Did you know that making your dog’s food is actually easier than you may have thought? The problem is that there are so many pet owners out there that want to ensure that their dog gets the right nutrients, and there are a lot of foods on the market that really just don’t contain the highest quality ingredients. If you don’t want to splurge on super premium dog food for your pup, then you may want to consider homemade dog food. The key is to use the right homemade dog food recipes to ensure that they have a nutritionally complete and balanced diet.
Basic Components Found in the Best Homemade Dog Food Recipes
The best recipes for making your own dog food will be made up of four key components. These include:
- protein
- fiber
- carbohydrates
- fat
Protein is important because it gives your dog the energy that they need to be active and healthy. Meat based proteins are best, so including fresh meat in your homemade dog food may be a great way to start. Fiber is important when it comes to healthy digestion, and there are key ingredients that will help your dog to get the right amount of dietary fiber. Carbohydrates are also important, but you want to make sure that you choose complex carbohydrates, as simple carbs are actually not very good for your pup. Finally, a fat source is important, but make sure that it is not an unhealthy fat source. Certain oils, animal fats and other unsaturated fats are your best bet.
So now, without any further ado, let’s take a look at some recipes that you can make on your own. Here are a few homemade dog food recipes that you may like to try:
1. Vegetarian Formula with Yams
Ingredients:
- 10 ounces of low fat tofu
- 1 pound of yams
- 1 tablespoon of molasses
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon of ginger
Preparation:
To prepare, start by peeling the yams and cutting them into 1 inch cubes. Next, you will cook them in a pot of boiling water until they are tender. Then, drain them and let them cool. Preheat your oven to 350°F / 180°C and mix all ingredients together in a food processor. Spray a baking dish with non-stick olive oil based spray, and pour the mixture into the dish. Bake it for 20 minutes, cool and serve.
2. Raw Beef and Veggies
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup of raw ground beef
- 1/4 cup of finely chopped veggies (yams, peas, sprouts, greens, broccoli, carrots, etc)
- 2 tablespoons of purified water
- 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon of canine vitamin/mineral supplement
- 1./2 teaspoon of steamed bone meal
Preparation:
To prepare, start by mixing all of the ingredients in a dish. Stir until it is mixed evenly, then add water until it is the consistency of chili. This will yield one cup of food, which is adequate for a dog weighing around 20 pounds / 9 kilograms. Scale this recipe to suit the dietary requirements of your dog based on their weight.
3. Rice and Lamb Formula
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups of long grain rice
- 2 teaspoons of safflower oil
- 2 cups of water
- 1/4 teaspoons of ground thyme
- 1/4 teaspoons of garlic powder
- 1 cup of grated Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 cubes of beef bouillon
- 1 pound of lean ground lamb
Preparation:
To prepare, start by combining the rice with the safflower oil over medium heat, and let it simmer for two minutes. Add water, garlic powder, thyme, and bouillon. Let it cook, covered, for around 15 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed. While it cooks, go ahead and cook the lamb in a skillet until it is browned, and stir it into the rice mixture, along with the cheese. Let it cool completely before you serve it.
4. Meatloaf and Veggies
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds of lean ground beef
- 3 celery stalks
- 2 grated carrots
- 1 diced apple
- 2 eggs
- 2 slices of bread, broken into small pieces
- 1 cup of rolled oats
- 1 cup of wheat germ
- 1 can of tomato paste
- 4 cubed potatoes
Preparation:
To prepare, start by preheating your oven to 350°F / 180°C. Coat a roasting pan in oil, and set it to the side. Next, mix together your ground beef, celery, carrots, eggs, apple, oats, bread, tomato paste and wheat germ in a large bowl. Divide the mixture, and shape them into small loaves. Cover the pan, and bake it for 80 minutes, or until the meat is done all the way through. Refrigerate, and serve as a supplement to your pup’s kibble.
5. Protein Packed Chicken & Brown Rice
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken leg quarters
- 1 cup of brown rice
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 2/3 cups of rolled oats
- 10 ounces of spinach
- 2 cups of broccoli
- 15 ounces of kidney beans
- 2 shredded carrots
- 1 cup of cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
Preparation:
To prepare, start by boiling the chicken leg quarters until they are done. Then, let them cool and strain them. Once they are cool, debone the meat and chop it up, removing the skin. Then, stir in the brown rice into the chicken broth and let it boil. Cook it until the rice is tender, and then drain the liquid and add the chicken to the rice. Cook the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat, and drain the grease. Stir in the oats, broccoli, spinach, kidney beans, carrots, cottage cheese and oil. Store it in freezer bags to keep it fresh, and then thaw it overnight in your refrigerator and it will be ready to serve the next day.
Bon Appétit!
8 Responses
We really love making homemade foods for our dogs. We take in dogs to foster them, and feeding them commercial food gets really expensive, and sometimes we just can’t guarantee the nutrition in some of these foods! Thanks for these great recipes, I think I am going to give them a try the next time we make a batch of food.
This is exactly the kind of help I was looking form. My vet told me I needed to start making a diet rich in fiber for my dog so I decided to do a little bit of a search and I came upon your site. I am very thankful for all of this info, the recipes are going to help so much! My dog is going to be so happy to try some new and tasty food!
This was soooo helpful! I tried the rice and lamb recipe tonight for my pug and he devoured it. I wonder if it’s ok to make large batches and freeze some for the week.
I try to feed my dogs my own recipes, but I’ll gladly give some of these a try, well my dogs will, haha! I should word my phrases better. Anyways some of these sound tasty to me even, lol. Anyways I think my dog might like meatloaf and veggies the best as he loves meat a lot and doesn’t get a whole lot of it, I know not right.
Such an informational post! I’m always kind of lazy making food for my doggie (for I thought it is quite complicated). But these recipes look quite easy and may give them a try this weekend.
We try to avoid foods that are made with fillers, but it seems that most of the foods that don’t have fillers are pricier than those that do have them. Thanks for sharing this information, because it will help me when it comes to choosing a high quality, premium nutrition blend for our pup!
We recently tried the meatloaf and veggies recipe, and I must say that it was an amazing protein packed meal for our pup! He really enjoyed it. We switched from regular kibble to this homemade blend about a week ago. It sets well on his tummy, and it extremely palatable! Thanks for sharing!
Just a comment on the recipes using rice. My dog gets a bad reaction with skin itch from feeding her rice. I had to eliminate it from her diet. I read that it is common with some, but not all, dogs.