Check out my progress on The Evolution of the Pop Tart
Goldfish, Zebra Cakes, Teddy Grahams…these were just a few of my preferred after-school snacks when I was a kid. Oddly enough, however, one of my most beloved snacks was really a breakfast food—I had a serious love of Pop Tarts.
Most of the time, I couldn’t even wait long enough to toast them; I just dug into that brown sugar goodness straight out of the package. My fondness for the mysteriously shelf-stable pastry was re-kindled in high school when I was desperate for ways to increase my Calorie intake—I needed lots of Calories in a compact form. Thus, chocolate fudge Pop Tarts became essential for my recovery from anorexia.
According to a recent article from The Huffington Post, I am not the only one has harbored a love for Pop Tarts in the past. A Northern California restaurant is now offering organic, homemade “pop tarts” and has received much positive attention as a result. At the same time, it seems that the Kellogg’s Pop Tart brand is stronger than ever, as it continues to produce not only the classic frosted strawberry but also sickeningly sweet flavors like “Vanilla Milkshake” and “Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.”
These days those grocery store Pop Tarts hold absolutely no appeal for me. Their combination of ”ingredients” (i.e., synthetic preservatives and hydrogenated oils) quite frankly makes me want to vom. Nonetheless, in a way I owe them for my life—they sure packed on the pounds quickly!
Did you ever eat Pop Tarts as a kid? What were your favorite snacks?
I didn’t eat any Pop Tarts today, but I did manage to eat some tasty grub.
For breakfast, I made a big bowl of oat bran, featuring my latest Whole Foods find—fresh-ground chocolate peanut butter. Yes, the grind-your-own peanut butter station now features a chocolate flavor. The only ingredients are peanuts and dark chocolate, yet it tastes completely magical. I highly recommend it!
I took a break from shopping with Mom to make a simple hummus sandwich. Nothing special here, but it was satisfying nonetheless.
Tonight’s meal was an Ellie recipe, Steak Tacos with Cucumber Avocado Salsa.
My tweaks:
-I used tofu instead of steak.
-My tacos were composed of whole wheat flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas.
The spice combination for the rub was interesting in that it included just a touch of cinnamon—unexpected but enjoyable. I really dug the cucumber avocado salsa, so much so that I might make a big batch for the family’s upcoming Memorial Day celebration…
Alright, I think a fro-yo run is in my future. Good night, and happy eating!
Filed under: Meals
Caroline Yoder, dietitian-to-be and all-around foodie.
I used to be a pop-tart lover as a youth as well. Now I completely despise them- in fact, I try to not even shop in a store that carries Kellog’s pop- tarts. Hello, sugar and preservatives!
Have a good evening!
Yes, I hear you on the pop tarts. Pop tarts are one of the first places I realized nutrition facts existed and I was too afraid to eat them during my worst of anorexia. I think what’s been helping my recovery the most would have to be nut butters!! I literally owe them my life too!
I use to LOVE pop tarts! S’mores was my flavor of choice and I could not understand why people would eat the “fruit” pop tarts. Of course now I have no interest in eating them. I actually tried one a couple years ago while babysitting and it kind of tasted like cardboard. Too bad…maybe s’mores oatmeal though…:)
I’ve never tried pop tart, what a shame!
I also was a HUGE fan of poptarts! It makes me sick just thinking about how I would eat the whole 2-pack w/ a big glass of 2% milk (the serving size is only 1 poptart). Now I enjoy Nature’s Path brand of organic poptarts (one at a time…), they taste like the real thing!
WF has grind your own chocolate pb? OMG.
I think Josh was a HUGE pop tart fan! My favorite “treat” snacks (i.e. my mom only let them get them every once in a while) were dunkaroos and giggles cookies. Most of the time I had things like apple & peanut butter (which I still love today). The cucumber avocado salsa sounds so refreshing. I must try!
that tofu taco looks fuh reaking uh mazing
Hahaha, as a fellow Australian, I’ve heard lots of raving review on the humble Kellogs poptart. It made me wanna try one so badly, so after hunting high and low for them – $2 later, I sinked my teeth into the toasted poptart ……. the result? It tasted so bland that I threw the other poptart into the bin,