Purina Beyond Dog Food Review [2023 Update]: Best Budget Option?

Meet Purina Beyond Dog Food

When you first think of Purina, you might think cheap dollar store dog food full of the worst ingredients possible for your pet. Purina is attempting to put a stop to that with their healthy alternative line, Purina Beyond.

This dog food brand focuses on all the healthy options you see from the premium food brands like grain-free, no by-products, and limited ingredients. Purina manufacturers all their food in the USA from reliable and trustworthy sources.

They offer many different flavors and combinations, some of which are more unique than their traditional dog food line. They have healthier alternatives to poultry like salmon and lamb.

I think we speak for every pet owner when we say; a dog food is only as good as it’s ingredients. They can pretty it up however they want, but if they aren’t truthfully including the best components in the food, it’s all useless.

In this article, we’re going to break apart Purina Beyond to find out if you can purchase premium quality dog food from a budget dog food brand.

Brand Quick Look

• Parent Company: Nestle
• Founded in: 1894 – became Purina in 2001
• Made in: St. Louis, MO
• Available at:  Chewy, Amazon, Beyondpetfood.com, PetSmart
• Types of Food: Dry, Moist, Treats
• Real Meat in First 5 Ingredients? : Yes
• Recalled in Past? : Yes

Purina Beyond Dog Food Review

We’ve talked about a lot so far; now we’re going to dive right into the food itself and break apart the ingredients, manufacturing, and online reputation.

We want you to make sure you’re making the right decision for your pups, and the best way to do that is by reading other people’s experiences online.

1. Purina Beyond Simply Farm Raised Chicken & Whole Barley Recipe
2. Purina Beyond Simply Beef & Egg Recipe
3. Purina Beyond Simply Ranch Raised Lamb & Whole Barley Recipe
4. Purina Beyond Superfood Blend Salmon, Egg & Pumpkin Recipe
5. Purina Beyond Grain Free Wild-Caught Tuna & Egg Recipe
6. Purina Beyond Beef, Potato & Green Bean Recipe Ground Entrée
7. Purina Beyond Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe in Gravy
8. Purina Beyond Wild Beef, Liver & Lamb Pate Recipe
9. Purina Beyond Mixers Immune Support Chicken Bone Broth
10. Purina Beyond Grain-Free Alaskan Salmon Recipe in Broth

 

Dry Dog Food

Simply 9

The Simply 9 range is composed of 9 limited ingredients plus all the vitamins and minerals that dogs need. Under Simply 9 are variations composed of different animal meats, such as the Simply White (Chicken), Simply Beef (beef), and Simply Ranch (ranch-raised animals like lamb).

Simply White

Simply White is under the Purina Beyond Simply 9 range for dogs who can’t get enough of white meat. There are a few different but yummy chicken flavors in this line, including a variant made for small dogs, one crafted without grains, and a chicken recipe with barley.

1. Purina Beyond Simply Farm Raised Chicken & Whole Barley Recipe

First 5 Ingredients: Chicken, Rice, Whole Barley, Canola Meal, Chicken Meal

• Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5
• Flavor: 4.5 out of 5
• Ingredients: 4.5 out of 5
• Benefits: 4 out of 5

First, let’s take a look at this limited ingredient line containing chicken and barley. The food boasts an excellent reputation with 163 reviews and 4.75 stars, 96% of reviewers recommending the product.

Users say that the food has helped their dog with their sensitive stomach, it’s great for picky eaters, and it helps their pups to have more energy.

With that also comes negative reviews where some people say the complete opposite. Some pups don’t like the flavor at all, and some vets urge pet owners not to feed their dogs grain free diets for reasons outside our understanding. If your dog is sensitive to grains, then of course grain-free is the way to go.

There is one controversial ingredient in this food, and that's beef fat with mixed-tocopherols. There have been claims that this food is a cancer-causing preservative, but upon further research through the National Library of Medicine, they say that tocopherols are safe food additives.

The Simply White Meat range also has two other recipes: Barley, Chicken & Egg (for small dogs) and Chicken & Egg (a Simply White Meat grain-free alternative).

Simply Beef

Red meat has a rich and savory taste that is hard to forget. Doggie fans of beef will simply love Purina Beyond’s dry dog food beef recipes starting with the grain-free Simply Beef & Egg.

2. Purina Beyond Simply Beef & Egg Recipe

First 5 Ingredients: Beef, Chicken Meal, Pea Starch, Canola Meal, Cassava Root Flour

• Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
• Flavor: 4.5 out of 5
• Ingredients: 4.5 out of 5
• Benefits: 4 out of 5

The Simply range is about going all-natural and going with trusted food ingredients. For Simply Beef, your pet will get a paw-licking meal that starts with premium-quality beef.

Beef is a common meat ingredient in dog foods not just because it’s affordable, but also because it is loaded with protein, selenium, iron, and three B vitamins (B3, B6, and B12).

It is also high in fat (not too much, though), and this is a good thing. Fat plays many important roles in animals’ bodies, including providing cushioning and energy. For this recipe, the fat is set at 16% minimum.

The average score for this recipe by reviewers is 4.5. Many have commended the formulation for helping their dogs thrive and gain weight; reducing the likelihood of and helping with upset stomachs; and enticing picky eaters to wolf down their food.

The chicken meal might come as a surprise, but it doesn’t make the recipe any less. In fact, it contributes more to the protein content, which is analyzed to be at 27% minimum. The fiber is at 5% max and the moisture at 12% — all at optimal levels.

Purina Beyond also has another grain-free beef recipe, but this one is intended for pets that require a high protein diet. It’s called the Purina Beyond High Protein Texas Beef & Lentil Grain-Free recipe.

Simply Ranch

If beef simply isn’t your pet’s thing, but he’s begging for another kind of savory red meat, then he’s in for a treat with Purina Beyond’s Simply Ranch range. It consists of ranch-raised animal meat that has not been treated with steroids.

3. Purina Beyond Simply Ranch Raised Lamb & Whole Barley

First 5 Ingredients: Lamb, Rice, Chicken Meal, Whole Barley, Canola Meal, Whole Oat Meal

• Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5
• Flavor: 4.5 out of 5
• Ingredients: 4.5 out of 5
• Benefits: 4.5 out of 5

What could be more natural than real lamb raised responsibly without the use of steroids? In Purina Beyond’s Simply Ranch recipe, your pet will get a hearty red meat meal based on natural ranch-raised lamb and nutritious barley.

Lamb is particularly healthy because it contains the proper amount of dietary fat, ample levels of protein, and a rich flavor that pups struggle not to wolf down immediately. Lamb is also a perfect alternative to beef in case your little pooch is sensitive to the latter.

The rating for this recipe is outstandingly high. At 4.8 out of 5, a significant majority find the formulation appealing for their pets. One of the most common comments is how even picky eaters have no trouble gobbling up the food.

A few have also mentioned how the Purina Beyond Simply Ranch Raised Lamb recipe has helped their pets greatly with their skin issues.

Leading the list is lamb, which makes up the bulk of the recipe. Chicken meal adds a subtle flavor twist plus more proteins to the mix, taking the whole protein content to 24%. As for the others, the guaranteed analysis are as follows: fat 14%, fiber 4%, and moisture 12%.

Superfood Blend

The Superfood Blend combines plenty of Omega fatty acids, natural probiotics, and delicious superfood ingredients together for a truly nutritious feast.

4. Superfood Blend Salmon, Egg, and Pumpkin

First 5 Ingredients: Salmon, Rice, Whole Barley, Chicken Meal, Whole Oat Meal

• Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
• Flavor: 4 out of 5
• Ingredients: 4 out of 5
• Benefits: 4 out of 5

Next up is a superfood line containing real salmon as the first ingredient. The food also carries a fantastic reputation online at 120 reviews and 4.75 stars overall. This food claims to use nutrient-rich superfoods to help your pet’s immune system.

This is the only brand of food in the line. Reviewers of this food say that their dog loves the flavor and they are more than happy with their purchase. Users were also pleased to find out that the salmon is from Alaska and not from China like many other dog food brands.

This food contains chicken meal and beef fat which makes the packaging misleading since they don’t say that, but it’s not exactly a deal breaker for us. The blend still contains 26% protein, 16% fat, and 4% fiber which is an optimal analysis.

5. Purina Beyond Adventure Tuna and Egg

First 5 Ingredients: Tuna, Pea Starch, Chicken Meal, Cassava Root Flour, Canola Meal

• Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
• Flavor: 4 out of 5
• Ingredients: 4 out of 5
• Benefits: 4 out of 5

Now, let’s look at one of their specific grain-free options that contain wild-caught tuna and egg. The food is all-natural grain-free and formulated without corn, wheat, or soy. Like every other food, we’ve reviewed it also contains no by-products, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

The brand has 70 reviews on Chewy with an average of 4.8 stars and 96% recommendation. You can’t argue with a positive reputation.

Reviewers say that the food has completely transformed their pets, they love the grain-free line, and that you can’t beat the price when you compare the ingredients up against some of their competitors

One unfamiliar ingredient in here may be cassava root flour because you’re more prone to seeing something called tapioca flour. These two flours are mostly the same thing because tapioca gets extracted from the cassava root.

These ingredients contain 27% protein, 16% fat, and 5% fiber which is an optimal breakdown and we love food that carries a high amount of fiber like this blend.

 

Wet Dog Food

Regular, Grain-Free & Ground Entreé

Ground entreé recipes offer a delicious mixture of pate-style meals that start with real meat. It’s composed of all-natural ingredients plus a dose of vitamins and minerals to keep your pet fortified for all of his active plays.

6. Purina Beyond Beef, Potato & Green Bean Recipe

First 5 Ingredients: Beef, Chicken, Beef Broth, Liver, Potatoes

• Overall Rating: 3 out of 5
• Flavor: 4.5 out of 5
• Ingredients: 3 out of 5
• Benefits: 4 out of 5

Most canned foods allow you to feed your pet real and recognizable ingredients. With Purina Beyond, they aren’t just recognizable, but they’re also ingredients you can trust. This pate recipe starts off with fresh beef and is supported by fresh chicken too. The combination of the two gives the protein level a bit of boost to reach a minimum 8%.

Most wet canned food either has water or broth in the first or second slots in the recipe list. However, this formulation brings your pets more meats and solids by firmly placing beef and chicken in front. Beef broth only comes in third.

You might be surprised to see liver here too, but organs are rich sources of nutrients. Liver, in particular, is full of them. Plus, liver enhances the palatability of any food, making it more enticing for dogs to eat.

96% of reviewers recommend this food, and the combined rating from buyers is 4.6%. Many who have bought this were satisfied that their picky dogs liked the flavor.

However, some like us, are firmly against the use of carrageenan. This is the reason for our low scoring for this recipe. A few studies have linked carrageenan with diseases in pets. And although these haven’t been all-conclusive, it would be better to be safe than to be sorry.

We find the guaranteed analysis of this wet dog food to be satisfactory. The crude fat is pegged at 6%, fiber at 1.5% max, and moisture at 78% max.

There are many other ground entreé recipes under the wet food range, such as Chicken, Carrot & Pea, Chicken, Lamb & Spinach, Ocean Whitefish, Salmon & Sweet Potato, Alaskan Cod, and Turkey & Sweet Potato.

Regular, Grain-Free & In Gravy

Dogs go wild for gravy too! The In Gravy recipes will deliver all of the right nutrients in a perfectly balanced hearty blend of gravy sauce. The delicious grain-free meals contain no soy, corn, wheat, or gluten. Just pure quality meat and ingredients.

7. Purina Beyond Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe in Gravy

First 5 Ingredients:  Water Sufficient For Processing, Chicken, Liver, Dried Egg Whites, Potato Starch

• Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
• Flavor: 4.5 out of 5
• Ingredients: 4.5 out of 5
• Benefits: 4 out of 5

Chicken, a classic pooch favorite, leads the ingredients list in this Purina Beyond wet food recipe. As long as your pet is not allergic to chicken, this is an excellent animal protein to have in his food.

Chicken is chock full of protein, Omega fatty acids, and glucosamine. And since it’s an animal protein source, it has all the essential amino acids your dog needs to thrive.

Aiding chicken in taste and nutrient content is the inclusion of liver. Picky or recovering dogs are often prescribed a bit of liver in their diet to make them eat, and the liver here seeks to enhance the overall taste of the meal. Not to mention it’s also full of fat and vitamin A.

As ratings go, this formulation gets a nice 4.5 out of 5 from consumers. Pet owners like how Purina Beyond has made a dish from quality ingredients but selling it at an affordable price. And because the meal is in a hearty gravy sauce, finicky pups are wont to chow it down quickly.

However, this gravy recipe contains less meat parts than the pate version, which some pet owners pointed out. Water is the first ingredient, followed by chicken. Unlike in the pate version, which has the first two slots taken up by meat with moisture only coming in third.

The guaranteed analysis for this recipe shows a bit lower content of fat than we’re used to seeing in wet food (3% minimum), but the protein (8%), fiber (1.5%), and moisture (82%) are all on point.

Other In Gravy recipes are Beef & Spinach and Turkey & Green Bean.

Wild

The Purina Beyond Wild formulations contain high-quality meat as the first ingredient along with nutrient-dense foods and nutrient-rich organs. These recipes are prey-inspired to deliver all of the nutrition your pet will naturally seek in the wild.

8. Purina Beyond Wild Beef, Liver & Lamb Pate Recipe

First 5 Ingredients: Beef, Beef Broth, Chicken, Liver, Lamb

• Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
• Flavor: 4.5 out of 5
• Ingredients: 3 out of 5
• Benefits: 4.5 out of 5

Just like in the wild, this recipe contains mostly meat aside from the added vitamins and minerals. It starts with beef and is followed by beef broth. However, if you’re expecting just one meat ingredient, you’d be pleasantly surprised.

Aside from beef, you can also find chicken, liver, lamb, chicken liver, and chicken heart. If you’re not used to seeing animal organ ingredients, don’t worry! Organs are even more nutrient-dense than muscle meat, and they’re perfectly good to eat

This is another highly popular recipe by Purina Beyond. A 100% of consumers recommend this formulation, while a significant chunk of them have given the meal a very high rating for an average score of 4.8 out of 5. So far, none have given it a one or two stars yet, and only one has given it a three.

We’ll have to take off a few stars, though, from the ingredients rating. While most of the ingredients are what you’d expect from a premium brand, we oppose the use of carrageenan as thickener and emulsifier.

This particular Purina Beyond recipe offers up a lot of meaty solids for your pups to chow down on. There are seven main ingredients here and six of those are meat-based. This must account for the higher protein percentage when compared to other Purina Beyond wet food recipes.

The guaranteed analysis for this recipe shows 9% protein, 7% fat, 1.5% fiber, and 78% moisture.

Another Wild formulation is the Turkey, Liver & Duck Recipe.

Mixers and Toppers

Immune Support

This mixer has been carefully crafted to boost your pet’s immune system. It has all the nutrients he needs to support his immune health in a drool-worthy tasty broth that you can add to many of his regular food.

9. Purina Beyond Mixers Immune Support Chicken Bone Broth

First 5 Ingredients: Chicken Bone Broth + vitamins and minerals

• Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5
• Flavor: 4.5 out of 5
• Ingredients: 4.5 out of 5
• Benefits: 4.5 out of 5

There’s just really one main ingredient here, and it’s the star of the show. The chicken broth is a liquid topper that’s been crafted to add more flavor to any meal, be it wet or dry food.

It contains collagen, a structural protein that contains a number of benefits for dogs. It keeps joints young, ensures that connective tissues stay flexible, improves skin and fur health, and promotes a hearty appetite.

There is also a significant number of vitamins included here, such as Vitamin E, B-Vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12), Vitamin D3 and Vitamin A.

Because it’s pure broth, there’s no fat content included. There is, however, a bit of protein at .5% and fiber at .1%.

Alaska

This wag-worthy broth complements any wet or dry food by enhancing the taste and adding more nutrients to support your pup’s health. It’s crafted with Alaska-sourced fish and with limited ingredients to satisfy sensitive dogs.

10. Purina Beyond Alaskan Salmon Recipe

First 5 Ingredients: Salmon Broth, Salmon, Broccoli, Tomato, Guar Gum

• Overall Rating: 5 out of 5
• Flavor: 5 out of 5
• Ingredients: 5 out of 5
• Benefits: 5 out of 5

Your furry friend will be counting down the hours to mealtimes when you use this tasty fish broth by Purina Beyond. Salmon offers a subtle and refreshing taste that’s quite different from other fish, and its broth heads the list of ingredients in this yummy liquid topper.

After salmon broth comes real salmon meat to add a bit of texture to the soup. You can also find broccoli and tomato in it for more flavor, and of course, nutrition. It’s the perfect topper for sensitive pets because of its limited but healthy ingredients.

The ratings may not be as high as you’d expect for a quality product, but most are complaints about the steep price and the smaller portion rather than about the broth itself. As for the taste, most reviewers have found that their pets love the flavor of the liquid topper.

It may be simple broth with bits of salmon, but the nutrient content is nothing to sneeze at. The protein level at 7% is comparable to the content of a wet food meal. The fat is a little low at 0.5% but that’s to be expected for a broth. The fiber is 1% — not a bad amount for a topper.

Behind the Brand

Before talking specifically about Purina Beyond we need to go way back to 1894 when a man by the name of William H. Danforth started a company designed around creating food for farm animals. That company was eventually called Ralston Purina in 1902.

In 1926, the first pet nutrition and care center was developed near Gray Summit, Missouri. This task allowed the company to test foods with the animals to decide if they were palatable or not.

In 1956, Purina Dog Chow becomes the first pet food with the distinctive shape known today as “kibble.”

1986, Purina develops a process that makes it possible to use real meat as the first ingredient, they later called it Purina Pro Plan. They were the first pet food company to use meat to this capacity.

2001, Nestle buys Purina helping them to expand their food sales to people all over the world.

2014, Purina develops a first-of-its-kind personalized dog food line that gets based on the company’s own research of your dog. They create customized dog food and send it directly to your door.

Purina has a rich history in this business, and it seems they are developing far beyond a cheap dog food brand. They are an industry leader in sales and marketing as well as animal health and welfare.

 

What Types of Dog Food Does Purina Beyond Offer?

Purina Beyond offers many different types of dog foods to meet the needs of different pups all over the world. They offer dry and wet foods as well as treats, and they come in eight different proteins.

They also offer specific lines including grain-free, simple origins, simply 9, small breed, superfood, and wild.

Each recipe also comes with sub-categories like sensitive stomachs, non-GMO, and high-protein.

It can get confusing when you’re talking about all of these variables, so we’ll break it down and keep it simple for you.

Grain-Free Options:

• Beef and Egg
• Beef and Lentil
• Chicken and Egg
• Hake and Lentil
• Tuna and Egg

Simple Origins (wet only):

All of these proteins are farm-raised or wild caught

• Chicken and Pea
• Pacific Cod and Carrot
• Chicken, Wild Alaskan Salmon, and Spinach

Simply 9 Limited-Ingredients:

• Ranch Raised Lamb and Whole Barley
• White Meat Chicken and Whole Barley

Superfood Blend:

• Salmon, Egg, and Pumpkin

Beyond Wild:

• Turkey and Lentil with Chicken

Purina Beyond Recall History List:

Purina Beyond is a newer line of food, so there is only one recall available.

August 2013 – Purina One Beyond recalls Chicken and Barley Recipe for possible salmonella risk.

Customer Reviews

Like we said before, reputation is everything, and there is no better way to get a feel for a company other than reading what current and previous users have experienced. In this section, we’re taking a look at some real-life reviews from previous customers who have tried Purina Beyond.

Positive

Best dog food ever!

My dog is half pit/half choco lab. He's very very sensitive to certain ingredients in his food. We've tried Blue, Diamond and other top brand dog foods and those were horrible for him. Gave him gas, diarrhea, and vomiting.

Purina One Beyond is the ONLY food that agrees with him. He loves this chicken flavor, and he loves the biscuits!! Best dog food ever! – Chewy Customer

Happy dog, happy mom!

Love the Purina Beyond! My pup is a mutt with a relatively sensitive stomach. We went through a lot of trial and error before finding something he could eat without making him sick. I love the simplicity of the ingredients and the uniformity of the kibble.

My boy gobbles it up every day. Further, I am a former employee at a vet's office, and we always highly recommend the Purina brand, especially this formula that is simple with little to no added garbage. – Chewy Customer

Negative

Out of 163 reviews, there are only seven negative reviews on their most popular line which is highly impressive by our standards.

Beyond dog food

My dogs didn't like it. I even mixed it with the former food, and they wouldn't eat it. I suppose everything is not for everyone. I have two male pugs. Thank you for asking. – Chewy Customer

Purina Beyond

I thought I would try something different for my Girls, Abigail and Sahara. They are not happy campers with this choice. I have to run out and buy a small bag of food before their next shipment comes.

Abigail literally lays flat on the floor looking up at me – do you really want me to eat this. I feel like my Mom back in the day with a plate of food in front of me I did not care for but had to eat. – Chewy Customer

Purina Beyond: Far Beyond Our Expectations

Overall: 4.5 out of 5
Flavor: 4 out of 5
Ingredients: 4 out of 5
Benefits: 4.5 out of 5
Packaging: 4 out of 5
Price: 4.5 out of 5

Coming into this review, we were unsure of what to expect because we thought of Purina as a cheap food brand full of by-products and fillers. We were quickly put in our place when we saw how Purina takes extra steps to ensure only premium ingredients go into their Beyond line.

This food contains no by-products, corn, wheat, or soy in any of their limited ingredient or grain-free options. According to many reviews online, pups enjoy the protein-rich flavor and kibble size.

Overall, Purina Beyond’s name speaks for itself because they surely go the extra mile to give you the best ingredients at a reasonable price.