Which Steve’s Real Food Recipes Get
Our Best Ratings?

Steve’s Real Food Raw Frozen Diet receives the Advisor’s top rating of 5 stars.

The Steve’s Real Food product line includes the 7 raw frozen dog foods listed below.

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

Recipe and Label Analysis

Steve’s Real Food Beef Diet 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.

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Ingredient Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food is beef. Beef is defined as “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered cattle” and includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.¹

Beef is naturally rich in all ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.

The second ingredient is beef heart. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing to us humans, heart tissue is pure muscle — all meat. It’s naturally rich in quality protein, minerals and complex B vitamins, too.

The third ingredient is beef liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.

The fourth ingredient is beef kidney, an organ meat low in fat and rich in protein and essential minerals.

The fifth ingredient is broccoli. Broccoli is a healthy green vegetable and a member of the kale family. It’s notably rich in vitamin C and fiber and numerous other nutrients.

Like other cruciferous vegetables, broccoli is believed to provide anti-cancer benefits.

The sixth ingredient is beef bone, an excellent source of natural calcium.

The seventh ingredient includes carrots. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.

The eighth ingredient is apple, a nutrient-rich fruit that’s also high in fiber.

The ninth ingredient is lettuce. This green leafy vegetable is naturally rich in vitamins and minerals. In fact, lettuce boasts an exceptionally high nutrient Completeness Score² of 88.

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 5 notable exceptions…

First, flaxseed is 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 recipe contains coconut oil, a natural oil rich in medium-chain fatty acids.

Medium-chain triglycerides have been shown to improve cognitive function in older dogs.³

Because of its proven safety⁴ as well as its potential to help in the treatment of canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) and chronic skin disorders, MCT can be considered a positive addition to this recipe.

In addition, we find inulin, a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and typically sourced from chicory root.

Not only is inulin a natural source of soluble dietary fiber, it’s also a prebiotic used to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a dog’s digestive tract.

Next, we note the use of taurine, an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.

Since taurine deficiency appears to be more common in pets consuming grain-free diets, we view its presence in this recipe as a positive addition.

And lastly, although we find no mention of added vitamins or minerals on the ingredients list, we’re reassured to find a detailed list of naturally present nutrients on the company’s website.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Steve’s Real Food looks like an above-average raw product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 48%, a fat level of 32% and estimated carbohydrates of about 12%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 51% and a mean fat level of 30%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 10% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 60%.

Above-average protein. near-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical raw dog food.

Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the flaxseed, this looks like the profile of a raw product containing an abundance of meat.

However, with 56% of the total calories in our example coming from fat versus just 35% from protein, some recipes may not be suitable for every animal.

Our Rating of Steve’s Real Food

Steve’s Real Food is a grain-free raw frozen dog food using an abundance of named meats and organs as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.

Enthusiastically recommended.

Steve’s Real Food Recall History

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Steve’s Real Food through November.

• Steve’s Real Food Recalls Dog and Cat Foods (9/9/2018)
• Steve’s Real Food Recalls Raw Frozen Dog Food (3/3/2018)
• Warning Issued for Bravo! and Steve’s Real Raw Pet Foods (3/13/2013)
• Steve’s Real Food Recalled Due to Salmonella (3/8/2013)

You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.

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More Steve’s Real Food Reviews

The following Steve’s Real Food reviews are also posted on this website:

• Steve’s Real Food Dog Food Review (Freeze-Dried)