• A hot dog of a standard size weighing about 56-57 grams has 188 calories approximately and the bun has 84 calories summing up to 272 calories in all.
  • This apart, additional calorie is added based on the topping options. A table spoon each of the following adds respective calories. Ketchup – 16 calories, sweet relish – 21 calories, yellow mustard – 11 calories and brown mustard – 14 calories.
Among the many fast foods of today, hot dog tops the list in terms of adding to the calories intake. It would not be wrong to say that hot dogs have almost become the staple food of Americans with a variety of toppings like mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, onions, cheese, etc.

What is hot dog?

It is a sausage which is placed between the buns and served with a variety of toppings. These sausages came to be known as dog as early as 1884 probably because dog meat was used in making them. A New York based cartoonist who could not spell ‘dachshund’ spelt it as a hot dog in one of his cartoons for the magazine to record the maximum sale during the baseball match, thus connecting the baseball link. It thus started gaining popularity as hot dog from then. A hot dog is usually prepared with beef and pork fillings; it is also the tradition for many years now. The meat, spices and other fillers are bled together in a mixer in the specific proportion. It is substituted with chicken and turkey which a comparatively less expensive. There are also vegetarian fillers available. While most sausages are uncooked, hot dogs are cooked. They are boiled and steamed, or even broiled, microwaved or baked.

Risk Factors

There is a high risk of choking in young children, especially for children below the age of ten. Possibly resizing the shape and length may make it easier. With a lot of beef and pork and other meat products, it adds to the calorie intake on an individual on a given day. One is prone to get heart diseases and obesity due to consumption of meat and other cheesy products. There are also high risks of colorectal cancer on consumption of meat on daily basis.