Healthy Hot Dogs...???

We like the Hebrew National hot dogs. They are not as good for you as the veggie ones that other people have suggested. But they aren't as bad for you as many of the mainstream brands. Plus, my son will actually eat them! Good luck!

Perhaps you could try a veggie-dog made of soy or another vegetable protein. There are a few brands that make them; Meijer, Kroger, Trader Joes, Whole Foods and Hollywood Market all carry certain varieties. Good luck!

My 1 year old's favorite food in the world is hot dogs. I give here the Trader Joe's brand that are all beef, no nitrates or sulfites, no preservatives. They are about $4 per package and they are tasty.

This is going to be an uphill battle if you don't nip it in the bud. There is no such thing as a healthy hot dog, period, they're made from the leftover meat parts. If you cater to his wishes now, when all he wants is hot dogs, what will it be like when he's spent 18 years only eating hot dogs and stuff that he likes, rather then things that are healthy for him.

Its worth it in the long run, to deal with the drama he'll pull when you stop allowing him to choose his own food. He will learn to eat healthy stuff, he'll balk at if for sure, scream cry and refuse to eat it. But keep putting it out, he won't starve, he'll learn to eat it, and you'll be building a healthy future for him.

An alternative hot dog (he might not like it at first since its non-traditional) would be a vegetarian brand. You can find them in the freezer section of your grocery store, or in cans at your local health food store (the canned ones are tastier).

Good luck, I know this will be hard, but he's worth it right?

my kids totaly knew the difference between regular hot dogs, veggie dogs and especially tofu dogs. My suggestion would be to get the natural hotdog with no nitrates and no nitrites in them. You can probably find them at Oryanas or Edson Farms in TC. :) this too, shall pass lol

The health food store here in Grand Rapids carries a brand that I think is called Apple Valley or Apple gate farms, not totally sure but it's nitrate free, organic, all the "good" stuff when it comes to meat. Not a big fan of meat in general but I know they have "healthy" hot dogs at Harvest Health.

Applegate Farms hot dogs. They have them at whole foods. they are free if nitrates, msg, etc. they may have some other brands too. also, maybe you could try buying some of thier other kinds of sausage over the counter at whole foods, they have all different flavors. and then maybe some breakfast sausage, just to mix it up. good luck!

We just had Applegate Farms Beef as well as Turkey hotdogs. They are all natural and very good. I bought them at Plum Market, but I would imagine that Whole Foods would carry them as well.

If you go to their website it will tell you what stores carry their products.

hotdogs: Costco's Coleman Naturals are all beef, nitrate and nitrite free, and gluten free. They sell them from spring to fall. They got them in a few weeks ago. They'll quit selling them in August. If your child likes them, you'll want to freeze some to get you through the winter.

Trader Joes makes a hotdog without nitrites. What about a soy or turkey dog? Will he eat those?

BESTS 97% fat free kosher hot dogs. Empire also makes a chicken hot dog that is good.

thanks for asking that question... I've got a 4 year old that is the same way.

Hi V.... The only hot dogs we eat are the oscar meyer 98% fat free.. Turkey dogs... My kids like them better then the others... Granted, we don't eat them all the time :) But they are yummy if in the mood... Of course they don't "plump" like a normal ones, so my hubby hates grilling them.

Good Luck :)

I think the healthiest hot dog you're going to find would be a vegan hot dog made from soy. There are different brands out there, some better than others. Once you find a good brand you don't miss the difference. I know you can find them at Whole Foods or maybe Trader Joe's.

My daughter eats turkey our chicken hot dogs, she loves them and has no idea they are different than regular hot dogs.

kogel, are manufactured in Michigan and we have the strictest rules in what can be added into hotdogs here. That is the brand I would have to say.

Hi V.---I agree with the others when they advise that no hot dog is a healthy hot dog. But, as you say, you may need to put that concept on the back burner until you get your little one to try other foods.

Be sure you find hot dogs that are organic and nitrate/nitrite free. This is VERY important. Processed meats tend to contain lots of chemicals. The FDA states that all of these are safe, but no study has ever been done to see what effect the combination has in our bodies, let alone how the accumulation of them affects us long term. Your son will not starve himself. Just keep offering him alternatives. Once he realizes you won't serve him hot dogs, he'll come around.

A couple of additional suggestions. To help protect his, or even all of our less than desirable dietary habits, be sure you are supplementing with a whole food based 'vitamin'. I know of a really great one, endorsed by Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld, medical director of FOX Sunday News and Parade magazine, and Dr. Jim Sears of the TV show, The Doctors. You can also go to the website www.askdrsears.com for other advice on how to feed picky toddlers. I have the pleasure of working with Dr. Sears in my home-based business. Please call me if you have any questions about the dangers of processed meats or how to feed your children healthy meals.

In health, D. ###-###-#### www.dianeshealthed.com

Ahh, the hot dog phase, I remember that, LOL. My almost 3 yr old is currently in a chicken nugget phase. :-)
There are lower calorie hot dogs out there, in particular we bought Jennie-O turkey hot dogs for awhile. My daughter didn't even seem to notice.

I purchase for my daughter either all chicken or all turkey franks. She has never been able to tell the difference. They aren't perfect but beats the regular hot dogs.

I get them at Westborn mkt. They run $1.99 a pkg. So not bad.

M.

Hi there
I found Jennie O hotdogs which are made of turkey meat. That seems healthier to me and my boys don't seem to notice the difference. I actually got them from Save a Lot, but I'm sure they must sell them places like Meijer or Kroger.

Try to find hot dogs that are nitrate free. With your childs picky eating, I was also suggest a good quality multi vitamin. If you have further questions please email me at ____@____.com or visit avwellness.org.

Honestly, no real hot dog is healthy. My son went through the same thing, and he still will ask for hot dogs once in a while and refuse to eat anything else. soy dogs are your best bet. They're healthy, loaded with protein, and have little to no fat in them. Not that kids need to watch their fat intake much...but these are sooo much healthier! My son LOVES them. My husband and I ar vegetarian, but we don't refuse our children meat. Also, if your son likes hamburgers..try vegan Boca Burgers...they are also a very healthy alternative to ground beef. We even ground them up and use it to make tacos and such. I hope this helps. Good luck!!

We just bought turkey hot dogs that look just like "regular" hot dogs! We purchased them at Trader Joes. We haven't cooked them yet so we do not know if they taste good, but we have not come across anything bad tasting there!

Good luck!
Andrea & Micki

Sorry so late to respond, we switched service providers & were without internet for a week...I like the Oscar Meyer Premium Beef hotdogs. Of course they are alot more expensive, but they are all beef, none of those yukky fillers.

Hebrew National has corn syrup in them. Don't like to add sugar to the hot dog -- what for, anyway??? So.... I buy the COLEMAN brand found at Costco. All natural, no nitrates, no preservatives, no added sugar or corn syrup. YUM!! Even my husband, who does NOT like hot dogs, will eat these. 3 packs of 8 sell for $9.99.

Have you checked the organic section? That may be a good try. I think it's a trial & error game.

I know my nephew has a very restricted diet that has to be low in fat/cholesterol and my SIL found fat free hot dogs made by Ball Park, I've also seen some by Healthy Choice but I cannot find them anywhere, I saw them out of town but have checked Meijer, Family Fare, Save Alot and they don't have them (last I checked). Have you looked at the nutrition facts on the kosher hot dogs? Maybe since they're made differently they may be a bit more healthy?

Just wanted to let you know my husband went thru a hot dog phase as a kid, his mother tells me wherever they went she brought along his hot dog.

Kosher hotdogs seem to be the healthiest. Hebrew Brand and Kowaski are just a few of the brands that are all beef.

I get Beef hot dogs from ball park. I know others I know think turkey dogs are better for them. BUt the bottom line really no hot dog is good. but kids love them so its your prefrence. Actually everything we eat isn't good for us so. Does it really matter. You could try to go to whole foods and see if they have organic hot dogs I am sure those would be better than ball parks.

Morningstar makes a good low fat low calorie veggie dog. Your 2 year old probably won't know the difference.

Hebrew National. They are Kosher beef so there are no by products. They even have a reduced fat version. They are the only kind we eat. :O)

Hebrew National and Colemans are the best hot dogs.

Something else...I teach Health Workshops. One is called Mac N Cheese Again?! This workshop is about children's nutrition. One of the things I teach is when dealing with a child who will only eat one thing and to get them to eat other things is to place the food you eat on their plate. If they refuse to eat, tell them that is okay and the next time you eat is ... without giving them anything else to eat. Think about it what is worse giving them one thing to eat with little or no nutritional value or nothing at all. Either way they are not getting what their body needs to be healthy. It may seem harsh but it is tough love. Our children are always testing us. Us parents need to be strong. Teaching them at an early age, will make it easier for you and them later on.

You might try Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. I don't think you will find any totally healthy hot dogs, but I think I saw some kosher franks. Better than nothing...good luck with your litle one. He will grow out of it OR you could just not buy them at all anymore...the store was out of them....a clean little lie. :)

Gerber meat sticks....
no nitrates, lots of omega 3...

Whole Foods Markets and Trader Joe's both have all natural hot dogs, beef, chicken or turkey with nothing in them. My kids love them.

I know Trader Joe's and Whole Foods carries brands of hot dogs that are 100% beef and do not have nitrites (preservative). I'm not sure if regular grocery stores would carry them, just read the label and ingredients.

I wouldn't start him on soy dogs until you read up about the effects of unfermented soy on the body. According to my daughter's nutritionist, the 100% beef hot dogs with no nitrites is the best for her. (she's 3 years old and also loves her hot dogs!) I'm sure the chicken sausages would be a healthy lower fat option, but the taste and consistency of them tend to be different. He might notice.

By the way - soy dogs do not taste or feel anything like regular hot dogs - I don't think it would work for the picky hot dogger :)

Try kosher hot dogs.... the major brands are Becks and Hebrew National, but any that say "kosher" on the package are 100% beef, and all from muscle meat front half of the cow. Still salty and containing nitrates (otherwise it wouldn't taste like a hot dog), but no gristle, bone scrapings or added lard or offal. As hot dogs go, they are both tasty and relativly healthy. And, the rabbi who inspects and gives the "kosher label" is also supposed to assure that the animals are kept and finally killed in a humane manner. Not only does this help us feel better about eating meat, but many people feel that the adrenalin released by a frightened animal shortly before their death has a negative effect on the flavor of the meat, so that humanely handled animals will taste better.
When my son went through his hot dog is the only meat stage, he also enjoyed turkey hot dogs, although the chicken ones didn't fit the bill for him.
good luck, L.

Kowalski has an all beef hot dog with natural casing. My son is also going through this phase. It will pass. :)

We use the ballpark lite - they are a turkey and beef mix. My kids are older and never really liked hotdogs but hubby had heart stents at 40 yrs old so we eat different now.

Kids do go through phases. My daughter ate things at 2 that she would eat a 4 and now eats again at 11.

Hope this helps.

K.

Hello,

My son(s) have gone through and are going through the same thing. Like some of the other moms said try looking for Organic or Natural hot dogs without nitrates.

My family likes the Hebrew National brand also. They seem to be a tad bit better tasting than the traditional hot dogs. Not sure on nutrition.

He likes them because they taste good. So the alternative hotdog has to taste like a hotdog - the veggie ones and soy ones probably won't go over very well. I buy Coleman. They are nitrate free and made with meat free from antibiotics and hormones (I'm pretty sure... I don't have any in my fridge right now so I can't make sure) but I think that's why I buy them. I found them by packs of 3 at Costco! I was so happy to find them and feel much better about giving my kids those.

Hi Vicki,

Good for you to go the extra mile investing in your children's health!

The amish idea is a good one but not everyone has that option. So last year my husband and I made the decision to find a local butcher to make natural hotdogs and brats for us. They are natural casings and no msg. There are still some chemicals though not as much. The price was actually reasonable. next project is to get them with out chemicals...that is our next challenge.

If you are in the Ann Arbor area there are organic meat farmers that I met at the farmer's market. If you are in the Grand Rapids area there is Mike's Processing in Allendale who does no-nitrate products.

What I've found Vicki is that there are so many chemicals in the poultry raising that I don't think I am any farther ahead to get chicken or turkey hot dogs. And the process that vegetable protein is put thru (high pressure and high heat) to get the meat-like texture actually ruins the protein for our bodies. All that said, you are right. Make the best choice you can and don't stress out over it.

If you find a product you like will you let me know? Thanks!
M.

Have you heard of Veggie Burgers? Well, they have veggie dogs too. They sell them at Meijers, Wal Mart, etc. Veggie dogs are all vegetable, so they are better for you.

Hebrew National! It's a little more expensive, but it's kosher, which means the animal is slaughtered in a more humane way, avoiding the harmful stress hormones that are passed on in the meat of conventionally slaughtered beef. Your youngster probably won't like them, but there are also vegetarian hot dogs, sausage, etc. Try visiting a health food store like NutriFoods in Royal Oak and see if they have any suggestions.

Good Luck!

I shop at an amish market and they sell all-natural, antibiotic free, hormone free, nitrate free hotdogs.
You could try to find a natural foods market or an amish market near you.

Hillers Market carries a great brand that are 100% beef and organic and contain no nitrites or preservatives. Both my kids love them and do not know the difference. The brand is Applegate Farms organic uncured all beef hot dogs. Hope this helps.

I'd read the ingredients on Kosher beef hot dogs, turkey and chicken hot dogs, and check the ones at Trader Joe's.

You can get turkey and/or chicken hot dogs...or veggie/soy hot dogs (I don't know what they taste like). When we do eat hot dogs...I buy Kogel and boil them to get out some of the fat.

Try Morningstar Farms Veggie Dogs. I know they sell them at Meijer, Kroger and Walmart in the freezer section. My daughter is a hot dog lover, too. She will go between eating meat hot dogs and these veggie dogs with no problems. I also like them- I think they are very close to the real thing in terms of taste AND texture. Good luck! I am glad you are not too worried. It seems all kids go through these "phases"!