DIY Raw Food For Your Dog

Options for pre-packaged food are available, which are shipped to your door for your dog to have access to a wider variety of healthy raw food options than ever before. Although these brands offer healthy options and loads of convenience, they are also quite expensive and may not fit everyone’s budget.

As an alternative, making homemade meals for your dog is the best way to make sure that they have a healthier diet, and here are a few essentials to keep in mind.

Balanced Raw Diet for Dogs: The Basics

When meal planning, keep in mind that each serving should contain equal parts protein, veggies, and grains. But unlike cooking our daily meals, cooking for our pooches is a little more complicated.

Here’s the main ingredients you should include in your homemade dog food:

Protein for dogs

Canines are carnivores that need protein for energy. Healthy sources of protein include:

• Chicken
• Turkey
• Beef
• Lamb
• Pork (in limited amounts)
• Fish (salmon, flounder, herring, Arctic char, and whitefish)

Carbohydrates

To get additional energy pups can have carbohydrates like sugars, starches, and dietary fibers. Dog-friendly sources of carbs include:

• Rice
• Pasta
• Oatmeal
• Quinoa

Fat

Fatty acids and the fats in a dog’s diet should come from animal fats and plant seed oils to support cell function and keep Fido’s skin and fur healthy. Sources of fats include:

• Animal fats
• Plant-based oils (corn, flaxseed oil, canola, olive, and soybean)
• Fish oil

Fiber

Dogs need fiber in their diet to keep their gastrointestinal system healthy and to keep them at healthy body weight. Fiber sources for dogs include:

• Apples
• Brown rice
• Carrots
• Dark, leafy greens
• Flaxseed
• Pumpkin

Minerals

12 Minerals needed for your doggos balanced diet:

• Calcium and phosphorus for strong bones and teeth. Calcium sources can come from green beans, broccoli, and cauliflower. Meat and eggs have phosphorus.
• Potassium, Magnesium, Chloride and Sodium can be found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains for nerve and muscle health.
• Sulfur helps in maintaining healthy skin, coat, and nails, and can be found in eggs, meat, fish, and molasses.
• Iron can be found in red meat and poultry supports red blood cells and the immune system.
• To help with a better functioning thyroid Iodine can be taken from dairy, kelp, and seafood.
• Great for the immune system Zinc is a must for healthy skin, and coat. Eggs, liver, lamb, and brewer’s yeast are some good dog-friendly sources.
• Selenium boosts your pooch’s immune system which can be from meat, vegetables, seafood, and brown rice.
• Essential for healthy bone growth copper is a must, and is found in whole grains, seeds, and seafood.

Vitamins

Vitamins that are essential for your dogs diet include:

• Vitamin A (carrots, pumpkin)
• B vitamins (liver, green vegetables, whole grains)
• Vitamin C (fruits and vegetables, organ meat)
• Vitamin D (liver, fish, beef)
• Vitamin E (green leafy vegetables, liver, bran, plant oils)
• Vitamin K (fish, leafy green vegetables)
• Choline (liver, fish, meats, egg yolks)

DIY Chicken Rice Bowl Dog Food

Recipe

Here’s a simple recipe packed with all the goodies of a balanced doggy diet getting you started on your homemade dog food journey!

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups cold, pre-cooked brown rice
• 1 boneless chicken breast (cubed)
• ½ cup peas
• ½ cup shredded carrots
• ½ cup chopped spinach
• 2 tbsp. olive oil

Directions

1. Spray a pan with some nonstick cooking spray and scramble eggs over medium heat. Remove eggs and set aside.
2. Add the olive oil to the pan over medium-high heat. Add diced chicken and cook through.
3. Add vegetables and sauté with chicken.
4. Stir cold, pre-cooked brown rice to chicken and veggies mixture. (Pre-cooked cold rice works best, but fresh rice is okay as well.) Turn up the heat and stir until warmed through.
5. Combine the rice with the scrambled eggs or serve with eggs on top. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers for future meals!

Read our 10 delicious home made dog food recipe here

We would love to know your experience if you happen to start your pup’s homemade meal journey and share with us your experience by commenting below!

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