Are Pop Tarts Good for Bulking?

Bodybuilders have been known to eat all sorts of food to gain muscle and build body mass, and one that has gained popularity in recent times (for better or for worse) is Pop-Tarts by Kellogg’s! 

Everybody loves a Pop Tart now and then, proven by the fact that Kellogg’s company was founded back in the 1960s and sells more than 2 billion of these pastries every year.

As a bodybuilder, you might be wondering if this delicious treat is a worthwhile component of your bodybuilding and bulking journey. 

Well, you’re in luck because this article sets out to settle the question of whether Pop-Tarts are good for bulking once and for all!

This food item is not only popular in the United States, but people from the United Kingdom, Finland, Canada, and Ireland have also been known to pop a Tart or three. 

Let’s discuss everything you need to know about Pop-Tarts and whether or not they are good for bulking! We’ll cover:

• The ingredients and nutritional value of Pop-Tarts
• Ways to incorporate Pop-Tarts into your bulking diet
• What to be aware of when including Pop-Tarts as part of your bulking.

Let’s get started!

What Are Pop Tarts?

Pop-Tarts are popular toaster pastries manufactured by Kellogg’s that offer a delicious, sweet taste. 

They’re loaded with calories and carbohydrates that can provide you with the energy kick that you need before a workout session! 

Pop Tarts comprise of a couple of thin pastry crust layers filled with sugar. They’re also frosted, and you can use them as a pre-or post-workout snack. You can even heat them using your toaster if you like to eat them warm! 

Nutritional Breakdown of Pop-Tarts

As a sweet treat and not a dedicated bodybuilding supplement, Pop-Tarts have less in the way of perfect nutrition and more in raw sweetness and energy. 

As you can see from their nutritional breakdown, Pop-Tarts can have their place in a bodybuilder’s diet. 

If you’re planning to include Pop-Tarts in your diet plant, the following is the complete nutritional profile per one Tart:

Nutrient	Amount (per 50 grams)
Calories	200 grams
Total Carbohydrates	38 grams
Saturated Fat	1.5 grams
Monounsaturated Fat	1 gram
Polyunsaturated Fat:	2 grams (or slightly above)
Trans Fat:	0 grams
Total Fat	5 grams
Sodium	170 milligrams
Cholesterol	0 milligrams
Sugars	17 grams
Protein	2 grams
Dietary Fiber	Less than 1 gram

Pop Tarts Ingredients

different types of ingredients – and not all of them are healthy! 

Here are a few of the main ingredients to give you an idea of what really goes into a Pop-Tart:

Enriched Flour

Pop Tarts contain enriched flour, which is made by removing the natural vitamins and minerals. This ingredient is used to increase the shelf-life of Pop-Tarts. 

However, it adds a lot of sugar to your bloodstream, which can cause type 2 diabetes and removes a lot of the natural goodness that flour usually has. 

This means that for a bodybuilder, you’re getting flour and carbohydrates but aren’t getting everything flour has to offer.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup is heavily processed corn syrup that is about 55% fructose. 

Fructose is a simple, fast-acting sugar that takes a long time for your body to break down but provides limited long-lasting energy.

Dextrose

Dextrose is a sugar derived from wheat that matches closely in profile with glucose, the sugar found in our blood. This means that dextrose is quickly absorbed for a quick spike of energy. 

None of the ingredients in Pop-Tarts particularly help with muscle growth. Some of the ingredients, however, can be valuable in providing energy for your workout.

A 50-gram serving or one Pop-Tart pastry yields just two grams of protein. This means that bodybuilders will need to eat plenty of other foods that are high in protein as well!

Pros and Cons of Pop Tarts for Bodybuilders

Pop Tarts don’t make for a staple food item for bodybuilders. 

However, a large number of bodybuilders eat these pastries because they are a great source of carbohydrates and calories. On top of that, they’re affordable, properly packaged, and ready to eat.

They can certainly help people who are focusing on building body mass and muscle, as protein and calorie intake are critically important to gain muscle and improve body mass.

While foods that are low in calories and allow people to lose weight are usually considered healthy, that’s not necessarily beneficial for bodybuilders as they need to eat high-protein and calorie food to gain the energy needed to perform intense exercise. 

Pop-Tarts are not a good source of protein (or nutrition) but they are loaded with calories! Bodybuilders may also eat them before competitions and events to maximize vascularity.

Pros

Eating Pop-Tarts can be helpful to bodybuilders as they offer some unique benefits. After all, there is a reason why they have become the most popular breakfast cereals in the nation!

• Extremely low-fat content

• Suitable for both pre and post-work processes because they make for a good energy source from all their sugar

• Very affordable and highly available everywhere

• Contains 2 grams of protein per snack. Not a lot by any means, but not zero

• Come in a ready-to-eat form, and you don’t need to cook them before eating

• A wide range of different flavors is available, so there are plenty of choices.

It’s important to note that Pop-Tarts should be consumed as a snack. They’re ideal for improving insulin levels in your body, but you should not consider them complete and balanced food and should avoid eating them daily.

Cons

Pop-Tarts can be bad for your health as they are considered junk food. 

As mentioned earlier, they are high in sugar and low in protein. The fiber content in this food is also very low compared to many other types of commercially available breakfast cereal.

They contain different types of oils such as palm and soybean oil, as well as refined flour that can be very harmful and lead to several health problems. The following are some of the reasons why these pastries can be bad for you:

• Nutritional value is not impressive; mostly sugar

• Contains higher levels of fructose than average cereals and can lead to type 2 diabetes

• Bodybuilders tend to eat a lot of food at night before going to bed and Pop-Tarts can be addictive

• Comes with a high refined sugar content of more than the daily recommended amount of sugar

• Pop Tarts are high in sodium (also known as salt) and eating them regularly can be bad for your arteries and overall health.

Related: Are burgers good for bulking?

In Summary

Regardless of the nutritional value of Pop-Tarts, one thing is certain: you’ll finish the pack of two pastries soon after opening it! 

They’re undeniably delicious and can be a helpful tool for bodybuilders who are struggling to meet their daily calorie requirements.

However, we recommend that you do not eat this “food” excessively! Ideally, you should only enjoy a Pop-Tart once in a while before or after exercising when you need the energy or as a tasty reward for all your hard work.