I Tried EVERY Viral Struggle Meal

Joshua Weissman and Dylan tested 19 viral struggle meals, grading them from S to F. The recipes ranged from bread alone to rice, meat and vegetable dishes, with taste, texture, convenience and reported calories and protein informing their judgments.

Vienna sausages baked with brown-sugar baked beans and bacon received an F. The preparation remained thin after baking, and the tasters disliked the result despite its reported 18 grams of protein and 320 calories per serving.

Kraft macaroni and cheese with seared hot dogs disappointed the tasters and received a C. They expected the familiar combination to work better; its reported 470 calories and 16 grams of protein per serving also drew criticism.

Canned ravioli mixed with tuna, sugar and jarred garlic was the most emphatically rejected dish, earning an F. The tomato sauce intensified the canned fish's fishiness, and one taster spat it out; 37 grams of protein and just over 500 calories did not redeem it.

Cinna's Vienna-sausage sandwich with a heavy coating of Dijon mustard received a D. The tasters disliked the sausage texture and bitter result, suggesting ordinary hot dogs and yellow mustard would work better; the sandwich had a reported 270 calories and 15 grams of protein.

A sandwich of plain bread and Mrs. Butterworth's syrup earned an S with virtually no preparation. Some syrup soaked into the bread while some stayed gooey in the middle, and the bread softened its sweetness; the reported serving contained 240 calories and 4 grams of protein.

The hot-dog, chili, cheese and tater-tot casserole earned a C as a filling but unremarkable family meal. The batch exceeded 4,000 calories, with a reported 715 calories and 25 grams of protein per serving; the tots held up better than expected and were the tasters' favorite component.

Compacting a slice of bread into a ball made it harder to swallow and earned a D. The preparation added no ingredient or clear eating benefit to plain bread.

Pan-cooked flour and water, with a little added salt, produced a dumpling-like pancake that received a C. The tasters found it acceptable on its own and liked it better with syrup, though it did not reach the higher tiers.

Weissman announced his first restaurant, Ben & Lynn's, would open September 12 at 11 a.m. at 2600 East Cesar Chavez in Austin, Texas. The announced menu centered on fried-chicken sandwiches and nuggets, and he said he would attend the opening.

A three-slice bread sandwich received a D because its appeal depended entirely on liking the bread itself. The reported sandwich supplied 260 calories and 6 grams of protein, and Weissman noted that this was not a complete protein.

Tortilla chips topped with microwaved Kraft Singles received a B, with hot sauce providing most of the flavor. The cheese contributed a queso-like texture but little taste, and the reported portion contained 400 calories and 14 grams of protein; the hot sauce was an addition to the demonstrated recipe.

Ground beef, Vigo yellow rice and frozen broccoli earned an A despite needing more seasoning. Weissman had threatened a D if the dish was underseasoned but reconsidered after tasting it; he also warned that cooking frozen broccoli for 20 minutes left it badly overcooked.

Rice with soy sauce and pork floss earned an S and was immediately described as a favorite. The pork floss added more flavor than Weissman expected, and the dish combined a simple rice base with a protein-containing topping.

Bread pizza made with ketchup, cheese and pepperoni received a B, outperforming the hot-dog macaroni. Broiling crisped the edges and melted the cheese, but the middle stayed soggy; toasting the bread before adding the toppings was the proposed improvement.

Heated, seasoned corn tortillas rolled up without a filling received a B. Their toasted corn flavor made them appealing despite lacking the crunch of tortilla chips, and the reported two-tortilla serving had 110 calories and 3 grams of protein.

Buttered cinnamon-sugar toast earned an S for its crisp exterior, soft center and buttery sugar topping. The tasters let the cinnamon sugar soak into the butter; Weissman recalled eating it as a school lunch and estimated roughly 200 to 300 calories per slice when using two tablespoons of butter.

A bolillo roll filled with refried beans, sour cream and queso fresco received an A. Its crisp exterior and fluffy interior gave it better texture than the bread pizza, although the beans needed seasoning; butter, garlic and onion were suggested additions.

Uncooked instant ramen crushed in its bag and shaken with its chili seasoning packet earned an S as a snack. The tasters considered it as satisfying as convenience-store chips, while noting the reported 370 calories and only 4 grams of protein.

A fried-bologna sandwich with melted American cheese and mustard received an A. Cutting the bologna helped it stay flat for searing, but the untoasted bread kept it from an S in Weissman's judgment; the reported sandwich contained 450 calories and 17 grams of protein.

A peanut-butter-and-jelly quesadilla received an A despite disagreement over the tortilla's texture. Weissman preferred bread and suggested a better tortilla or longer toasting, while Dylan liked its thinness; the reported portion had 400 calories and 12 grams of protein.

Rice with soy sauce and pork floss won the final comparison among the S-tier dishes. Weissman initially chose cinnamon toast while Dylan chose rice, but they agreed rice was the stronger everyday meal, with pork floss contributing protein alongside the carbohydrates.