PB has no added sugar and slathers on rich and creamy. It’ll dethrone whatever brand currently sits in your pantry.

Pistachios

A half-ounce (roughly 24 nuts) has about 80 calories, three grams of protein, and a whole bunch of heart-healthy fats. We like the ones in their shells, if only because they’re so satisfying to crack.

Walnuts

Eating plain old walnuts is, honestly, boring. But if you throw these little brain-looking nuts on top of oatmeal, yogurt, salads, or even into stir-fry—they give everything a potent crunch (not too mention good fats).

Sour Cream

Wow, is this stuff creamy. Two tablespoons have just 60 calories. We love it stirred into shakshuka or plopped atop a big bowl of chili.

Cottage Cheese 4% Milkfat

The high-milkfat stuff is more flavorful—so much so that you don’t need any sweet stuff to make it taste great. And 1 cup has a mighty 26 grams of protein.

Original Cream Cheese

Schmear it over bagels, of course, but don’t underestimate it as a creamy, slightly tangy sandwich or wrap spread either.

Real Mayonnaise

The Duke puts a little cider vinegar in their extra-rich mayo, which gives it a subtle twang that you’ll notice in potato salad, tuna fish, and dips. (It’s also the secret to a great grilled cheese sandwich too. Just spread it on the outsides of bread before grilling.)

Prepared Mustard

Yellow squeeze-bottle mustard is so one-note. This stuff is bracing, fiery, and powerful—like if Ric Flair were a condiment.

Simply Tomato Ketchup

So many “fancy” ketchups screw up the balance between sweet, savory, salty, and umami. Not this one. There’s a reason it’s been around forever.

Fire Roasted Hatch Chile

Real Hass avocados, blended with the sweet heat of green Hatch chiles. There’s cilantro, tomato, onions, and lime juice in their too. It’s an overachieving guac—in a good way.

Organic Barley & Brown Rice Miso

For only 10 calories a teaspoon, this umami-rich paste intensifies the flavors of anything. Combine it with equal parts butter and pop a pat atop a grilled steak. Drop a little into your next batch of chicken soup. Whisk a little into a DIY dressing. It! Does! It! All!

San Marzano Style, Garlic, Olive Oil & Basil

Open. Pour into bowl. Mash with hands. Transfer to an oiled pot or pan to simmer till thickened how you like. Season. Boom. Homemade tomato sauce.

Harvestland Free Range Chicken Thighs

Four ounces gets you 19 grams of protein for 250 calories. The chicken isn’t raised with hormones or antibiotics, which is super important, and the flavor is far more chicken-y than bland breast meat.

Smart Bowls Latin Citrus

Rice, corn, and red pepper pep up traditional tuna salad. One tear-and-eat pouch contains 10 gams of protein and five grams of fiber.

Unsweetened Tea

So many iced teas are loaded with added sugar. (Maybe to cover up the taste of the crummy tea?) Not this stuff, which is bold and satisfying—for zero calories.

Complete Elite Vanilla

Forty-two grams of protein per bottle. Forty-two.

Bottled Water

It’s by far the cleanest-tasting option on the market.

Zero Tablets, Lemon Lime (30-count)

They deliver the electrolytes you’d expect from Gatorade, but in a dissolvable form, with no added sugar and only 10 calories a pop.

Truffle Lover's Pizza

This isn’t your typical underwhelming frozen pepperoni-and-mozzarella pie. There are mushrooms, spinach, and a caramelized onion truffle sauce. One third of a pizza has 10 grams of protein for 250 calories.

Sesame Garlic Stir-Fry Veggies & Sauce

Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, red peppers, edamame, and celery all lend different nutrients, and a sauce pouch allows you to control how much you add.

Ultimate Plant-Based Original Chick’n Strips

We tasted a henhouse full of “chicken” products. Many were terrible. This one was solid. They’re breading-free; six pieces have 17 grams of protein.

Spicy Black Bean Burgers

Here’s what you do with these substantive patties: Cook two, then double-stack them on a potato roll with all the fixings. The patties, in total, provide 18 grams of protein and eight grams of fiber.

Shredded Hash Brown Potatoes

Quick-cooked in a well-buttered pan, these crispy taters are a great way to sneak in serving of vegetable at breakfast.

Crispy Rosemary Fries with Sea Salt

They taste like what one of those “modern American” restaurants might serve. (Way less expensive too.)

Coarse Kosher Salt

The larger crystals make it perfect for seasoning with your fingers like the fancy chef you are.

Apples

Sweet-tart and crunchy, these apples make “eating more fruit” an easily achievable goal.

Mandarin Oranges

Peel the juicy segments free and add them to fruit (or vegetable!) salads.

Sharp White Cheddar Cheese Portions

The packaging around this intensely cheddar-y cheese creates a barrier to entry that prevents you from eating a whole block in one go. Not that that ever happens?

Nut-Trition Men’s Health Recommended Mix

We helped create this lightly salted blend of almonds, peanuts, and pistachios—so of course it’s good.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (100% California)

It’s a smoooooth olive oil that’s just as good for cooking as it is for finishing.

Classic Eggs

The yolks are bright and rich. The whites cook up fluffy and creamy. They’re eggs as eggs should be.

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