DIY Homemade Dog Food
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Keep your dog healthy and fit with this easy peasy homemade recipe – it’s cheaper than store-bought and chockfull of fresh veggies!
I never thought I would be one of those dog owners who made homemade human food for their pups. Not in a million years.
But when Butters recently fell sick with an upset stomach, our vet advised us to feed him a bland diet – chicken and rice without any kind of seasoning. So that’s what we did – we poached a chicken, shredded it in a food processor, and mixed in some white rice and fed him this bland diet for 3 days.
That’s when I started to do some research on homemade dog food, and I have been so amazed as to how many different kinds of vegetables dogs can have. And with the help of Balance IT, you can create so many different recipes for your pup!
Now the best part about making homemade dog food – just like making anything at home – is that you know exactly what is going into the dog bowl, and not any of that questionable gelatinous gunk from the canned food.
But it’s important to note that dogs have different nutrient requirements than humans for their proportional body size, such as:
- High-quality protein (meat, seafood, dairy or eggs)
- Fat (meat or oil)
- Carbohydrates (grains or vegetables)
- Calcium (dairy)
- Essential fatty acids (egg yolks or oatmeal)
Now this recipe here has a balance of 50% protein, 25% veggies and 25% grains, but the ratios can easily be adjusted to suit your pup’s breed and/or needs.
Once you’ve made your batch, you can divide them up into single servings, note the date, and freeze it. When ready to serve, you can defrost it in the fridge overnight and nuke it for 15-30 seconds. That’s it! Now who knew that making dog food would be this easy?
DIY Homemade Dog Food
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups brown rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 pounds ground turkey
- 3 cups baby spinach, chopped
- 2 carrots, shredded
- 1 zucchini, shredded
- ½ cup peas, canned or frozen
Equipment
Instructions
- 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.
Did you make this recipe?
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I found your recipe around June 2020 and have made it every week since. My 1 year old dog was itching all the time and very fussy with food.
I read that she could be allergic to something in her food. As soon as I started making this she stopped itching. She loves the food and won’t eat anything else now. Everyone comments on how beautiful her coat is. It’s thick and shiny since changing to this.
The only change I’ve made is that I use chicken thighs for the protein and cook the rice in broth made from it.
Super cheap, and easy to make.
Thank you
I tried your recipe my dog loves it actually my cat loves it as well thank you for the great recipes I really appreciate it you never know what you’re getting in the dog food at the stores these days so this is going to work out well thank you again
Do u add any extra oil to the food ? My dog itches and I have been adding salmon oil to his dry food , it hasn’t stopped the itching but its not as bad as it was
This recipe is fairly easy to make and my dogs love it, the only complaint/suggestion that I have is that you didn’t supply a serving size based on weight of the dog. I could really use this information as I am trying to help our animals become more healthy and lose weight!
I’ve started transitioning my pup to this whole food diet but am struggling to be sure that I’m feeding him the right amount. He’s 60lbs and usually eats 5 cups of kibble a day. I tried to find equivalence charts online but have been unsuccessful as of yet. Does anyone have any suggestions as to serving size? Thanks!!
A 60lb dog should only have about 3 cups of food per day per WebMD for dogs. That’s what I go by and my dog is also 60lbs
My dog is 45/50 lbs and eats 5 cups of 30:20 440 kcal/cup kibble and she’s still not putting on weight. She is just more active than your dog.
This is far easier than how I was assembling my dog’s dinners before. He LOVES it. I do half kibble half homemade for better nutrition and to help his sensitive tummy. Good way to change up proteins for pups with allergies. Thanks!
Straightforward recipe noted that the ratios are 50% protein 25% carbs and 25% veggies
Well, I’ve read the reviews and am convinced I must try these recipes. My lovely cockerpoo is so so fussy – one day she loves Lily’s Kitchen, the next day she leaves it, and so on with every brand, premium or standard. Driving me potty and getting expensive. I’ve been avoiding going the homemade route but am now convinced. Thank you everybody!
My dog who absolutely hates dry kibble loved this food, We were soo exhausted trying to make him eat his kibble and tried almost everything !! We mixed curd/veggies/chicken and whatt nott into his food but he still didnt eat it happily. He absolutellyy loved this food and I think it will be a constant in his foodbowl from now. I had a doubt though. How long will this food stay for if kept in the freezer?
Similar to other reviewers’ pets, my dog is extremely picky; like hunger strike until we give in to his demand for fresh food picky. This recipe saved us from an unnecessary trip to the vet just for them to recommend we try making him a fresh meal. I mix a cup of this with a cup of his dry food and he is now full and far less ornery, and our whole family is happier as a result.
Canned peas are not healthy for dogs. Only frozen
How much Balance IT do you put in this recipe?
I found your page and this recipe! I was pleased to see that I can feed him the same things I feed my kids! There’s always extra produce, fruit, and meat at the end of the week. I made our puppy this sweet dish with pumpkin and he loved every bite! Can I use fruit in this?
It was amazing! My picky dog never ate ANYTHING, Not kibble, wet food or even both mixed. I thought I would try this recipe as a last resort thinking she wouldn’t be a fan of it, the second I put her bowl down it was gone in less than a minute! Definitely using this again, keep up the great work!
Made this so easy and cheaper than store bought products, most importantly my dog loves it!!! He’s had it for a week so far and cleans the bowl, already his coat is shinier, so pleased with this!!
My VERY picky morkie Loves This food! However, he has had diarrhea(on our bed♀️) the 2nd day (3rd meal) of this recipe. Is this normal adjustment to new food?
Yes, this is normal. Dogs don’t do well with an abrupt shift in their diet, when switching your dog to a new food you should always do it gradually. Introduce it slowly by incorporating it with whatever they were previously eating over the course of 4-5 meals or so (20-25% of the old diet replaced with the new) and you won’t have this problem.
How do you know how much to feed? I have an active, 4 year-old male (intact/not neutered) German Shepherd. How many cups a day would he need total? Where are you able to locate this information?
Probably the equivalent of the dried food you are feeding him now. If not, google. Also, not sure why your dog is intact but neutering him will keep him healthier and potentially prolong his life.
First time viewer/commentator here. The advice given for your GS is not factually correct. I have a 12 year old male GS intact and it saved his life. He had a massive (baseball size) tumor that was misdiagnosed for months as a fatty tumor. This tumor is a dog killer in minutes when it ruptures. Fortunately for my GS being intact producing testosterone kept the tumor from growing rapidly which also kept it from rupturing. This tumor was able to disguise itself with several layers of fatty tissue and formed just below his sternum. Please please be very careful removing organs. They are born with for a reason…I also understand the health benefits suggested above of preventing testicular cancer, over breeding, ect. BUT PLEASE LET YOUR GS KEEP WHAT HE HAS IF ALL HIS VET CHECKS ARE HEALTHY. YOUR BOND WILL TELL YOU WHEN THINGS ARENT RIGHT.
Sounds good. Havent tried
It yet
My dog is so picky! She is a labradoodle. We have spent so much money on expensive dog foods which, most of, she turns her nose up at. Can’t wait to try this for her!
Haven’t tried this yet. I think my little man will like it. He can be picky. Can I use fruit in this? If so, how much?
I was spending over $200 per month on delivery dog food for my cavachon. I miscalculated this month’s delivery date and ran out of food. To make a long story short, I tried this recipe and my dog wolfed it down, licked inside and outside his plate.
Haven’t tried this out yet I have a 3 year old Westie terrier mix and a 7week old husky ! Will this recipe works good for both of them ??
Hi Mariah, great question but this would be something best discussed with your dogs’ vet. Please use your best judgement or consult a professional when it comes to your dogs dietary needs.
Hello! We used your recipe and our 2 small dogs really like it, which is awesome. My question is that you mention the Balance IT but that site seems to only want to sell me supplements. Does this recipe require any supplements for normal healthy dogs?
Yes, your dog needs supplements with homemade dog food.
I want to make this for my 2 pups, but what kind of supplements should a Shih Tzu need if eating this meal daily?
did you find out which supplements to add? I am wondering for my pooch, too.
how long can the leftover food be stored in the fridge? Thank you.
I create one or two serving portions in a small ziplock bag labeled with type of protein and the prep date. These can stay in the freezer for weeks. For the next serving, place the food in the cooler and heat and serve within 24 hours.
How do you know how much to feed your pets on the daily?