Subscribe via RSS Feed

Saturday Review: Applegate Farms Organic Beef Hot Dogs

[ 6 ] 10/08/2011 |

Applegate Farms Organic Uncured Beef Hot DogI love hot dogs!  Yes, I know all of the old jokes about hot dogs being “mystery meat” and how they are so horrible for me.  I can’t help it though, I love a good frank every now and again.

Since beginning my weight loss journey, I’ve pretty much stuck with the light or fat-free hot dogs.  Some were ok, but some were pretty bad.  Some lacked in flavor, some had an odd texture, and most just weren’t very appealing so I had kind of given up on hot dogs.

Enter the Applegate Farms Organic Uncured Hot Dogs.  Notice I didn’t say anything about light or fat-free.  While they may not be labeled that way, they are definitely a lot lighter than a typical hot dog.  They come in at only 90 calories and 6g of fat per dog.  How cool is that?!

But wait, it gets better!  Not only are these dogs lower in fat and calories than a traditional hot dog, but you can even eat them without feeling guilty.  They’re made from beef from humanely raised, grass-fed cattle that have never been given any antibiotics or growth hormone and are free from added nitrites and nitrates.  Even the grass they feed on has never been sprayed with any pesticides or fertilizers.  It just doesn’t get much more natural than that!

I will say the texture is a bit different than a typical hot dog.  These are actually more like a sausage, but I think that’s due to the fact they are less processed.  It really brings me right back to childhood memories of biting into a nice juicy hot dog right off the grill.

I bought mine at Whole Foods, but you can also buy them online or search for store locations on their website.  I will admit they’re a bit more pricey than a traditional hot dog, but I think it’s worth it given all the amazing facts about these dogs.  It’s worth the extra couple of bucks to have a hot dog I can eat and not feel guilty about in the process.  The only criticism would be that they are still pretty high in sodium (380mg per dog), but that’s just kind of nature of hot dogs.

What’s your favorite hot dog?  Do you opt for a light version or do you just go for the “real” thing when you indulge?

Tags: , , , , ,

Category: LOVE IT, Mel, Product Reviews, The Sisterhood

About Mel: A 40-something Tennessee girl living in Southern California, Mel is currently on a journey to lose over 100 pounds following the Weight Watchers PointsPlus™ program. Mel also blogs at http://www.thedailymel.com and tweets as @TheDailyMel. View author profile.

  • http://christy.shrinkingjeans.net Christy_TheSistherhood

    I haven’t tried these yet!! I’m definitely going to pick them up next time we’re at Whole Foods (maybe several packages!). When I started WW 6 years ago, I was turned onto the Hebrew National reduced-fat hot dogs, and they’re really great! They also have a 97% fat free version, but they aren’t really great….

    • http://www.melgetsfit.com Mel (@MelGetsFit)

      I was eating the Hebrew National dogs before discovering these.  I think these are SO much better!  They remind me a lot of Nathan’s.  On Weight Watchers, these dogs are 2 PointsPlus each which makes them a real bargain considering they aren’t a “light” hot dog. 

      Per the Applegate website, one of the things that keeps them lower in fat is that beyond using grass-fed beef (which is naturally lower in fat than grain-fed), they only use muscle meat which is also lower in fat in other cuts of beef.  Naturally, these are factors that result in the higher price for these hot dogs, but as I mentioned in my post, I don’t mind paying more for something I know is higher quality.  The fact that they are uber-yummy is a really nice bonus. :)

      • http://christy.shrinkingjeans.net Christy_TheSistherhood

        Okay, now I’m sold! If you compare them to Nathan’s, they must be *really* good, because Nathan’s are THE best in my opinion!

        I’ve been on a mission to buy only grassfed beef lately too (and I’m finding it’s really so much better than I thought it would be!), so the fact that these are made with grassfed beef makes me happy :)

        Thanks for the review, Mel! And yes, I’ll be checking out the bacon, too. I just looked in BJ’s Feingold foodlist, and Applegate Farms is an approved brand – meaning they contain no additives, un-natural preservatives, or artificial anything!!

        • http://www.melgetsfit.com Mel (@MelGetsFit)

          Oh wow, that’s awesome that they’re Feingold-approved!  I mean, seriously, what kid doesn’t like hot dogs?!  I hope BJ likes them! :)

    • http://www.melgetsfit.com Mel (@MelGetsFit)

      Oh, and btw, their bacon rocks, too!

  • Anonymous

    Ok reading through these comments makes me want to go out and buy (and then eat) these hotdogs!! Can’t wait to give them a try…We’ve been buying Hebrew National when we want “good” hot dogs or just run of the mill hot dogs we go with BallPark!