Making Nathan’s Hot Dogs Work for Your Keto Lifestyle (Best Practices)

Many people are curious about whether Nathan’s hot dogs are suitable for a keto diet and why they should be avoided to maintain ketosis. The truth is that hot dogs generally have high carbs due to the toppings, buns, and condiments. However, Nathan’s hot dogs themselves can fit into a keto diet if consumed without these additional elements.¹

However, some of Nathan’s hot dogs have more carbs than others so we review each types nutritional contents, amount of carbs, if they’re healthy or not, and keto approved hot dog toppings, buns and more.

How Many Carbs Are in Nathan’s Hot Dogs?

Nathan’s currently offers nine different types of hot dogs, all of which vary in the number of carbs contained in them. The most popular type of hot dog that Nathan’s offers are their Colossal Quarter Pound Beef Franks, with many reviewers commenting on how rich the meat hot dog tastes.

Beyond taste, the factor that matters most for the keto diet is the number of net carbohydrates in a hot dog. Their nine types of hot dogs are ranked from most net carbs to least as follows:

• Nathan’s Colossal Quarter Pound Beef Franks = 4 grams of net carbs
• Nathan’s Natural Casing Beef Frankfurters = 2 grams of net carbs
• Nathan’s Bun Length Beef Franks = 2 grams of net carbs
• Nathan’s Jumbo (Restaurant Style) Beef Franks = 2 grams of net carbs
• Nathan’s Bun Length Skinless Beef Franks = 1 gram of net carbs
• Nathan’s All Natural Uncured Beef Franks = 1 gram of net carbs
• Nathan’s Angus Beef Franks = 1 gram of net carbs
• Nathan’s Cheddar Cheese Beef Franks = 1 gram of net carbs
• Nathan’s Skinless Beef Franks = 1 gram of net carbs

Luckily, all of these hot dogs can easily fit into the keto diet considering the current research suggests that staying within 20 to 50 grams of carbohydrates consumed per day will allow a person to remain in ketosis.²

Imagining a person only eats hot dogs with 1 gram of net carbs, they can eat upwards of 20 hot dogs while still remaining in ketosis, although this would not be recommended; that would be nearly 4000 calories with over 13000mg of sodium, and considering the recommended sodium intake is 1500mg, this would probably be a bad idea.³

Can Nathan’s Hot Dogs Fit into a Keto or Low Carb Diet?

To address whether Nathan’s hot dogs fit into a keto diet, the answer is yes. Nathan’s hot dogs are definitely keto-friendly and low-carb, as long as you exclude the buns and condiments.

Considering they are just made with a combination of processed meats, it is quite clear to see why there are so few carbohydrates – meat, in general, lacks any sort of carbohydrate.

Source: George Dolgikh via Canva.com⁴

Any type of carbohydrate present in a hot dog likely comes in the form of some additive used to thicken up the hot dog, like hydrolyzed corn protein.

Nitrates & Source of Meat in Nathan’s Hot Dogs: Is It Bad for You, or Healthy?

Nitrates and nitrites are one of the most talked about ingredients in modern processed meats, and for good reason. There are multiple studies that argue back and forth about how bad additive nitrate is, but a recent literature review from 2019 has all but confirmed that there is overwhelming evidence that nitrites and colorectal cancer (CRC) development are linked.⁵

Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that a person has to immediately throw out any processed meat that they consume; in fact, Nathan’s offers hot dogs that contain zero nitrites. Take a peek at the ingredient list for their All Natural Uncured Beef Franks:

• Beef
• Water
• Salt, sugar, natural flavoring, dehydrated garlic, paprika
• Yeast extract, vinegar, cultured celery juice, cherry powder

All of these additives are actually just normal spices or ingredients commonly found in healthy recipes. This leads to a broader consideration of the meat used in Nathan’s hot dogs.

Nathan’s Hot Dog Meat

According to their website, Nathan’s hot dogs are made with 100% beef and additives like sodium diacetate and sodium nitrite, whereas one of their biggest competitors, Ball Park Hot Dogs, uses ‘mechanically separated chicken, pork, and a lot more additives. Nathan’s hot dogs seem to be the winner there.

However, it is important to note that these ingredients can be unhealthy in large quantities. Consuming a significant amount of processed meats is likely not an effective method for quick weight loss.

Additionally, Nathan’s hot dogs also contain other things like hydrolyzed corn protein which is just glorified animal feed. Meaning, outside of the beef, the ingredients are a lot of preservatives and fillers. Regardless, this further supports that Nathan’s hot dogs are indeed keto-friendly; however, individuals sensitive to fillers and preservatives may choose to avoid them to maintain ketosis.

Summary of Nitrites In Nathan’s Hot Dogs

Some of Nathan’s hot dog varieties do contain nitrites, and while it has been confirmed that nitrates and nitrites are likely correlated with cancer, eating something in minimal enough quantities tends to reduce risk to virtually nothing.

That being said, there is all the freedom for a person to eat a non-additive containing hot dog from Nathan’s while still getting the beefy-tasting dog that is famous around the United States.

How Many Hot Dogs are Allowed on a Keto Diet?

Although processed meat intake is related to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, people could technically eat upwards of 20 hot dogs while on keto because there are very few carbohydrates in hot dogs themselves.⁶ However, consuming Nathan’s hot dogs with a regular hot dog bun and standard condiments like ketchup or honey mustard can unknowingly knock someone out of ketosis, which might make them question why they aren’t losing weight despite being in ketosis.

Hot dog buns and condiments contain a surprisingly large amount of carbohydrates, but luckily, there are a few alternatives out there on the market.

Keto Friendly Hot Dog Buns

Since the keto diet has only become one of the biggest trending diets in recent years, there aren’t that many keto hot dog brands on the market. However, there are three that stood out when taking a peek at the ones available:

Great Low Carb Low Carb Hot Dog Buns: With 2 grams of net carbohydrates and totaling 120 calories, Great Low Carb’s keto hot dog buns are made with water, wheat gluten, and a combination of seeds to provide ample fiber.

ThinSlim Foods Love-The-Taste Low Carb Hot Dog Buns: Made with fewer ingredients, including wheat protein isolate, oat fiber, olive oil, and chicory root, Thin Slim Foods’ keto hot dog buns have 0 grams of net carbs with 14 grams of protein and only tally up to 90 calories. These are some fantastic macros, especially for someone on keto.

Hero Bread Keto Hot Dog Buns: Last but certainly not least are Hero Bread’s low-carb hot dog buns. Primarily made with wheat, canola oil, flaxseed, pea protein, and fava bean protein, these buns are also 90 calories but have 10 grams of protein and 1 gram of net carbs. With 21 grams of fiber, these buns will be the most filling on the list.

Each of these three brands is good in their respective ways, with Great Low Carb’s buns offering the best texture, ThinSlim’s low carb hot dog buns offering the best macros, and Hero Bread bringing the most filling hot dog buns.

But, Hero Bread is the winner for best keto hot dog buns; they are one of the most renowned keto bread makers in the industry and it cannot be understated that they have perfected their recipe for a good blend of doughy taste and texture. With the lowered amount of calories per bun as compared to standard buns, this may make it easier to get into a 1000 calorie deficit.

Which Brands of Hot Dogs Are Keto-Friendly & Low in Carbs?

As aforementioned, keto hot dogs are essentially normal hot dogs because they don’t contain many carbohydrates in general: the devil is in the buns and condiments. That being said, here are a few high-quality keto hot dog brands that are very reputable.

365 Organic Uncured Grass-Fed Beef Hot Dogs: These hot dogs are made with grass-fed beef and organic ingredients, meaning they are non-GMO and free of artificial preservatives, flavors, and colors. With only 1 gram of net carbs, these are a fantastic low-carb option, and they are the cheapest option on the list and can be picked up at a local Whole Foods store.

Applegate Organic Uncured Beef Hot Dog: Another great low-carb hot dog, Applegate’s grass-fed beef hot dogs are made with organic ingredients and have no artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors. These weenies also have 1 gram of net carbs. Applegate is known for their humane practices when it comes to raising its livestock. All of their animals are raised without antibiotics, growth hormones, or beta-agonists, and they are fed a vegetarian diet that contains no animal by-products. This results in healthier animals that are able to grow and thrive in a natural environment. In addition, Applegate provides environmental enrichment for their poultry and pigs, which allows them to engage in natural behaviors and promote their natural growth.

Teton Waters Ranch Uncured Grass-Fed Beef Hot Dogs: The last low-carb hot dog on the list, Teton Waters Ranch’s dogs are made with grass-fed beef and no artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors. They have slightly more carbs than the other two with 2 grams of net carbs. These hot dogs are an excellent source of healthy fats because it is made with grass-fed beef. Grass-fed beef contains higher levels of Omega-3 fatty acids and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) than grain-fed beef, both of which are important for maintaining a healthy body on ketosis.

Example of a Nathan’s Hot Dog Recipe using Keto Hot Dog Toppings & Sauces

Given that Nathan’s hot dogs are keto-friendly, it’s very easy to create a keto recipe using them.

Source: Juanmonino via Canva.com⁷

For this recipe, their All Natural Uncured Beef Franks were chosen to ensure minimal additives were included. Once a person cooks their hot dog, it can easily be placed on top of a Hero Bread Hot Dog Bun, considering that was the winner for best keto bun and topped with any keto condiment. This means that Nathan’s hot dogs do not necessarily need to be avoided to stay in ketosis.

One condiment that comes keto by default is mustard due to the low-calorie density in mustard seed. But, other standard toppings like ketchup are not keto due to added sugars, so make sure to read the label before adding a condiment; paying attention to the label is part of the weight loss rules, after all.

With this in mind, it should be quite simple for a person to make a hot dog recipe keto. After reading this article, you’ll find that Nathan’s hot dogs are keto-friendly. However, be mindful of the carbs in buns and condiments.

Frequently Asked Questions