Nature's Recipe Dog Food Ingredients
According to our research, Nature's Recipe manufactures 36 dog food recipes using 138 unique ingredients. To evaluate the quality of ingredients used by Nature's Recipe, we've studied all 138 ingredients. In this article, we'll share our findings on Nature's Recipe ingredients.
| Dog Food Recipes | 36 |
| Unique Ingredients | 138 |
| Artificial Colors | 0 |
| Animal By-Products | 0 |
| Anonymous Meats | 1 |
| Controversial | 10 |
| Harmful | 2 |
First 5 Ingredients
Dog food ingredients in the United States are listed in descending order of pre-cooked weight. The first 5 ingredients typically constitute a significant portion of the recipe.
For Nature's Recipe, these are the most common ingredients found within the first 5 dog food ingredients.
- chicken
- chicken meal
- sweet potato
- tapioca starch
- brown rice
As you can see, the most common first ingredient in Nature's Recipe is chicken. The most common 2nd ingredient is chicken meal, followed by sweet potato, tapioca starch, and brown rice.
Artificial Food Coloring Dyes
Nature's Recipe does not use any artificial food coloring dyes. According to our records, none of the 36 Nature's Recipe dog foods contain artificial food dyes.
Artificial food coloring dyes are unnecessary and potentially harmful ingredients. In general, we not not recommend feeding any pet foods that contain artificial dyes.
In 2010, the CSPI raised serious concerns regarding the safety of many artificial dyes. Most of the studies referenced by the CSPI involved prolonged or excessive consumption. Since most dogs consume the same foods throughout their lives, concerns raised by the CSPI are alarming to say the least.
To read more about Artificial Food Dyes, click here.
Animal By-Products
According to our records, Nature's Recipe does not contain any animal by-products.
Animal by-products are basically the leftover parts of the the carcass after its been processed for meat. AAFCO defines by-products as the non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals.
Although by-products are still fairly nutritious ingredients, consumers have equated them with slaughterhouse waste. Therefore, most premium brands, including Nature's Recipe have decided to remove by-products and instead use named organ meats (beef liver, chicken gizzards).
For further reading on the controversy over animal by-products, click here.
Anonymous Meat Ingredients
Anonymous meats are animal-based ingredients which do not provide the source animal's name. These ingredients are controversial because they can come from almost any animal.
In addition, anonymous animal-based ingredients are very inexpensive and often the lowest quality meats that are still allowed to be used in pet food.
In general, we do not recommend feeding any products which contain anonymous meats. When in doubt, always contact the brand's customer service desk for further clarification.
Unfortunately, we've identified 1 anonymous meat ingredient used by Nature's Recipe.
Poultry fat is a by-product of poultry tissue rendering. Poultry fat is a controversial ingredient because the specific protein is not specified. Such ingredients are typically low-quality in comparison to named poultry fats (e.g. chicken fat, turkey fat).
The following recipes contain poultry fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols):
- Nature's Recipe Grain Free Puppy Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Chicken & Rice Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Lamb & Rice Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Easy To Digest Chicken, Rice & Barley Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Puppy Lamb & Rice Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Mature Lamb & Rice Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Small Bites Chicken & Rice Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Prime Blends Grain Free Chicken, Turkey & Butternut Squash Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Prime Blends Salmon, Barley & Chicken Recipe With Whole Grains
Controversial Ingredients
In most cases, ingredients which are given the controversial classification can be substituted with higher-quality alternatives. You should evaluate each controversial ingredient independently to see if there is truly a valid cause for concern.
Keep in mind, certain sacrifices often must be made to produce dog foods at a reasonable price. In general, the more expensive the product, the fewer controversial ingredients you'll find.
In our analysis, we've identified 10 controversial ingredients inside Nature's Recipe products. These controversial ingredients are listed below. Click on each ingredient for more information.
Garlic spice in very small quantities can be an acceptable addition, however, garlic can also be toxic. Therefore many pet owners choose to completely avoid garlic.
The following recipes contain garlic spice:
Canola meal is a high protein by-product of canola oil production. This ingredient is marked controversial because it may be derived from genetically modified rapeseed, which is associated with multiple adverse health affects.
The following recipes contain canola meal:
- Nature's Recipe Original Chicken & Rice Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Lamb & Rice Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Easy To Digest Chicken, Rice & Barley Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Grain Free Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Grain Free Salmon, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Grain Free Large Breed Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Puppy Lamb & Rice Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Mature Lamb & Rice Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Grain Free Small Breed Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Grain Free Lamb, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Prime Blends Grain Free Beef, Lamb & Potato Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Prime Blends Beef, Barley & Venison Recipe With Whole Grains
Dried tomato pomace is a by-product of tomato manufacturing. It's considered a controversial ingredient because many people believe it is an inexpensive low quality filler. However, tomato pomace provides a notable amount of dietary fiber, B vitamins, Lycopene, and vitamin A. Although it is a very inexpensive ingredient, it is not nutritionally empty.
The following recipes contain dried tomato pomace:
Soybean protein concentrate is produced by removing the water soluble carbohydrates from soybeans. The inclusion of non-meat protein typically degrades the overall quality of protein in the recipe. This degradation is due to the inferior amino acid profile of plant based proteins.
The following recipes contain soybean protein concentrate:
Brewer's rice is the small fragments of rice kernel that are separated from the larger kernels of milled rice. The fragments do not contain the same nutrition profile of the whole kernel and therefore brewer's rice is a lower quality grain. Brewer's rice is typically regarded as an inexpensive and low quality filler.
The following recipes contain brewers rice:
- Nature's Recipe Original Chicken & Rice Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Lamb & Rice Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Easy To Digest Chicken, Rice & Barley Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Stew Chicken, Rice & Barley Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Ground Chicken, Rice & Barley Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Stew Lamb, Rice & Barley Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Ground Lamb, Rice & Barley Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Healthy Skin Vegetarian Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Puppy Lamb & Rice Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Mature Lamb & Rice Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Small Bites Chicken & Rice Recipe
Pea protein is produced by removing the starchy parts of peas. Pea protein is considered controversial because it provides a substantial plant based protein boost. This boost is undesirable because plant based protein is typically lower in biological value when compared to meat based proteins.
The following recipes contain pea protein:
Canola oil is a plant-derived oil from the seeds of canola plants. Although fat is an essential component of any diet, canola oil is controversial in pet food. Proponents claim that canola oil provides a better fat profile in comparison to other plant based oils. However, opponents claim that canola oil is typically produced with genetically modified rapeseed and that rapeseed oil has multiple adverse health affects.
The following recipes contain canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols):
- Nature's Recipe Original Dog Food Chicken & Turkey Recipe In Broth
- Nature's Recipe Original Dog Food Chicken & Wild Salmon Recipe In Broth
- Nature's Recipe Original Dog Food Chicken Recipe In Broth
- Nature's Recipe Original Stew Chicken, Rice & Barley Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Ground Chicken, Rice & Barley Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Stew Lamb, Rice & Barley Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Ground Lamb, Rice & Barley Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Grain Free Chicken & Turkey Recipe Stew
- Nature's Recipe Grain Free Chicken & Venison Recipe Stew
- Nature's Recipe Grain Free Chicken & Duck Recipe In Broth
- Nature's Recipe Grain Free Chicken & Venison Recipe In Broth
- Nature's Recipe Healthy Skin Vegetarian Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Stew Vegetarian Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Grain Free Large Breed Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Prime Blends Grain Free Chicken & Beef Recipe In Wholesome Broth
- Nature's Recipe Prime Blends Grain Free Chicken & Lamb Recipe In Wholesome Broth
Canola oil is a plant-derived oil from the seeds of canola plants. Although fat is an essential component of any diet, canola oil is controversial in pet food. Proponents claim that canola oil provides a better fat profile in comparison to other plant based oils. However, opponents claim that canola oil is typically produced with genetically modified rapeseed and that rapeseed oil has multiple adverse health affects.
The following recipes contain canola oil:
Poultry fat is a by-product of poultry tissue rendering. Poultry fat is a controversial ingredient because the specific protein is not specified. Such ingredients are typically low-quality in comparison to named poultry fats (e.g. chicken fat, turkey fat).
The following recipes contain poultry fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols):
- Nature's Recipe Grain Free Puppy Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Chicken & Rice Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Lamb & Rice Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Easy To Digest Chicken, Rice & Barley Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Puppy Lamb & Rice Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Mature Lamb & Rice Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Original Small Bites Chicken & Rice Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Prime Blends Grain Free Chicken, Turkey & Butternut Squash Recipe
- Nature's Recipe Prime Blends Salmon, Barley & Chicken Recipe With Whole Grains
Soy protein isolate is a highly refined/purified form of soy bean protein. Roughly 90% of soy protein isolate is protein. The inclusion of non-meat protein typically degrades the overall quality of protein in the recipe. This degradation is due to the inferior amino acid profile of plant based proteins.
The following recipes contain soybean protein isolate:
Potentially Harmful Ingredients
Harmful ingredients are those which have been linked to adverse health effects. In general, we do not recommend feeding any product which contains any harmful ingredients.
There are certain situations where these ingredients may be necessary. We always recommend contacting Nature's Recipe for further clarification regarding any harmful or controversial ingredient.
We have identified 2 harmful ingredients used in certain Nature's Recipe recipes. To learn more, click on the ingredient's name.
Menadione sodium bisulfate complex is a synthetic version of vitamin K that has been linked to many health concerns. Research has suggested possible toxic reactions in liver cells and red blood cells among other serious problems. In fact, one large chemical supplier warns, "The substance is toxic to kidneys, lungs, liver, mucous membranes. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage."
The following recipes contain menadione sodium bisulfate complex:
Menadione sodium bisulfite complex is a synthetic version of vitamin K that has been linked to many health concerns. Research has suggested possible toxic reactions in liver cells and red blood cells among other serious problems. In fact, one large chemical supplier warns, "The substance is toxic to kidneys, lungs, liver, mucous membranes. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage."
The following recipes contain menadione sodium bisulfite complex:
Nature's Recipe Dog Food Ingredient Lists
Nature's Recipe
Prime Blends
Grain Free Chicken, Turkey & Butternut Squash Recipe
Nature's Recipe
Prime Blends Grain Free Chicken, Turkey & Butternut Squash Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken breastchicken meal
garbanzo bean
pea
pea protein
Nature's Recipe
Prime Blends
Salmon, Barley & Chicken Recipe With Whole Grains
Nature's Recipe
Prime Blends Salmon, Barley & Chicken Recipe With Whole Grains
First Five Ingredients
salmonchicken meal
barley
oatmeal
brown rice
Nature's Recipe
Pure Essentials
Lamb and Brown Rice Recipe
Nature's Recipe
Pure Essentials Lamb and Brown Rice Recipe
First Five Ingredients
salmonchicken meal
barley
pea
brown rice
Nature's Recipe
Pure Essentials
Salmon & Brown Rice Recipe
Nature's Recipe
Pure Essentials Salmon & Brown Rice Recipe
First Five Ingredients
salmonchicken meal
barley
pea
brown rice
Nature's Recipe
Grain Free Puppy
Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe
Nature's Recipe
Grain Free Puppy Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken meal
garbanzo bean
pea
pea starch
Nature's Recipe
Healthy Skin
Vegetarian Recipe
Nature's Recipe
Healthy Skin Vegetarian Recipe
First Five Ingredients
brewers ricesoybean meal
barley
canola oil
natural flavor
Nature's Recipe
Original Small Bites
Chicken & Rice Recipe
Nature's Recipe
Original Small Bites Chicken & Rice Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken mealbrewers rice
barley
oatmeal
poultry fat
Nature's Recipe
Original
Chicken & Rice Recipe
Nature's Recipe
Original Chicken & Rice Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken meal
brewers rice
barley
oatmeal
Nature's Recipe
Original
Lamb & Rice Recipe
Nature's Recipe
Original Lamb & Rice Recipe
First Five Ingredients
lambchicken meal
brewers rice
barley
oatmeal
Nature's Recipe
Easy To Digest
Chicken, Rice & Barley Recipe
Nature's Recipe
Easy To Digest Chicken, Rice & Barley Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken meal
brewers rice
barley
oatmeal
Nature's Recipe
Prime Blends
Beef, Barley & Venison Recipe With Whole Grains
Nature's Recipe
Prime Blends Beef, Barley & Venison Recipe With Whole Grains
First Five Ingredients
beefchicken meal
canola meal
tapioca starch
sweet potato
Nature's Recipe
Prime Blends
Grain Free Beef, Lamb & Potato Recipe
Nature's Recipe
Prime Blends Grain Free Beef, Lamb & Potato Recipe
First Five Ingredients
beefchicken meal
canola meal
tapioca starch
sweet potato
Nature's Recipe
Original Puppy
Lamb & Rice Recipe
Nature's Recipe
Original Puppy Lamb & Rice Recipe
First Five Ingredients
lambchicken meal
brewers rice
barley
oatmeal
Nature's Recipe
Original Mature
Lamb & Rice Recipe
Nature's Recipe
Original Mature Lamb & Rice Recipe
First Five Ingredients
lambchicken meal
brown rice
brewers rice
barley
Nature's Recipe
Grain Free Small Breed
Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe
Nature's Recipe
Grain Free Small Breed Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken meal
sweet potato
tapioca starch
canola meal
Nature's Recipe
Grain Free
Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe
Nature's Recipe
Grain Free Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken meal
sweet potato
tapioca starch
canola meal
Nature's Recipe
Grain Free Large Breed
Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe
Nature's Recipe
Grain Free Large Breed Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken meal
sweet potato
tapioca starch
canola meal
Nature's Recipe
Grain Free
Salmon, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe
Nature's Recipe
Grain Free Salmon, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe
First Five Ingredients
salmonchicken meal
sweet potato
tapioca starch
canola meal
Nature's Recipe
Grain Free
Lamb, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe
Nature's Recipe
Grain Free Lamb, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe
First Five Ingredients
lambchicken meal
sweet potato
tapioca starch
canola meal
Nature's Recipe
Grain Free
Chicken & Duck Recipe In Broth
Nature's Recipe
Grain Free Chicken & Duck Recipe In Broth
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken broth
pumpkin
canola oil
duck
Nature's Recipe
Original Dog Food
Chicken Recipe In Broth
Nature's Recipe
Original Dog Food Chicken Recipe In Broth
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken broth
carrot
brown rice
canola oil
Nature's Recipe
Prime Blends
Grain Free Chicken & Tuna Recipe In Wholesome Broth
Nature's Recipe
Prime Blends Grain Free Chicken & Tuna Recipe In Wholesome Broth
First Five Ingredients
chickenbroth
pumpkin
green bean
water sufficient for processing
Nature's Recipe
Prime Blends
Grain Free Chicken & Turkey Recipe In Wholesome Broth
Nature's Recipe
Prime Blends Grain Free Chicken & Turkey Recipe In Wholesome Broth
First Five Ingredients
chickenbroth
pumpkin
green bean
water sufficient for processing
Nature's Recipe
Original Dog Food
Chicken & Turkey Recipe In Broth
Nature's Recipe
Original Dog Food Chicken & Turkey Recipe In Broth
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken broth
sweet potato
potato
barley
Nature's Recipe
Original Dog Food
Chicken & Wild Salmon Recipe In Broth
Nature's Recipe
Original Dog Food Chicken & Wild Salmon Recipe In Broth
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken broth
pumpkin
salmon
brown rice
Nature's Recipe
Original Ground
Chicken, Rice & Barley Recipe
Nature's Recipe
Original Ground Chicken, Rice & Barley Recipe
First Five Ingredients
water sufficient for processingchicken
soybean meal
chicken liver
canola oil
Nature's Recipe
Original Stew
Lamb, Rice & Barley Recipe
Nature's Recipe
Original Stew Lamb, Rice & Barley Recipe
First Five Ingredients
water sufficient for processinglamb
soybean protein concentrate
whole egg product
brown rice
Nature's Recipe
Original Stew
Chicken, Rice & Barley Recipe
Nature's Recipe
Original Stew Chicken, Rice & Barley Recipe
First Five Ingredients
water sufficient for processingchicken
soybean protein concentrate
chicken liver
whole ground barley
Nature's Recipe
Grain Free
Chicken & Turkey Recipe Stew
Nature's Recipe
Grain Free Chicken & Turkey Recipe Stew
First Five Ingredients
vegetable brothchicken
sweet potato
green bean
tapioca starch
Nature's Recipe
Grain Free
Chicken & Venison Recipe Stew
Nature's Recipe
Grain Free Chicken & Venison Recipe Stew
First Five Ingredients
vegetable brothchicken
sweet potato
green bean
tapioca starch
Nature's Recipe
Grain Free
Chicken Recipe In Broth
Nature's Recipe
Grain Free Chicken Recipe In Broth
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken broth
sweet potato
pumpkin
canola oil
Nature's Recipe
Original Stew
Vegetarian Recipe
Nature's Recipe
Original Stew Vegetarian Recipe
First Five Ingredients
water sufficient for processingcarrot
pea protein
pea
soybean protein concentrate
Nature's Recipe
Grain Free
Chicken & Venison Recipe In Broth
Nature's Recipe
Grain Free Chicken & Venison Recipe In Broth
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken broth
sweet potato
venison
green bean
Nature's Recipe
Prime Blends
Grain Free Chicken & Beef Recipe In Wholesome Broth
Nature's Recipe
Prime Blends Grain Free Chicken & Beef Recipe In Wholesome Broth
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken broth
sweet potato
beef
green bean
Nature's Recipe
Prime Blends
Grain Free Chicken & Lamb Recipe In Wholesome Broth
Nature's Recipe
Prime Blends Grain Free Chicken & Lamb Recipe In Wholesome Broth
First Five Ingredients
chickenchicken broth
sweet potato
lamb
green bean
Nature's Recipe
Original Ground
Lamb, Rice & Barley Recipe
Nature's Recipe
Original Ground Lamb, Rice & Barley Recipe
First Five Ingredients
water sufficient for processingsoybean meal
lamb
lamb liver
brewers rice
