Highly Recommended
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Our Verdict
The Honest Kitchen Grain-Free dehydrated product range is made up of eight recipes with ratings varying from 4.5 to 5 stars. The average rating of the whole range is 5 stars.
The table below shows each recipe in this range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
Recipe and Label Analysis
The Honest Kitchen Grain Free Chicken Recipe was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
The Honest Kitchen Grain Free Chicken Recipe
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Dehydrated chicken, flaxseed, dehydrated potatoes, dehydrated sweet potatoes, dried apples, dehydrated celery, dehydrated honey, dehydrated pumpkin, dehydrated cabbage, dried bananas, dried papayas, dehydrated green beans, dried basil, dried organic kelp, dried garlic, minerals [tricalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, choline chloride, zinc amino acid chelate, iron amino acid chelate, potassium iodide, copper amino acid chelate, sodium selenite], taurine, vitamins [vitamin E supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), calcium pantothenate (vitamin B5), riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D3 supplement]
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 6.5%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 24% | 14% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 26% | 15% | 51% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 23% | 33% | 44% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is dehydrated chicken. This item is considered a meat concentrate and contains more than four times as much protein as fresh chicken.
Plus (unlike chicken meal) dehydrated chicken is never exposed to high temperatures during processing, so it preserves more of the meat’s natural nutrients.
The second ingredient is 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.
The next two ingredients dehydrated sweet potato and dehydrated potato, a dehydrated item usually made from the by-products of potato processing. In most cases, dried potato can contain about 10% dry matter protein which can have a slight affect on our estimate of the total meat content of this recipe.
The fifth ingredient is dried apple, a nutrient-rich fruit that’s also high in fiber.
The sixth ingredient is dried celery. Although raw celery can be very high in water, it can still contribute a notable amount of dietary fiber as well as other healthy nutrients.
The seventh ingredient is dried honey. Even though honey gets its sweetness naturally from the monosaccharides fructose and glucose, it must still be considered a form of sugar.
The eighth item includes dried pumpkin. Pumpkin is a nutritious addition high in complex carbohydrates, beta-carotene and dietary fiber.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other ingredients.
But realistically, items located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this Honest Kitchen product.
With five notable exceptions…
First, garlic can be a controversial item. Although many favor the ingredient for its claimed health benefits, garlic has been linked to Heinz body anemia in dogs.1
So, one must weigh the potential benefits of feeding garlic against its proven tendency to cause subclinical damage to the red blood cells of the animal.
Next, we find no mention of probiotics, friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing to help with digestion.
In addition, taurine is 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.
Next, this recipe includes sodium selenite, a controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.
And lastly, 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.
Nutrient Analysis
Before we conclude, it’s worth noting The Honest Kitchen has taken the rather unusual step of applying for (and actually receiving) FDA approval to label its pet foods “human grade“.
The company only uses human-edible components and produces all its products in a human food manufacturing facility.
So, based on its ingredients alone, The Honest Kitchen Grain Free Chicken Recipe appears to be a superior dog food.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 26%, a fat level of 15% and estimated carbohydrates of about 51%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 30% and a mean fat level of 15%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 47% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 49%.
Which means Tthis Honest Kitchen product line contains…
Near-average protein. Near-average fat. And near-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the flaxseed in this recipe and the chickpeas or navy beans contained in a few others, this still looks like the profile of a product containing a notable amount of meat.
The Honest Kitchen Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to The Honest Kitchen through November 2024.
No recalls noted.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of The Honest Kitchen Grain Free Dog Food
The Honest Kitchen Grain Free is a dehydrated dog food using a notable to significant amounts of named dehydrated meats as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.
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