The Skinny on Hotdog Fat

THE SKINNY ON HOTDOG FAT

If you're wondering about the nutritional value of the hot dogs at your Fourth of July cookout, here's some advice from researchers from the Department of Nutrition in the College of Health and Human Development at Penn State.

"There are lots of choices on the market. There are beef and pork hotdogs for people who enjoy red meats, turkey and chicken hotdogs for people who prefer poultry products, and meatless, soy-based hotdogs for those who choose vegetarian diets," says Dr. Helen S. Wright, director of the Diet Assessment Center in Penn State's College of Health and Human Development.

The number of kilocalories, and the grams of fat and saturated fat in hotdogs vary considerably depending on the ingredients--red meat, poultry, meatless--and according to whether the hotdogs are reduced-fat or fat-free products, says Wright.

Wright compares the approximate nutrient values for the various kinds of hot dogs in the marketplace in this table. The values are shown for a 45 gram-weight hotdog.

TYPE            ENERGY(calories)    FAT (grams)    SATURATED FAT (grams) Beef/Pork        140            13            5 Reduced-fat        85            6            2.5 Fat-free        35            0.3            0.1
Chicken/Turkey Regular 115 9 2.5 Reduced-fat 40 0.4 2.5 Fat-free 35 0.3 0.1
Meatless Regular 115 6 1.0 Reduced-fat 55 2 0.3 Fat-free 50 0.1 0.0

Calories and fat aren't the only nutrient values that are important to many consumers. Sodium intakes are high in most hotdogs, regardless of the fat level, says Wright.

"The best advice for consumers who want to know what is in the hotdogs they select is to read the food label," says Wright. "The nutrient facts on each label provide information on the calories, fat, sodium, and other nutrients in a serving of the food."

It's probably better not to think in terms of healthy versus unhealthy foods, but to focus instead on healthy versus unhealthy diets, says Dr. S.E. Specter, assistant professor of nutrition in Penn State's College of Health and Human Development.

"You might want to weigh the pleasure derived from eating certain foods against their alleged lack of nutritional value. For example, there are fat-free hot dogs, turkey franks, and soy based vegetarian hot dogs; all options that may fill you with feelings of virtue but leave you empty in the satisfaction department."

Specter generated a small amount of data in his laboratory recently with a sensory test of standard, reduced-fat, and fat free Ball Park(r) franks. Fifty-undergraduate male and female students participated in the research.

"What we saw is that females gave all three extremely low ratings for appearance, texture, and liking, and could not tell the difference between the three," says Specter. "Male subjects rated them higher, but still equal, in appearance, texture, and liking, and were only able to accurately identify the fat-free versus the other samples. Although females are generally more adept at discerning differences in fat content, hot dogs may be more within the purview of male consumers." ###

Editors and Producers: If you need additional information, feel free to contact Dr. Wright at 814-863-2913 or via e-mail at [email protected] Dr. Specter is out of town until late June. He can be reached at 814-865-2138 or at [email protected]. If you need assistance, please contact Steve Infanti, the external relations' coordinator for the College of Health and Human Development at [email protected].