Galantys Game Plan

I never re-post old articles, but in honor of the holiday weekend ahead of us which will be chock full of backyard barbeques, I couldn’t help but send out this reminder of just why you might want to avoid consuming America’s standard bbq fare this weekend, the good ole hot dog.

Original post:  July 4, 2009:

With all of the 4^th of July celebrations in full swing this weekend, I am being confronted with an array of hot dogs, the unmistakable scent of which are wafting through the air at every backyard barbeque I attend.  There was a time when I ate hot dogs with reckless abandon, smothered in mustard and sauerkraut, coupled with a large coke and greasy French fries, oblivious to what I was putting into my body.  I thought they tasted heavenly (especially after a night out of drinking). I never really gave a second thought as to what actually went into one of these creations.

Not to be a spoil-sport here…you may actually prefer to skip this article and read it after the weekends festivities…but since this topic is so fresh on my mind and my kids have asked me to explain over and over again why exactly hot dogs are bad for them, I feel compelled to address this.

A hot dog is a processed food. Its contents are sketchy.  It can be made with a variety of meats which can include things like liver, kidneys, and hearts, or it can contain meat by-products which are ground up carcass parts like necks, feet, bones, heads and intestines.  Mmm…that sounds tasty.

Choosing an all-beef or all-chicken variety will at least ensure that you are eating meat from one species, but you may want to check the fine print to see if any meat by-products are included.

In addition to increasing the risk of cancer, by consuming processed meat you are also ingesting additives such as sodium nitrate, a preservative, and MSG, a flavor enhancer, both of which are best avoided.

Health food stores do sell nitrate free, organic versions of hot dogs, which contain all meat, no by-products and no artificial flavors or preservatives.  I suppose that’s a better option, but I still can’t help but think, it’s still a hot dog.  There’s really nothing natural about it.

Sorry to be such a buzz kill on our nation’s birthday, but I doubt it will really matter what I think.  America will continue to consume the 150 million hot dogs it typically goes through on the 4^th of July, oblivious to my thoughts on the matter (and I highly doubt the dogs at the backyard barbeques will be the organic, nitrate free variety).

So be it.  Happy 4^th.