Homemade Natural Dog Food Recipes to Try for Your Pup

Dog lovers always want to do what’s best for their pets and help them live their best lives every day. This may mean long walks with you in the morning, socialization with other dogs at the park, or feeding your pup the most natural and nutritious food.

There’s nothing easier than opening up a big bag of commercial dog food and scooping out the right portions in the morning and evening. But with so many over-processed and GMO ingredients, not to mention all the dog food recalls these days due to bacterial contamination and toxins, this might not be the best option for your pet.

To help your dog live healthier and longer, here are some homemade and all-natural dog food recipe ideas to try making for your beloved four-legged companion.

Morning Meals

Organic chicken hearts and gizzards make a great morning meal for dogs. You can serve chicken with the skin on, leftover meat, liver mixed with other meats, or an occasional egg. A few cut-up pieces of apple or banana are also good additions to the meat components of a morning meal for dogs.

Evening Meals

In the evening, try cooking some organic liver with organic chicken and then mix in some organic carrots for your dog’s meal. Other raw or cooked vegetables that can be served to dogs for dinner include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, peppers, or cucumbers. For carbs, serve your dog a tablespoon or two of pasta to supply your dog with energy. To ensure a balanced diet, it is also a good idea to mix in a dog multi-vitamin powder, some calcium, and a probiotic.

Turkey and Vegetable Medley Dog Food

This recipe introduces turkey to your dog and has lots of veggies to provide natural health benefits.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 pounds ground turkey
• 1 ½ cups brown rice
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 shredded carrots
• ½ cup peas
• 3 cups chopped spinach

DIRECTIONS:

• Cook rice as you normally would for your own meals
• Add olive oil and turkey to a large pan and cook until browned
• Add vegetables and rice to the mixture and continue cooking for about 5 minutes
• Allow the mixture to cool and serve to your pet

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Chicken and California Blend Vegetables Dog Food

Frozen vegetables may not be as attractive as fresh, but if you’re pressed for time and still want to try making your own dog food, consider this easy recipe that makes about 12 servings of food.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 pounds minced chicken meat
• 4 cups brown rice
• 6 ½ cups water
• 2 ½ cups of frozen California blend vegetables (broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower)
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary

DIRECTIONS:

• Place all ingredients into a large pan on the stove
• Put on medium-high heat and bring to a boil while stirring
• Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes
• Remove from heat and allow to cool
• Serve immediately or refrigerate until your dog’s next meal

Homemade Dog Food Considerations

Making your own dog food at home is generally easier if you have a small dog rather than a large dog just because of the amount of ingredients that you’ll need to buy and quantities to prepare and store.  But if GMOs are a concern to you or if your dog is developing unexplained health conditions that make him/her seem older than his or her actual age, then it’s definitely worth trying a diet change. About two-thirds of a dog’s meal should be meat, while carbs should be less than a third of the meal, and fruits and vegetables even smaller portions. Most dogs are not accustomed to digesting raw meats, so it is usually advisable to cook meats before serving. However, don’t overcook the meats because overcooking will destroy the nutrients.

Do you make homemade dog food for your pup? Share your experience and favorite recipe with us in the comment section below.