Is Nature’s Recipe a good dog food?

In this review… The Dog Food Advisor takes a critical look at Nature’s Recipe Dog Food… and its most popular sub-brands.

We’ll also reveal…

1. Is Nature’s Recipe made in the United States?
2. Has Nature’s Recipe been recalled?
3. Which flavors and recipes get our top ratings?

But first…

Which Sub-Brand Is Right for You?

Here are Nature’s Recipe’s most popular sub-brands. In the section below, we’ll share what makes each one different. So, you can choose the one that’s best for your dog.

Who Makes Nature’s Recipe Dog Food?

Nature’s Recipe is owned by Big Heart Pet Brands… a division of The J. M. Smucker Company of Orville, Ohio.

All dry foods are made in the United States. Wet recipes are made in Thailand.¹

Has Nature’s Recipe Dog Food Been Recalled?

Here’s a list of all recalls since 2009 related to Nature’s Recipe dog products. Updates are added as soon as new recalls are posted.

• Nature’s Recipe Dog Treats Recall (10/13/2012)

You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls here.

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Is Nature’s Recipe a Good Dog Food?

Nature’s Recipe Dog Food earns The Advisor’s mid-tier rating of 3.5 stars.

Individual Recipe Ratings

The Nature’s Recipe Original product line includes 7 dry dog foods.

Each recipe below includes its AAFCO nutrient profile when available… Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Use the following links to check prices and package sizes at an online retailer.

Recipe and Label Analysis

Nature’s Recipe Original Small Bites was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.

Ingredient Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.

The second ingredient includes brewers rice. Brewers rice is a cereal grain by-product consisting of the small fragments left over after milling whole rice. Aside from the caloric energy it contains, this item is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The third ingredient is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. However, aside from its energy content, this cereal grain is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The next ingredient is oatmeal, a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in B-vitamins, dietary fiber and can be (depending upon its level of purity) gluten-free.

The fifth ingredient is poultry fat. This item is obtained from rendering, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.

Poultry fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life.

However, poultry fat is a relatively generic ingredient and can be considered lower in quality than a similar item from a named source animal (like chicken fat).

After the natural flavor, we find tomato pomace. Tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient, a by-product remaining after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup.

Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content, while others scorn it as an inexpensive pet food filler.

Just the same, there’s probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.

The eighth ingredient is salt (also known as sodium chloride). Salt is a common additive in many dog foods. That’s because sodium is a necessary mineral for all animals — including humans.

However, since the actual amount of salt added to this recipe isn’t disclosed on the list of ingredients, it’s impossible to judge the nutritional value of this item.

Other Notable Ingredients

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.

With 4 notable exceptions…

First, we find flaxseed, one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.

However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

Next, this food contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

In addition, we find no mention of probiotics, friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing to help with digestion.

And lastly, this food includes menadione, a controversial form of vitamin K linked to liver toxicity, allergies and the abnormal break-down of red blood cells.

Since vitamin K isn’t required by AAFCO in either of its dog food nutrient profiles, we question the use of this substance in any canine formulation.

Nutrient Summary

Based on its ingredients alone, Nature’s Recipe looks like an above-average dry kibble.

The nutrient dashboard above displays a dry matter protein reading of 24%, a fat level of 13% and estimated carbohydrates of about 54%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 24% and a mean fat level of 13%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 55% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 54%.

Which means this Nature’s Recipe product contains…

Below-average protein. Below-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.

Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the flaxseed, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.

Our Rating of Nature’s Recipe Dog Food

The Dog Food Advisor considers Nature’s Recipe Grain-Free to be an above-average kibble. The recipe includes a moderate amount of named meat, fish or poultry meal as its main source of animal protein… thus earning the brand 4.5 stars. The grain-inclusive version receives a slightly lower rating.

Highly recommended.

What Do Others Say About Nature’s Recipe?

As of the time of this update…

Chewy customers rate Nature’s Recipe 4.7 out of 5 stars… and 99% say they would recommend it to others.

Here’s an actual user review…

Sample buyer review… “Both of my dogs absolutely love this brand and these ingredients. Daisy, a mix breed would throw up every once in a while and have stomach issues. But ever since I switched to this brand we have never had an issue. I read in the comments that a lot of people were complaining about the smell, it is salmon flavor…. so it will smell fishy ahaha also I did read that some dogs did have diarrhea. It’s probably because it contains pumpkin and sweet potato which help your dogs digestive System in the long run. Zoey, the Chihuahua would have trouble using the bathroom before switching to this brand. Both of my dogs have long hair and they’ve never had skin issues. 100% recommend. I’ve never read or experienced anything bad while using this brand. I’ve used it for more than 2 years.”

Read more buyer reviews at Chewy.com

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What Are Nature’s Recipe’s Best Flavors?

Based on the weighted average of their popularity and ratings, here are our 5 most recommended Nature’s Recipe flavors and recipes.

• Nature’s Recipe Grain-Free Salmon, Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Dry Dog Food
• Nature’s Recipe Grain-Free Chicken, Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Dry Dog Foodxf
• Nature’s Recipe Adult Lamb Meal and Rice Dry Dog Food
• Nature’s Recipe Small Breed Grain-Free Chicken, Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Dry Dog Food
• Nature’s Recipe Grain-Free Chicken in Broth Wet Dog Food

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More Nature’s Recipe Reviews

Here are more Nature’s Recipe dog food reviews published by The Dog Food Advisor on this website.

• Nature’s Recipe Dog Food Review (Canned)
• Nature’s Recipe Dog Food Review (Trays)
• Nature’s Recipe Grain Free Dog Food Review (Trays)
• Nature’s Recipe Grain-Free Dog Food Review (Dry)

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