Hot Dogs

The dirt: You've probably heard all the urban legends about hotdogs: They contain pigs' ears, snouts, tails, and every other form of animal entrails you'd never touch with a 10-foot pole. And those tales could be true. Per USDA guidelines, hotdogs that list "by-products" or "variety meats" on their ingredients labels need only contain 15 percent muscle meat to be called hotdogs. On top of that, 'dogs are preserved with nitrates and nitrites, food additives linked to colon cancer. Even the more natural hotdogs labeled "uncured" or "no added nitrites or nitrates" aren't completely free of those chemicals. Those products use celery powder, celery juice, sea salt, and other spices in which naturally occurring nitrates are present in high levels, and the jury is still out as to whether naturally occurring nitrates are less harmful than synthetic versions.

Fix it: Enjoy your 'dogs, but make them occasional indulgences. For the best organic varieties out there, check out our picks for The 11 Best Hotdogs.