Health & Medicine

Pop-Tarts New Flavors: Peanut Taste Could Pose Risk for Those with Allergies, Not Healthier

Kathleen Lees
First Posted: May 15, 2013 11:06 AM EDT

No one has really heard a peep out of one of our favorite "breakfast desserts," Pop-Tarts...that is, until now. Kellogg's just announced that the company will be popping out some new flavors that include peanut butter and frosted peanut butter. While they certainly sound like treats your five-year-old will beg for, what's the nutrition label say about this sugary meal?

Let's just browse through the ingredients to see what's included in these sweet snacks. Hm...enriched flour, SUGAR, Dextrose, VEGETABLE OIL, CORN SYRUP, whey, cracker meal, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, and the list goes on. With a total of over 50 different ingredients ranging from salt to "color added" or Riboflavin, we're not really certain what these little guys are made up of, except junk.

The packaging for Pop-Tarts also packs a hefty punch, with 200 calories per Pop-Tart, with two in one small package. With dietary habits anywhere from 1,800 to 2,500 calories a day, we're not sure you want to be adding 400 calories of sugar to your diet every day.

And as for these new flavors, the varieties are even sweeter. The peanut butter flavor is topped with a sprinkling of sugar crystals. (As if you couldn't get enough in a Pop-Tart, alone!)

"Peanut butter has long been the most requested flavor by our fans," said Dick Podiak, the director of marketing for Pop-Tarts, in a press release. (So much for those of us with peanut allergies.)

But, then again, we have to give the company some credit. According to Foodbeast, this is the first time in 27 years that Pop-Tarts has been available in peanut butter flavor, as peanut butter & jelly ones were discontinued back in 1986.

So, alright. If you want a Pop-Tart, go ahead and have one. Just don't make it every day. 

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