Healthy Hot Dogs!

This may be the second pack of hot dogs that I've ever bought. Hank loves them, so I wanted to buy some for him and now I'm hooked. I've never been convinced that there was any healthy kind of hot dog...until now. These are seriously delicious when topped with your favorite condiments. I top mine with REAL mayo and 100% Natural Hunt's Ketchup (a better choice would be organic, just make sure it's free of High Fructose Corn Syrup and other preservatives that add sugar). 

Regular hot dogs, even those you may think are healthy like Turkey Hot Dogs or Fat Free Hot Dogs, are usually filled with many unnecessary ingredients, including nitrates and nitrites. Nitrates and nitrites have been linked to several cancers, COPD, increased heart disease risk, DNA mutations, and brain tumors in children. Yikes! 

The ingredients listed in Ball Park Turkey Franks are below: 
MECHANICALLY SEPARATED TURKEY, WATER, CORN SYRUP, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS: 
SALT, POTASSIUM LACTATE, FLAVORINGS, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, PAPRIKA, 
SODIUM PHOSPHATE, AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, BEEF FLAVOR (BEEF STOCK, MALTODEXTRIN, SALT), SODIUM DIACETATE, DEHYDRATED GARLIC, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), SODIUM NITRITE, EXTRACTIVES OF PAPRIKA.


The ingredients listed in Applegate Farms Natural Uncured Beef Hot Dogs are below:
Beef, Water. Contains Less Than 2% Of The Following: Sea Salt, Paprika, Dehydrated Onion, Spices, Nutmeg Oil, Celery Powder. Black Pepper, Coriander, Mace, Nutmeg.

You don't have to pass up on hot dogs. You can still enjoy this American staple, but choose a healthy one. You can find Applegate Farms at Earthfare, Fresh Market, Whole Foods, and even some chain grocery stores. Pair it with a 100% Whole Wheat or Whole Grain Bun and you have a pretty decent meal!