When it comes to eating healthy, there are a lot of foods the kids love that ended up on our radar. Hot dogs are definitely in that category. Healthy and hot dogs generally don’t go hand-in-hand. I’ve searched for healthier options, but they are few and far between. When I was presented with the opportunity to try and share a meatless hot dog review I was really looking forward to it!
Disclosure: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to use this product and post my opinion
on my blog in my meatless hot dog review. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of this product.
Lightlife offers a variety of plant protein foods including their Smart Dogs – Meatless Veggie Hot Dogs. The Lightlife Smart Dogs are America’s #1 meatless hot dog and are great for summer cookouts! They are also vegan and Non-GMO Project Verified. Healthy plant proteins and no GMO’s? Definitely the healthier alternative I’ve been looking for! Plus, I could find them easily at Meijer, a store where I usually shop. I didn’t have to make any special trips for this healthier option.
Upon reading the label further I was rather impressed with the difference on the nutrition labels as well. We tried both the Smart Dogs and Jumbo Smart Dogs. Although they do have quite a bit of sodium it is still much less than a “traditional” hot dog. Plus Smart Dogs only have 50 calories each and 7 grams of protein! The Jumbo Smart Dogs only have 100 calories each and 13 grams of protein! I could eat four Smart Dogs for less calories than one traditional hot dog and receive about the same amount of proteins. I wouldn’t, of course, because they are rather filling, which is great!
Smart Dog Meatless Hot Dog Review
Unfortunately, since our daughter broke her arm our summer got kind of crazy. We haven’t been able to have our usual cookouts and am bummed to say I have yet to experience a Smart Dog fresh from the grill, but I am definitely looking forward to it! It does note they cook a little faster than traditional hot dogs, though I found it to be similar. I try not to overuse the microwave, but it’s been my friend for the past few weeks. I found the Smart Dogs cook much more evenly in the microwave than traditional hot dogs, and I never experienced any drying out or cracking. They even have a very similar look.
Here is a Jumbo Smart Dog just cooked from the microwave:
Although they appear similar, they do have quite a different texture. Their texture is a little more dense than a traditional hot dog. The taste is actually rather similar, though. I first tried them just plain so I could get an idea of their taste and texture. Our daughter did as well as she is our very willing taste tester.
We both agreed that although they taste similar there is a bit of a “veggie” aftertaste. It’s not overwhelming or so strong I would refuse to eat them, but overall, we both agree we prefer them on a bun with condiments. Even our boys ate them this way and didn’t mention a thing! They are both pickier (one I would even say is very picky), so this was impressive!
Overall, I do think the Lightlife Smart Dogs really are a great alternative to all those “scary” hot dogs out there! We aren’t personally a vegetarian family, but I love expanding our nutrition, and I definitely appreciate the benefits of plant-based nutrition. These are definitely hot dogs I will continue to serve our family as well as our friends when we can finally get back to our cookouts again!
One package of Lightlife Smart Dogs retails for $2.99 – $3.99. They are available at multiple grocery stores. In fact, they were available at two different stores here, and for a small city like this, that is actually quite impressive! Find out Where to Buy Lightlife products for your family!
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it looks like a good meal and the kids wouldnt know it is healthy for them i like it because its vegans and non GMO
This sounds like a good meal to add into rotation once a month or so. Love that it’s non GMO, as I try to avoid this.
Definitely! It can be so hard to avoid GMO’s, so I definitely appreciate a company dedicated to offer non GMO foods.
It has been a little over a year since I stopped eating beef and hotdogs – I would love to try these out.
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That is so awesome you’ve stuck to it! It definitely sounds like these will be a great alternative! I haven’t tried some of the other products yet, but they have a pretty impressive lineup!
i do not like h o t dog butr i think i would eat this one
These really sound yummy! I can’t wait to try them!
I love Lightlife veggie dogs and eat them often. So much better for you then regular hot dogs and taste great!
I like it because its vegans and non GMO.
I’m sure glad to know that they are non-GMO. And since I’m the ‘condiment queen’ I’m sure I’ll like them!
We have a lot of meatless meals in my house and my daughter is vegan. I have tried these and I can say that I do like them a lot.
Awesome! Thank you for sharing your feedback as well!
I would love to try these..I have not eaten hot dogs in ages but these sound great!
I can’t wait to try out this special recipe for an all-authentic Meatless Lightlife Smart Hot Dog. I think it sounds delicious. This is going to go over well with my family
I have a similar lifestyle where I’m not vegan but I’m always looking for healthy alternatives and am open to meatless options. I’ve been looking for “healthier” hot dogs but am a little skeptical so I really appreciate the review. 🙂