Reviews: WILDE Protein Crackers and UFC-Backed Main Event Bars

WILDE Protein Crackers

WILDE has built its reputation by proving chicken breast belongs in the snack aisle. Now the brand is testing whether that same formula can crack open a much bigger opportunity. Earlier this year, the brand expanded beyond chips with a line of oven-baked crackers made with chicken breast, chicken bone broth and cheese. The lineup includes Classic Cheddar, Smoked Gouda, Buffalo Cheddar and Hot Honey. The snacks pack 12 grams of protein per serving — roughly four times that of traditional cheese crackers — while delivering the kind of light, crispy crunch consumers expect from the category.

Things that stand out:

• Rather than feeling like a high-protein substitute, the crackers deliver an authentic, deeply cheesy flavor that should satisfy Cheez-It fans.
• The crackers are light, crisp and highly snackable with a satisfying crunch that never ventures into dense or overly protein-forward territory.
• Each flavor earns its place. Classic Cheddar delivers familiar comfort, Smoked Gouda offers a richer, more premium profile, Buffalo Cheddar brings balanced heat, and Hot Honey layers in just enough sweetness to create something genuinely different.
• The protein payoff is substantial without requiring consumers to sacrifice the eating experience. The products offer a compelling savory alternative to protein bars, shakes and even many meat snacks.
• The product feels highly incremental to the cracker aisle. Rather than asking consumers to adopt an unfamiliar format, WILDE is upgrading an everyday pantry staple with significantly stronger nutrition.

Things to consider:

• Chicken breast and bone broth remain unconventional ingredients for crackers. While they largely disappear in the finished product, some shoppers may hesitate when they realize these aren’t conventional cheese crackers.
• Consumers looking for a traditional cracker to pair with soups, dips or charcuterie may find the product’s bold cheese flavor and protein-forward formulation more suited to standalone snacking than as a neutral accompaniment.
• Premium ingredients typically come with premium pricing. WILDE will need to convince shoppers that the protein boost and ingredient quality justify paying more than conventional cheese crackers.

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Main Event Bars

There are a lot of protein bars on the market – but only one “Built For Performance By The UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship).” Most consumers are not training for the Octagon, but the UFC developed Main Event with the backing of its Performance Institute and in partnership with FoodStory Brands. The line launched with four flavors – Caramel Chocolate Crisp, Cookies & Cream, Peanut Butter Chocolate and Chocolate Crunch– with 20 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and functional ingredients like L-theanine and tart cherry powder to support focus and recovery.

Things that stand out:

• The formulation and flavors lean into the candy-bar-turned-protein-bar trend trailblazed by Barebells and Built. It succeeds in bringing a similar chocolate-covered, chewy-with-crunchy-inclusion eating experience.
• By using a blend of protein sources – whey isolate, milk isolate, milk concentrate and collagen peptides – and fiber, the bars cover a lot of ground for the various demographics shopping the nutritional bar set.
• In a protein/fiber-maxxing environment, it seems most brands are pushing the ceiling on how many grams can be stuffed into one serving. Main Event delivers a high, but reasonable, amount of both without going too far.

Things to consider:

• All the varieties have similar combinations of chocolate with a crunchy addition. Branching out into a caffeinated coffee flavor or fruit-forward varieties like strawberries and cream would bring more optionality to the lineup.
• While the red and black color scheme matches that of the UFC, the front-of-label callout is fairly small. Given UFC is the co-owner of the brand and likely a big draw for many consumers, emphasizing the logo would give customers a reason to choose Main Event over other brands.
• Similarly, the rest of the package design is rather generic with a small illustration of the flavor and callouts to “no sucralose” and “no sugar alcohols,” while notably excluding callouts to collagen and other ingredients that differentiate from other protein bars.

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