Are Oscar Mayer Turkey Hot Dogs Healthy? A Comprehensive Analysis

Choosing a reasonably healthy hot dog should be simple given the abundance of options available, right?

Not necessarily. According to Carolyn Brown, a registered dietitian and nutritionist at Foodtrainers in New York City, even “healthier” hot dogs might not be better for you. It all boils down to the processing, the other added ingredients, and the quality of the meat. “.

Less than 150 calories and less than 14 grams of fat (with no more than 6 grams saturated) are what Brown advises for hot dogs. Sodium should not exceed 450 milligrams. From Brown and our friends at Health. com, heres a list of hot dogs, good and bad.

Applegate Farms’ Great Organic Uncured Beef Hot Dog surpasses Brown’s standards by having only 330 milligrams of sodium, 8 grams of fat (3 grams saturated), 7 grams of protein, and 110 calories. Its also made from organic, grass-fed beef.

“If you have the choice, always go for organic meat because it has never been treated with hormones or antibiotics,” she says. “Grass-fed meat is superior to regular grain-fed meat because it contains less total and saturated fat. “.

With 550 milligrams of sodium, 190 calories, 16 grams of fat (7 saturated), and 9 grams of protein, Ball Park Franks are the highest in terms of sodium, calories, and fat in the lineup.

Furthermore, they have been treated with nitrates and nitrites, which have been connected to cancer and other health issues, and they have been cured.

The U. S. Hot dogs are subject to nitrate and nitrite content limits by the Food and Drug Administration; however, delectable uncured dogs are still available.

Chicken dogs may be a fantastic option if you’d like a low-calorie, low-fat hot dog that’s still packed with protein.

Trader Joe’s Uncured Chicken Hot Dogs are made with skinless, boneless chicken breasts and thighs rather than any mystery meat.

These dogs also contain flavorings like garlic, onion, and paprika. Each one has 60 calories, fewer than a medium-size apple. Theyve got 250 milligrams of sodium, 2. Nine grams of protein, five grams of fat, and less than one gram of saturated fat

Each chicken hot dog from Rocky Dogs has 10 grams of fat, which includes 2 110 reduced calories and 5 grams of saturated fat However, they receive a huge loss of points in the sodium category—470 milligrams!

U. S. Dietary guidelines suggest limiting your daily sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg, and to less than 1,500 mg if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or kidney disease, or if you are over 50. You could consume one-fifth to one-third of your daily sodium intake with just one of these hot dogs.

Applegate also won out for best turkey frank. The uncured Organic Turkey Hot Dogs from the company have 60 calories, 3 370 mg of sodium, 5 grams of fat (including 1 gram of saturated fat), and 7 grams of protein

The USDA states that mechanically separated meat (MSM), a paste-like material created by pushing bones through a sieve at high pressure to remove any leftover meat, is used to make Oscar Mayers Classic Turkey Franks. MSM made from beef has been banned in the U. S. The Food and Drug Administration states that mechanically separated poultry is safe to eat, but it has been out of stock since 2004 due to worries about mad cow disease.

These dogs are relatively high in fat and sodium. Each has 100 calories, 8 grams of fat (including 2. five grams of protein, five grams of saturated fat, and five milligrams of sodium

Lightlife Foods fat-free Smart Dogs, with 45 calories, 310 mg of sodium, and 8 grams of protein each, are a vegetarian’s dream come true.

In contrast to numerous other “not dogs,” Smart Dogs’ ingredient list is concise and doesn’t sound too much like an inventory from a chemistry lab. Water, wheat gluten, soy protein isolate, and evaporated cane juice make up the main ingredients.

Although Morningstar Farms Corn Dogs are lower in fat and calories than other varieties of hot dogs, their ingredient list is as long as your arm and includes fillers and extenders like soy, corn flour, and wheat gluten proteins.

Each of these has 470 mg of sodium, 150 calories, and 2 Five grams of fat, of which half is saturated fat.

According to Brown, “the majority of veggie dogs will be high in sodium and contain a lot of processed ingredients, like processed soy or textured vegetable protein.” “Sorry, vegetables arent supposed to taste like hot dogs!”.

Low-fat hot dog: Good

“Since fat contributes significantly to flavor and texture, reduced-fat hot dogs may not always be the best choice if strange ingredients are being added to make up for it,” advises Brown. “Sodium, those artificial flavorings that make food feel fatty, and other bulking ingredients like cornstarch or modified food starch could be increased.” “.

Additionally, the majority of low-fat dogs on the market are cured Still, Ball Park’s Fat Free Beef Franks are reasonably well-executed. They have 50 calories, 430 mg of sodium, and 5 grams of protein, so they are indeed fat-free.

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