If you’re a vegetarian, then you’re almost certainly familiar with smart bacon (it’s bacon made without meat, in case you’ve somehow missed out on this popular food). However, you might not be familiar with the Lightlife brand of vegetarian foods, and you definitely should be. Lightlife is great at making vegetarian and vegan versions of food that typically only non-vegetarians get to enjoy.
Today we’re testing out the Lightlife Smart Bacon, which contains no GMOs and is certified vegan.
We decided to cook this up in a pan with a dab of butter, some olive oil, and a few mushrooms for seasoning. We’re aware that the butter means this is no longer a vegan-friendly food, but we’re okay with that.
These only need to be cooked for a few minutes per side, and they come out with the edges crisped and browned and the middles a pinkish brown color.
Of course, if you like your smart bacon particularly crispy, you can simply give it a little more time in the pan.
Either way, it ends up being pretty tasty. So how does it compare to real bacon? Well, we ran it past one of our non-vegetarian staffers to get some details.
This smart bacon has a subtle meaty taste to it, but it’s still clearly a non-meat item. You won’t fool fans of real bacon with this (though your dog probably won’t be able to tell the difference!) It has a tendency to become brittle even when it’s not overcooked, and it lacks the gristle of a true bacon.
It’s also lower in calories and cholesterol than a real bacon. Each slice has only 20 calories (10 from fat) and virtually no cholesterol. It’s hard to top that!
Lightlife Smart Bacon isn’t authentic enough to trick a bacon connoisseur, but it tastes great and it’s healthier than real bacon. It works well as a side for a breakfast or in a vegetarian-friendly BLT.
Or better yet, a BLT hoagie with fried mushrooms and onions.
If you want to learn more about the nutrition content and ingredients of this frozen smart bacon, check out our package scans below.
