Many people tend to assume that they must deprive themselves of all good food if they go on a diet. However, this could not be further from the truth. It is all about eating in moderation at the end of the day.
Plus, you may find that hot dogs are actually great for diets. Of course, we are not suggesting that you have one for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. However, you certainly do not need to cut them out of your diet altogether.
Below, we will look at some of the most popular diets and how hot dogs fit into them.
Why hot dogs are great for Keto diets
The Ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet. The purpose is to lower your intake of carbohydrates and replace it with fat, which puts your body into a metabolic state known as ketosis, hence the name.
When this happens, your body starts to become highly efficient at burning fat for energy. It also turns fat into ketones in your liver, supplying the brain with energy.
Following a Keto diet certainly does not mean you cannot have hot dogs from time to time. Hot dogs are high in fat and low in carbs, which makes them the ideal food for this diet.
While it’s not wise to have processed food every day of the week, hot dogs can be a great keto meal choice if you are looking for something quick, flexible, and tasty.
It is always important to read the nutritional information because some hot dogs have more carbs than others. Sauerkraut and Bratwurst are often good choices, with around 3.7g of net carbs per serving. You can even make your own hot dogs if you are feeling adventurous.
Can you eat hot dogs on Weight Watchers?
Another popular diet plan with people across the country is Weight Watchers. This diet follows a points system, which gives every Weight Watcher’s recipe, drinks, and food a number of points. You will be permitted a certain number of points every day based on your current weight, goals, and nutritional requirements.
This program aims to lose weight naturally and healthily, with the aim of between 1 and 2 lbs of weight loss per week.
You would be forgiven for assuming that hot dogs aren’t part of the Weight Watchers point system, but don’t worry; they are! In fact, hot dogs that are light pork or beef are all over the Weight Watchers website.
Weight Watchers only gives light pork or beef hot dogs five points. Considering the average number of Weight Watchers points people are given to eat per day is 30, this would still give you 25 points to play with.
There are some great Weight Watchers hot dog recipes for you to make the most of, including Easy Bean And Cheese-Topped Hot Dogs, which have 7 Points per serving, and Reuben Hot Dogs, which also have 7 Points per serving.
Hot dogs and the Whole 30 diet
Another diet you may be familiar with is the Whole 30 diet. This diet is all about eliminating certain foods for 30 days only. These are foods that clinical research and scientific literature have shown to be problematic in one of the following four areas:
- Inflammation and immune system
- Digestion
- Blood sugar regulation and hormones
- Cravings and habits
Over this period, you will be able to see what improves in your life by removing foods that are potentially problematic.
Once the 30 days are over, you carefully introduce foods one at a time. It is like a scientific experiment to determine what your body does and does not like.
Because Whole 30 includes a list of foods you cannot eat, many people assume that hot dogs will simply be a no-go! However, this is not the case.
There are several different hot dog varieties that have been approved under this diet, including:
- Trader Joe’s Organic Grass-Fed Uncured Beef Hot Dogs
- Hebrew National All Natural Kosher Beef Franks
- Brooklyn Hot Dog Company Buffalo Chicken Dog
- Brooklyn Hot Dog Company Gyro Dog
- Pederson’s No Sugar Added Beef Hot Dogs
- Brooklyn Hot Dog Company Pepperoni Dog
- Brooklyn Hot Dog Company Classic Beef & Pork Dog
- Brooklyn Hot Dog Company Classic Beef Dog
- Boar’s Head Uncured Beef Frankfurters With Natural Casing
- True Story Organic Grass-Fed Uncured Beef Hot Dog
- Wellshire Farms Sugar-Free Uncured Beef Franks
- Teton Waters Ranch Mini Uncured Beef Hot Dogs
- Teton Waters Ranch Uncured Beef Hot Dogs
- Applegate Naturals® Stadium Beef & Pork Hot Dog
- Applegate Naturals® Uncured Beef Hot Dog
- Applegate Naturals® Uncured Turkey Hot Dog
- Applegate Organics® The Great Organic Uncured Turkey Hot Dog™
- Applegate Organics® The Great Organic Uncured Beef Hot Dog™
What about the South Beach Diet?
Last but not least, this is a well-known weight-loss diet that was introduced by cardiologist Arthur Agatston, M.D. in 2003. This is a modified low-carbohydrate diet. While it is higher in healthy fats and protein and lower in carbs, it is not a strict low-carb diet as the Keto diet is.
The aim of this diet is to change the overall balance of foods you consume to encourage a healthier lifestyle and weight loss.
But, the all-important question is whether or not you can eat hot dogs on the South Beach Diet? Hot dogs are approved on this diet if you ditch the bread buns. Just make sure you select a lean, high-quality dog and opt for simple toppings. Mustard is South Beach diet-approved, and it always tastes great with a hot dog.
In fact, hot dogs are actually on the list of foods you can eat during the first phase of the diet, so you can rest assured that they will not derail your progress, so long as you eat them in moderation and don’t place them inside a bun.
You can lose weight and enjoy your food at the same time
So there you have it: some of the different reasons why hot dogs are good for diets. As you can see, it is possible to lose weight and enjoy your food at the same time.
When dieting, many people assume that they can only eat vegetables and have to deprive themselves of all the food they love. This is not the case. It is about making sensible decisions and eating in moderation.
After all, if you stop yourself from eating the foods you love, then chances are you will get so bored and frustrated that you cheat on your diet in any case.
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