Home Made, DIY Dog Food Recipes - Grain Free or Wholesome Grains, for the Health of Your Dog

Many commercially made dry dog food (kibble) is full of toxins, carcinogens, allergens and ingredients that provide your dog with poor source nutrition. Switching your dog from commercially made, highly processed dog kibble to homemade dog food can be of great benefit to your dog’s overall health. Below are a few very nutritious, simple to make dog food recipes I created for the health and well-being of my dogs. The ingredients used are selected to support your dog's overall health, boost his/her immune system, prevent cancer, support oral health, heart health and more. When purchasing the ingredients used in the recipes below, you can decide whether you want to go organic or not...even if you do not go organic you can be sure that the food you make - based on the recipes below, will be packed with good nutrition. You can couple this recipe with a healthy, all-natural snack food for your dog.

You can choose the recipe that suits your dog's requirements - grain free, or wholesome grain...

Grain Free Version…

Chicken, Sweet Potato, Chickpeas, Spinach, Lentils, Cottage Cheese…

• 1.5 lb ground or finely chopped chicken - bones removed (i.e. chicken breast or chicken back with legs) or 1.5 lb ground beef, or turkey (bones removed). If your dog has food sensitivities don’t mix proteins, choose one source of meat protein per batch of food;
• 2 cups sweet potato (or 1 cup sweet potato and 1 cup *cooked chickpeas);
• 1 (10 ounce) package chopped frozen spinach, or fresh spinach;
• 2 cups frozen chopped or fresh vegetables – use a combination of several or all of the following carrots, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli;
• you can also substitute the green beans, cauliflower or broccoli for: apples, cherries or berries (i.e. strawberries, blueberries, black berries, etc.);
• *2 cups (16 oz) cooked lentils (yellow, brown or green);
• 4 cloves ¹garlic, chopped or minced; 
• 1 cup cottage cheese;
• 1/8 cup olive oil;
• 1/8 cup basil - dry or fresh chopped;
• 1/8 cup rosemary - dry or fresh chopped;
• 1/2  cup dried parsley or fresh chopped;
• 1/8 cup turmeric;
• 1 tsp dry, ²powdered eggshell (1/2 tsp/per every 1 lb of meat)

 * Although you can choose to use canned lentils and chickpeas it is best to cook them from 'scratch' yourself as canned products: 

• Are known to contain BPA (a carcinogen), and;
• Commercially prepared canned beans/legumes are cooked at a very high temperature for a short period of time. 
• When foods are cooked at very high temps advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) form;
• AGEs are compounds that stimulate cells to produce specific proteins that cause inflammation and can be toxic;
• High heat also damages and/or destroys many nutrients. 

Optional Ingredients:

• 2 eggs;
• 2 tbs of cinnamon.

Put all ingredients in a pot and add just enough water to cover. Put on medium heat to cook for at least an half hour and then turn the heat down and just let the pot simmer for an hour or two. 

When you are ready to feed your dog the food...

Mix the following into the food in his/her bowl:

• A pinch of ground vitamin C tablet – if your dogs don’t eat citrus fruit, berries or veggies that are high in vitamin C. My dogs get lots of vitamin C from fresh fruit and from lemon in tea so they do not require ground vitamin C.
• ³Ground flax seeds or Chia seeds;
• ⁴Brewers yeast or nutritional yeast (NOT Bakers yeast!)

Sprinkle the following on top of the food:

• A few cubes or grated cheese - use cheddar cheese, mozzarella or Swiss cheese, or; Cottage cheese;
• Option - once a day you can also sprinkle a little cinnamon powder on top of the food. Cinnamon helps dissolve food particles - good for your dog's dental health and also aids with the digestion of food.

You can keep this food in the refrigerator for up to one week. If you make more than you will use in a week just freeze the additional food.
 

Below I am providing a Grain-Included Recipe...

For those  that insist on providing grains as part of their dog's diet. However it is important to understand that grains are not part of a dog's ancestral/natural diet. 

Species inappropriate food/diets are the #1 cause of the top 10 ailments for a trip to the Veterinarian's office. 

 

1. Periodontal Disease

2. Ear Infections

3. Skin Allergies

4. Skin Infection

5. Non-cancerous skin growth

6. Upset Stomach

7. Intestinal upset/diarrhea

8. Arthritis

9. Bladder Infection

10. Under-active Thyroid – triggered by immune system or lack of iodine in the diet

In addition  - it is of the utmost importance to use human grade grain products - not animal feed grade (most commercially produced dog food contains animal-feed grade grains).  Grains used in the production of animal feed is not screened for aflatoxins - a naturally occurring fungus (on grains). Aflatoxins are carcinogenic.

Wholesome Grains Version…

 

Chicken, Oats, Rice, Spinach, Lentils, Cottage Cheese…

• 1.5 lb ground or finely chopped chicken - bones removed (i.e. chicken breast or chicken back with legs) or 1.5 lb ground beef, or turkey (bones removed). If your dog has food sensitivities don’t mix proteins, choose one source of meat protein per batch of food;
• 1 cup brown rice;
• 1 cup rolled oats (or pot barley, not pearled barley);
• 1 (10 ounce) package chopped frozen spinach, or fresh spinach;
• 2 cups frozen chopped or fresh vegetables – use a combination of several or all of the following carrots, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli;
• *2 cups (16 oz) cooked lentils (yellow, brown or green);
• 4 cloves ¹garlic, chopped or minced; 
• 1 cup cottage cheese;
• 1/8 cup olive oil;
• 1/8 cup basil - dry or fresh chopped;
• 1/8 cup rosemary - dry or fresh chopped;
• 1/2  cup dried parsley or fresh chopped;
• 1/8 cup turmeric;
• 1 tsp dry, ²powdered eggshell (1/2 tsp/per every 1 lb of meat)

 * Although you can choose to use canned lentils, chickpeas it is best to cook them from 'scratch' yourself as canned products: 

• Are known to contain BPA (a carcinogen), and;
• Commercially prepared canned beans/legumes are cooked at a very high temperature for a short period of time. 
• When foods are cooked at very high temps advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) form;
• AGEs are compounds that stimulate cells to produce specific proteins that cause inflammation and can be toxic;
• High heat also damages and/or destroys many nutrients. 

Optional Ingredients:

• 2 eggs;
• 2 tbs of cinnamon.

Put all ingredients in a pot and add just enough water to cover. Put on medium heat to cook for at least an half hour and then turn the heat down and just let the pot simmer for an hour or two. 

When you are ready to feed your dog the food...

Mix the following into the food in his/her bowl:

• A pinch of ground vitamin C tablet – if your dogs don’t eat citrus fruit, berries or veggies that are high in vitamin C. My dogs get lots of vitamin C from fresh fruit and from lemon in tea so they do not require ground vitamin C.
• ³Ground flax seeds or Chia seeds;
• ⁴Brewers yeast or nutritional yeast (NOT Bakers yeast!)

Sprinkle the following on top of the food:

• A few cubes or grated cheese - use cheddar cheese, mozzarella or Swiss cheese, or; Cottage cheese;
• Option - once a day you can also sprinkle a little cinnamon powder on top of the food. Cinnamon helps dissolve food particles - good for your dog's dental health and also aids with the digestion of food.

You can keep this food in the refrigerator for up to one week. If you make more than you will use in a week just freeze the additional food.

<sup>Notes

1</sup>Garlic- my dogs get fresh garlic on a daily basis. Garlic (unlike onion which is toxic for your dog) has many health benefits for your dog. Before cooking the garlic, chop, mince or crush the garlic and let it sit for 15 minutes at room temperature - this triggers a reaction that boosts the healthy enzymes in garlic to maximum output.

²Powdered Eggshell is high in calcium, magnesium, boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, sulphur, silicon and zinc, and a few other (actually 27) vital elements for dogs. ½ tsp equals about 400 milligrams of absorbable calcium.

To make powdered eggshell:

Wash empty eggshells in a little warm water;

Place the shells on a dish or paper towel and let them air dry completely (i.e. for 24 hrs);

When dry, break the shells into pieces and then grind them using a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder;

Store the powdered eggshell in an airtight container.

³Flax seed must be ground not whole, Chia seeds can be whole or ground.

Daily dosage of Flax or Chia:

Tiny Dogs (4 lbs to 10 lbs) - ½ tbs  

Small Dogs (⁺10 lbs to 30 lbs) - 1 tbs  

Medium Dogs  (⁺30 lbs to 75 lbs)  - 1.5 tbs

Large Dogs (+75 lbs to 100 lbs) - 2 tbs

Extra Large Dogs (+100) - 2 to 3 tbs

⁴Nutritional brewer's yeast or nutritional yeast (not baker’s yeast) is high in B complex vitamins. B complex vitamins are very important for a dog's overall health, oral health and are also a natural flea repellent.  

Daily Dosage of Brewer’s or Nutritional Yeast:

1 teaspoon per 30 pounds of body weight 

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