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Our Verdict
Nutro Natural Choice Hearty Stew Dog Food product range is made up of four recipes which each receive the Dog Food Advisor’s rating, 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.
| Product line | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Nutro Natural Hearty Stew Chunky Beef, Tomato, Carrot and Pea | 5 | M |
| Nutro Natural Choice Hearty Stew Meaty Lamb, Green Bean and Carrot | 5 | M |
| Nutro Natural Choice Hearty Stew Roasted Turkey, Sweet Potato and Green Bean | 5 | M |
| Nutro Natural Choice Hearty Stew Tender Chicken, Carrot and Pea | 5 | M |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Nutro Hearty Stew Tender Chicken, Carrot and Pea was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Nutro Hearty Stew Tender Chicken, Carrot and Pea
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Chicken, pork broth, chicken broth, chicken liver, carrots, peas, dried egg product, animal plasma, dried peas, tapioca starch, sunflower oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), calcium carbonate, guar gum, salt, potassium chloride, choline chloride, sodium acid pyrophosphate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, tricalcium phosphate, xanthan gum, natural flavor, dried tomatoes, magnesium sulfate, sodium hexametaphosphate, ferrous sulfate, vitamin E supplement, zinc oxide, copper proteinate, sodium selenite, vitamin A supplement, manganese sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, biotin, riboflavin supplement, potassium iodide, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin D3 supplement
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 1%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 9% | 3% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 50% | 17% | 25% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 43% | 35% | 22% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.1
Chicken is naturally rich in the ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The next two items include pork and chicken broths. Broths are of only modest nutritional value. Yet because they add both flavor and moisture to a dog food, they are a common component in many canned products.
The fourth ingredient is chicken liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.
The next ingredient lists carrots, which are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
The sixth ingredient includes peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber.
However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.
The seventh inclusion is dried egg product, a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries — from eggs that have failed to hatch.
In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
The eighth ingredient is animal plasma. Plasma is what remains of blood after the blood cells themselves have been removed. In most cases, plasma can be considered a nutritious addition.
However, since there’s no mention of a specific animal in the name of this particular ingredient, this item could be sourced from any species. And that fact can make it difficult to isolate the cause of a dog’s food-based allergy.
For this reason, we do not consider generic animal plasma a quality ingredient.
The ninth ingredient lists dried peas. Dried peas are a good source of carbohydrates. Plus they’re naturally rich in dietary fiber.
However, dried peas contain about 27% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.
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 Nutro product.
With four notable exceptions…
First, we find sunflower oil, which is nutritionally similar to safflower oil. Since these oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids and contain no omega-3’s, they’re considered less nutritious than canola or flaxseed oils.
Sunflower oil is notable for its resistance to heat damage during cooking.
There are several different types of sunflower oil, some better than others. Without knowing more, it’s impossible to judge the quality of this ingredient.
Next, this food includes sodium hexametaphosphate, a man-made industrial polymer with no known nutritive value.
HMP is used in making soap, detergents, water treatment, metal finishing and most likely here to decrease tartar build-up on the teeth.
Although some might disagree, we’re of the opinion that food is not the place for tartar control chemicals or any other non-nutritive substances.
In addition, with the exception of copper, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually associated with higher quality dog foods.
And lastly, this recipe contains 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.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Nutro Natural Choice Hearty Stew Tender Chicken, Carrot and Pea looks like an above-average canned product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 50%, a fat level of 17% and estimated carbohydrates of about 25%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 53% and a mean fat level of 21%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 18% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 39%.
Which means this Nutro product line contains…
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to other canned dog foods.
When you consider the protein-boosting effect of the peas and dried peas, this looks like the profile of a canned product still containing a significant amount of meat.
Nutro Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Nutro through November 2024.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Nutro Natural Choice Hearty Stew Dog Food
Nutro Natural Choice Hearty Stew is a grain-free canned dog food using a significant amount of named meats as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.
Compare Nutro Natural Choice Hearty Stew Dog Food
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A Final Word
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