Choosing a Natural Dog Food

Recently, I’ve been taking more of an interest in my own health than ever before. That means exercising more, but more than that, it means eating right. I say “more than that” because I focus more of my time on planning my diet than I do on exercise. Sad, but true. Anyway, I’ve learned a lot about nutrition in the past year or so, but the takeaway is very simple: avoid processed foods at all costs. In order to really be healthy, you should be eating real fruits and vegetables (you know; the ones that come out of the ground). So, that’s that. But, in the past month or so, I started wondering about Wanda. I’m doing all of these great things for my own health, but what about my four-legged best friend? I’m feeding her crap, aren’t I?

After looking at the label, I can tell you that yes, I kind of was feeding her crap (sorry, Wanda). The dog food she likes is a little better than some of the other packaged foods out there, but it’s not the best thing she could be eating. After learning what I’ve learned about food, I know that the best thing I could give her is pretty much the same thing I’m eating – but that’s not always an option. Although, in sharing a little of my food with her, I learned that she’s crazy about broccoli rabe – how bizarre is that?

So, yes, I will continue to give her the healthy stuff and avoid giving her things like avocados and onions that are okay for humans, but harmful for dogs. But, what should I look for in a dog food? I did a little research, and here’s what I found:

Fat: An adult dog should have about 21 grams of fat each day.

Carbs: Should account for about 50 percent of a dog’s diet.

Protein: Dogs need to eat about 10 percent by weight, and it can be mixed between animal and plant proteins.

Dogs also need a variety of vitamins and minerals in order to stay healthy; very similar to us humans.

My main concern with this whole thing was it being too expensive. You know; going to a gourmet dog food can be extremely pricey, and it seems even more so when you're looking at it on the salary of a paralegal. But, I felt better after I learned that a dog's nutritional needs are very similar to our own. I don't mind giving her some of my veggies to supplement a diet of natural dog food. After all, she is my bestest friend.