9 Healthy Homemade Dog Food Recipes for a Holiday Treat

Making healthy homemade dog food recipes can be a nice treat for your pet this holiday season – or anytime, really! In fact, preparing natural diet dog food is always a great alternative for our beloved pets. After all, homemade dog foods can be a nutritionally wholesome regimen for your new puppy ? or even a dog with special dietary needs. With all this in mind, and to keep your dog healthy this holiday season, here are some homemade dog food recipes your dogs will surely love.

Healthy Homemade Dog Food Recipes

 

1. The Standard Recipe

DIY HOMEMADE DOG FOOD pic.twitter.com/d4KKmIePwd

? tachocho (@TachochoUsa) November 1, 2017

Some call this recipe ?The Old Standard,? as it’s made of traditional dog food ingredients. Fortunately, these are also ingredients you’re likely to have in your home, like turkey, brown rice, and veggies. Nutritious yet inexpensive, you can freeze this dog food in batches and then simply thaw when you want to serve it to your dog. Here?s how to prepare this classic recipe:

Ingredients:

3 pounds of ground turkey? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Brown rice (1 1/2 cups)

2 carrots, shredded???????????????????????????? 1/2 cup canned or frozen peas

1 tablespoon olive oil????????????????????????? 3 cups baby spinach, chopped

1 shredded zucchini

Preparation:

• In a big saucepan, pour 3 cups water, cook rice, then set aside.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Then add and cook the ground turkey until it becomes brown. Make sure to mash the turkey while cooking.
• Stir in the veggies and the brown rice, mixing continually until the spinach is soft. This should take about 3-5 minutes. Let it cool completely after cooking.

2. The Turkey and Veggie Mash

Much like the previous recipe, the turkey and veggie mash is one of the easier healthy homemade dog food recipes to prepare. This mash is made with all-natural ingredients, like lean ground turkey and nutritious veggies. If desired, you can also add some safflower oil to give your dog?s fur a shine and supply necessary fats for a healthy meal. Here are the ingredients and its preparation:

Ingredients:

2 pounds of lean ground turkey? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped

1 cup of cauliflower buds? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons raw turkey liver, diced or pureed

1/2? sliced?zucchini

1 cup broccoli blooms

Preparation:

• Boil 1 1/2 cups of water. Put the carrots in a steamer above the pot and cover. Once the carrots become tender, reduce the heat. Add the ground turkey and the liver to a skillet and cook over medium to high heat. Do this until the pink color disappears. Drain off the fat and dispose of it.
• Add the cauliflower, zucchini, and broccoli and steam for about 6-8 minutes until all vegetables are tender. Allow the veggies to cool, then chop it with a knife. The size of the chopped veggies will depend on your preferred consistency.
• Mix the vegetables with the ground turkey and liver and stir. Pour olive oil over the turkey & vegetable mixture. Let it cool before putting it in freezer safe packages.

3. Meatloaf

Just like people, dogs are a big fan of meatloaf, especially during the winter or fall. This next recipe is sure to be a hit for your dog this holiday season. Here?s how to prepare it:

Ingredients:

? cup of cottage cheese ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?1 ? cups of rolled oats

1 ? cups grated mixed veggies? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ??2 eggs

1 lbs. of lean ground beef

Preparation:

• Warm up the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a bowl using your hands. Then press evenly into a loaf pan.
• Bake the mixture for 40 minutes.
• Refrigerate or freeze in portions for future serving.

4. Meatballs

Like meatloaf, meatballs can give the same meaty, protein-rich satisfaction to your pup. Notably, this recipe calls for lean ground meat to aid in your dog’s digestion. Additionally, the pumpkin is a stool softener and the oat bran contains fiber which is good for a healthy digestion.

Ingredients:

2 cups oat bran? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Salt

3 slices of bread, cubed? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?4 eggs

4 steamed and mashed carrots? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Flour

3 cans pureed pumpkin? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Finely chopped leaves of kale stalk

10 lbs. of? lean ground beef

Preparation:

• Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and roll them into balls according to your desired size.
• Rub the balls gently in the flour and shake off any excess dusting.
• Place these in a 400-degree F oven until baked. Baking time typically depends on the size of the ball you created. For example, donut-sized meatballs will take about 25 minutes.

5. The Woof Loaf

Pet-Friendly Woof Loaf pic.twitter.com/ayZkBw55ny

? miranda (@miranda45687183) February 26, 2017

This a variation on meatloaf for your dogs. After all, it?s always nice to treat your pup to variations of a food to keep them excited for meal time. This recipe calls for a combination of lean turkey meat, veggies, and eggs. Here’s how to make it:

Ingredients:

2 eggs? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?1 pound of lean ground turkey

1/2 cups of oats? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 1/2 cup of peas

1/2 cup chopped carrots????????????????????????????????? 3 eggs,?hard-boiled

Preparation:

• Warm up the oven to 350?F. Mix the chopped carrots, ground turkey, and peas in a large bowl. These ingredients are nutritious for?both cats and dogs, supplying them with the needed nutrition for good digestion and good vision.
• Add the eggs and?oats in the mixture. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Oats give shine to your pet’s fur, and eggs give the protein they need. Grease the loaf pan with olive oil and add half of the mixture to the pan.
• Lay the three hard-boiled eggs on the loaf’s center and cover with the remaining half of the turkey mixture. Bake it in the oven for 45 minutes.
• Slice a half-inch from the cooled loaf and give it to your pup!

6. Scooby?s Stew

Perfect for the cold winter months, this homemade stew is sure to make your dogs happy. Here?s how to prepare it:

Ingredients:

3 lbs. of ground turkey? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Brown rice

2 carrots, shredded???????????????????????????????????????? 1/2 canned or frozen cup of peas

1 tbsp. of olive oil? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?3 cups chopped baby spinach

1 shredded zucchini

Preparation:

• Put all the ingredients in a slow cooker and completely coat the chicken with the veggies.
• Cook the mixture for 5 hours on a high flame.
• Take the mixture off the slow cooker and shred the chicken. Combine the chicken, rice, and veggies until evenly mixed.
• To help it last longer, keep it in the fridge with a cover. For longer storage, freeze in single-serve portions.

7. Beef and Veggie Crockpot

DIY dog food can easily be made right in the slow cooker!

Easy Crockpot Dog Food recipe –> https://t.co/yaGxdh9uc0 pic.twitter.com/NYwCSKAirv

? Dr Carol Osborne DVM (@carolonpets) April 14, 2017

The nutritional value of veggies can’t be overestimated. That’s why you’ll find them in all healthy homemade dog food recipes! This recipe couples these good vegetables with beef to create a nutritional treat for your pup.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs. of ground beef? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 1 1/2 cups carrots,?chopped

1 1/2 cups butternut squash, chopped? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 1/2 cup of canned peas

1 1/2 cups brown rice? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?1 (15 Oz.) canned kidney beans, drained and ?rinsed

Preparation:

• Whip the carrots, peas, brown rice, ground beef, butternut squash, kidney beans, and 4 cups of water into a slow cooker.
• Cook and cover on low heat for about 5-6 hours. Stir as needed.
• Leave it to cool.

8. The Spinach and Salmon Scramble

While it’s harder to find a recipe for homemade dog food which contains fish in its ingredients, that doesn’t mean you should rule out fish. In fact, salmon can be a great addition to a healthy dog diet. Here?s how you prepare it:

Ingredients:

1 tsp. of extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup thawed and drained, chopped spinach

1/2 can of skinless, boneless salmon, 3 Oz., drained

2 eggs

Preparation:

• Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
• Combine the salmon?and spinach and cook.
• Put in the eggs and mix continuously for about 2 minutes.
• Serve in a bowl after cooling.

9. Vegan Bowl

While not recommended for dogs, some owners prefer to put their pets on a vegan diet. Though you should certainly consult your vet before making a change of this magnitude to your pet’s diet, once you get the go-ahead, this treat won’t be hard for you to prepare! Additionally, the ingredients for this recipe can help your pup with digestion. Here’s how to prepare it:

Ingredients:

1 big sweet potato

1 can of 15 Oz. black beans, drained and rinsed

2/3 cups of uncooked brown rice and? 1 1/3 cup of water)

6 1-inch piece kale leaf stems

Preparation:

• Warm oven to 400 degrees F.
• Cover the baking sheet with tin foil.
• Prick the sweet potato using a fork multiple times.
• Lay it on the baking sheet and bake for one hour.
• Cook the rice: Boil the rice and water in a pot. Let it simmer and cover for about 45 minutes.
• Slice the sweet potatoes into small pieces.
• Mix the sweet potatoes, beans,?rice, and kale stems and divide into three equal servings.

Pro Tip:?Don’t skip out on added supplements! Tailor supplements like NatureGood’s Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil or Hip + Joint to your furry friend’s very needs.

Learn the do?s and don?ts of healthy homemade dog food recipes in this video from Mohawk Flooring on The Better Show: