A hot dog consists of meat trimmings from pigs, cows, turkeys, chicken, or a blend of all four and fat ground into a paste, with flavorings such as salt, garlic and paprika as well as preservatives like sodium nitrate and sodium erythorbate. As with most sausages, hot dogs must be in a casing to be cooked. Traditional casing is made from the small intestines of sheep....Reasons to reach for vegan options for your next cookout.
The dog days of summer are here, and for many Americans, that means
inviting friends over for backyard get-togethers, gathering for
family picnics at the park or trips to the beach. The classic menu
items are sometimes off the grill.
That menu does not have to include animal cruelty and exploitation
because tasty and healthful vegan barbeque options abound.
One of the first meatless products marketed to mainstream audiences,
plant-based, vegan hot dogs and sausages are a go-to addition to any
backyard barbeque. Not only are you being respectful of animals, but
you’re sparing your guests from the horrific ingredients in meat
options.
In brief, a hot dog consists of meat trimmings from pigs, cows,
turkeys, chicken, or a blend of all four and fat ground into a
paste, with flavorings such as salt, garlic and paprika as well as
preservatives like sodium nitrate and sodium erythorbate.
As with most sausages, hot dogs must be in a casing to be cooked.
Traditional casing is made from the small intestines of sheep.
“Skinless” hot dogs use a casing for cooking, but the casing may be
a long tube of thin cellulose that is removed between cooking and
packaging.
Hot dogs can also made be made with pork, as well as from chicken or
turkey, using low-cost mechanically separated poultry. Detailing
that process would cause all but the hardest-core caveman to lose
their appetite, but suffice it to say that a meat industry term for
it is “white slime.”
At Friends of Animals, we’re hard pressed to choose which form of
animal farming is the most atrocious. But anyone thinking about
eating a hot dog should be aware that gestation and farrowing crates
are prisons for pigs. Restricting mother pigs to crates allows
producers to maximize the number of animals who can be housed in a
single barn.
This brutal confinement means the mother pig cannot stand or turn
around. Crates prohibit pigs from engaging in their instincts to
forage, root, nest, and socialize, causing extreme stress and
frustration.
All the more reason to reach for these healthful, vegan options for
your next cookout.
Hot-diggity vegan dogs and sausages
The Field Roast Smoked Plant-Based Frankfurter comes as links, which
should impress any bystanding grillmeisters as you unfurl them out
of the package (just be sure to remove the plastic casing before
tossing them on the grill). They are made from water, vital wheat
gluten, safflower oil, other oils and a variety of flavors, spices
and whole wheat flour. These sizable franks (76 grams; 20 grams
protein, 190 cals) cook up nicely and have a robust spicy flavor.
In a recent review, Consumer Reports gave The Impossible Sausage
Bratwurst (230 cals) its Editor’s Pick. It’s an excellent source of
protein with 13 g protein per serving, 0 mg of cholesterol (16 g of
total fat, 7 g of saturated fat, 630 mg of sodium per serving), and
has 30% lower total fat, when cooked, compared to the leading pork
sausage links. They do not contain any added nitrates or nitrites,
and they are gluten-free. And
Impossible Foods points out that every time you eat Impossible
Sausage (instead of pork sausage links) you use 79% less water, 71%
less GHG emissions, and 41% less land.
Beyond Meat ‘s Beyond Sausages are pea-protein based and offer 16
grams of protein. They consist of 11 g of total fat, 4.5 g of
saturated fat, 600 mg of sodium, and 180 cals per serving. ($7.50
for 4; www.beyondmeat.com)
Our favorite for the classic, kid-size frank is the Smart Dog made
by Lightlife. Produced by Toronto-based Grenleaf Foods, Smart Dog
has just 60 calories and less sodium than most other wieners. They
consist of water, soy protein isolate, soybean oil, evaporated cane
syrup, pea protein isolate, tapioca starch, flavorings, spices, and
binders. For grownups, it goes best with a spicy mustard or relish.
And speaking of dogs: A vegan colleague tells me that sliced-up
Smart Dogs make irresistible treats for her pooches.
Let’s face it: All hot dogs and sausages are processed products,
with vegan franks mostly a combination of soy and pea protein with
wheat and flavorings. In the end, a dog in a bun is the ultimate
convenience food; the handiest of meals at a picnic. I’ve long
considered a hot dog more as a conveyance for the good stuff—relish,
grilled onions, peppers, and mustard of course, the spicier the
better. If you have chili or sauerkraut, I say “bring it on.”
And bringing on a vegan hot dog is better for you, guests, animals
and the planet.