Almost any meat loving person and lots of camping enthusiasts will tell you hot dogs are pretty darn tasty even though nutritionists give them a bad rap.

Hot dogs are one of the great all American foods. They go with camping, backyard barbecues, baseball and, well they practically go with anything.

I must not be the only fan of them if the variety of hot dogs available in the stores is any indication. Hot dog lovers who don’t eat pork can get all beef varieties. People who don’t eat red meat can buy turkey. Don’t like turkey? Then try chicken hot dogs. Even vegetarians don’t have to feel they are missing out on hot dogs because they can enjoy tofu dogs (they would be my last choice but to each his own).

Plus, contrary to what some people want you to believe they are not made from the leftover bits of the icky parts of animals because the meat is ground up so fine that you can’t tell you’re eating pigs feet or chicken heads. Okay, maybe nobody ever told you that but I was told that by a “health conscious” person when we were on a joint camping trip a couple of years ago when I was working hard to lose weight. She felt the need to tell me that while she was grilling a chicken breast as I was roasting a hot dog over the fire. I think she was just jealous that I enjoyed a juicy hot dog while she had to choke down the chicken breast she overcooked. And yes I still ate the hot dog. I wasn’t going to let a potential chicken head stop me from eating my hot dog although maybe it affected me subconsciously because now I only buy all beef kosher hot dogs.

But, back to the topic at hand. If you worry about eating a hot dog and that it will make you fat, here’s some news from a national publication that may make you feel better about it. Men’s Health says to choose a hot dog over a cheeseburger. Do you know why? It’s because, even with onions, relish, mustard, and ketchup a typical hot dog has half the fat and calories of a typical cheeseburger.

I’m not saying you should eat hot dogs every day because they aren’t a nutritional powerhouse. But when you go camping or to a backyard barbecue don’t deny yourself a hot dog if that’s what you really want to eat. You won’t wreck your diet or pack on the pounds unless you decide to eat a bunch of them in one sitting.

And, if you’re just itching to get in on the debate of ketchup or mustard, post your preference in the comments section below. I’m a ketchup girl. And my hot dog of choice? Hebrew National.