Pop tarts vs. Toaster Strudel

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Replies

  • Chris99mu
    Chris99mu Posts: 352 Member
    The obvious winner is Toaster Strudel, 9 pages to get to this? Wow..Its not even a ?

    Thuuuuuuuuuuuhank you.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member


    I never SAID it was a problem - I said that Pop-Tarts and Toaster Strudel are garbage, nothing but a sugar and fat delivery system. If that's what you want to eat, more power to you. But your fitness is like The Slight Edge - a total of a lot of seemingly small decisions that have no apparent impact at the moment you make them but their cumulative effect over time determines whether you succeed or fail. So if you want to eat a Pop Tart, go ahead - but I'd never pretend it was "food" that was going past my lips, or that it in any way is going to contribute to my well-being and in fact is a setback I could have avoided.

    A setback? 200 calories is a setback? Really? If you truly believe that then I'd be among those labeling you as food phobic.

    Go check out the diary of the poster who called me "orthorexic". It's nothing but setbacks - which is her choice, but I don't need to be called names by a member whose "logging" is more horror story than chronicle of progress.

    Yep. That'd be me! Please feel free to peruse my public diary and see just how wrong you are! I am more than halfway to my goal weight and very proud of myself. My family and friends are amazed at my dedication and the amount of knowledge on nutrition that I've acquired.

    I abso-frickin-lutely *LOVE* it when people like you check my diary. Though you won't find a single PopTart or Toaster Strudel logged, there are many, many yummy substitutes. I don't buy many pre-packaged foods anymore. I tend to make my own desserts now, like the yummy cream cheese sugar cookies with decorative buttercream icing that you will see in my current profile picture.

    I'm so happy to learn that you find my food diary a "horror story." I would probably say the same of yours if you were brave enough to make yours public! :flowerforyou:

    ETA: Setbacks? Not a single one, just living life and LOVING it! :bigsmile: :smokin:
  • Loves418
    Loves418 Posts: 330 Member
    Can I suggest baklava? Basically the otherside of the world's version of a strudel.

    If I could find a way to make my Baklava low calorie I would be in heaven..I miss it so much..sigh:cry:
  • AmandaReimer1
    AmandaReimer1 Posts: 235 Member
    Strudel all the way...that warm flaky crust....the frosting alone beats out poptarts. But, I never have either in the house lol
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,733 Member

    Second, I've found by a quick perusal of the responses to my post that most ( most , but not all ) of the greatest defenders of garbage like Pop Tarts are those who are farthest from reaching their goal.

    1. I don't find that to be true at all but it's an easy statement to throw out there without substantiating, so I can see why you'd try it.


    Because the most vociferous Pop Tart defenders here (there are two, one of whom called me "orthorexic" and the other who said I was a member of cult and "food phobic", and they know who they are - you can read back if you're curious) are both in the camp of being far from goal. If you want some substantiation, dig a little.


    But if they have hit their minimum protein and fat targets, and still have some calories left to have a pop-tart, why is it a problem?

    People aren't eating 100% pop-tarts, they are eating pop-tarts as part of an otherwise healthy diet.

    Just like you did with your dessert today.

    THAT isn't the problem. What you suggested is totally fine. The problem is those same people demeaning folks who choose to eat "clean", while wearing a pop tart as a badge of honor.

    I think "wearing a pop-tart as a badge of honor" is commendable in a world where people vilify food and become absolutely obsessed with "eating clean" at the expense of their mental/emotional well being. So I say--wearing the badge of honor beats the heck out of fearing ANY food.

    i hate to break the fourth wall and have to explain that Pop Tarts are really just a metaphor on all of these threads, but i will.

    it's not about Pop Tarts really. it's about all foods. any diet that restricts food choices for reasons other than medical is going to get push back from me, and people like me. food is fuel. no more, no less. what matters is getting adequate micro- and macro-nutrients. so long as you do that, you can eat whatever you want doing that. that could be a Pop Tart, or ice cream, or spaghetti, or croissants, or whatever.

    people who unnecessarily restrict their diets are less likely to meet their goals and stay at those goals if/when they reach them. they will also find meeting those goals very frustrating having to remember and apply a whole checklist of rules to every food choice they make.

    in the engineering world, there is a maxim that every engineer knows. it's KISS and that stands for Keep It Simple Stupid. it's a reminder to not overly complicate your problem or solution.

    so although these threads are about Pop Tarts superficially, they really don't have anything to do with Pop Tarts. Pop Tarts are just a convenient placeholder for ANY food that anyone determines should not be eaten for any non-medical reason. of course, if you don't like the taste of something, nobody is going to give you a hard time for that. for me, that's black licorice and a few other foods.

    there are dedicated true-believers in the idea that certain foods cannot and should not be eaten. some of them have posted on this thread. what they might not understand is that the points i'm making (and i presume others as well) are not aimed at them. their minds are made up. but there are lots of lurkers reading this thread who are not posting. my opinions are aimed at them. i just want them to know that just because someone told them "Pop Tarts" are bad for them and should not be eaten, that isn't the truth. likewise, you don't need to only eat what so-called cavemen ate either. you can choose to understand dieting and fitness at a higher level of abstraction and simply focus on the nutrients in food, rather than the actual food itself, and get to your fitness and health goals. IIFYM is the top level philosophy under which ALL successful healthy diet plans fall. it's the concepts of IIFYM that make those plans work, even if the plans themselves are sold to consumers in such a way as to obfuscate that fact.

    eat clean. eat paleo. eat primal. at the end of the day it's still your decision. however, if you do those diets successfully, you are actually just following IIFYM with the addition of unnecessary food restrictions. for me, and many others, IIFYM is more than adequate and i don't implement any food restrictions, other than excluding foods i don't like (black licorice) or foods i can't easily digest (dairy with lactose).

    back to the OP's question, i believe i have already weighed in, but would re-iterate that Pop Tarts win for convenience and nostalgia.
  • jayliospecky
    jayliospecky Posts: 25,022 Member
    Good points, Winner.

    GoKaleo calls them "food villains." I really dislike it when people villify certain foods, whether it be sugar or wheat or bananas or potatoes, as the REASON or CAUSE of their obesity. Apart from an allergy or intolerance, there is nothing good or bad in the foods themselves.

    Again, GoKaleo says it better in her own words:

    "You can eliminate every Food Villain in the world (and there are certainly good reasons to eliminate some of them!) but even if all you eat is organic kale and coconut oil, if you ignore the primary drivers, physical activity and energy balance, you will never totally overcome your problems. Likewise, if you optimize your physical activity and correct your energy imbalance, you will be surprised at how harmless most of the Food Villains you’ve been living in fear of become. A person with healthy metabolic function can pretty much eat whatever they want and remain healthy. Food Villains, by and large, only become problematic once metabolic function has been compromised. Metabolic function is compromised by inactivity and energy imbalance, not by Food Villains. Eliminating Food Villains treats the symptoms of metabolic dysfunction, not the cause. The cause is inactivity and energy imbalance."
  • leighann881
    leighann881 Posts: 371
    THAT isn't the problem. What you suggested is totally fine. The problem is those same people demeaning folks who choose to eat "clean", while wearing a pop tart as a badge of honor.

    I would agree with you in almost any other thread.... this was obviously a light-hearted, for funsies thread that was hijacked by pretentious comments intentionally designed to start debate. In the words of my 7 year old: "HE STARTED IT!!!!" :laugh:
  • leighann881
    leighann881 Posts: 371
    Can I suggest baklava? Basically the otherside of the world's version of a strudel.

    If I could find a way to make my Baklava low calorie I would be in heaven..I miss it so much..sigh:cry:

    Make it. Cut it up into reasonable servings. freeze the individuals and plan it into your day once in awhile.... why deny?
  • amybg1
    amybg1 Posts: 631 Member
    When I used to eat the crap...AGES ago - Toaster Strudel all the way. Now? Eat neither, go for good WHOLESOME food instead - there's even some that can be done when the power goes out for those of you who think pop tarts a good choice for power outages.

    Both are full of crap tbh so eat in moderation if you want one...
  • CristinaL1983
    CristinaL1983 Posts: 1,119 Member
    When I used to eat the crap...AGES ago - Toaster Strudel all the way. Now? Eat neither, go for good WHOLESOME food instead - there's even some that can be done when the power goes out for those of you who think pop tarts a good choice for power outages.

    Both are full of crap tbh so eat in moderation if you want one...

    I would rather build my own fire to cook a Toaster Strudel in the event of a power outage than eat a Pop Tart.

    By my count, Toaster Strudel has won a sweeping victory of deliciousness.

    Disclaimer: I did not count the votes.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member

    By my count, Toaster Strudel has won a sweeping victory of deliciousness.

    Disclaimer: I did not count the votes.

    Seems legit :wink:
  • ladyrider55
    ladyrider55 Posts: 316 Member
    I tried both years ago, pop tarts have been around for along time, then came toaster strudels a more rich style for the rich I said. I'm able to gaze at both of them at the grocery store & walk on by without a 2nd glance! I have more important foods to contend with these days.....in the produce section, in the health food section. The last thing I'm going to do to myself is waste my time & energy & calories on eating either a pop tart or a toaster strudel, jus sayin.....:bigsmile: :laugh:
  • degan2011
    degan2011 Posts: 316 Member

    THANKS! can't wait to try these.. I am thinking that egg and cheese or ham and cheese or ham and egg filled ones would be yummy and a good fun breakfast for the kids. :)
  • Pinkylee77
    Pinkylee77 Posts: 432 Member
    I would never eat a pop tart for breakfast but I would have them for a snack. I may be sending out the husband out to Big Lots to find some :flowerforyou: . How ever I would never eat toaster strudel. I do love my home made ones.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member


    I never SAID it was a problem - I said that Pop-Tarts and Toaster Strudel are garbage, nothing but a sugar and fat delivery system. If that's what you want to eat, more power to you. But your fitness is like The Slight Edge - a total of a lot of seemingly small decisions that have no apparent impact at the moment you make them but their cumulative effect over time determines whether you succeed or fail. So if you want to eat a Pop Tart, go ahead - but I'd never pretend it was "food" that was going past my lips, or that it in any way is going to contribute to my well-being and in fact is a setback I could have avoided.

    A setback? 200 calories is a setback? Really? If you truly believe that then I'd be among those labeling you as food phobic.

    Go check out the diary of the poster who called me "orthorexic". It's nothing but setbacks - which is her choice, but I don't need to be called names by a member whose "logging" is more horror story than chronicle of progress.

    I didn't look at her diary, but I see she has lost 62 pounds.

    HA! 63 pounds now. I'm down another pound this week. (even though I ate Easter candy :drinker: )
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I would never eat a pop tart for breakfast but I would have them for a snack. I may be sending out the husband out to Big Lots to find some :flowerforyou: . How ever I would never eat toaster strudel. I do love my home made ones.

    I should learn how to make strudel! :heart:
  • leeanneowens
    leeanneowens Posts: 319 Member
    I like both but would rather eat Toaster Strudel. My kids prefer Pop Tarts..
  • IronMikeFox
    IronMikeFox Posts: 458
    Good gawd. How the hell did a thread about pop tarts vs toaster strudel become so nasty!?!?!? Very sad.
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
    Good gawd. How the hell did a thread about pop tarts vs toaster strudel become so nasty!?!?!? Very sad.

    It's because all the "lets make certain food evil people" are jealous that we enjoy tasty tasty crap every now and again. :bigsmile:
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
    Good gawd. How the hell did a thread about pop tarts vs toaster strudel become so nasty!?!?!? Very sad.

    It's because all the "lets make certain food evil people" are jealous that we enjoy tasty tasty crap every now and again. :bigsmile:

    Weird... I recall those same people saying they eat ice cream, fudge, etc on occasion


    Your argument seems invalid... :)
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Good gawd. How the hell did a thread about pop tarts vs toaster strudel become so nasty!?!?!? Very sad.

    It's because all the "lets make certain food evil people" are jealous that we enjoy tasty tasty crap every now and again. :bigsmile:

    Weird... I recall those same people saying they eat ice cream, fudge, etc on occasion


    Your argument seems invalid... :)

    I think it's more that the few people arguing refuse to ever agree with one another, but most would agree that treats that fit into their macros and calorie allotment are ok (whether they are poptarts, toaster strudel, or 70% organic dark chocolate).
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
    Good gawd. How the hell did a thread about pop tarts vs toaster strudel become so nasty!?!?!? Very sad.

    It's because all the "lets make certain food evil people" are jealous that we enjoy tasty tasty crap every now and again. :bigsmile:

    Weird... I recall those same people saying they eat ice cream, fudge, etc on occasion


    Your argument seems invalid... :)

    I think it's more that the few people arguing refuse to ever agree with one another, but most would agree that treats that fit into their macros and calorie allotment are ok (whether they are poptarts, toaster strudel, or 70% organic dark chocolate).

    Yep. We do all agree on that point. We simply have different definitions on how much of that calorie allotment they should take up. Many in this thread think it doesnt matter, and well... there are those who disagree with that philosophy.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Good gawd. How the hell did a thread about pop tarts vs toaster strudel become so nasty!?!?!? Very sad.

    It's because all the "lets make certain food evil people" are jealous that we enjoy tasty tasty crap every now and again. :bigsmile:

    Weird... I recall those same people saying they eat ice cream, fudge, etc on occasion


    Your argument seems invalid... :)

    I think it's more that the few people arguing refuse to ever agree with one another, but most would agree that treats that fit into their macros and calorie allotment are ok (whether they are poptarts, toaster strudel, or 70% organic dark chocolate).

    Yep. We do all agree on that point. We simply have different definitions on how much of that calorie allotment they should take up. Many in this thread think it doesnt matter, and well... there are those who disagree with that philosophy.

    *Personally* I think people with a higher BF% can have more "crap" in their diet than someone at a lower BF% like yourself. The types of food you eat and macros seem to have a much greater impact when you start trying to lose the "the last few pounds" or when trying to find your abs. But, I'm sure there will be a slew of people who disagree with me :laugh:
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
    Good gawd. How the hell did a thread about pop tarts vs toaster strudel become so nasty!?!?!? Very sad.

    It's because all the "lets make certain food evil people" are jealous that we enjoy tasty tasty crap every now and again. :bigsmile:

    Weird... I recall those same people saying they eat ice cream, fudge, etc on occasion


    Your argument seems invalid... :)

    I think it's more that the few people arguing refuse to ever agree with one another, but most would agree that treats that fit into their macros and calorie allotment are ok (whether they are poptarts, toaster strudel, or 70% organic dark chocolate).

    Yep. We do all agree on that point. We simply have different definitions on how much of that calorie allotment they should take up. Many in this thread think it doesnt matter, and well... there are those who disagree with that philosophy.

    *Personally* I think people with a higher BF% can have more "crap" in their diet than someone at a lower BF% like yourself. The types of food you eat and macros seem to have a much greater impact when you start trying to lose the "the last few pounds" or when trying to find your abs. But, I'm sure there will be a slew of people who disagree with me :laugh:

    which kind of proves that a calorie isn't a calorie, huh?

    i tend to agree in the sense that when you're trying to lose 100 pounds, no, it doesn't matter a damn WHAT you eat as long as you're at a deficit - you'll lose weight.

    when a relatively fit person is trying to lower body fat while maintaining muscle mass, then it absolutely matters what you eat.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Good gawd. How the hell did a thread about pop tarts vs toaster strudel become so nasty!?!?!? Very sad.

    It's because all the "lets make certain food evil people" are jealous that we enjoy tasty tasty crap every now and again. :bigsmile:

    Weird... I recall those same people saying they eat ice cream, fudge, etc on occasion


    Your argument seems invalid... :)

    I think it's more that the few people arguing refuse to ever agree with one another, but most would agree that treats that fit into their macros and calorie allotment are ok (whether they are poptarts, toaster strudel, or 70% organic dark chocolate).

    Yep. We do all agree on that point. We simply have different definitions on how much of that calorie allotment they should take up. Many in this thread think it doesnt matter, and well... there are those who disagree with that philosophy.

    *Personally* I think people with a higher BF% can have more "crap" in their diet than someone at a lower BF% like yourself. The types of food you eat and macros seem to have a much greater impact when you start trying to lose the "the last few pounds" or when trying to find your abs. But, I'm sure there will be a slew of people who disagree with me :laugh:

    which kind of proves that a calorie isn't a calorie, huh?

    i tend to agree in the sense that when you're trying to lose 100 pounds, no, it doesn't matter a damn WHAT you eat as long as you're at a deficit - you'll lose weight.

    when a relatively fit person is trying to lower body fat while maintaining muscle mass, then it absolutely matters what you eat.

    But you can still use some of your calories on things like ice-cream, pop tarts and the like and still get abs. Lowering body fat = caloric deficit. Maintaining LBM = enough protein and undertaking a good progressive strength training routine.
  • Phrakman
    Phrakman Posts: 113
    But you can still use some of your calories on things like ice-cream, pop tarts and the like and still get abs. Lowering body fat = caloric deficit. Maintaining LBM = enough protein and undertaking a good progressive strength training routine.

    Think thats his problem, i dont call p90x progressive strength training.
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
    Good gawd. How the hell did a thread about pop tarts vs toaster strudel become so nasty!?!?!? Very sad.

    It's because all the "lets make certain food evil people" are jealous that we enjoy tasty tasty crap every now and again. :bigsmile:

    Weird... I recall those same people saying they eat ice cream, fudge, etc on occasion


    Your argument seems invalid... :)

    I think it's more that the few people arguing refuse to ever agree with one another, but most would agree that treats that fit into their macros and calorie allotment are ok (whether they are poptarts, toaster strudel, or 70% organic dark chocolate).

    Yep. We do all agree on that point. We simply have different definitions on how much of that calorie allotment they should take up. Many in this thread think it doesnt matter, and well... there are those who disagree with that philosophy.

    *Personally* I think people with a higher BF% can have more "crap" in their diet than someone at a lower BF% like yourself. The types of food you eat and macros seem to have a much greater impact when you start trying to lose the "the last few pounds" or when trying to find your abs. But, I'm sure there will be a slew of people who disagree with me :laugh:

    which kind of proves that a calorie isn't a calorie, huh?

    i tend to agree in the sense that when you're trying to lose 100 pounds, no, it doesn't matter a damn WHAT you eat as long as you're at a deficit - you'll lose weight.

    when a relatively fit person is trying to lower body fat while maintaining muscle mass, then it absolutely matters what you eat.

    But you can still use some of your calories on things like ice-cream, pop tarts and the like and still get abs. Lowering body fat = caloric deficit. Maintaining LBM = enough protein and undertaking a good progressive strength training routine.

    i disagree on the lowering body fat part. i think you can drop body fat while eating your TDEE.
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
    But you can still use some of your calories on things like ice-cream, pop tarts and the like and still get abs. Lowering body fat = caloric deficit. Maintaining LBM = enough protein and undertaking a good progressive strength training routine.

    Think thats his problem, i dont call p90x progressive strength training.

    cute. P90X is hardly the only thing I do. but nice try. :flowerforyou:
  • Good gawd. How the hell did a thread about pop tarts vs toaster strudel become so nasty!?!?!? Very sad.

    It's because all the "lets make certain food evil people" are jealous that we enjoy tasty tasty crap every now and again. :bigsmile:

    Weird... I recall those same people saying they eat ice cream, fudge, etc on occasion


    Your argument seems invalid... :)

    I think it's more that the few people arguing refuse to ever agree with one another, but most would agree that treats that fit into their macros and calorie allotment are ok (whether they are poptarts, toaster strudel, or 70% organic dark chocolate).

    Yep. We do all agree on that point. We simply have different definitions on how much of that calorie allotment they should take up. Many in this thread think it doesnt matter, and well... there are those who disagree with that philosophy.

    *Personally* I think people with a higher BF% can have more "crap" in their diet than someone at a lower BF% like yourself. The types of food you eat and macros seem to have a much greater impact when you start trying to lose the "the last few pounds" or when trying to find your abs. But, I'm sure there will be a slew of people who disagree with me :laugh:

    which kind of proves that a calorie isn't a calorie, huh?

    i tend to agree in the sense that when you're trying to lose 100 pounds, no, it doesn't matter a damn WHAT you eat as long as you're at a deficit - you'll lose weight.

    when a relatively fit person is trying to lower body fat while maintaining muscle mass, then it absolutely matters what you eat.

    But you can still use some of your calories on things like ice-cream, pop tarts and the like and still get abs. Lowering body fat = caloric deficit. Maintaining LBM = enough protein and undertaking a good progressive strength training routine.

    i disagree on the lowering body fat part. i think you can drop body fat while eating your TDEE.

    you most definitely can. you can also lower body fat without eating 100% "clean."