America’s Absolute Worst Hot Dog Is Sold In Idaho

Whether it’s throwing one last summer barbecue blowout for the neighborhood over Labor Day Weekend or grilling up some grub for Boise State tailgates this fall, hot dogs are usually a fan favorite. 

They’re a versatile base that you can load up with all sorts of toppings like jalapenos, sauerkraut, onions, mustard and ketchup. Maybe you like to slather them in chili and cheese. Or, if you’re feeling really wild, warp them in bacon before you toss them on the grill. The sky’s the limit. 

READ MORE: Least Trusted Restaurant Chain in America Has 7 Idaho Locations

Once you load them up, they may be a little bit of a calorie splurge, but picking a more health-conscious base will make you feel a little less guilty about that cheat day. That’s what Eat This, Not That set out to do when they put together their list of the “7 Worst Store-Bought Hot Dogs to Stay Away From Right Now.”

America’s Worst Store-Bought Hot Dog Brand is Sold in Idaho

In order to put together their list, they compared the nutritional facts of some of the most widely sold hot dog brands in the country to the American Heart Association’s recommended daily servings of saturated fat and sodium. For a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s 13 grams of saturated fat and 2,3000 milligrams of sodium per day. 

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They also mentioned that products that contain processed red meat can release a chemical called trimethylamine n-oxide. Too much of that chemical can lead to conditions like heart disease, kidney disease or type 2 diabetes. 

After tallying the statistics, Eat This, Not That named Ball Park Brand Prime Uncured Beef Franks as the worst store-bought hot dog brand in the country. We found these in stock at several Boise area Fred Meyer and Walmart stores. 

There is so much sodium in each hot dog that by eating one, you’re already at 35% of your recommended sodium for the day. As for saturated fat? One dog is going to bring you close to 70% of what you should have in an entire day. If you’re not satisfied by one hot dog, you’re going to be way past the recommended daily amount by eating a second. 

Other Hot Dogs to Avoid

Bar S Classic Franks ranked #3 on the Eat This, Not That list. If you’re cooking for a crowd, they’re tempting to buy because they’re pretty cheap but nutrition experts say that while they may be labeled “Beef” they’re mainly made with mechanically separated chicken and pork. Beef makes up less than 2% of the actual contents of the hot dog. These are on the shelves at Idaho Walmart stores.

You didn’t expect a plant based hot dog to appear on this list, did you? While you won’t run the health risks associated with red meat by buying Gardein Plant-Based Bratwurst, each of these links contains 660 milligrams of sodium. Eat This, Not That says that that’s actually higher than many of the meat options you’ll find on store shelves. These are also carried in Idaho through Walmart. 

Sold locally through Fred Meyer, Eat This, Not That was highly critical of the soy protein isolate in this plant-based option. They say that it’s so processed that you’re not really getting a lot of the nutrients you’d get from an entire soybean. Their experts also pointed out that a lot of people are allergic to soy.