National <a href="https://healthylife7.com/usda-announces-initiative-to-invest-in-child-nutrition-programs/” title=”USDA announces initiative to invest in child nutrition programs”>Nutrition Adviser Ben Carson went viral on Monday after making a suggestion about hot dogs that likely won’t cut the mustard with many nutritionists
During an event that was meant to promote using food from local farmers for school lunches, Carson said it was important for kids to know where their food comes from and to taste vegetables right from the source
“I remember not too many months ago, [Agriculture] Secretary [Brooke] Rollins and I went to a school, and we were giving the children whole milk. They were just so amazed. They said, ‘I didn’t know milk could taste this good!’”
Carson then suggested introducing kids to fresh food and helping them connect what they’re eating to the farmers who grow it
“They learn about irrigation. They learn about the effect that it has on their crop,” he said
Carson then extolled the joys of when a child gets “an opportunity to eat a tomato fresh off the vine. It’s a different food than you get in the store.”
At that point, a dog barked while Carson was rhapsodizing about “fresh sweet corn,” which inspired him to jokingly mention “hot dogs” as well
“What a difference it makes when they can taste these things,” he continued. “They won’t have a craving for the unhealthy foods that are so prevalent in our society.”
Dr. Ben Carson: “Secretary Rollins and I went to a school and we were giving the children whole milk. They were just so amazed. They said, ‘I didn’t know milk could taste this good.’ And what if we introduced them to food fresh from the ground?…It’s a different food than you get… pic.twitter.com/NU1gbjIczp
— BulwarkClips (@BulwarkClips) August 24, 2026
Some people dogged Carson a bit for the comment, while seeming to ignore the bark that inspired it
I want hot Dogs from the ground !!!! https://t.co/ZeBeynNwNh
— Henry Winkler (@hwinkler4real) August 25, 2026
Hot dogs. What a fresh and healthy alternative!!! https://t.co/oT8vgGFD1h
— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) August 25, 2026
It’s almost hot dog picking seasons, folks!!! https://t.co/X1cMwjPPlApic.twitter.com/mC98RGmtVe
— ⚖️Powerful Mel Ankoly #ForThePeople (@Mel_Ankoly) August 24, 2026
“Mmmmmmmmm. Wholesome hotdogs, fresh from the ground.” https://t.co/fMBMBieD1R
— Jeff Timmer (@jefftimmer) August 25, 2026
Eventually, the Health and Human Services social media team got tired of Carson being dogged and lashed out at The Bulwark for posting the clip without the dog-barking context
Breaking news: Washington press corps discovers a joke, launches investigation.@RealBenCarson’s “hot dogs” line came immediately after a dog barked in the audience.Next time, we’ll send @BulwarkClips a laugh track. https://t.co/VDo6t4CHRfpic.twitter.com/t7GGAGzFXY
— HHS Rapid Response (@HHSResponse) August 25, 2026
