3 DIY Homemade Dog Food Recipes to Try During Quarantine

Since some of us are in quarantine, we have been trying new home workouts and new recipes, so why not try a nice home-cooked meal for our pup? They are always treating us with their love, so we should treat them back with some special homemade dog food.

I have been using these recipes with my dog for about 2 years now. Every time I make the beef stew, my dog comes running to the kitchen! These recipes help keep my dog healthy and fit as well as give help anytime he has an upset stomach or diarrhea.

Dog food, in general, should contain high-quality proteins, fats, carbohydrates, calcium, and essential fatty acids. Depending on your dog's specific diet the ratios of how much of each your dog should have can change. Use your personal judgment and consult your pet’s veterinarian when using this information for your dog’s diet.

Also, keep in mind that you don’t have to make homemade dog food for every meal. There might be some benefits to eating dry food. For instance, it helps with teeth strength and their digestive tract.

There are several recipes out there but these are the 5 that we thought sounded the best. Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

This recipe is easy to make and easy to stow away. It consists of mostly protein but also gives your dog a healthy amount of veggies and grains. 

• 3 pounds of ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 ½ cup of brown rice
• 3 cups of baby spinach, chopped
• 2 shredded carrots
• 1 shredded zucchini
• ½ cup of peas, canned or frozen

1. Use a large saucepan and pour 3 cups of water, and cook the rice according to the instructions on the package. Then set aside. 
2. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and cook until browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Make sure you crumble it as it cooks. 
3. Stir in the spinach, shredded zucchini peas, and shredded carrots. Stir until the spinach has wilted and the mixture is heated through about 3 to 5 minutes. 
4. Let it cool completely.

Once you’ve made your batch, divide it up into single servings and put the rest in the freezer for later use, and be sure to note the date. When you are ready to serve the next serving, just defrost it in the refrigerator overnight and then nuke it for 15 to 30 seconds.

This is an easy recipe that will easily become your dog's favorite meal! Plus, you can change up the ingredients like meat or potatoes or other veggies. 

• 1 pound of ground beef or chicken
• 1 large potato or sweet potato, diced
• 1 carrot diced
• ½ cup of frozen peas
• Water

1. Saute and brown the meat in a large pot until no longer pink. If you use beef, don’t drain the fat, it is good for your pup! If you use leaner meat like chicken or turkey, add coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil for some fatty acids. 
2. Add in the diced potatoes and carrots. 
3. Pour in enough water to cover the vegetables and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked. 
4. Stir in the frozen peas and add just a little bit of sea salt for flavor
5. Cool before you serve.

If you make a small batch, you can leave the rest in the pot and put it in the refrigerator, but if you make a bigger batch, put the leftovers in plastic baggies and freeze them. When you are ready to serve your next batch, take it out of the freezer and put it in the fridge overnight. You can microwave it for 30 seconds to heat it up, but most dogs like it just as much cold. 

Sometimes we don’t have time to cook the dog’s food and saute it and watch it. For those of us who are on the go, just whip out your slow cooker and throw the stuff in.

This recipe only takes about ten minutes of prep time, that way you won't have to stress about time and it will be ready for your dog by the time you get home. Plus, this will give you about two weeks of dog food depending on your dog’s size and diet. 

• 1 ½ cup uncooked brown rice
• 2 ½ cups of ground beef
• 1 (15 ounces) can of kidney beans drained
• 1 ½ cup of diced carrots
• ½ cup of frozen peas
• 1 ½ cups of chopped butternut squash
• 4 cups of water

Tip: Feel free to customize the veggies you put in your mixture. If you aren’t sure what veggies your dog can and can’t eat, you could simply google “can my dog eat…” and get an estimate. Or if your dog has special allergies to anything, be sure to consult your vet prior to serving the food.

1. Put in all the ingredients listed above and pour in the water. Stir to distribute contents evenly.
2. Cover the top and cook on low heat for 5 to 6 hours or you can heat on high for 2 to 3 hours
3. Once done, stir and cool to room temperature

For your leftovers, place them in baggies and store them in the freezer until later use. Put them in the fridge overnight to let it thaw and serve.

Because of quarantine, we have more time than ever to spend with our pups. Now is the time to bond with your dog and see what fun things you can do together.

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