HOT DOG VS. HAMBURGER

(NOTE: We thought you and your listeners would enjoy this fun article we originally ran in 2018.)
With summer not far away, it’s time to start making important decisions. Among them: hot dog or hamburger?
– Hot Dog: A typical frank is about 150 calories. Add the bun, ketchup, mustard and relish and you’re in the 300- to 350-calorie range. But hot dogs contain lots of sodium as well as nitrates, which are chemical compounds that are used to preserve processed and smoked meats. Also, the International Agency for Research on Cancer says processed meats are one of the very few foods that have been definitively linked to cancer. And even gourmet or organic hot dogs carry the same risk. But, if you’re eating hot dogs from time-to-time you shouldn’t worry. About the cancer.
– Hamburger: A 4-ounce burger is about 300 calories. With bun and toppings, it’s about 500 calories. Also, the International Agency for Research on Cancer says red meat is a probable carcinogen. But a single hamburger once in a while isn’t going to wreck an overall healthy diet, just as a single hot dog won’t.
– The Winner: From a calorie standpoint, the hot dog is the winner, but from an overall perspective, the hamburger is a better option. The 4-ounce hamburger has about six times the amount of protein as a hot dog, but about a quarter of the sodium. Nutritionally, it’s a better bargain.
* What I’m hearing is: go for the ribs.
* So, ballparks are just trying to kill everybody. Good to know.
* Thanks, International Agency for Research on Cancer. Now we’ll all switch to tofu.
* And don’t even THINK about analyzing bacon.