Hot Dog and Sausage Nutrition Guide (2024)

Hot Dog

A traditional 1.5 oz beef hot dog is less than 200 calories, representing less than 10 percent of the recommended calorie allowance for the average American. Pairing with a bun adds approximately 100 more calories, depending on the kind of bun you use.

Hot dogs offer several key nutrients beneficial to the body. A 1.5 oz hot dog provides 7 grams of protein or 15 percent of the daily value (DV) which is the amount of the nutrient your body requires Protein is critical for developing, maintaining, and repairing strong muscles and especially beneficial for growth in children and reducing the muscle loss that often occurs with aging. The protein in hot dogs is a complete protein, meaning it offers all the essential amino acids our bodies need.

Hot dogs are also a great source of Vitamin B₁₂ with just one hot dog providing 30 percent of the DV. Vitamin B₁₂ is important for normal metabolism, for brain development in children and for mental clarity in adults.

A 1.5 oz beef hot dog also provides more than 10 percent of the DV of minerals such as phosphorus, selenium and zinc. The forms of these nutrients in meat are more “bioavailable” meaning they are more easily absorbed and utilized by the body, than these minerals from grains or vegetables.

Nutrients of Concern

Hot dogs are often criticized for their fat and sodium levels. A traditional 1.5 oz beef hot dog delivers 572 mg of sodium (25 percent of DV) and 6 g of saturated fat (29 percent DV), but plenty of options are available for those interested in lower sodium or lower fat options.

Many brands offer low fat hot dogs with less than 3 g of fat or less than 1 g of saturated fat. Often, these are poultry dogs made from chicken or turkey.

Similarly, there are many varieties of hot dogs with reduced sodium, usually under 400 mg.

Check the nutrition facts panel printed on every package of hot dogs to find the sodium and fat levels which best fit your dietary needs.

Dinner Sausages

Whether you are enjoying an Italian sausage, Bratwurst, Polish or other traditional dinner sausage, the nutrition is similar ounce for ounce. Read the nutrition facts panel on specific products for nutrient content to determine which products best fit your nutrition goals.

Generally because they are larger, dinner sausages will contain more calories than a standard hot dog, but they also offer higher levels of protein and nutrients such as phosphorus, selenium, zinc and Vitamin B₁₂.

For those who are concerned, enjoying a sausage without the bun is one easy way to lower calorie and sodium intake.

Italian Sausage:

Breakfast Sausage

Breakfast sausages are more likely to be lower in calories because they are smaller than hot dogs or dinner sausages. This also means they will contribute less to your daily sodium or fat intake.

Hot Dog Buns

The bun is an important consideration for those concerned about nutrition, particularly sodium levels. The bun can add another 180-200 mg of sodium to the hot dog or sausage.

Based on data from USDA’s SuperTracker, white vs. whole wheat buns won’t significantly change your calorie intake, each adding approximately 100 calories to the hot dog or sausage. Whole wheat buns will deliver added fiber.

White:

Whole Wheat:

Condiments

Mustard and ketchup are the two most popular toppings for hot dogs. A packet of either one won’t change the nutrition profile of the hot dog significantly. A packet of ketchup has more calories than mustard due to its sugar content, delivering 2 grams of sugar and slightly more sodium. If you are over the age of 18, ketchup is a “food faux pas” on hot dogs anyway!

Mustard:

A tablespoon of raw chopped onions contains just 4 calories, with limited additional nutrients and no sodium.

Cheese, chili or coleslaw will add more significant amounts of calories, sodium and fat to your hot dog. Each of them will add approximately 70-100 calories and 250 mg of sodium. Sauerkraut comes in lower calorically and offers several grams of fiber as well, but may also add a couple hundred milligrams of sodium.

Those are just a few of the potential toppings for your hot dog or sausage. Remember that a healthy, balanced diet consists of a range of foods including meats, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. In fact, eating vegetables with your hot dogs, sausages and other meats can make them more nutritious as the nutrients in meat help better absorb the nutrients in vegetables. Keep that in mind the next time you are preparing a side dish for your backyard BBQ.

For more on meat’s nutrition benefits, visit www.meatpoultrynutrition.org.