Cookout Cheese Dog: 146 Calories and Why the Numbers Look Odd

The Cheese Dog has the lowest calorie count of any main on Cook Out's menu, and the number does not add up. The official nutrition guide lists it at 146 calories and 2.3 oz, which is 114 calories and 0.6 oz less than the plain hot dog at 260 calories and 2.9 oz. Adding cheese cannot make a plain dog lighter, so whatever the Cheese Dog is, it is not a plain dog with cheese on top.

146

Calories

114 under the plain dog

2.3 oz

Weight

The plain dog weighs 2.9 oz

$0.99

Typical price

Same as the plain dog

410 mg

Sodium

18% of a 2,300 mg day

What do the official figures show?

Three of those lines point the same way. Fat falls from 15 grams to 3, protein from 8 grams to 3, and carbs rise by 3. The figures describe a smaller, lighter item than a plain dog with cheese added. Cook Out publishes no ingredient breakdown for it, and the board gives only the name and price.

What does that mean for your order?

As a lightweight snack, a Cheese Dog fills that job at 146 calories and $0.99. If you want a cheese-topped hot dog in the usual sense, ask the cashier what comes on it before you rely on the calorie count. Our hot dog guide lists every dog, and the low-calorie guide ranks the lightest mains.

How does it compare with the other dogs?

Who should order the Cheese Dog?

Children, anyone building the lightest Jr. Tray, and anyone who wants a side of food for a dollar. Do not order it for protein, since 3 grams is the lowest of any main.