The nutritional value of hot dogs

Hot dogs are one of the most popular foods for Americans, especially American children. They are quick and easy and loved by some many.

But what place do they have in our diet? What is their nutritional value?

Of course, there are many different kinds of hot dogs to choose from, everything from all beef, pork, turkey or a combination of these meats. You can even get them with cheese in the middle and coatings on the outside. With that said, the nutritional value of a hot dog can vary depending on what kind you choose to consume.

You average hot dog will contain a variety of meats; beef, turkey and pork. You average serving size will be one hotdog which is 1.6 ounces. One of these hot dogs will contain:

-137 calories
-12.4 grams of total fat (4.8 grams of saturated fat)
-23 milligrams of cholesterol
-507 milligrams of sodium
-.8 grams of carbohydrates
-5.2 grams of protein
-5 milligrams of calcium
-75.2 milligrams of potassium

All of this doesn't seem to be all that bad. But in order to burn off one hot dog, not including anything that you might put on it or a roll, you would approximately need to walk for 38 minutes, jog for 16 minutes, swim for 11 minutes or ride your bike for 21 minutes.

One thing that needs to be considered is whether or not there are chemicals or additives that are added to hot dogs, which are added to so many other foods that cause cancer. Researchers are at a disagreement about this. Hot dogs contain a chemical salt called sodium nitrate. This salt obviously adds to the salt content of the hot dog, but is also used as a flavor enhancer, preservative and protects against botulism.

This chemical salt has been found by some researchers to cause cancer. Other researchers deny that this chemical causes cancer. So unfortunately there is no solid proof as to whether or not sodium nitrate causes cancer, just speculation.

Even though there is no solid proof as to whether or not it causes cancer, hot dog manufacturers are working to remove this chemical from its production.

Sodium Nitrate on the other hand, does in fact cause sudden drops in blood pressure. Those who have low blood pressure issues should avoid consumption of hot dogs for this reason.

However, hot dogs do not always contain products that you would normally consume. Hot dogs are infamous for containing animal byproducts, or organs such as liver and heart.

When choosing a hot dog, try to refrain from choosing one that has multiple types of meat in it. Hot dogs that claim to be all beef, or all of anything, don't usually have any byproducts.

If calories, fat or salt are an issue when it comes to consuming a hot dog, there are many choices out there including lite and low fat options.