I love grilled hot dogs but most of them have way too much sodium in them; after having a heart attack and being told that cutting my sodium intake could help prevent congestive heart failure and another heart attack. I started buying the low sodium hot dogs when I could find them and ultimate switched to turkey hot dogs. The Applewood Smoked Uncured Turkey Franks are a suitable substitute but I didn't like the taste of them; they are a little on the sweet side even when you load them up on a bun with relish or mustard. A single frank contains 120 calories, 9 grams of fat, 480 milligrams of sodium, 3 grams of carbohydrates and 6 grams of protein. When you compare that to a regular hot dog you aren't getting as much protein but there's less sodium and less fat. Even though I didn't like the taste of them because of the flavoring that's added to it, I will buy them for tailgating because everyone that tries them loves them and can't believe that it's a turkey hot dog. They are pre-cooked so all you need to do is heat them up; when I grill them there is more flavor to them than if you heat them up in the microwave or pan fry them. If you are going to microwave them make sure that you pierce them with a fork so the sides don' split and if you are pan frying them slice them down the middle and fry them open side down to get the most flavor from the meat. You can serve these with almost any type of side but spicy baked beans and coleslaw are the usual favorites when tailgating.

AlexFortune

Undisclosed

It seems like we learn something new everyday about the foods that we may have been enjoying for years.  I realize that wieners ("hot dogs") may not be everybody's cup of tea but I have always loved them and never guessed that the nitrates which they contained could be bad for us.  Recent studies have suggested that nitrates in cured meat could possibly help form carcinogens (cancer-causing agents).  **NOW** they tell me was my first thought but I must say that Oscar Mayer hardly missed a step before introducing ***Oscar Mayer Selects Applewood Smoked Uncured Turkey Franks***. **WHAT THESE ARE:** ***Oscar Mayer Selects Applewood Smoked Uncured Turkey Franks ***are plump, moist hot dogs made of meat which has been smoked but not cured and is a blend of turkey, water, cultured corn sugar, less than 2% tapioca starch, corn syrup solids, salt, Dextrose, cultured celery juice, vinegar, cherry powder, and flavor.  ***Oscar Mayer Selects Applewood Smoked Uncured Turkey Frank***s contain no nitrates except those which arise naturally in the celery juice.  (For reasons too complicated for somebody like me to try to explain here, nitrates occurring in vegetable products have been deemed by the experts to be safe.) **STATS:** ***Oscar Mayer Selects Applewood Smoked Uncured Turkey Franks ***come eight to a package.  One link is considered to be a single serving which contains 120 calories with 80 calories from fat.  There are 9 grams Total Fat, 2.5 grams Saturated Fat, zero Trans Fat, 35 mg. Cholesterol, 480 mg. Sodium, 3 grams Total Carbs, 1 gram Sugars, and 6 grams Protein in addition to 15% (D.V.) Calcium, 4% Iron, and 6% Vitamin C. **TASTE TIP:** ***Oscar Mayer Selects Applewood Smoked Uncured Turkey Franks ***are fully cooked but the downside of not containing nitrates is that vigilant care must be taken in their storage and preparation.  I must admit that there have been times in the past when I have been reprobate enough to just eat a cold hot dog directly out of the fridge (talk about fine dining, huh?!) and I wouldn't take that chance with this type of hot dog.  Storage and heating label instructions should be followed closely.  The best bet for me so far is to simply heat an ***Oscar Mayer Selects Applewood Smoked Uncured Turkey Frank***, wrap it in a piece of fresh whole grain bread and top with a little mustard and ketchup. **MY VIEWPOINT:** In my opinion, ***Oscar Mayer Selects Applewood Smoked Uncured Turkey Franks ***may be the most tender, succulent hot dogs I have ever eaten (and **THAT'S** saying a **LOT**!)  I did notice that they have a milder taste which may not ring the hot-dog-craving bell in everybody's palate.  The bad thing about learning something new everyday about food is that sometimes people panic and become unduly anxious.  It's good to know that nitrates may be dangerous and ***Oscar Mayer Selects Applewood Smoked Uncured Turkey Franks ***(and other products like them) do deserve careful consideration as a healthier option.  On the other hand, just because you have been eating (or feeding your family) regular hot dogs in good faith, that's no reason to throw yourself under the bus now.  Carcinogens are foes worthy of respect but the fact remains that the American public has been knocking back hot dogs for years and a lot of people **haven't **got cancer from this traditional snack.    

AnnaBanana

Oak Park, IL