Veggie Hot Dogs Take Center Stage

There’s a trend that seems to be reverberating through sectors of animal agribusiness: declining sales. We recently wrote about how Americans are drinking less and less milk with each new generation. And remember the Mark Bittman piece examining how beef, chicken and pork consumption has been plummeting in the past several years? And per capita egg consumption in the US has also been steadily declining for the past six years. This is all good news for animals – and it opens up opportunities for us to introduce more people to the vegan versions of some of our favorite foods, such as hot dogs.

The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council declares July as National Hot Dog Month, though we prefer to celebrate with a compassionate twist, turning this food holiday into National Veggie Hot Dog Month. And in keeping with the reverberating theme mentioned above, a recent Businessweek story reports that overall the hot dog business is dealing with the same slump in sales:

“According to figures from IRI, a Chicago-based market-research firm, [hot dog] sales dropped more than 3 percent in 2012 from 2011, following two consecutive years of smaller declines. Figures for this year are looking soft as well.”

Economists and industry analysts aren’t quite sure what’s behind the decreasing sales of hot dogs though perhaps as more people discover the horrific cruelties forced upon pigs — from male piglets being castrated without pain relief to mother pigs being nearly immobilized inside tiny metal crates for months on end — they’re choosing the meat-free versions of this American classic.  And finding veggie dogs in stores has never been easier, or more delicious: from Field Roast Frankfurters to Tofurky Dogs to Lightlife’s Smartdogs to many more, veggie hot dogs are packed with flavor and nutrients–and by choosing them, we’re helping create a kinder and healthier world.

So be sure to celebrate National Veggie Hot Dog Month by grabbing some veggie dogs, buns and a side dish for your 4th of July cookout. Want to really “wow” your vegan and pre-vegan friends? Try out this recipe for vegan chili cheese dogs and brush up on vegan grilling tips!