6 Healthiest Hot Dog Buns—and 3 To Avoid

When enjoying a hot dog with your favorite toppings like ketchup, sauerkraut, chili, and cheese, the bun might be the last thing on your mind. While hot dogs aren't the healthiest option due to their high sodium and fat content, indulging occasionally is fine. One way to make your hot dog healthier is by choosing a better, healthy hot dog bun.

Most hot dog buns are made from refined flour, lacking the fiber, iron, and B vitamins in whole grains. Current evidence suggests eating a diet high in refined flour can increase the risk of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol. In contrast, consuming more whole grains can lower these risks.

To help you find a better bun for your frankfurter, our nutrition experts looked at dozens of products to find the six healthiest hot dog buns and three you may want to avoid.

How We Chose The Healthiest Hot Dog Buns

• Whole Grains First: A healthy hot dog bun should list a whole grain as the first ingredient. Whole grains are naturally high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
• Recognizable Ingredients: We prefer buns made with familiar ingredients like flour, water, yeast, and oil, with fewer additives and preservatives.
• Minimal Added Sugar: While some sugar is necessary to activate yeast, we chose buns with less added sugar.
• Fiber Content: A healthier hot dog bun should have at least 3 grams of fiber per serving, which is beneficial for gut and heart health and weight management.

6 Healthiest Hot Dog Buns 

Best: Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Hot Dog Buns

Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Hot Dog Buns top our list due to their excellent ingredients and nutritional profile. Made from organic sprouted grains and legumes, these buns offer a hearty flavor and dense texture. They contain 10 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber per serving, meeting 21% of the daily value. They also have minimal added sugar.

 9 Best Whole Grain Breads on Grocery Shelves

Best: Rudi's Organic Wheat Hot Dog Buns

Organic whole wheat flour is one of the main ingredients in Rudi's Organic Wheat Hot Dog Buns, providing 18 grams of whole grains. It also contains organic wheat flour and organic potato flour. Though not whole grains, these flours help create a softer and fluffier bun, but with the slightly sweet and nutty flavor you expect with whole grain bread. Striking the balance between nutrition and flavor may encourage more people to try the healthier whole-grain hot dog bun.

Rudi's Organic Wheat Hot Dog Buns are low in calories and fat and have 3 grams of fiber, meeting 11% of the daily value. They use organic cane sugar, which provides 3 grams of added sugar per bun, meeting 6% of the daily value. Rudi's hot dog buns are certified USDA organic and have no artificial preservatives.

Best: Alvarado Sprouted Wheat Hot Dog Buns

Alvarado Sprouted Wheat Hot Dog Buns are made with sprouted organic wheat berries and organic hard white whole wheat flour. The sprouted whole grains in the hot dog bun give it a more robust flavor and chewy texture than refined flour hot dog buns. They are low in fat, high in fiber, and contain a good amount of protein, with 8 grams per serving.

 10 Healthiest Sprouted Breads on Grocery Shelves

Best: Arnold 100% Whole Wheat Hot Dog Buns

Depending on where you live, Arnold 100% Whole Wheat Hot Dog Buns may be sold as Oroweat or Brownberry brand. The buns are made with 100% whole wheat flour and have no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. The hot dog bun provides 4 grams of fiber, meeting 14% of the daily value.

Arnold's bun is higher in sodium than some of the other options on our list, wth 310 milligrams per serving, which you want to consider when looking for a healthier hot dog bun because hot dogs are high in sodium. People who eat higher sodium diets are at greater risk of developing high blood pressure. The bun also has 3 grams of added sugar, meeting 6% of the daily value.

Arnold 100% Whole Wheat Hot Dog Buns are soft and hearty with a sweet and nutty flavor that compliments the taste of the salty hot dog.

Best: Udi's Classic Hot Dog Buns

Udi's Classic Hot Dog Buns are a healthy option for people who need gluten-free buns. They use a mix of tapioca, brown rice, and potato flour to create a soft bun. Although these buns have a longer list of ingredients, most are recognizable and include canola oil, resistant corn starch, egg whites, and cane sugar. The bread uses a gum blend consisting of xanthan gum, sodium alginate, and guar gum, serving as a binding and emulsifying agent that helps create the right texture and crumb.

Despite a higher calorie and sodium content, these healthy hot dog buns offer 4 grams of fiber per serving.

 The 10 Healthiest Whole Grains You Can Eat

Best: Silver Hills Organic Sprouted Whole Grain Hot Dog Buns

Silver Hills Organic Sprouted Whole Grain Hot Dog Buns are made from organic sprouted grains, providing a hearty flavor and smooth texture. The short ingredients list includes familiar items like organic wheat flour, organic cane sugar, yeast, and sea salt.

They are low in fat and calories, with 4 grams of fiber per serving, though they have slightly more added sugar than the other options. The Dietary Guidelines recommend Americans limit added sugar to less than 10% of total calories, or no more than 50 grams on a 2000-calorie diet. The concern of foods high in added sugar is that they add calories with very little nutritional value. The Silver Hills buns are one of the best hot dog buns because they are low in calories, a source of whole grains, and high in fiber.

3 Hot Dog Buns to Avoid

Worst: Martin's Long Potato Rolls

Martin's Long Potato Rolls are popular for their sweet, buttery flavor, but they are made with refined flour, added sugars, preservatives, and fillers. Although low in calories and fat, making them nutritionally similar to the best hot dog buns, they only provide 1 gram of fiber and have 5 grams of added sugar.

The hot dog bun is enriched with vitamins and minerals, adding nutrients such as B vitamins to the flour.

 The 10 Unhealthiest Breads To Leave on Grocery Shelves

Worst: Wonder Classic Hot Dog Buns

Wonder Classic Hot Dog Buns are soft and familiar but made from refined flour and numerous additives such as sugar, soybean oil, and wheat gluten. They are low in calories and fat but provide no fiber and have a higher sodium content, meeting 12% of the daily value.

Worst: Great Value White Hot Dog Buns

Great Value White Hot Dog Buns are marketed as soft and delicious, but many customers report they are dry and crumbly, not holding up well to a hot dog. These buns contain enriched wheat flour, sugar, yeast, soybean oil, and various dough conditioners.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The label also says that the hot dog buns contain bioengineered food ingredients, also called genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which are ingredients that have modified genetic material developed in a lab. Researchers are still investigating the safety of GMOs, but the American Academy of Pediatrics has expressed concern over GMO plants with genetic resistance to herbicides and overexposure to glyphosate, a chemical in herbicides that builds up in the body and may lead to health issues like blood cancer.

Nutritionally, these buns are lower in calories, fat, and sodium compared to other options. However, they fall short on fiber, providing only 1 gram per bun. They also contain 2 grams of added sugar. Despite being enriched with vitamins and minerals, the lack of fiber and the inclusion of GMOs make them a less desirable choice for health-conscious consumers.