Recently I became a blogger for Moms Meet! This means I receive products for free to try and share as well as review on my blog. The first sample I received to review was from Light Life Smart Dogs.
These are similar to hot dogs except they are completely plant-based, which means not one stitch of meat. Great for vegan hot dog lovers as well as those who are looking for a healthier alternative to a summertime favorite. One great thing I like about Lightlife is that they are easy to find in your local grocery store by searching the online Store Locator. You just enter your zip and a list of stores carrying the product will pop up! Keep in mind, vegan items are usually stocked in the produce section so don’t be surprised if you don’t see them sitting next to their meat-filled companions. They also run about $4-$5 (Southern California pricing) depending on the location.
I decided to prepare my hot dogs on a hot dog roller machine (think food court/gas station)…I also cooked them along with some regular beef hot dog. Can you spot the Lightlife hot dogs?
As you can see, there is a bit of a difference in appearance compared to beef dogs, but I cooked them both for the same amount of time with no issue. They also rolled just fine. 😉
So then it was the moment of truth!
Once you add some toppings, you could barely tell you were eating a veggie hot dog. They were less plump than regular hot dogs and also had more of a smoky taste to them. I would say they weren’t as juicy as regular hot dogs as well, but the taste overall was not much different. Interestingly enough, the kids had opposite opinions. My 3-year-old daughter was not a huge fan and only took one bite. My 18-month-old son finished the whole thing no problem. So I’ll have to work on the 3-year-old a bit more as she is quite picky.
I did ask a few vegetarian/vegan friends how they felt about veggie hot dogs and their overall opinion was that they did not like the taste of hot dogs in general, therefore, they had no interest in trying plant-based hot dogs. I have tried other brands of vegan hot dogs and I will honestly say that Lightlife is the best brand so far! Check them out and let me know what you think!
They also pair well with Mac-and-cheese!
*I received this product for free in exchange for an honest review.
~SM
The Swag Mama 