From Lunch Box Cards

Here's something from Lunch Box Cards:

Hot dogs


We all know hot dogs are made from the parts of the animal that no one wants to eat... ground up tails, feet, ears etc ("meat by-products" or "variety meats")... but I don't believe that's whats so bad about hot dogs. Heck, in many countries, crickets, spiders and brains are a delicacy.

So what DO we have to watch out for concerning hot dogs? I spoke to Abby Beeler and she informed me that many brands use gluten (an allergen) for binding, and nitrates, sodium nitrite and msg as a preservative. MSM (mechanically seperated meat) is associated with mad cow disease and finally, Robbie (Lassen's amazing store manager) informed me last week that many brands use food grade plastics as casings!

All this is quite enough for me to find a tasty organic whole meat hot dog, skinless or in natural casings, and to shun the others!

Here's what won: Applegate Farms Organic Uncured Chicken Hot Dogs, Beeler's Fully Cooked Uncured Wieners made with whole pork in natural casings, and Trader Joe's All Natural Uncured All Beef Hot Dogs.