Ben Carson Dragged After 'Joking' That Hot Dogs Grow Out Of The Ground In Bizarre Speech

President Donald Trump's nutrition adviser Dr. Ben Carson was widely mocked after talking about introducing children to food that's "fresh from the ground" before "jokingly" using hot dogs as an example.

Carson was addressing attendees at an event to promote nutritious school meals from local farmers. At one point, he stressed the value in having young children taste freshly harvested vegetables, those straight from the soil.

He said:

“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!’"

"And what if we introduced them to food fresh from the ground? Teaching them—making these relationships with the farmers so they learn about the soil. They learn about irrigation. They learn about the effect that it has on their crop."

“They get an opportunity to eat a tomato fresh off the vine. It’s a different food than you get in the store, quite frankly. Fresh sweet corn...and hot dogs."

"But what a difference it makes when they can taste these things. They won’t have a craving for the unhealthy foods that are so prevalent in our society.”

You can hear what he said in the video below.

Carson's remarks weirded many out.

Carson's remarks come as the Trump administration aligns its nutrition recommendations with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" initiative.

The long-standing MyPlate guide—once used to illustrate balanced meals with roughly equal portions of grains, vegetables, protein, and fruit, plus some dairy—has been scrapped.

In its place, the administration has reintroduced a revised food pyramid, flipped upside down and slightly rearranged. Protein, dairy, healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables now dominate the chart, while whole grains play a much smaller role.

While medical associations have applauded spotlighting how ultra-processed foods, added sugars, and sodium contribute to a host of health problems such as heart disease and obesity, concerns remain.

The American Heart Association said in a statement that it is "concerned that recommendations regarding salt seasoning and red meat consumption could inadvertently lead consumers to exceed recommended limits for sodium and saturated fats, which are primary drivers of cardiovascular disease.”