We at salt + saffron consider our four-legged friends as family, so maintaining our dog’s health is something really special to us to keep him happy & healthy.
What Encouraged Us to Make a Change
This recipe was originally made for Watson to support his immune and digestive health. For a few months he had been struggling with digestion, eating his meals fully, and going to the bathroom regularly. Things took a turn when we needed to take him to the vet because he was having digestion issues. Our vet gave us directions to make food to help heal and support his digestive tract. Watson‘s health drastically changed after we did research to find the best ingredients to support his new diet.
Simple & Nutritious Dog Food
After researching about dog-friendly plant-based ingredients we put together a list of items that we could use to make his meals. Here is a list of veggies, fruits, and meats that dogs are able to consume and contain healthier meat options. We mostly stick to fresh items and use a select few frozen items that I have indicated below.
Veggies
broccoli (bought frozen)
brussel sprouts
carrots
celery
green beans
peas (bought frozen)
spinach
pumpkin
sweet potatoes
rustic potatoes
Fruits
apples
banana (in moderation)
cantaloupe
blueberries
cranberries
raspberries
strawberries
cucumbers
mangos
oranges
peaches
pears
pineapples
watermelon
Meats
chicken (frozen)
lean ground turkey (frozen)
lean ground beef (frozen)
Tips
For this recipe there are a few staple items we always use and freeze so we have a supply. All the ingredients are added to the instapot and set to pressure cook for 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on the amount of frozen food you are using.
What We Feed Our Dog
A scoop of kibble (3/4 cup) + a scoop of homemade food (1/2 cup) for each meal. Watson eats once in the morning and once in the evening.
Ingredients
3 medium - large rustic potatoes
4 stalks of celery
4 large carrots
1 lb meat of choice
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
2 cups of water
Instructions
Wash, peel, and cut potatoes into fourths, then shred potatoes, carrots, and celery in a food processor.
Set the instapot to sauté mode, add 2 tbsp of extra virgin and add the meat to cook for 5 minutes. Stirring a couple times to sauté.
Add the shredded veggies, 2 cups of water and switch the instapot mode to pressure cook.
Set to pressure cook for 30 minutes (make sure pressure valve is closed).
let pressure release naturally, should be 15 minutes or so.
remove lid and distribute into airtight sealed containers. Will last up to 2 weeks.
Variations
keep the potatoes and mix a cup of any type of veggies or fruits listed above. see what your dog likes and stick to those items!
Mix in different types of meat. rotating between all three types of meat will boost variety and flavor. Try using 1/2 pound of one meat and 1/2 of another!
Get to know what your dog‘s favorite ingredients may be. Recently we discovered Watson loves cabbage!
I hope this post encourages you to make your own dog food at home for your furbabies. Expect some sweet dog kisses in return!
xTannaz
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