If you’ve always loved the idea of feeding fresh pet food to your pup, but you are not that confident or comfortable in making homemade dog food, then, the best fresh dog food might just be the one for you and your canine buddy.
Some fresh dog food brands are available online or at your local pet store, but most fresh dog food is usually offered by brands that deliver them right at your doorstep.
Signing up on any of these fresh dog food subscription services or purchasing from non-subscription fresh dog food brands can help you save time and energy in researching how to make your dog’s food safely and then doing it all by yourself.
This will also ensure that your dog will get the best nutrition while enjoying his tasty fresh food comes meal time. But as always, choosing the right fresh dog food brand for you and your canine companion can be challenging, especially with the multitude of options out there.
Also, compared with kibbles, fresh foods are a bit pricey. And sometimes, you will also face a few challenges with the storage depending on the fresh dog food delivery service that you chose.
Some companies use tear-off pouches, while some use yogurt-like containers. Some of these fresh dog foods need to be refrigerated, while others stored in the freezer.
In other words, fresh foods also have their fair share of pros and cons. So, read on and you’ll appreciate the facts we’ve gathered for you, and then, you can make an informed decision on what’s best for you and your pup.
The term “fresh” dog food might be self-explanatory, but there’s more to it than its obvious meaning. Is it freshly cooked and ready to be served? How long was it since the meals were cooked?
Apparently, fresh dog food doesn’t really mean that it was cooked a few minutes or hours before mealtime. In this article, this collective term covers meals that are made “fresh” for dogs, usually within a week before mealtime.
Considering the time frame, fresh dog food is a little bit different from canned dog food or pre-packed kibbles. But that slight time difference is just one of their edge to these other food options.
Also, most fresh food options are produced in small batches, and they are also shipped more frequently than canned foods and kibbles since they must be consumed within their limited shelf lives.
More importantly, the core of a fresh food diet lies in keeping the food as minimally processed as possible because the less processed your pup’s diet is, the better.
Does Your Dog Need Fresh Food?
Despite the fact that a lot of dog owners these days are shifting to fresh foods, we can’t deny that kibbles remain a solid option for the vast majority.
Many fresh dog food companies cite preservatives and meat meals as unsafe ingredients. It’s true that a properly identified meat meal, including chicken meal, and beef meal, may not be as appetizing as fresh whole-boned meat, but they are packed with more protein per unit of weight.
Also, while there’s an automatic negative perception about preservatives, there are also a lot of completely safe and natural preservatives used by modern manufacturers to keep their products stay good longer.
There are always advocates for certain types of pet food, and sadly, at times, marketing can also be misleading. Ultimately, you’ll need to discuss your dog’s condition with your vet. He may have his recommendations, but at the end of the day, the decision is all up to you and to what you can consistently provide for your dog.
Also, it’s important to heed your dog’s desire. Most often, our canine companions would lean on tastier fresh food options than dry foods.
Best Fresh Dog Food Brands
1. Ollie
Rating: 5/5
Ingredients: Varies on your chosen recipe
Recipes offered: Beef, Chicken, Lamb, Turkey
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein 9%
Crude Fat 7%
Crude Fiber 2%
Ollie is a fresh food subscription service that delivers nutritious and delicious pre-portioned and customized meals on a regular, flexible schedule. Ollie certainly deserves a top spot on fresh dog food.
It is a company that primarily sources meats in the USA, New Zealand, and Australia and guarantees taste and quality. Each food pack that comes out of their facilities is carefully formulated by a veterinarian to ensure your dog's nutrition and satisfaction.
Ollie offers four fresh frozen recipes – beef, chicken, turkey, lamb – which are all crafted by their in-house veterinary nutritionists.
Ollie dog food is also highly customizable depending on your dog’s caloric needs, food allergies, and other health concerns or nutritional requirements.
All of Ollie’s fresh frozen foods are made up of 100% human grade ingredients, which are easily digestible, and always feature real meat as the first ingredient. All of their fresh food options are also free from fillers (corn, soy, or wheat), and artificial flavors.
Along with high-quality meats that are sourced from the USA, New Zealand, and Australia, each recipe is also packed with fruit like blueberries and cranberries, leafy greens, and root vegetables like sweet potatoes and kale, as well as plant-based proteins like lentils, peas, and chickpeas.
If you are ready to give Ollie a try, their starter box has all that you need, including two weeks’ worth of frozen food packs that you can store inside your freezer until you are ready to thaw and serve.
What’s more, the box also includes a custom feeding guide based on your dog’s profile, to ensure a safe and smooth transition, a reusable pup-trainer container to keep the freshness and flavor of the foods, and a handy serving scoop to make it easier for you to dish out your pup’s custom portion.
If these don’t sound tempting enough, Ollie is also confident with their recipes. So, if your pup won’t lick his bowl clean, they are going to refund what you paid for your dog’s starter box.
Pros
Minimally-processed fresh food diet
Crafted by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist
High-quality human grade dog food and prepared in the USA
Highly customizable to meet a dog’s needs
With a money-back guarantee, and excellent customer service
Can be fed as your dog’s only food source, or can be used as toppers, or treats
Flexible delivery dates to meet your availability
Cons
Needs ample space inside your freezer
A bit pricey, but you can scale down your dog’s meal plans to a mix-in version
You need to measure out each meal, which is not as convenient as other fresh food options that come in single-serving packaging
2. FreshPet Home Cooked Chicken Recipe
Rating: 4.8/5
Ingredients: Chicken, Cranberries, Carrots, Pea Protein, Pea Fiber
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein 9%
Crude Fat 6%
Crude Fiber 2%
FreshPet is the ideal solution for anyone looking for a more affordable high-quality fresh dog food that is also sold in most major pet supplies stores in the US. That being said, FreshPet is also the most convenient option if you want to switch your dog to a fresh food diet.
They also have different product lines that come in various forms, flavors, and textures – from rolls (think pate), which you need to cut up, to their homestyle creations where you can pick chicken or beef for the food’s protein source, and choose a mixer (three fruit and vegetable combinations).
All of their recipes feature real meat as the number one ingredient and are free from preservatives, meat meals, or by-product meals.
What’s more, all their grain-free and grain-inclusive fresh food options are made in USDA-approved facilities and crafted by veterinary nutritionists.
Pros
Readily available in most stores
Prepared in USDA-approved facilities
Food options come in different forms
Plenty of options to choose from
All recipes are crafted by veterinary nutritionists
Cons
Not customizable
Food rolls take up lots of space in freezer/refrigerator
They don’t deliver; so, you have to pick them up
Appearance and texture of the foods are not as appetizing as others
3. The Farmer’s Dog
Rating: 4.8/5
Ingredients: Varies on your chosen recipe
Recipes offered: Turkey, Beef, Chicken, Pork
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein 11%
Crude Fat 8%
Crude Fiber 1.5%
The Farmer’s Dog is another subscription-based company that delivers fresh dog food to your doorstep in ready-to-serve, biodegradable packs. Yes, you read that right, their packaging is made of a cornstarch wrap that literally dissolves when you run hot water into it.
Best of all, their vet-crafted meals are customized according to your dog’s medical records, individual needs, and personal information, such as his breed, age, weight, activity level, food sensitivities, and health concerns.
Each menu is freshly prepared in small portions with human-grade meat and vegetables. And their recipes are prepared in USDA-approved cooking units to assure safety and high quality before they reach your dog’s plate.
Pros
Customized, pre-portioned meals
Each food pack have your dog’s name
Comes in environment-friendly packaging
Flexible trial option
Money-back guarantee
Ships to 48 states
Cons
Price can also be a challenge
Can be messy and tricky to portion out the meals from the pouch
A Pup Above provides tasty dog food with an incredible flavor and texture. The company is versatile in how they reach and meet their customer's needs.
Aside from their subscription services, they also offer ordering options and their foods can also be purchased at several pet shops and stores.
What distinguishes them from other fresh dog food companies is their approach in cooking – which is by using the sous vide technique.
Sous vide is a popular slow-cooking method – this technique is familiar to you if you are fond of watching cooking shows. This method is where the chef puts all the ingredients in a sealed plastic bag before cooking them in a water bath at a precise temperature.
The sous vide method of cooking also helps ensure the food's optimum flavor and nutrition. Unlike other methods, it provides a better quality of nutrition and flavors, allowing for a healthy taste in a more palatable way.
Pros
All recipes are crafted by a veterinary nutritionist
Contains 72% more protein than other leading fresh dog foods
Gently cooked sous-vide to ensure the food’s flavor and nutrition
BPA-free packaging
Prepared in a USDA-approved facility
Flexible options for interested pet owners – you don’t have to sign up for a full subscription
Cons
Price can be expensive
The texture is a bit firmer and takes longer to thaw
5. Spot & Tango
Rating: 4.7/5
Ingredients: Varies on your chosen recipe
Recipes offered: Turkey & Red Quinoa, Beef & Millet, Lamb & Brown Rice
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein 13.69%
Crude Fat 6.64%
Crude Fiber 2.64%
This fresh food delivery service focuses on sourcing their supplies of genuine whole foods from local vendors that share their values.
All of their meals are made using human-grade ingredients and prepared in USDA-approved kitchens a few days before they arrive at your dog’s bowl to ensure their freshness.
Unlike many fresh food stores, Spot and Tango offer two different kinds of fresh dog food – their Unkibble Recipes and Fresh Recipes.
All of their Unkibble and fresh recipes are made with 100% fresh, whole ingredients, and contain no artificial preservatives, additives, or fillers.
As for their Unkibble Recipes, you can choose between Duck & Salmon, Beef & Barley, and Chicken & Brown Rice. Spot & Tango’s Unkibble is also the only fresh dry food for dogs in the market.
So, if you and your dog are not ready or fond of wet foods, this can be an ideal option. Unlike traditional dog food or kibbles, Unkibble does not contain meat meals and powdered “mystery” meats.
All of these meals are complete and balanced for puppies and adult dogs based on AAFCO’s nutritional standards and are GMO-free and hormone-free.
Pros
Dogs love both the fresh-frozen and fresh dry food options
Unkibble is 40% cheaper than traditional (fresh-frozen) meals
The Unkibble doesn’t need to be frozen and thawed
Recipes come in slim packaging that doesn’t eat up too much storage space
Aromatic fresh food recipes
Cons
Fewer recipes to choose from
Unkibble’s texture and shape are different from regular kibbles – which can be a problem for picky dogs
You could spend at least $50 every week if you have a medium-sized dog
6. Pet Plate
Rating: 4.7/5
Ingredients: Varies on your chosen recipe
Recipes offered: Barkin’ Beef, Chompin’ Chicken, Tail Waggin’ Turkey, Lip Lickin’ Lamb, Power Packed Pork, Lean & Mean Venison
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein 11%
Crude Fat 6%
Crude Fiber 1.1%
Pet Plate is another good fresh food supply provider for dogs. They offer fresh, high-quality fresh dog foods that are cooked and prepared from their USDA-approved facilities.
Their recipes are vet-designed and made with real ingredients to ensure that your dog receives nothing but the best nutrition.
Your dog’s meal plan is structured based on his unique characteristics, overall health, and personalized needs. All meals come in 100% recyclable containers and are exclusively sold as part of a subscription.
Nonetheless, you have the option to go for full meals plans, or a mix-in option to cut down the cost.
Pros
Most dogs love the taste of these meals
Recipes come in 100% recyclable yogurt-type container bowls with resealable lids
Texture and consistency of the food makes it difficult for picky eaters to avoid certain ingredients
Their Topper Plan offers a more affordable option for dog owners to improve the taste and appeal of their pup’s meal
Cons
You need to sign up for a subscription before you can purchase their meals
They don’t offer a trial phase or sample packs
Containers are a bit bulkier, which can take up more space in the fridge
7. Just Food for Dogs
Rating: 4.7/5
Ingredients: Varies on your chosen recipe
Recipes offered: [Daily Recipes] – All Day Breakfast, Chicken & White Rice, Beef & Russet Potato, Turkey & Whole Wheat Macaroni, Fish & Sweet Potato, Lamb & Brown Rice, Venison & Squash
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein 10%
Crude Fat 7%
Crude Fiber 3%
If you are looking for the best no-subscription required fresh dog service that is also keen on providing specialized diet for dogs with medical needs, Just Food for Dogs is an ideal option.
They offer several types of food for dogs, including custom diets, pantry fresh foods, DIY homemade kits, and fresh frozen meals. It is also noteworthy that they have a wide array of recipes to choose from – 15 recipes to be exact.
Their fresh frozen food recipes are designed by their team of canine nutritionists and veterinarians, made with human-edible ingredients without preservatives, and proven healthy after having gone through extensive feeding trials.
No wonder, this premium fresh dog food brand is the #1 vet-recommended fresh whole food in the market today.
And one exciting discovery about this company is that their fresh frozen meals are made by hand, in open-to-the-public kitchens in several cities in the USA.
Pros
Very good for dogs with special dietary needs
No subscription needed
They offer different delivery and pick-up options
Grain-free options are available
All foods are made in the USA, in brand-owned kitchens
Each recipe is vacuum-sealed and immediately frozen to keep the food fresh as much as possible
They offer a veterinary consultation to fine-tune your pup’s diet with his condition and overall health
All of the brand’s non-custom recipes are backed with a money-back guarantee offer
Cons
Premium price tag
They don’t offer variety packs and mix-in options
They only ship full boxes, so, you may need to order more or less than you want at a time
Is Fresh Dog Food Safe?
One of the common hesitations of most dog owners about fresh foods is their limited shelf life. However, if you only practice good food safety and storage practices, they are just as safe for your pup as his favorite kibbles.
What’s more, most fresh dog foods are crafted by veterinary nutritionists and some can also be customized, and pre-portioned based on your dog’s individual needs, breed, age, weight, and so on. And most fresh dog companies prepare their recipes at their USDA-approved kitchens, using only human-grade ingredients.
Alternative food options have gained popularity amongst dog owners. Disillusionment with giant pet food brands has encouraged pet owners to consider various options including grain-free, raw foods, or cooking their dog's meals at home.
Fresh food delivery services and in-store fresh food packs for pets take care of making your dog's meals from scratch. They begin by preparing raw and healthy whole foods, high-quality meats, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains (depending on the recipe); and then ship them to your door or make them ready to be sold in select stores nationwide.
These fresh dog food companies ensure that their recipes meet the AAFCO standards for pet food, so you can breathe well knowing that your dog is receiving complete and balanced nutrition.
Many pet parents can attest to the benefits of switching to the best fresh dog food for their furry companion – from increased energy levels, healthier coat, and improved overall health and wellness.
What Are The Advantages and Disadvantages of Fresh Dog Foods?
Fresh foods for dogs are certainly a new revolution in the canine food industry, but they do have several benefits, as well as disadvantages that you have to consider before joining the fresh dog food bandwagon.
Advantages
Minimally processed – the lack of additives is the core advantage of fresh dog foods, and it’s what catches the hearts of many dog owners to make the switch from traditional dog food that contains synthetic chemicals.
Customizable – Most fresh dog food brands offer customization in their meals to meet the individual needs, and concerns of every dog (or cat). This is especially helpful for pets with allergies or sensitivities.
Tasty and nutritious – Fresh dog foods are not only packed with all the nutrients your pet needs, but they also retain the flavor and appetizing aroma of their ingredients – real meats, fruits, and vegetables.
Disadvantages
Expensive – There’s no doubt that price is a major hindrance for most pet parents to switch to fresh dog foods. And the cost can increase astronomically if you have more than one dog at home.
Limited shelf life – The lack of preservatives of fresh foods can also be a disadvantage because the food can spoil quickly when not eaten or frozen. Nonetheless, this is not a major issue for most dog owners.
Needs space in your fridge – Depending on the variety, fresh dog foods may need to be stored in the refrigerator or a freezer. Hence, if you are feeding several dogs at home, you may need to purchase separate cold storage for their frozen food.
Which Is Better: Subscribe to Fresh Dog Food Delivery Services or Buy In-Store?
Nowadays, it is easy to buy fresh food for dogs with the exponential increase in demand as more dog owners are starting to exclusively feed their pets with fresh foods.
You might even be surprised that there are fresh food options available at most pet stores. Several major retailers are offering new options, too.
For convenience, it can sometimes be easier to buy food online. Most brands offer customizations, some offer automatic delivery, and other brands also offer “subscribe and save” programs, which help offset the increased costs of the food.
And of course, you don't need to drive to the nearest grocery store only to find out that there are no more stocks.
A Little Reminder Before Switching to Fresh Dog Food
This super-healthy food is more nutritious and healthier for dogs than the average commercial pet food. However, make sure that whenever you change your pup's diet, you should do it gradually to avoid upsetting your dog’s stomach. Also, keep talking to your vet for advice on your dog's dietary needs.
You should also bear in mind that to keep the food fresh you should store it in a refrigerator or a freezer, and your dog must consume it as directed in the pouch. If it is in a single-serve pouch, then, it has been pre-portioned to be eaten in one go.
If you are concerned about the cost, you may also consider using fresh dog food as toppers on your dog's favorite high-quality dry dog food. This can help you determine your plan and the frequencies of your deliveries.
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He is a seasoned writer who has more than 10 years of experience in creating engaging and optimized content for various platforms and audiences. He has worked on diverse projects ranging from articles, social media posts, newsletters and ebooks, covering different topics and niches.
