Hamburger vs. Hot Dog: Which Is Healthier?

It’s summer, which means beach getaways, frozen cocktails, and bad sunburns in the most annoying of places. It’s also the perfect time to hold a backyard barbecue and eat enough hamburgers and hot dogs to make Joey Chestnut proud. Burgers and dogs are two of the tastiest summertime staples, though they’re not exactly considered to be the most diet-friendly foods. But rather than compare hamburgers and hot dogs to salad, let’s compare them to each other. You may not realize there are certain dietary benefits that one offers over the other, so let’s take a closer look at which is healthier.

Comparing the Classics

There are so many types of hamburgers and hot dogs to choose from, from the standard beef-based versions to ones made of turkey, lamb, and plant-based ingredients. But for this comparison, let’s take a look at the stereotypical burgers and dogs that you often find at backyard barbecues. We’re talking about a 4-ounce hamburger made from 85% lean, 15% fat ground beef versus a traditional 1.5-ounce, bun-length, all-beef hot dog.

Calories

In terms of just calories, a single serving of the burger described above contains around 250 calories, give or take. Hot dogs are usually less than 200 calories, giving them the slight edge in this category. Both hamburger and hot dog buns add around 150 calories, but it’s really the more common toppings that can make a substantial difference. 

Adding a slice of bacon and American cheese to your burger adds at least 150 calories, and upgrading it with a fried egg or avocado can tack on a few hundred more. Typical hot dogs are usually topped with ketchup, mustard, and maybe sauerkraut, all of which are low-calorie ingredients. Of course, a chili cheese dog will contain substantially more calories if that’s your route. But regarding your traditional offerings, hot dogs contain fewer calories than hamburgers.

Sodium

The gap between hamburgers and hot dogs is substantial concerning sodium levels. A standard hamburger serving usually has less than 100 milligrams of sodium, though that number can rise if it’s heavily seasoned with salt. An all-beef hot dog, however, contains nearly 600 mg of sodium, which amounts to roughly 30% of the recommended daily sodium intake. These higher sodium levels are due to the fact that hot dogs are processed foods, and often contain preservatives such as sodium nitrate. So if you’re struggling with high blood pressure or heart disease, hamburgers are a better option than hot dogs.

Protein

Protein is extremely important for muscle growth, cell repair, and to provide the body with enough energy to make it through the day. Burgers are far more protein-packed than hot dogs, as the typical beef burger contains upwards of 20 grams of protein — nearly half of the recommended daily intake for some adults. Even better, those high levels of protein can help tame your hunger, which lessens the odds you’ll go back for seconds and tack on those additional calories.

Hot dogs, on the other hand, only have around five grams of protein in a typical serving, meaning you’d need to eat four dogs in order to match a burger’s protein levels. While that may sound delicious, it adds hundreds of additional calories and thousands of grams of unnecessary and potentially harmful sodium.

Fat

There are roughly 17 grams of fat in your standard burger serving, compared to around 13 grams in your typical hot dog. Both options, however, contain roughly six grams of saturated fat, too much of which can be bad for your health. The difference here is pretty negligible, so fat content shouldn’t be taken into consideration too strongly.

The Risk of Carcinogens

Unlike burgers, processed foods such as hot dogs are classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, according to the World Health Organization. Consuming the artificial compounds found in most hot dogs can increase cancer risk. The same can be said for char-grilled burgers, which contain more carcinogens than burgers cooked on a frying pan on top of the stove. But the level of carcinogenic substances in burgers is far less than in hot dogs.

Healthier Meat Alternatives

Burgers generally have the edge when it comes to healthier options that you can choose from at the supermarket. You may commonly find leaner patty options such as ostrich, bison, and fish, all of which provide tons of protein, iron, and vitamins with less fat. In terms of healthier hot dogs, you’re generally more limited to lean options such as turkey and chicken. However, you can also generally find hot dogs that are nitrate-free or low in sodium, both of which are much healthier than the standard version.

The Verdict

It’s hard to definitively say whether hamburgers or hot dogs are healthier, as many variables can affect such a determination. It all depends on how many you eat, the type of meat, and what toppings are included.

If you’re strictly counting calories, then hot dogs are the way to go. But if you’re looking at the overall health benefits, then hamburgers take the cake. Hamburgers provide far more protein and far less sodium, while only containing a few dozen calories more than your standard hot dog. So, if you’re looking to eat healthy at your next summer gathering, we suggest going for the burger instead of the dog.