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Today I'm going to review Lightlife Smart Dogs, a vegan alternative to hot dogs. Reviews will be based on the following criteria: ease of preparation, versatility, level of healthiness, organic or not, texture, flavor, and the overall review.
Lightlife Smart Dogs
Ease of Preparation: 5/5 These not dogs can be prepared through boiling, grilling, or microwaving. The microwave is the recommended preparation method and the most appealing in my opinion because it keeps the texture uniform. The time it takes to microwave one hot dog usually ranges from 30-60 seconds, depending on the power of the microwave. Needless to say this is a pretty simple way to prepare a meal.
Versatility: 2/5 The flavor and texture of the smart dog make it pretty difficult to use it for much other than its purpose of hot dog substitute. I found that trying to use it to make something like corn dogs or franks and beans was difficult and not worth the effort because in the case of the former the batter was unable to really stick onto the dog and in the case of the latter the texture was off and didn't work well with the beans.
Level of healthiness: 4/5 I took one point off because of the arguments against eating processed foods, but other than that this is a pretty healthy choice for vegans and non vegans alike. At 45 calories per dog these are a very low calorie substitute for meat based hot dogs and many vegetarian hot dog substitutes. Each hot dog contains 8 grams of soy protein and a negligible amount of fat. There is some sodium in this product, although it is not as much as many soups and other hot dogs and dog substitutes. For what it is it's a very healthy choice and alternative to most meat based and vegetarian hot dogs.
Organic/Not organic: Not organic. This product is not certified organic, but the company does say on their label that they do not include GMO (genetically modified) soybeans in any of their food products.
Texture: 3/5 The texture of the smart dogs isn't great, but it isn't awful. When used like a hot dog it is hard to tell, but if you eat one of these dogs plain you will see that they can be pretty rubbery. The other side of this is that when overcooked they tend to get very tough, making it harder to pull them apart. That being said, the rubberiness is not overwhelming and not off putting, making it better than some and worse than some.
Flavor: 3/5 These dogs have a flavor, but it's pretty mild and underwhelming. Personally I don't mind this because it doesn't overpower the taste of toppings, which I like to pile high on my hot dogs, but for those looking for a flavorful substitute to a meat hot dog you will be disappointed here. These hot dogs have no spices as far as I can tell and are probably palatable to most, but certainly not exciting or bold.
Overall: 3/5 These hot dogs are not outstanding or very exciting, but they certainly do have a purpose as an easy and quickly made mainstay for busy nights and laziness. They have little chance of being off putting because of their lack of extremes in any direction so they are a generally easy serve at a bbq or get together. Overall these dogs are a very comfortable, middle of the road healthy substitute for the meat dog.
New to veganism? Check out these websites!
Vegetarian Resources
Vegan Action.Org- Your Intro to Veganism
Great Vegan Recipes
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