Supermarket Standoff: Hot Dogs

Julia Bainbridge, Bon Appetit
http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/636/supermarket-standoff-hot-dogs

We have embarked on a taste test tour of supermarket foods. We nibble, we score, and we share the results to help you avoid the paralysis of Brand Choice Overload.

Today's topic: hot dogs.

This was not just a test of hot dogs. This was a test of gastrointestinal strength. We tried (and retried) 11 kinds of hot dogs to rank them from best of worst--and it was tough. But we care about your Fourth of July grilling session. (For the record, though, our conference room still smells like wieners.)

Of the 11 brands, not all of them were beef, but most were. We tasted them hot and without condiments or bread, and while we chomped and scored, nutritionist Marissa Lippert pored over the package labels. Find our picks for taste and her picks for health after the jump.

But before you do, let us note that we don't really condone highly processed meat products that contain chemicals like sodium nitrite. We strongly believe that meats purchased straight from a butcher who pays close attention to how animals are raised and treated are almost always better than any mass-produced versions. In a pinch, though, it's good to know how things stack up in the aisles of your local grocery store.

Our Favorites for Flavor
#1 Nathan's Famous Beef Franks

Nutrition: One hot dog = 170 Calories, 15g Fat, 6g Saturated Fat, 35mg Cholesterol, 470mg Sodium, 1g Carbohydrates, 0g Sugar, 7g Protein, 4% Iron, 0% Calcium.

Ingredients: Beef, water, contains less than 2% of salt, sorbitol, sodium lactate, natural flavorings, sodium phosphate, hydrolyzed corn protein, paprika, sodium diacetate, sodium erthorbate, sodium nitrite.

Cost: $5.69 for a package of eight hot dogs in New York City.

Blind Tasting Notes: "Classic mix--tastes like childhood"; "Greasy, but yummy anyways"; "This is very close to perfect"; "Can imagine this as a nice condiment vehicle"; "Good texture"; "Salty"; "A little synthetic tasting".

#2 Oscar Mayer Classic Beef Franks

Nutrition: One hot dog = 140 Calories, 13g Fat, 6g Saturated Fat, 30mg Cholesterol, 360mg Sodium, 1g Carbohydrates, ,<1g Sugar, 5g Protein, 2% Iron, 2% Calcium.

Ingredients: Beef, water, contains less than 2% of salt, corn syrup, potassium lactate, dextrose, sodium phosphate, sodium diacetate, flavor, ascorbic acid, extractives of paprika, sodium nitrite.

Cost: $5.69 for a package of ten hot dogs in New York City.

Blind Tasting Notes: "Awesome! Really salty and delicious"; "Very fatty, but good; tastes more like meat"; "Salty but good"; "Smoky--yummy--masks the mystery meat flavor"; "Artificially smoky".

#3 Niman Ranch Fearless Uncured Beef Franks

Nutrition: One hot dog = 167 Calories, 13 g Fat, 5g Saturated Fat, 46 mg Cholesterol, 631 mg sodium, 1g Carbohydrate, 0g Sugar, 12g Protein, 10% Iron, 2% Calcium.

Ingredients: Beef, water, salt, dextrose, mustard, paprika, garlic, sodium phosphate, celery powder, nonfat dry milk, lactic acid starter culture, spices.

Cost: $6.99 for a package of four hot dogs in New York City.

Blind Tasting Notes: "Sweet, juicy, and not overwhelmingly salty"; "Beef flavor it strong, but then there's a plastic aftertaste"; "Nothing really exciting here"; "Chewy casing".

Nutritionist Marissa Lippert's Picks

A note from Marissa: "It's hard to say really what's 'healthy' because when you boil things down, a hot dog is a hot dog. It's a nostalgic summertime food, it's pretty darn tasty and, in the end, it's just not all that good for you. That being said, to sift out the more 'healthful' ones from the bunch, I turned to the ingredient list. An all-natural hot dog may be higher in calories, sodium and fat, but at least it's not loaded with a bunch of processed filler ingredients. My take-home answer: Have fewer dogs over the summer and make 'em really, really good!"

#1 Niman Ranch Fearless Uncured Beef Franks

Nutrition: One hot dog = 167 Calories, 13 g Fat, 5g Saturated Fat, 46 mg Cholesterol, 631 mg sodium, 1g Carbohydrate, 0g Sugar, 12g Protein, 10% Iron, 2% Calcium.

Ingredients: Beef, water, salt, dextrose, mustard, paprika, garlic, sodium phosphate, celery powder, nonfat dry milk, lactic acid starter culture, spices.

Cost: $6.99 for a package of four hot dogs in New York City.

Blind Tasting Notes: "Sweet, juicy, and not overwhelmingly salty"; "Beef flavor it strong, but then there's a plastic aftertaste"; "Nothing really exciting here"; "Chewy casing".

#2 Wellshire Farms Old Fashioned Oversized Uncured Beef Franks

Nutrition: One hot dog = 230 Calories, 20g Fat, 8g Saturated Fat, 50mg Cholesterol, 720mg Sodium, 1g Carbohydrates, 1g Sugar, 11g Protein, 6% Iron, 2% Calcium.

Ingredients: Beef, water, sea salt, evaporated cane juice, celery powder, onion, garlic, natural flavorings.

Cost: $5.99 for a package of five hot dogs in New York City.

Our Assessment: Hmm. The biggest complaints about this one were that is was too sweet, that it had a weird, rubbery mouthfeel, and that its flavor was bland. Not in high standing, unfortunately.

#3 Whole Foods 365 Jumbo Uncured Beef Hot Dogs

Nutrition: One hot dog = 250 Calories, 21g Fat, 9g Saturated Fat, 60mg Cholesterol, 780mg Sodium, 1g Carbohydrates, 1g Sugar, 14g Protein, 8% Iron, 2% Calcium.

Ingredients: Beef, water, vinegar, sea salt, cane sugar, celery powder, cherry powder, onion, garlic, natural flavors (contains soy).

Cost: $5.99 for a package of four hot dogs in New York City.

Our Assessment: This rates somewhere in the middle. The good comments: "Really good spice balance"; "Nice sweetness/saltiness ratio"; "More sausage-y--thick, fatty." The bad comments: "Bologna-esqe--weird sweetness"; "Too sweet to be called a hot dog"; "The texture is too uniform/smooth".