A soy hot dog with mustard.
Vegan hot dogs are meatless alternatives to traditional meat-based hot dogs. They are often an option for people following a vegan diet and for those who just want to eat healthier from time to time. Vegan hot dogs are generally lower in fat, calories, and cholesterol than meat-based hot dogs.
People who are vegan follow a strict form of vegetarianism, which requires that they eat no meat or animal products. While a vegan hot dog is a vegetarian hot dog, a vegetarian or “vegetarian” hot dog is not necessarily vegan, because vegetarian hot dogs may contain dairy or eggs. Vegans can read ingredient labels to verify that meatless hot dogs are truly vegan. In addition to confirming individual ingredients, some packages may contain warnings that the hot dogs are made in factories that also process egg-based products, meaning trace amounts of egg may have slipped into a vegan product. Such a warning might be enough to dissuade a strict vegan from buying that product.
Seasonings add flavor to vegan hot dogs.
Just because it’s a vegan hot dog doesn’t guarantee that a product will meet everyone’s dietary needs. For example, many vegan hot dogs use soy as the main ingredient, and some people have a soy allergy. Wheat and wheat gluten are also popular ingredients in meatless sausages, both of which are linked to food allergies and sensitivities. Soy is also sometimes grown with genetic modifications and pesticides, and these chemical factors can turn off some vegans.
Wheat can be used to make vegan hot dogs.
However, in general, vegan hot dogs are considered a healthier alternative to meat-based hot dogs. Studies have linked processed red meats to bowel cancer. Meat-based sausages have also been shown to increase a person’s chances of developing heart disease and diabetes.
For non-vegans in particular, the taste of a meatless hot dog can be disappointing. Vegan hot dogs are free of the fat, sugars, and, well, the meat found in traditional hot dogs. These absences make it a challenge to duplicate the same type of hot dog flavor in a vegan product. That’s not to say meatless hot dogs are necessarily bad. Just like a traditional hot dog, they can also be seasoned with spices and condiments like ketchup, mustard, and relish.