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Natural Balance vs. Taste of the Wild

In this comparison article for Natural Balance vs Taste of the Wild, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Natural Balance and Taste of the Wild, we'll use up-to-date nutritional and price information.

There are many factors to consider when choosing the best pet food brand for your pet. Factors such as ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, product safety, brand history, and cost are among the most important factors to consider.

Throughout this Taste of the Wild vs Natural Balance comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Natural Balance Review Page or Taste of the Wild Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: Taste of the Wild vs. Natural Balance

According to AAFCO, all pet food labels must provide a guaranteed analysis of nutrient content. The analysis must provide guaranteed minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.

All percentages used in this comparison are averages reported on a dry matter basis.

Natural Balance Dog Food vs. Taste of the Wild Dog Food

Dry Dog Food	Natural Balance	Taste of the Wild
Crude Protein	27.6%	32.0%
Crude Fat	14.4%	17.8%
Crude Fiber	5.2%	4.6%

Wet/Canned Dog Food	Natural Balance	Taste of the Wild
Crude Protein	39.7%	45%
Crude Fat	20.5%	20.6%
Crude Fiber	8.5%	5.6%

Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food

Dogs require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Twelve of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining ten are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these ten essential amino acids.

There is a relatively large difference between the protein content of Taste of the Wild and Natural Balance. On average, Natural Balance dry dog food recipes contain 4.41% less protein than Taste of the Wild recipes. In addition, Taste of the Wild wet dog foods also provide more protein than Natural Balance wet foods.

Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food

Fats are an absolutely vital component of a balanced canine diet. Not only do fats provide energy, but they also serve important roles in the normal development and function of your dog's body. For example, fats help dogs produce prostaglandins, which reduce inflammation among many other significant functions.

There is a small difference between the fat content of Taste of the Wild and Natural Balance. We can see that Taste of the Wild guarantees about 3.49% more fat than Natural Balance. For wet dog foods, Taste of the Wild and Natural Balance provide roughly the same amount of fat.

There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude fiber content of the two brands. For wet dog foods, Natural Balance typically provides a little more fiber (about 2.90% more).

Natural Balance Cat Food vs. Taste of the Wild Cat Food

Dry Cat Food	Natural Balance	Taste of the Wild
Crude Protein	36.8%	38.4%
Crude Fat	14.3%	17.8%
Crude Fiber	5.5%	3.3%

Wet/Canned Cat Food	Natural Balance	Taste of the Wild
Crude Protein	46.7%	44.4%
Crude Fat	20.2%	16.7%
Crude Fiber	7.1%	8.3%

Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food

Cats require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Eleven of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining eleven are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these eleven essential amino acids.

Both brands provide roughly the same amount of crude protein. For wet cat foods, Natural Balance typically provides a little more protein (about 2.30% more).

Crude Fat Comparison For Cat Food

There are many ways in which dietary fat contributes to the overall health of our feline friends. Here is a short list of benefits provided by fats (not exhaustive):

Fats help with the digestion and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins
Reduce inflammation associated with arthritis
Slow the growth of yeast infections
Prevent or reduce the likelihood of certain heart problems.
Aid in the development of the retina and visual cortex.

According to our average data, Natural Balance typically provides less fat than Taste of the Wild. However, this difference is relatively small and doesn't represent a significant difference between the two brands. In addition, Natural Balance wet cat foods also provide more fat than Taste of the Wild wet foods.

If you look at the average percentages of crude fiber, you'll notice that Natural Balance typically guarantees 2.13% more fiber. This is a fairly small difference between Natural Balance and Taste of the Wild, but still worth mentioning. For wet cat foods, Taste of the Wild and Natural Balance provide roughly the same amount of fiber.

Natural Balance Pet Food Ingredients vs. Taste of the Wild Pet Food Ingredients

Natural Balance and Taste of the Wild both use the following controversial ingredients in many of their products:

Pea Protein

Tomato Pomace

Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Natural Balance.

Giblets

Beet Pulp

Canola Oil

Brewers Rice

Caramel Color

Feeding Oatmeal

Poultry Giblets

Dried Tomato Pomace

We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.

Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Natural Balance.

Menadione Sodium Bisulfate Complex

Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Product Safety: Recall History of Natural Balance & Taste of the Wild?

Natural Balance has been recalled 6 times.

July 21, 2007: ofbotulinum toxin
May 4, 2012: Salmonella
June 18, 2010: Salmonella
April 27, 2007: Melamine
April 17, 2007: Melamine
July 3, 2020: elevated levels of choline chloride

Taste of the Wild has been recalled once.

May 5, 2012: Salmonella

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog Food	Natural Balance	Taste of the Wild
Per Pound	$5.23	$2.30
Per Calorie	$0.0029	$0.0014

Dry Cat Food	Natural Balance	Taste of the Wild
Per Pound	$3.69	$2.97
Per Calorie	$0.0023	$0.0018

Wet Dog Food	Natural Balance	Taste of the Wild
Per Pound	$6.27	$3.47
Per Calorie	$0.0137	$0.0085

Wet Cat Food	Natural Balance	Taste of the Wild
Per Pound	$7.63	$5.72
Per Calorie	$0.0183	$0.0132

The average cost-per-lb is heavily influenced by the varying amounts of moisture present in each brand's food products (wet vs. dry food, dry vs. freeze-dried food, etc). However, the average cost-per-kcal eliminates the influence of moisture. Therefore, the average cost-per-kcal is the better metric to consider.

If you'd like to calculate the average cost-per-day or cost-pet-year of feeding Natural Balance or Taste of the Wild, input your pet's weight into our cost analyzer widget.

Averages price data can identify whether or not there exists a significant price difference between two brands. However, the actual price that you'll pay for Natural Balance or Taste of the Wild will depend on your shopping habits.

Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Natural Balance and Taste of the Wild. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.

Disclosure: PawDiet has an affiliate relationship with stores featured (or linked-to) in this article. We are compensated for referring customers. Thank you for shopping with our retail partners!

Where To Buy Natural Balance Pet Foods

You can purchase Natural Balance pet foods from the following stores:

96 Recipes In-Stock Today

79 Recipes In-Stock Today

82 Recipes In-Stock Today

16 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy Taste of the Wild Pet Foods

You can purchase Taste of the Wild pet food products from these retailers:

21 Recipes In-Stock Today

26 Recipes In-Stock Today

17 Recipes In-Stock Today

18 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

Product	Natural Balance	Taste of the Wild
Dry Dog Food	39 Recipes	16 Recipes
Wet Dog Food	27 Recipes	5 Recipes
Dog Treats	33 Treats	None
Dry Cat Food	16 Recipes	5 Recipes
Wet Cat Food	43 Recipes	2 Recipes
Cat Treats	None	None