Protein Powered Pop-Tarts

When I was a kid, Pop-Tarts were camping food. We’d stay up late by Coleman lantern light, playing the card game Rook, drinking coke, and get up the next morning to a breakfast of Pop-Tarts and fried Spam. My Pop-Tart flavor of choice was the chocolate frosted pastry. Those sugar and caffeine infused days were a kid’s fantasy world. But our fantasy world ended when we returned home to our healthy eating routine.

So, it's a bit nostalgic for me that, after all these years, Pop-Tarts are making headlines as the latest food to take advantage of the insane protein craze that has gripped social media via health influencers. Some protein pushers are telling people to eat more than twice their body weight of protein. Walk down the aisle of the grocery store and you will see all kinds of foods with added protein – cereals, water, coffee, and more. This isn’t necessarily bad. But remember, a Pop-Tart with added protein is still loaded with sugar. But if you’re going to eat one anyway, why not get more protein?

Why all the big push for protein? For years, research has suggested that the current recommendations for protein are a bit too low. This may be especially true for people 65 and over. As we age, our muscles cannot use protein as efficiently as when we were younger. Older adults often eat less protein as they age. The result is weaker muscles – which increases your chances of falling and breaking bones. The most effective way to keep your muscles strong is to move them. But getting the right amount of protein is also important. Exercising causes little micro-tears in your muscles. Protein repairs those tears, making the muscle stronger. But extra protein alone will not build more muscle. To do that, you must move those muscles and get your protein.

The standard recommendation for protein has been 0.36 grams per pound of body weight. If you weigh 175 pounds, that puts your recommended daily protein intake at about 63 grams a day. According to the newest evidence, 0.45 to .55 grams per pound of body weight is probably a good goal for the average American. To keep it simple, that’s about half of your body weight in pounds. So, if you weigh 175 pounds, that’s 88 grams of protein a day. If you weigh 150 pounds, that’s 75 grams of protein. If you’re an athlete who is trying to build muscle, I recommend adding an additional 20 grams to your daily total. That is a far cry from the 300 grams of protein some social media influencers would recommend.  

As with many things in health and medicine, health influencers often take a nugget of truth and turn it to the extreme. The reality is that most Americans are already getting this higher amount of protein that we now recommend. The latest “guidance” from the new food guide pyramid has only made this national protein obsession worse. Some of the claims coming out of DHHS (Department of Health & Human Services) like “we’ve created a generation of kids low in protein” and that Americans need “dramatically more protein” is frankly, a bunch of bunk. Very few Americans are protein deficient. With the flipping of the old food guide pyramid, DHHS, is spurring manufacturers to add protein. “Eat whole foods” has turned into protein marketing madness. The craze just gets crazier.

How are you going to get that much protein? Take a look at the list below. Meat, fish, and poultry are the heavy hitters on protein at 28 grams for a 4-ounce serving. But even if you’re not a big meat eater, there are lots of good ways to increase the protein in your diet. I’ve highlighted the protein sources below that don’t need cooking or prep time. These make great snacks to boost your daily protein power. Six ounces of Greek yogurt is about 14 grams. Milk is a good source of protein as well at 8 grams in a cup. What if you eat a vegan diet? Plant milks like soy and pea (but not almond or oat milk) are just as high as cow’s milk. Nuts and nut butters also pack a powerful protein punch.

High Protein Foods:

4 oz. Meat, Fish, Poultry   28 grams

6 oz Greek Yogurt           14 grams

¾ cup Tofu                     10 grams

8 ounces Milk                 8 grams

8 ounces Soy or Pea milk  8 grams

1 ounce Cheese               7 grams

½ cup Pasta                   7 grams

½ cup Starchy Beans        7 - 9 grams

2 tbs Peanut Butter         7 grams

1 Egg                             6 grams

¼ cup Nuts                     4 - 6 grams

These are general categories and the amount of protein in a serving can vary by the brand. Be sure to read labels – starting with the serving size. Then look at how many grams of protein are in that serving.

I recommend whole foods over protein supplement powders, bars, and drinks. They’re not necessarily bad, but when you get your nutrients, like protein, from whole foods, you also naturally get other important nutrients as well. When you snack on yogurt, cheese, or milk you get calcium and phosphorus. Milk and yogurt are also high in potassium and yogurt also has natural probiotics. When you snack on nuts or peanut butter, you also get magnesium and fiber.

There are exceptions to getting more protein in your diet. If you have decreased kidney function or chronic kidney disease, you need to check with your doctor before increasing your protein. Protein can put stress on unhealthy kidneys.

So if you've been obsessing over protein, counting every gram, every day, maybe you can take a break, toast a high protein Pop-Tart, and relax!

Beth Kitchin PhD RDN