Saturday, October 06, 2007

Applegate Farms Uncured Chicken Hot Dogs


Sorry about the bad picture - I really have to get a better camera. These are the current hot dogs that we are buying. Andy will only eat Chicken Hot Dogs - when I occasionally buy the beef, he won't eat them - I, however, like the beef variety - I think it's just that chicken the beef is a little spicier. You really want to try and avoid nitrates with your child if they are on the autism spectrum. I keep these in the freezer and just take them out and use them one at a time so they don't spoil. When I get home from the grocery store, I open the package and spread the hot dogs out on a cookie sheet so they are not touching and put them in the freezer to freeze - that way they freeze individually and you can just take one out of the freezer without chizeling one out of a package or thawing a whole package and having part of it go to waste. If you eat a whole package of hot dogs at a time, then that isn't necessary. Just make sure that once they are frozen you pack them in a freezer container - don't leave them open in the freezer or they will get freezer burn.

2 comments:

Cyndi said...

Dumb questions: Why are nitrates bad (especially for autism)? What other foods have nitrates?

Kathi said...

From the gfcfdiet.com website:
Nitrates
Some parents express concern about nitrates/nitrites added to meat. They are preservatives that are specially added to meats like lunchmeats, bacon, ham, sausage, etc. In particular they help prevent the growth of botulism bacteria. They also help keep the meat red, instead of gray, which it would soon become without nitrites. Sodium Nitrate is additive number E250. Nitrates can easily be converted to nitrites by bacteria in the stomach. They have been shown in an animal study to cause distractibility, and they can also cause headaches. Some parents report their children become hyperactive after eating foods which contain these additives. Decision to eliminate these from your child's diet is a personal decision based on how your child reacts after eating food which contain nitrates/nitrites.