Vegetables:
I buy precut frozen vegetables - usually, not always, the kinds that have a couple of different veggies in them. Just make sure there are NO onions! I also buy whatever brand/veggie mix is on sale!
Some will say the frozen veggies are not as nutritious as fresh - others say the "fresh" veggies aren't all THAT fresh and lose some of their nutrients just sitting out. My opinion, they are good enough, fresh or frozen! (I don't use canned - for one, most have a lot of sodium, and two, most are pre-cooked)
Now I whip out my blender and throw some veggies in with some water and a couple of tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar (I'm a HUGE fan of Apple Cider Vinegar!!). My daughter calls this my dogs' veggie smoothies - they are a little more chunky than a regular smoothie, but about that consistency. I pour this into a container and it lasts for a few days.
And my dog's veggies are done! It's actually good to switch up the veggies that they get. My dogs have loved them all so far - they're not very picky eaters.
Here were some of my initial questions regarding veggies:
- Why puree the veggies instead of just cutting them up or whole?
- Don't you cook the veggies first?
- A dog's digestive system is not as long as ours. So they don't have the time in the digestive tract that is needed to digest the veggies. In the wild they got their veggies/grains from the intestines of the animals they killed and ate (naturally pureed, with enzymes thrown in also). You can cut them up, but they need to be small.
- You can, but you'll lose a lot of the nutrients (same with humans). And I like short-cuts.
Visit my website to find out more about the benefits of homemade healthy dog food. I highly recommend this e-book, Dog Food Secrets, to get you started. It gave me the confidence to make my own dog food.
