Hog dogs are on my weekly shopping list, and odds are they are on yours, too: last year, more than 1 billion packages were sold in retail stores, according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. Including hot dogs in my culinary rotation wasn’t something I exactly aspired to back when I was steaming and pureeing my own zucchini for my first son, but I’ve since surrendered to their allure: They are easy, they are cheap, and they are almost always met with something other than a look of utter dismay, which is more than I can say for a good number of the main dishes I’m apt to serve on any given weekday.

Photo by: TheCulinaryGeek

But obviously, the nutritional stats on franks leave a lot to be desired. Mass produced and processed, they also tend to be high in preservatives, sodium, and saturated fat. They pair nicely with a squishy white bun, which may contain about as much sugar as your average lollipop. I’d love to feel a little better about our hot dog habit if I had a few guidelines for making it less detrimental to our collective health. So, just in time for your Labor Day cookout, I’ve conducted some hot dog industry research and chatted with HHK resident nutritionist Dana White, R.D. about my quest for a healthier hot dog. Here are some tips worth remembering next time you’re facing down the franks aisle at the grocery store.

Choose a 100% Beef Dog. Choosing a product that doesn’t have gross fillers is a no-brainer. But long ago, I also got it into my head that turkey dogs would be a better choice than beef dogs, and bought two packages to try. If you’ve ever made the same mistake, you’ll understand what I mean when I say that both brands tasted almost exactly like pencil erasers (an anxious middle school career gives me ground to make the comparison). The good news, says White, is that 100% beef hot dogs aren’t much worse nutritionally than the alternative meat brands, and are sometimes even better. “There are very few good-tasting turkey or chicken ones, and sometimes they have even more preservatives and sodium than traditional beef dogs,” says White.

Look for lower sodium brands. Some hot dogs contain more than 600 mg of sodium, a high daily intake of which is linked to high blood pressure and other health problems. Other brands keep salt a bit more in check. Applegate and Coleman are two companies that offer all-beef hot dogs with less than 350 mg of sodium per serving.

Serve on a whole wheat bun. Many mainstream bakery companies, like Pepperidge Farm, now make whole wheat buns. Just like whole wheat bread, these buns cause less of a blood sugar spike than their white counterparts, and keep us feeling fuller, longer. And hot dogs are so flavorful, chances are your kids won’t notice the switch.

Add some veggies! Sometimes, the best thing you can do with a less-than-healthy food is balance it out with a more virtuous one. A side that contains vitamin C, like sliced red bell peppers, is extra-good, because a healthy dose of the vitamin may help counteract the affects of the nitrates found in hot dogs on our body (see below for more on nitrates). White likes to serve her dogs with a side of zesty Jalapeño Pickle Relish (see her full recipe, here, and below).

Save them for special occasions. Nitrates and nitrites, which are chemicals added to hot dogs and other foods to preserve freshness and color, have been linked to cancer in some studies (particularly when a nitrate-containing food is cooked to high temperatures). Many companies now market their hot dogs as nitrite- or nitrate-free, but these dogs often have preservatives in the form of celery powder or juice, which do in fact contain nitrates. More research needs to be done to assess the long-term effects of chemical or natural nitrates on our bodies, but it’s perhaps one more reason why hot dogs perhaps shouldn’t be, alas, a weekly staple. Save them for birthday parties, the ballpark, or the occasional busy Friday night. Like any special treat, they may taste even better to our kids when served every so often.