Vegan hot dogs are more widely available than ever. Every natural foods store carries at least one brand. You can even find them served at many of the world’s top ballparks and sports arenas.
Back in the 1970s, vegan hot dogs were among the very first commercially-produced meat alternatives. Unfortunately, these first-generation products were disappointing. Sure, they were certainly edible, and many people considered them tasty. But they could never fool anybody, since their taste and texture was nothing like meat.
Today, everything has changed. Check out this rave review the Washington Post gave to the all-vegan Moving Mountains Hot Dog:
Well, as I learned when I tried the hot dog at the launch, with that classic red-brown sheen, and an appealingly authentic smokiness, it certainly looks right and it smells right. And the flavor? Put it this way: If you didn’t know this was a meat-free product, you probably wouldn’t guess. It’s miles ahead of most vegan hot dogs — heck, it’s better than most pork (and beef-based) hot dogs, even down to the texture and the snap when you first bite into it.
The best vegan hot dog brands are really that good.
Why Choose Veggie Dogs?
One curious characteristic of hot dogs is that many devout meat eaters refuse to touch them. That’s because hot dogs often contain inferior and outright disgusting cuts of meat. Because hot dogs consist of meat ground into a slurry, there’s no telling which parts of the animal were used.
On top of that, as cured meats, hot dogs carry greater health risks than other meat products. Study after study links hot dogs and other processed meats to greatly increased risk of colorectal cancer. By contrast, you can enjoy vegan hot dogs without worrying about what’s going to happen to your colon in twenty years.
Vegan hot dogs also allow you to bypass animal suffering—there are no factory farms or slaughterhouses in the supply chain.
So turn to vegan hot dogs to avoid all the terrible things about processed meat, while still enjoying great flavor. They’ve got all the taste and protein of meat-based hot dogs without any of the negatives.
Vegan Hot Dog Brands:
If you’ve tasted one vegan hot dog, you certainly haven’t tasted them all. Just like hummus, vegan hot dog brands vary dramatically in texture and flavor. So if one brand leaves you unimpressed, be sure to try another brand next time.
- Field Roast: Frankfurters and Signature Stadium Dogs
- LightLife: Smart Dogs
- Meatless Farm: Plant-Based Hot Dogs
- Moving Mountains: Hot Dogs
- Tofurky: Hot Dogs
- Upton’s Naturals: Updog Vegan Hot Dogs
- Yves: Hot Dogs (Four Varieties, All Vegan)
Not all vegetarian hot dogs are vegan, so always check the ingredients panel.
Finally, if you like vegan hot dogs, you’ll want to explore all the other forms of vegan sausage as well. The market is full of fantastic products.
