Top 6 Things to Look for in Your Dog’s Food

Dog parents want the best for their pups, but it’s tough to wade through the sea of dog foods on the market to find one that’s healthy, wholesome, and balancing. To get the highest-quality food for your dog, look for these six things.

You’re not going to walk into a pet store and buy the cheapest kibble on the shelf. But what should you buy? Pet food labels are confusing, and there are so many brands to choose from! These six tips will help you find a dog food that’s worthy of your precious pup.

1. The Food Makes The List!

Every year, Susan Thixton assesses pet foods and comes up with Truth About Pet Food’s The List. These are pet foods she would actually feed her own dogs and cats. All pet food manufacturers should aspire to be on The List. It means a food meets Thixton’s rigorous standards and is trustworthy, safe, and made with real foods and human-grade ingredients.

2. Made in America

Pet food and manufacturing standards differ all over the world. But in the United States, pet food is highly regulated, so the food is safer. However, you’ll also want to choose a brand that uses only the highest-quality American foods.

3. The Recipes Use Clean, Whole Foods

All dog parents want their pups to live long, happy, healthy lives. You can give them the best chance by feeding them clean, whole, real foods. That means natural, GMO-free ingredients, no fillers, and no artificial preservatives or additives. Look for ingredient lists with the same foods you’d find on your own plate!

4. There’s Minimal Processing

When you start a recipe with the highest-quality whole foods, the last thing you want to do is ruin it with processing. Minimally processed food retains its flavor, nutrient profile, and goodness. For example, raw, freeze-dried food is one of the best options for dog food because the freeze-drying process kills pathogens without destroying nutrients or flavor.

5. The Food Doesn’t Need Additives

The best thing about using superior ingredients and clean, whole foods is that you don’t need to add synthetic vitamins and minerals. The right food is wholesome and nourishing, complete and balanced, all on its own.

6. Eastern Food Therapy Guides the Recipes

Eastern Food Therapy is a 5,000-year-old health practice that uses food to balance bodies. Your dog can be Warm, Neutral, or Cool. Warm and Cool dogs have an imbalance, which can cause allergies, lethargy, digestive issues, aggression, and other health and behavioral issues. The right food will nourish and balance your dog and restore them to optimal health.

Sadly, there aren’t many pet food brands on the market that actually check all six boxes, but Side by Side does. It’s made in the United States with clean, whole, non-GMO American ingredients that balance and nourish without additives—and it made The List! Guided by Eastern Food Therapy and modern nutrition science, Side by Side diets correct imbalances so that dogs can live long, happy, allergy-free lives, have perfect poops and great digestion, and have healthy appetites and lots of energy for all life’s adventures.

Visit Side by Side today to learn more about balancing your dog with clean, whole-food recipes guided by Eastern Food Therapy.