By Lauren Murphy, SIU School of Medicine
It’s National Hot dog Day!

Hot dogs are as American as apple pie, but let’s be frank, neither is that good for us. So we asked registered dietician Cheryl Burns how to make your hot dog healthier
Q: When shopping for hot dogs, what do you recommend looking for?
A: Look for brands with 14 grams of fat or less, 450 mg of sodium or less and no more than 150 calories per link.
Q: Are alternative dogs, such as veggie dogs or turkey dogs, healthier options, and if so, why?
A: Not necessarily. Turkey dogs have less fat, but the sodium content varies by brand. Some brands make chicken sausages, which meet the calorie and fat limits, but they’re higher in sodium at 650 mg sodium per link. For people with uncontrolled high blood pressure, over 50-years-old (50-years-old is the American Heart Association guideline for following a low sodium diet of 1500 mg/day) or with heart failure, that’s too high. Other people should keep to 2400 mg sodium/day.
Q: What should consumers look for when purchasing buns?
A: Use whole grain buns. Whole grains are much healthier than white flour buns.
Q: Any toppings you recommend using or staying away from?
Use fresh tomato, onion (raw or grilled), green pepper strips (raw or grilled). Limit catsup (salty + sugar), and instead use mustard. Limit pickles and pickle relish and avoid chili and cheese as toppings if you’re watching calories. And avoid adding table salt.
Q: Any final recommendations?
The sodium nitrates and sodium nitrites, which are preservatives, are very hard to avoid in this cured meat. The nitrates / nitrites can chemically change into nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic.  Nitrosamines are created when high heat temperatures are used when cooking sodium nitrate-containing foods. So grilling hot dogs, brats and sausages with a super hot grill is a problem, especially if they blacken. The smoke from dripping fat into the coals also will rise and attach to the surface of the meat, which is not healthy either.
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