With July 4 just around the corner, you could be forgiven for stocking up the fridge with those barbecue essentials.
But a nutritional expert wants to warn that there are ‘surprising’ amount of salts and calories in the nation’s favorite burgers, condiments and sausages.
In terms of condiments, the worst-offering is Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wing sauce, containing 1,230 milligrams of salt in three tablespoons — the equivalent of three bags of original Lay’s crisps (2.6oz).
Among burgers, the Walmart All Natural 80 percent lean burger has 580 calories — nearly double that in a cheeseburger from McDonald’s.
As for the sausages, Trader Joe’s Uncured Bavarian Bratwurst’s contained 22 grams of fat — which is also double that in a slice of Kerrygold cheddar cheese.
Nutritionist Dr. Leah Kaufman, from New York University Langone, told DailyMail.com that people may want to choose ‘less fatty’ options when they can — like burgers or sausages made from chicken, turkey or vegetables instead of beef and pork.
WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?
Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain, according to the NHS
• Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit and vegetables count
• Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain
• 30 grams of fibre a day: This is the same as eating all of the following: 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole-wheat cereal biscuits, 2 thick slices of wholemeal bread and large baked potato with the skin on
• Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks) choosing lower fat and lower sugar options
• Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily)
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consuming in small amounts
• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water a day
• Adults should have less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men a day
Source: NHS Eatwell Guide
CONDIMENTS: Saltiest in America revealed
DailyMail.com gathered nutritional information on 30 condiments made by popular brands: Sweet Baby Ray’s, Hidden Valley, Heinz and French’s.
Results showed that four out of the five saltiest and most sugary per tablespoon were made by Sweet Baby Ray’s. On the other hand, the top five most calorific were all from Hidden Valley.
After Sweet Baby Ray’s buffalo wing sauce (1,230mg), the second most salty in three tablespoons was Sweet Baby Ray’s honey barbecue sauce (900mg) — which was equivalent to two bags of Lay’s original chips (425mg)
Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce was next (870mg), followed by the sweet’ n’ spicy sauce from the same brand (also 870mg).
On the other end of the scale, Heinz honey mustard had the least amount of salt (120mg), followed by French’s honey mustard (135mg) and Heinz spicy brown mustard (150mg).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says Americans shouldn’t consume more than 2,300mg of salt in a single day. Consuming too much raises the risk of suffering high blood pressure, heart disease and a stroke.
Eating three spoonfuls of the most salty sauce was equivalent to taking on 53 percent of the daily recommendation.
Looking at sauces in terms of calories revealed Hidden Valley’s Original Ranch has the most in three tablespoons (390cals) alongside the brand’s Buttermilk and Secret Sauce (both 390cals).
By sugar content, Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce had the most (51g) alongside its honey barbecue, sweet’ n’ spicy and Hawaiian (45g).
Kaufman advised American’s to try and avoid any sauces that have processed corn syrup in them.
She added that Trader Joe’s organic ketchup is a good option over those made by other brands because it didn’t contain this ingredient.
BURGERS: Which have more calories than a McDonald’s cheeseburger?
DailyMail.com looked at 40 burgers, which someone may put on a barbecue, sold at four major supermarkets — Walmart, Kroger, Safeway and Trader Joe’s.
Results showed that seven of them contained more calories than a McDonald’s cheeseburger (313cals).
After the most calorific Walmart All Natural burger with 80 percent lean (580cals), these were Safeway Signature Farms ground beef patty (380cals); Trader Joe’s Uncooked ground buffalo beef patty (370cals); the Homestyle patty 80 percent lean (350cals) sold in Kroger; Safeway Signature select burger (330cals); Safeway Signature Select beef patties triple (320cals) and the Walmart All Natural 85 percent lean (320cals).
The other end of the scale was filled with vegetarian burgers, as well as those that contained chicken or turkey.
Bottom of the pile is Walmart’s Great Value Original Breakfast Sausage patty (100cals), the Gardein Ultimate beefless burger (130cals) and Dr Praeger’s mushroom risotto (also 130cals) sold in Walmart. The least calorific poultry-based burger was the Trader Joe’s turkey burger which contained 180 calories.
The CDC says women should consume up to 2,400 calories every day, while men should not consume more than 3,000 a day. Eating too many can lead to obesity, with associated health risks including type 2 diabetes and a higher risk of heart disease and stroke. Medics say it can also lead to lower quality of life.
Looking at burgers in terms of salt content the worst is Safeway’s Signature Select beef patties (680mg), followed by Whole Food’s Amy’s Kitchen California veggie burger (550mg) and Walmart’s Jimmy Dean fully cooked pork sausage patties (490mg).
On fat content, Walmart’s All Natural 80 percent lean had the most (45g), alongside Safeway’s Signature Farms beef patty (30g) and Trader Joe’s uncooked ground buffalo patty (30g).
Kaufman told DailyMail.com that having one regular burger every now and again was ‘totally fine’, but she added people should ‘aim for one that is a little bit leaner or high in corned beef.’
‘I think having a red meaty one once in a while can be a great source of protein,’ she said, ‘but I would not add cheese to it. And it could also be a good idea to switch to white meat such as turkey or chicken.’
SAUSAGES: Which contain the most fat?
DailyMail.com looked at 20 sausages from three major supermarkets — Walmart, Safeway and Trader Joe’s.
Results showed that three of the five containing the most fat were sold in Walmart. This was the same for the numbers containing the most calories.
After Trader Joe’s Bavarian Bratwurst, is the Johnsonville Italian sausage sold in Walmart and the Johnsonville Italian sausage mild sold in Safeway (21g) — equivalent to two chunks of cheddar cheese.
Walmart’s Great Value sweet Italian sausages are next (20g) along with Walmart’s Perri sweet Italian sausage (also 20g).
Americans are recommended to eat about 77 grams of fat per day, with eating the top sausage in terms of fat from here being equivalent to 20 percent of the daily recommended intake.
Looking at sausages in terms of calories showed Johnsonville’s Italian sausage sold in Walmart had the most (260cals), followed by the brand’s mild sausage sold in Safeway and Walmart’s Great Value sweet Italian sausages (also 260cals).
Kaufman warned people against eating sausages, saying it was ‘always a mystery as to what goes into them.’ She added: ‘They do not have the best nutrients either, I would really recommend having a burger rather than a hotdog or a lower fat option like a chicken or turkey or even vegetarian ones.’