4th of July and YOU!

4th of July, and you know what that means. That's right, grilling. You'll see the whole array of hot dogs, hamburgers, bratwurst, ribs, and more. Unfortunately, most foods that you'll find on the grill are particularly unhealthy. Let's take a look at the basic nutritional facts of a hot dog and a hamburger (facts are taken from nutritiondata.com):

Oscar Mayer Beef Frank:

Calories - 147
Total Fat - 14g
Sat. Fat - 6g
Cholesterol - 25mg
Sodium - 461mg
Total Carbs - 1g
Sugar - 1g
Protein 5g

And that's without the bun.

Hamburger 85% lean (1 oz):

Calories - 70
Total Fat - 4g
Sat. Fat - 2g
Cholesterol - 25mg
Sodium - 20mg
Total Carbs - 0g
Protein 7g

This is just for one ounce. A typical hamburger is 4-8 oz. You'd probably be around 4 oz. So that would be 280 calories before the bun.

As you can see, these foods are definitely not healthy. This is just your basic hot dog or hamburger. Imagine how many calories ribs must have. Don't forget the beverages either. Add a couple of beers or sodas and expect to easily be consuming 1000 calories and probably closer to 1500-2000. If you are trying to lose weight or trying to be health conscious, definitely watch what you eat at your Independence Day cookout. Happy 4th, everyone.