Although I am not a vegetarian, I prefer the taste of vegetarian products over meat and have found many tasty protein alternatives to meat that are mostly soya based products. When I came across Smart Dogs® Veggie Protein Links by Lightlife in my local supermarket, I wondered if this product would taste like meaty hot dogs or if I would be left disappointed.
Cooking Directions
Smart Dogs® Veggie Protein Links by Lightlife look like "real" hot dogs, but unlike regular hot dogs that can be barbecued, fried or oven roasted these must be boiled for 2 minutes or microwaved for 30-45 seconds per dog. It is important to not overcook the Smart Dogs® or less they will lose their texture.
Taste
Unfortunately, my husband prepared the Smart Dogs® by barbecuing them. The shape changed, but they still looked like hot dogs. They were sliced up and formed part of a vegetarian-style quesadilla. When I first bit into the quesadilla, I could taste the smoky flavour of the Smart Dogs®. I was not quite sure what to make of them, which is why I finished the quesadilla before making up my mind about the Smart Dogs®. I decided that the smoky flavour was too overpowering, which made it hard to appreciate the mushrooms, onion, pepper and cheese. But they did not taste overcooked or rubbery. I just did not care much for this product.
Nutrition Facts
Each 42g link serving contains 45 calories, no saturated fat or cholesterol, 290mg of sodium, 230mg potassium, 3g carbohydrate, less than 1g dietary fibre, 1g sugar, and 8g protein. The nutrition facts show that Smart Dogs® Veggie Protein Links by Lightlife are very low in calories and fat-free. They are low in carbohydrate, fibre and sugar, but high in protein.
Ingredients
Smart Dogs® Veggie Protein Links by Lightlife are made up of water, soy protein isolate, wheat gluten and other ingredients. If you are allergic to wheat or soya products, then this will not be a suitable product. Smart Dogs® Veggie Protein Links by Lightlife contain no MSG or nitrates and according to the product details, soya beans that were produced using biotechnology are not used.
Recommendation
Overall, I was disappointed with the taste of Smart Dogs® Veggie Protein Links by Lightlife. They did not enhance the taste of my quesadilla or make me want to go up for seconds. They tasted artificial and too smoky for my taste.
