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Top 20 healthy homemade dog food recipes your dog will love//www.thedogbakery.com/cdn/shopifycloud/shopify/assets/no-image-2048-5e88c1b20e087fb7bbe9a3771824e743c244f437e4f8ba93bbf7b11b53f7824c_large.gif
If you’re looking for recipes your dog will love that are super healthy and nutrient-rich you’ve come to the right place. As you know, there’s no shortage of dog food recipes. We looked through literally hundreds of recipes and separated the wheat from the chaff to give you the absolute cream of the crop in one article. Whether you’re a new pet parent of a rambunctious puppy paving the way for a healthy future or have a senior dog with special needs, these recipes are nutritious, wholesome and dogs love them.
There’s no better way to ensure that your dog is getting exactly what he/she needs in their diet than making meals for your dog. But for some the idea of hand making meals is just another thing we don’t have enough hours in the day for.
That’s why when selecting the top 20 recipes we ensured that they were simple enough to make, both in regards to the ingredients and the time and steps to make them. And we’ve already done the research for you so click through our list of amazing recipes and bookmark your favorites! Remember to keep any dietary restrictions (like food allergies) in mind, and be sure to talk to your vet about the switch to homemade meals and how it could affect your pup. Now, onto 20 of our favorite homemade dog food recipes available online!
1. A Meal for You and Your Dog
Love cooking for your dog but never have the time? Rocky Kanaka from The CW’s SAVE our SHELTER, Dog's Day Out and founder of The Dog Bakery, has a solution. This easy to make salmon meal for yourself can also be made for your dog.
Photo by Rocky Kanaka
This recipe is designed for those who want to eat healthy and want their dogs to eat healthy as well but are always on the go. This is also one of the most eco friendly recipes we have seen. Instead of tossing things we would usually not eat such as broccoli stems, the recipe uses these as a key part to the dog’s delicious meal.
This recipe also has a bonus tip on what to do with that salmon skin that is usually thrown in the trash. “I get asked a lot if salmon skin is okay for dogs. While it is not safe if consumed raw, due to unwanted parasites, cooking in the oven for 20 minutes to make a crunchy, healthy, limited ingredient, organic, high omega dog snack that may help with heart health and give them a great skin and coat is a big win!” says Rocky.
And there is more, when you cook for your dog you are more conscious of what you put in your body. For all of those reasons and more we give this recipe four paws up!
Healthy meals are important for you and your dog but the best thing about this recipe from Rocky Kanaka is it allows you to take time out of your day to spend time with your family – two and four legged! Read on to find out how to do it or watch Rocky has he demonstrates!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 salmon portions SKIN ON (1 oz per 10 pounds of dog plus any amount you would like
Cut broccoli stem, peel carrots and cut squash. Keep the peelings as this is for your dog. Mix together and steam in rice cooker or bake in oven. Check out Rocky’s favorite rice cooker.
Air fry potato shavings after pouring in 1 tablespoon olive oil in air fryer (or place in oven.
Pan fry salmon in 1 table spoon olive oil with skin on. Start with skin side down on the pan at a medium temp. After flipping, pull off crisp salmon skin off both pieces of salmon and place in dog bowl.
Once everything is finished cooking mix all together in dog bowl. Chop to small bitesize for ease and a cleaner floor!
WARNING: Your dog will be very excited about this meal but it MUST COOL. Let it cool for 15-20 minutes.
Directions: (for the human meal)
Cut broccoli, carrots, squash and steam in rice cooker (or bake in oven)
Slice potato chips with a slicer. If you only have a knife, make french fries instead. Trying to cut thin potato chips by hand is not easy.
Air fry potato chips after pouring in 1 table spoon of olive oil in air fryer (or place in oven). Check out the air fryer that Rocky LOVES.
Pan fry salmon in 1 table spoon olive oil with skin on. Start with skin side down on the pan at a medium temp. After flipping pull off crisp salmon skin off both pieces of salmon and place in dog bowl.
BONUS: Watch Rocky Kanaka’s video to see a bonus pro tip on what to do with Salmon skin that is usually discarded. Your dog will thank you!
Or put some wild Alaskan salmon oil onto your dog's current food. This is easy and inexpensive while still getting some fishy goodness into your dog.
Add Nutritional Supplements
If you make your pup’s meals from a simple homemade dog food recipe, they may need nutritional supplements to make sure they’re getting the right amount of micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals. If that’s the case, there are some great supplements out there that will boost your furry friend’s health and keep them feeling their best.
Made with a blend of 12 clinically-proven ingredients, it targets your dog’s physical and cognitive health. Formulated by expert vet nutritionists, it offers eight essential benefits including support for resilient joints, heart health, mental sharpness, digestion and immunity, mental sharpness, anxiety and fresh breath.
We call this meal by Damn Delicious the “Old Standard” because it’s made up of ingredients you’ve likely seen in many a homemade dog meal - brown rice, turkey and veggies. It’s healthy, easy to make and inexpensive. This is also the perfect meal to make in large batches and then freeze as single servings you can thaw for days and days! Damn Delicious was started by Chungah, a foodie without any formal training who turned her passion into a popular website and cookbook. She lives in California with her Corgi Butters, who we think it’s safe to assume inspired her foray into dog food recipes.
If you don't have time to cook for your dog but want to feed fresh turkey, I highly recommend the turkey raw food from We Feed Raw
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Directions:
In a large saucepan of 3 cups water, cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add ground turkey and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the turkey as it cooks.
Stir in spinach, carrots, zucchini, peas and brown rice until the spinach has wilted and the mixture is heated through, about 3-5 minutes.Let cool completely.
This recipe was created by Chungah, the creator of the blog Damn Delicious. She's a self-taught foodie who loves dogs.
3. Scooby’s Stew
Photo by Happyandyummy.com
These colder nights have us dreaming about soups and stews, which lead us directly to this doggie style stew created by Happy and Yummy. The story of the stew begins the way a lot of homemade dog food recipes do - Happy and Yummy creator Michelle’s pup got sick and she had to get creative with her meal making in order to right their upset stomach.
The bug might have gone away, but the kitchen bug remained, and now their pups (adorable Finnegan and Buford) often receive homemade meals whether they require it or not! Michelle knew she wanted to create something she could whip up once a week and serve all week (another common thread we found across our recipe digging) and settled on a stew that that only takes about 15 minutes of prep and then 5-8 hours in a slow cooker. She says it stays fresh in the fridge for a couple of days and thaws beautifully while she makes human food the other nights of the week. She hilariously writes, “Be warned that it smells really good, and once you make it the first time, the dogs will stalk the crock pot and leave piles of drool on the floor in front of it while it finishes cooking.
I recommend a strategically placed washable rug to address this situation to keep you from stepping in a giant puddle.” The stew is named after the sweet pup she originally made it for, Scooby, who lost his battle with cancer over a year ago. We’re so glad he’s forever immortalized with this delicious stew, sharing some of his favorite ingredients with puppies far and wide!
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup brown rice
2 cups sweet potato, cubed
2 large chicken breasts, cut into 6 pieces each
2 pounds frozen mixed veggies (peas, green beans carrots)
Melissa Heller is the chef and author over at happyandyummy.com. The kitchen is her happy place even when it comes to cooking for her two dogs Finnegan and Buford
4. Beef & Veggie Crockpot Creation
Photo by DamnDelicious.com
We obviously love Damn Delicious and Chungah’s creations, as two of her recipes made our list! This crockpot version of her previous recipe includes veggies that hold up a bit better in the slow cooker. We also love that she used beef, a protein we saw used less often in other recipes available online. She advises that the veggies in this recipe can easily be swapped out with anything your dog prefers (just be sure it's something you know they can have!)
This recipe was created by Chungah, the creator of the blog Damn Delicious. She's a self-taught foodie who loves dogs.
5. Chicken & Veggie Slow Cooker
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Photo by Pearlsandsportsbras.com
Ingredients:
2 1/2-3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs and breasts
2 c. frozen peas
1 sweet potato, cubed
1 large or 2 medium apples, cored and cubed (no seeds!!)
2 carrots, sliced
1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 c. frozen green beans
2 tbsp olive oil
Directions:
Place meat in the crockpot and add water so that it just covers the chicken. Then, add potato, carrots, kidney beans, green beans, and apple.
Cook on low for 8-9 hours, when it is about finished, add the frozen peas and cook for another 30 minutes.
When finished, drain off excess liquid, add olive oil, and stir to mash (or place in a food processor).
When cooled, scoop daily servings into individual ziploc bags and freeze. Each night, remove one bag from the freezer and place in the fridge to defrost overnight.
6. Turkey & Veggie Mash
Photo by Skinnyms.com
With this recipe, we switched to a new protein - turkey! The Skinny Ms. site is a full service site for all people looking to transform their health and wellness, and that extends to the lives of their pets. This mash is made with 100% natural, human-grade ingredients and the lean, ground turkey and nutrient rich veggies are sure to be a hit with your pup. We love the addition of Safflower oil here, which is added to help give shine to your dog's coat and provide needed fats for a healthy diet. It’s important to remember that when you consult your vet about making your own meals for your dog, that you ask about supplements that might work well for them as well, and anything else you might provide to be sure they’re receiving all the nutrients they need! This can differ a lot from dog to dog.
Ingredients:
2 pounds lean ground turkey
1 cup cauliflower florets
2 tablespoons raw turkey or chicken liver, finely diced or pureed
Add 1 1/2 cups water to a double boiler, place carrots in a steam basket over the pot and cover. Heat until boiling, reduce heat to a low boil and steam until carrots start to get tender, about 10 minutes. In the meantime, add the turkey and liver to a large skillet and cook on medium-high heat until done and there’s no more pink color. Drain off any fat and discard.
Add broccoli, cauliflower, and zucchini, and continue steaming until all vegetables are tender, but not mushy, about 6-8 minutes. Allow vegetables to cool slightly then either chop in a food processor use a knife. The size of the vegetables will depend on the consistency preferred. We usually pulse about three times in the food processor and get the vegetables to a finely chopped consistency, similar to canned dog food.
Add chopped vegetables to the turkey and liver, stir to combine. Add the olive oil and toss to combine with the turkey & veggie mixture. Allow to cool before dividing into freezer safe containers.
Meatballs - how fun! We loved discovering recipes that felt close to actual human meals, or that were presented in an interesting and fun way. Sumika created this recipe while searching for a way to please her then 11-year-old pup Maru, who had grown tired of her usual dry food diet. At first, she tried simply switching her to a wet food diet, but Maru had difficulty licking her mushy wet food up, which is where the idea for meatballs originally started. After that first meal, Maru and Sumika knew they’d found just the right solution! Beyond the meatball styling, this recipe is great for its use of pumpkin (a stool softener, important for any seniors) and oat bran (fiber, which helps with a healthy digestive system).
Put all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix them all together and form them into any size of balls you'd like.
Dredge the balls lightly in the flour, shaking off any excess.
Put them in 400 degree oven until done. Bake time will depend on the size of your balls; usually mine only take about 25 min. (Mine are about the size of a muscadine or those donut holes)
8. Raw Food Cakes
Photo by Waterearthewindfire.com
We fell head over heels for the blog of an artist named Maureen in Montana called Water Earth Wind Fire. Here, she houses recipes, DIY projects, poetry, photos and more! Contained in all that magic is a magical raw dog food recipe. Why do we think it’s magical? Well, Maureen created the recipe for her large breed dog Sam and the flat coated retriever lived to be 20 years old! Pretty impressive, and likely largely attributed to his healthy diet. She developed the diet with her holistic vet sister after observing what Sam loved to eat and doing a bit of her own research. The food cakes she came up with were a hit, and she now feeds the same diet to her new canine companion, Charlie. A bit more labor intensive than some of the other recipes, but positively chock full of amazing ingredients and a real dream meal for any dog. We’re happy to have found a raw recipe to share and are thankful to Sam for the inspiration!
Ingredients:
2 cups rice (brown or white)
Fruit: peaches, pears, plums are all okay for dogs and nutritious.
4 cups unsalted, no-onion chicken broth
1# green beans (sometimes more.)
2 large yams, steamed or baked (I use the microwave to make it quickly)
1# snap peas, or whatever peas in the pod you have around
2 cups pumpkin puree (in season)
1# snap peas, or whatever peas in the pod you have around
1 large bunch parsley
12 eggshells or more (baked to dry, grind in small “coffee grinder”)**
8 large carrots
9 eggs, poached lightly then cooled
1/4 head cabbage (optional — warning: ground up cabbage has a strong smell!)
1 c. peanut butter (more or less — I use this as a binder & for protein)
1 # blueberries (in season. These turn food gray. If it bothers you, skip blueberries)
1/2 cup rose hips, dried and ground in coffee grinder
Directions:
Cook rice in broth til done (the way you usually cook rice — I use a rice cooker) Then, let cool
Puree the yams in food processor, skin and all.
Finely chop or grind the fruits and vegetables in a food processor (the finer the more digestible.) I do one thing at a time in my Cuisinart and save time by NOT washing it out between ingredients. It doesn’t matter anyway since all of the ingredients get mixed together.
Put all of the ingredients into a very large bowl (I use a huge bread bowl my brother gave me over 20 years ago) Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well. (I use my hands to mix it — there is a lot here.)
Mix with your hands or a spoon til all the ingredients have been incorporated into a squishy, moist glop.
Put waxed paper or parchment paper on 2 large cookie sheets. Scoop out measured amounts of the mixture in “balls” or “cakes” and place on waxed paper close together. Freeze until hard. Put the cakes in airtight freezer bags and thaw as needed.
Maureen Shaughnessy a full time artist and co-owner of 1+1=1 Gallery in Helena, Montana. The diet she is sharing here is the very one she fed her dog who lived to be 20 years old!
9. Chili
Photo by Stories.barkpost.com
Chili, for a dog!? Yep, you read that right. We found this fun recipe over on BarkPost, where it seems to have been written by a six-year-old Bernese Mountain Dog named Shirley. Impressive skills, Shirley! Shirley had us from the first paragraph with this line, “I have a master’s degree in hiding people's’ shoes and socks + driving my two-legged sidekick Shell crazy. (That’s my mom.)” Ha! We love how different this recipe is, utilizing both cheese and pasta, not something you see often in dog food recipes. You’ll definitely want to do your research before trying this one out, and it shouldn’t be your go-to meal for your pup. But it’s the perfect meal to treat your pup with from time to time, and a fun meal to share with your pup, since you can easily make a side-by-side version for yourself.
Ingredients:
4 Carrots
1 Can of tomato paste
2 Tbsp Butter
Beef Broth (NO SALT)
1 lb Ground Beef
Optional Can of Corn
Nutritional supplement:The One, 1 scoop to garnish
Directions:
First you need to boil the macaroni. In a frying pan, cook the beef.
Add butter, carrots, corn and tomato paste to your beef and cook for about 5 minutes.
Then add your beef mixture to your casserole dish, add your beef broth.
After that, put in oven at 350 degrees and cook for half an hour.
Shirley Girl is a 6-year-old Bernese Mountain Dog living, working, and playing in Mont-Tremblant. A former obedience school dropout, best friend, model, and blogger she created this recipe out of boredom of eating the same food everyday. She gets really hungry when she gets to run around the forest with her 8 Bernese co-workers.
10. Meat Cakes
Photo by Allrecipes.com
We snatched this tasty recipe straight from All Recipes, an uber popular human recipe site that has a surprising number of homemade dog food recipes snuck in. This one comes from Shelly, who started looking for ways to cook for her four dogs after facing a bit of a dog food scare (recalls will do that to ya!) She says her favorite thing about the recipe is that, like the chili above, it can be consumed by humans as well! It’s a bit on the rich side to be an everyday meal, but is a perfect now and again treat meal for that special pooch in your life. The recipe is a hit on the site, with 42 reviews and nearly a five star rating! Users raved in the comments about how much their dogs loved the recipe, and many relayed how they adapted the recipe for their own tribe. We love recipe share sites like this, and are so happy to see dog recipes up in the mix!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups brown rice
Market Pantry Ground Beef 1-lb Pkg
3 cups water
8 eggs
2 large potatoes, grated
1 dash salt
4 large carrots, grated
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large celery stalks, chopped
1 1/2 cups regular rolled oats
Nutritional supplement:The One, 1 scoop to garnish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Grease 36 cups of 3 large muffin tins.
In a medium saucepan, combine the rice with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, uncovered, and cook 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool several minutes, then fluff with a fork and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, carrots, celery, ground beef, and eggs. Mix ingredients together using your hands or a sturdy spoon. Add salt, olive oil, rolled oats, and rice; mix well.
Fill each muffin cup with some of the meat mixture, and pat down the to make it firm. Bake 45 minutes, or until surface feels set. Cool on a rack 10 minutes or longer.
Remove the meat cakes by turning the muffin tin upside down over a sheet of aluminum foil. Tap each muffin cup to release the cake. Refrigerate or freeze in sealed plastic bags.
From meat cakes to meatloaf! This recipe comes to us courtesy of Amy Tokic’s pet website Pet Guide, where she reviews pet products, gives tips and advice and blogs about dog health and insurance. She also, from time to time, posts dog food recipes! We love this meatloaf recipe for it’s creativity and beautiful presentation. It looks good enough for us to eat. We love comfort food during the fall and winter months, and we know our dogs won’t mind chowing down on something heavy and wholesome too. Amy offers this up to her pup Oscar around every four days, splicing his diet up with less rich fare on the other days. Amy is always looking for new recipes to try out and feature on her blog, so if you’ve got one to share, hop over and fill out her contact form.
Ingredients:
1 lbs. lean ground beef
1 ½ cups grated mixed vegetables (use your dog’s favorite veggies – Amy used broccoli, carrots and apple)
2 eggs
½ cup cottage cheese
1 ½ cups rolled oats
Nutritional supplement:The One, 1 scoop to garnish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Hand-mix all ingredients in a bowl until combined thoroughly. Press evenly into a loaf pan.
Amy Tokic, Editor of PetGuide.com, is a passionate animal lover and proud pet parent of Oscar, a Shih Tzu/Chihuahua cross. She writes about her adventures in pet ownership and tirelessly researches products, news and health related issues she can share with other animal enthusiasts. In her free time, Amy loves perusing used book and record stores, obsessing over the latest pet products available and chasing squirrels with wild abandon (a habit attributed to spending too much time with Oscar).
12. Dinner Layer Cake
Photo by Wagthedoguk.com
When it comes to food, the word “cake” will definitely get our attention. Wag the Dog UK is a blog run by Maggie the Beagle (her “peep” helps out from time to time, wink wink) where she shares stories of her travels, tips and a few recipes too. We fell hard for this savory cake recipe, which looks gorgeous but is easy and cheap to make. We think it’s the perfect thing to whip up for a doggie birthday party! Like chicken pot pie without the crust, you’ll be drooling over this one yourself. If you like the recipe, check out Maggie and Trina’s other recipes on their blog!
Ingredients:
1 kg (2.2 lbs) Chicken
1 medium Apple
1/2 cup of carrots
1 Egg shell and all
1/2 cup of peas
1 cup of Brown rice
1/2 cup of sweet corn
Nutritional supplement:The One, 1 scoop to garnish
PREP:
Preheat oven to 170º C
Pop the chopped carrots, peas, and sweetcorn in a pot to cook and soften.
Peel and chop apple into small pieces
Minced the chicken in a food processor (or just buy it already minced)
Cook brown rice according to package
Mush vegetable mix
Pulverize a whole egg so that shell is totally crushed.
Blend chopped apple, egg and chicken together in a mixing bowl
Mix vegetable melee and rice together in bowl
Directions:
Grease a cake pan or line with baking paper.
Take 1/2 of chicken mixture and place in bottom of cake pan.
Take about 2/3 of the veggie and rice mix and place on top of chicken base
use the rest of chicken mixture and place on top of the veggie and rice mix
Top up the cake with the last of the veggie mixture
Pop it into your pre-heated oven and cook for 35 minutes or until juices run clear
Let cool and then remove from pan and slice a piece of posh chicken heaven for your dog.
An expert on traveling with a pet, Trina has brought her beagle Maggie to the UK, Switzerland, Hong Kong, and all over the United States and other European cities. Her successful blog Wag The Dog UK features advice, tips and stories from how to take your dog abroad, pet care, and recipes for home cooked dog food.
13. Crunchy Kibble
Photo by Pets.thenest.com
The makers of The Knot and The Bump created The Nest, a blog helping new couples navigate their new life and it's chock full of home, food and relationship content. Which, lucky for us, extends to dog food recipes like this divine crunchy kibble recipe. This recipe is perfect for the pup who just so happens to love their standard dry food and for whom you’d just like to fancy-up the old standby. Herbs and spices may also be added to your dog's kibble, as long as they are not considered toxic to your dog (such as onions or garlic). This is a perfect first recipe to try if you’d like to dip your toe into making at home meals but don’t want to go too over the top and would rather ramp up to the meats and veggies seen throughout the rest of the recipes featured here.
Ingredients:
6 cups of flour -- white, whole wheat or oat
3 large eggs or four medium eggs
1 cup of powdered milk
1/3 cup baking oil
2 mixing bowls
2-1/2 cups of milk, broth or water
2 wooden spoons
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with a light coating of baking spray and set it aside.
Pour the flour and powdered milk into a mixing bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients and set the bowl aside.
Mix the eggs, baking oil and liquid choice in the second mixing bowl with a wooden spoon until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and mix into a thick, moist dough, similar to bread. Add any additional ingredients that you wish to mix in, such as the cheese, shredded meat, pureed fruits or vegetables. If the dough is too dry, add some additional liquid; if it is too wet, add some additional flour to get a smooth consistency.
Use the wooden spoon to spread the kibble dough onto the greased cookie sheet until it is approximately one-half inch thick. Place the tray in the oven.
Bake the dog food for approximately 45 minutes until Trit is brown and firm to the touch. Pull the cookie sheet from the oven and allow to cool.
Remove the baked "cookie" from the tray and break it into bite-sized pieces for your dog. Store the crunchy dog food in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Fish oils are excellent for pups, and surprisingly it was tough to find many recipes that incorporated fish in their ingredient list. That’s why we were pumped to find this spinach and salmon recipe! This yummy dish from Rachael Ray is another dish you can share with your canine companion, as the meal works perfectly well for their human counterparts. Dinner for two, coming right up!
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1/2 can skinless, boneless salmon (3 ounces), drained
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 eggs
Nutritional supplement:The One, 1 scoop to garnish
Directions:
In a small nonstick skillet, heat the EVOO over medium heat.
Add the spinach and salmon and cook until heated through.
Add the eggs and stir continuously until cooked through, about 2 minutes.
Let cool slightly and serve in a dog bowl.
Andrew Kaplan
Andrew Kaplan went through both culinary school and the hospitality program at Florida International University. He then worked in the hospitality industry in Miami and under Lee Schrager at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival.
15. Vegan Happy Dog Bowl
Photo by Vegannie.com
Vegans and veggos rejoice, we’ve uncovered the perfect vegan meal to whip up for fido! This beautiful dish comes courtesy of VegAnnie, a blog run by Annie, a holistic health coach and PhD student in Austin. She shares several vegan dog food recipes on her site, but her happy dog bowl is by far our favorite, and it’s not just because the name screams pure joy! We love the wholesome ingredients, ease of cooking and the fact that it’s a favorite of Annie’s dog Ginger. Annie notes that switching her pup to a vegan diet has helped with her digestion, but it’s always best to use trial and error and talk with your vet to determine what’s best for your pup. Either way, using a vegan diet from time to time certainly can’t hurt! And with a 64 cent cost of serving, it won’t hurt your bank account either.
Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
2/3 cups uncooked brown rice + 1 1/3 cup water (yields 2 cups cooked)
6 kale leaf stems, broken into 1 inch pieces
Nutritional supplement:The One, 1 scoop to garnish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F.
Line baking sheet with tin foil.
Pierce sweet potato with a fork multiple times around the sweet potato.
Place on baking sheet and bake for one hour.
While sweet potato is baking, cook rice: Bring rice and water to a boil in stockpot. Lower temperature and simmer, covered, for about 45 minutes.
Chop sweet potatoes into small pieces when cooled.
Combine rice, beans, sweet potatoes, and kale stems and separate into 3 equal servings.
Serve your pup this delicious and nutritious meal and see how much they love it!
Calories: 356 per serving. (full recipe totals 3 servings)
Annie is a Holistic Health Coach and PhD Student at UT Austin who loves creating and sharing simple plant-based recipes for both humans and pets!
16. Kale & Quinoa Creation
Photo by Prettyfluffy.com
We won’t lie - we’re obsessed with Pretty Fluffy, a lifestyle site for dogs created by fluffy dog owner and lover Serena. Here you’ll find everything from the most wanted new products, chic DIY projects, pet-friendly home tours, product reviews and behind the scenes glimpses into your favorite pet brands. Serena has created many homemade meals for her dog Soda (lucky pooch!) and this kale and quinoa creation is a favorite for it’s ease of making and for how excited Soda gets every time the bowl comes down with this stuffed inside. Bon appétit!
Serena Faber Nelson is a writer, television producer and fluffy dog owner. In 2010 Serena created Pretty Fluffy as a place where dedicated dog owners could find stylish products, modern advice, and inspiration for living well with their pets.
17. Chicken Rice Balls
Photo by Mommyimhungry.blogspot.in
A blog called Mommy? I’m Hungry! - how could we resist? Created by mommy of three Rachelle, the gluten free blogger shares recipes she whips up for her family, including a few she’s created especially for the family dog Winks. She writes, “Having a dog hasn't always been in our family future, I am more of a cat person, so I thought.
We always told the kids they can have a dog when they're grown. Well, that all changed one day at the kid's race banquet when our friends brought one of their fosters with them to hang out. His name is Winks. He's a mix chihuahua (we think Chipuggle) and he's had eye trauma sometime before in his short 2 years so he only has use of his right eye, thus he's called Winks.
We decided to try out the 2 week foster to adopt with him. We loved him from the get go as well as he loved us! So he became ours.”
There’s nothing we love as much as a happy ending, but a beautiful dog food recipe comes close.
These chicken rice balls are gorgeous and full of so many things pups love - chicken, sweet potatoes and eggs. Yum!
Ingredients:
4-5 C. cooked brown rice
16 oz frozen peas
2 plain whole chickens, about 4 lbs each
2 small bunches fresh parsley leaves
2 medium orange sweet potatoes (yams), chopped
2 small-medium bunches kale, stems removed
8 whole carrots, chopped
8 eggs
Nutritional supplement:The One, 1 scoop to garnish
Directions:
Roast chicken in 350' oven for about 1 hour 25 minutes or until juices run clear. As chickens are roasting, cook the rice (4 C. water & 2 C. rice) and let cool.
Peel and chop yams, and carrots, add to a large stock pot with about 1/2 cup water. Add in peas, kale and apple. Allow to boil then simmer until carrots and yams are tender, about 30 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to remove any liquid to a food processor, add fresh parsley and pulse until pureed.
Cook scrambled eggs, plain.
Cool chicken, then pick apart and add meat to a large stand mixer. On medium speed, mix until chicken is shredded. Add in cooled rice, veggie puree and eggs . Using an ice cream scooper, scoop out portions onto a lined baking sheet. Flash freeze then place portions in a freezer safe container/baggie.
To use, keep a day or two worth in your fridge to thaw. I microwave thawed portions for 22 seconds, frozen for about 45 seconds. Feed to your furry baby.
Wife, mom and blogger of Mommy? I'm Hungry! Rachelle enjoys blogging about food recipes for people and pets.
18. Food Pucks
Photo by Healthfulpursuit.com
Holistic Nutritionist + keto enthusiast Leanne runs Healthful Pursuit, a women’s website aimed at recipes and meal plans to help the busy lady keep her diet (and therefore life) on track in a healthy way.
She recently added this dog food recipe, creating food pucks that are packed with nutrition for pups and are easy to eat and dethaw. These raw food pucks use much of the food scraps you would normally throw away, saving you money and improving your dog’s health. She knew she wanted to try out making raw food for her two pups, but didn’t want to shell out the $7 per meal for the premade stuff.
Her pup Pebbles was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, which catapulted her original slight interest in feeding the dogs a raw food diet to an all out obsession in figuring out how to make raw dog food happen for the least amount of money.
That same week, she spent oodles of hours formulating the perfect homemade dog food for both of them. Lexy is 50 pounds and Pebbles is 5 pounds. So already, there had to be a drastic difference in the food she made for each of them. Combined with Pebbles’ thyroid condition, she set to work and created this gorgeous recipe that works for both pups.
While you can do this 100% raw, after chatting with a couple of vets about it, she developed a 50/50 raw to cooked formula. Raw where it counts, cooked where it benefits them and their little bodies! Her little ones have been on this food for 6 months and have visited the vet for bloodwork and Pebble’s thyroid is now within normal range again, both of them are energetic, their dry skin has vanished and they have perfectly formed bowel movements twice a day. Score!
Leanne. is an ultra passionate Holistic Nutritionist and food blogger in Calgary, Alberta, Canada who has two dogs, a 9 year old German Shepherd Border Collie Cross whose loyalty runs deep. And Pebbles, a 6 year old Pomeranian with an attitude that just won’t quit. She was inspired to create this recipe because she knew she wanted to feed her dogs raw, but didn't want to pay $7 per service twice a day, per dog that the pet store was offering.
19. Woof Loaf
Photo by Popsugar.com
This recipe comes from Popsugar, the popular lifestyle site. Just take one look at the photos of this doggie approved woof loaf and see why we fell in love - divine! Not that you need worry to much about presentation, yours is for eating not photographing, after all. Loafs are a great way to ensure ease of making while stockpiling a large amount of food for the week and turkey and veggies with eggs and oats are a great combo for most canine pals.
Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground turkey
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup chopped carrots
2 eggs
1/2 cup peas
3 hard-boiled eggs
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350ºF. In a bowl, mix together the lean ground turkey, chopped carrots, and peas. Both are healthy for cats and dogs, giving them the nutrition they need for strong eyes and good digestion.
Add the oats and eggs. Mix until the loaf mixture comes together. Oats help your pet's coat shine, and eggs offer extra protein. Lightly grease a loaf pan with olive oil and then add half the mixture to the pan.
Place the three hard-boiled eggs along the center of the loaf and then cover with the other half of the ground turkey mixture. Pop in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
Cut a half-inch slice from the cooled loaf and offer it to your pet. He'll be woofing for seconds! If feeding a slice to your feline, it's a good idea to chop it up before adding it to her feeding dish.
Calling all breakfast for dinner lovers! Pawsh Magazine is a philosophy site about celebrating a life lived well with dogs. For four years it produced 10 stunning volumes in a traditional magazine format and in 2014 Pawsh changed its format to serve as a beautiful blog catering the same top-notch dog-loving content in a more convenient digital package for readers.
Today Pawsh is a lively blog that is read worldwide. Basically they gush about dogs on a daily basis. Pretty nice, right? We’re loving this egg-centric recipe, a three ingredient dish that is a wonderful source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids for both you and your dog — and it takes only ten minutes to prepare!
This healthy recipe is incredibly easy to make and can be whipped up at a moment’s notice. It is also incredibly versatile — not a fan of green pepper? Simply replace it with tomato instead, or broccoli or shaved smoked ham. Whatever your little pupster loves to gobble up! The egg offers your pup a wonderful protein boost, but just be sure that the egg is cooked all the way through as uncooked eggs can cause an upset stomach for canines. This recipe also makes tasty bite-sized treats if you cut it into smaller sizes once cooled.
Ingredients:
2 organic eggs
green pepper, diced
smoked salmon, thinly sliced
1 oven-safe ramekin
Nutritional supplement:The One, 1 scoop to garnish
Directions:
Lightly grease ramekin with a small drizzle of olive oil. Crack eggs directly into ramekin.
Stir thoroughly with a fork until combined.
Bake at 350 F for 10 to 12 minutes or until browned on top and cooked completely.
Laura is the founder and editor of Pawsh, an online magazine devoted to celebrating a dog-friendly lifestyle. They publish heart-melting photographs of animals and write about a life lived well with dogs
BONUS! Chicken Casserole
Photo by Dogsaholic.com
“Homemade pet foods are less likely to lose nutrients by cooking methods. Since the food is cooked in small batches, they are cooked in less heat and water and so they also lose fewer nutrients during the cooking process. Compared to commercial food preparation, home cooking also makes use of lesser heat whereas industrial grade commercial cooking use extremely high temperatures.” Homemade dog food does not contain preservatives. This is perhaps one of the most valuable health aspects of making your pet’s food at home. The only way you can lengthen the shelf life of homemade food is by storing it in the freezer, which does not pose any serious health risks for your pet unless you serve the food frozen.
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup chopped vegetables (carrots, green beans, potatoes, broccoli)
Oil for frying
¼ cup rolled oats
Nutritional supplement:The One, 1 scoop to garnish
Directions:
Start by chopping the chicken breasts into bite size pieces and sauté them in oil until cooked.
Add the chicken broth, rolled oats, and chopped vegetables in the pan and simmer from 10 to 15 minutes.
Anna Smith
Anna Smith resides in beautiful Santa Monica, CA, where she works as a Pet Nutrition Expert in a leading retail pet store. She is responsible for nutritional strategies for different breeds and development of new products on the market in compliance with Association of American Feed Control Officials. Annas' passions are education about proven methods and best practices in the industry and her dog Max, who is always well-fed.
Conclusion
So there you have it! Twenty homemade, dog food recipes straight from dog loving owners around the web. We hope you’ve found a few that speak to you and your pup, and that you’re excited to get in the kitchen and start cooking! We can’t wait to hear how it goes, and to get your advice on making homemade dog food. In the comments below, be sure to leave tips and tricks, and of course include your own tried-and-true recipes that you’ve found or come up with yourself. Together, we can make mealtime a lot more pleasurable for our favorite furry friends.
Rocky Kanaka
Rocky Kanaka is an entrepreneur, pet rescue advocate and dog dad to a rescue boxer named Flip, a blind Cane Corso called Kobe, and a terrier mix named Zoey. He's also a pet chef and owner of The Dog Bakery, which specializes in dog birthday cakes and fresh baked dog treats. His three dogs can't get enough of the dog cakes and treats!
Lorna Ladd
Lorna Paxton Ladd is a passionate dog lover and enthusiast of The Dog Bakery. She loves spoiling her 3 rescue dogs with dog cakes and jerky. A 15 year veteran in the pet industry, her aim is to educate pet parents on the best recipes, products, tips and tricks to optimize the human/canine bond. Her favorite product at The Dog Bakery are the customizable dog birthday cakes.
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