How Many Calories Are in a Hot Dog With and Without the Bun?

A hot dog is a famous type of sausage you can grill on almost any occasion. A hot dog has 120 calories without a bun and 314 calories with a bun.

A hot dog is a famous type of sausage you can grill on almost any occasion. You can serve a hot dog with or without a bun and put just about anything on top. 

The hot dog has gone through some changes since it first appeared in U.S. cities. There are now more options available than just mystery meat. Hot dogs are one of the most popular American summer foods. People in the U.S. spent more than $7.5 billion on hot dogs and sausages in 2021. 

Hot dogs are also famously served at baseball parks. People even dress up like hot dogs as mascots at baseball games. Because they're easy to prepare and eat on the go, they are the most sold treat at the games. One survey found that baseball parks sold 19.4 million hot dogs during the 2020 season.

Hot dog season is between Memorial Day and Labor Day in the U.S. In fact, 10% of the country's yearly hot dog sales are made during July. 

Although hot dogs are delicious, you may wonder how healthy they are to eat and how many calories a hot dog has. You may also wonder how the calorie count and nutritional value change when you add a bun and additional toppings. But first, let's look at what this summer staple even is and where it came from.

A hot dog is a type of processed meat that's been smoked, salted, cured, or treated with chemicals to improve the taste or extend the shelf life compared with the meat's natural state. Hot dogs unfortunately aren't the healthiest choice of protein.

Processed meat has high levels of sodium and saturated fat. According to the American Cancer Society, processed meat is also a carcinogen. The American Institute for Cancer Research has reported that your risk of colorectal cancer rises by 16% when you eat just 50 grams of processed meat a day.

This generally means that hot dogs can be a special treat if consumed in moderation, such as once or twice a month, rather than daily. 

People often disagree on the hot dog's history, and the stories about its history are conflicting. There are ancient legends about a sausage resembling a hot dog. Germany also claims to be the originator of the hot dog. 

The city of Frankfurt, Germany, claims that the term "frankfurter" for a hot dog was coined there in 1487. However, there is some disagreement as Vienna, Austria — called Wien in German — claims that the "wiener," another name for the hot dog, came from their city. 

But wherever its origin, the hot dog eventually made its way to the U.S. There are reports of a man selling sausages from a pushcart with rolls and sauerkraut in New York City in the 1860s. Later on, in 1871, the first Coney Island hot dog stand was established by Charles Feltman. In 1893, hot dogs were sold at baseball parks.

There are also many conflicting stories regarding the term "hot dog" itself. Because of these stories, historians aren't exactly sure who first came up with it and when.

A plain frankfurter on a white bun (totaling 102 grams) has 314 calories. It also has the following nutritional value:

• 24.3 grams of carbohydrates
• 18.6 grams of total fat
• 719 milligrams of sodium
• 4.03 grams of sugar

A simple hot dog on a bun contains trace amounts of iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium.

If you want to take your hot dog a step further, a 100% whole-grain bun will not have the added sugar and sodium that a white bun has.

One critical factor to consider when preparing hot dogs is the temperature to which you cook them. Although most packages will state that the hot dogs are pre-cooked, nutritionists still recommend that you cook hot dogs to an internal temperature of 165ºF. Cooking to a safe temperature reduces the possibility of bacterial infection with Listeria.

A hot dog without a bun has fewer calories than one with a bun. According to the USDA, one 57-gram beef and pork hot dog has 120 calories.

Of course, if you'd prefer to wrap your hot dog in something else, there are other options. For example, you might consider wrapping your hot dog in lettuce. A 16-gram serving of lettuce adds just 2.24 calories to your hot dog while still helping to keep all the toppings in place. Lettuce also adds fiber and potassium to your meal.

Hot dog toppings vary greatly depending on where you live. Here are some popular condiments and toppings and the calories they add to your hot dog. 

A 10-gram package of ketchup adds 10.1 calories. But keep in mind that ketchup may contain added sugars depending on which brand or variety you choose. A teaspoon of mustard will only add 4.14 calories to your hot dog. 

If you want to melt some nacho cheese to put on your hot dog, a 30-gram portion of nacho cheddar melt has 80.1 calories. A 64-gram serving of chili — an average amount to add to a hot dog — has 75.5 calories. 

For healthier toppings, 30 grams of sauerkraut has only 11.7 calories. Sauerkraut is a fermented food and a good source of probiotics. A slice of onion only adds 6 calories to your hot dog, and a packet of relish adds 11.7 calories.

One hot dog can contain around a quarter of the recommended daily allowance of sodium — the limit of how much sodium you should consume in a single day. In addition, most beef and pork hot dogs are high in fat. For example, a Hebrew National Kosher Beef Frank has 13 grams of fat, including 5 grams of saturated fat.

Nevertheless, some hot dogs are better for you than others. Some people believe that all-beef hotdogs are healthier. But studies show that too much red meat can lead to cancer, so chicken or turkey dogs are healthier alternatives. The American Institute of Cancer Research recommends limiting your red meat intake to 12–18 ounces or less per week. 

Some hot dogs may be labeled "cured," which means that meat producers have made them with synthetic nitrates or nitrites, compounds that have both nitrogen and oxygen and act as a sort of preservative. Meat producers use preservatives to keep the meat from turning brown as quickly as it would otherwise.

But, unfortunately, these nitrites or nitrates can turn into cancer-causing nitrosamines inside your body. Uncured hot dogs may still have cancer-causing nitrates, but those in uncured dogs come from natural sources. So when you find packaging that says "No Nitrite," make sure it doesn't also say "except for those occurring naturally in".

Veggie dogs are another option. Plant-based hot dogs are heavily processed and generally contain soy, peas, wheat gluten, and other vegetable proteins. Some plant-based meats have fewer calories and saturated fat, but they may still have a lot of sodium.

When comparing a plain hot dog to a plain hamburger with a white bun, the hot dog will have fewer calories than the hamburger. A 145-gram hamburger on a white bun has 418 calories, whereas the hot dog on a white bun described before has 314 calories.

When comparing other nutritional values, the hamburger has 25.4 grams of protein, which is more than twice that of the hot dog (11.4 grams). The hot dog is packed with more sodium at 719 milligrams compared with the hamburger's 515 milligrams.

The hamburger also gives you more of the following nutrients:

• Fiber
• Iron
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Zinc

Of course, adding cheese or other toppings to either option changes the calorie count, so the toppings should be taken into account when making your decision.

What can I use instead of hot dog buns?

Suppose you want to try something other than the traditional hot dog bun. In that case, try putting your hot dog in:

• Flour tortilla wrap
• Corn tortilla shell
• Pretzel bun
• Hawaiian roll
• Lettuce, like romaine or iceberg
• Crescent roll

Suppose none of these choices feel like a good option for you. In that case, you can always cut up your hot dog and bake it into a casserole dish or eat it alongside some baked beans.

Now that you know more about the calorie content of hot dogs and traditional toppings, you can choose how you want to eat them. The safest way to consume hot dogs is to eat them only occasionally.

A hot dog without a bun contains fewer calories than one with a bun. So if you're used to eating more than one hot dog, try them in a lettuce wrap. This way, you can avoid the extra calories, sugar, and sodium that white bread offers.