When most people think about feeding their dogs a “healthy” homemade diet, they start by choosing ingredients: chicken, rice, sweet potato, maybe a few vegetables. The assumption is simple—if the ingredients look wholesome, the meal must be healthy.
I wish it worked that way.
But the truth is: animals need nutrients, not ingredients.
Ingredients are just the vehicles that carry nutrients.
And this is where most homemade diets go wrong.
Why Ingredients Alone Don’t Create a Balanced Diet
Ingredients can only tell you so much. You might know chicken has protein, sweet potatoes have fiber, and kale has antioxidants, but you can’t look at a bowl and see:
- Is there enough calcium?
- Is the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio safe?
- Are the omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids balanced?
- Is there enough choline, copper, zinc, iodine, manganese, or vitamin D?
- Is the overall nutrient profile complete per NRC or AAFCO standards?
This level of detail cannot be eyeballed, guessed, or replicated from a Google recipe.
Even if the ingredients are “healthy,” your dog can still end up with:
- Calcium deficiency (extremely common in homemade diets)
- Low iodine, leading to thyroid issues
- Imbalanced fatty acids, affecting skin and inflammation
- Copper and zinc deficiencies, impacting immune function
- Vitamin D deficiency, affecting bone, muscle, and immune health
- Excess phosphorus, which puts strain on the kidneys
Healthy ingredients ≠ a complete diet.
Understanding How Nutrients Actually Work
Your dog’s body doesn’t care which ingredient the calcium came from—it only cares whether:
- The calcium level meets their requirement
- It’s present in the proper ratio with phosphorus
- It’s provided in a bioavailable form
- It’s balanced in the context of the entire recipe
This is why two diets that look completely different can both be balanced—or both be dangerously deficient.
The only way to know what nutrients are present in a recipe is through proper formulation and nutrient analysis.
The Science Behind Balanced Diets: AAFCO, NRC & Professional Software
To formulate a recipe correctly, I use professional nutrition software and follow the two standards used in the industry:
NRC (National Research Council)
The gold standard for minimum and optimal nutrient levels.
AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials)
The regulatory standard required for commercial diets.
Both systems list nutrients in highly specific units such as:
- mg per 1,000 kcal
- Ratio-based requirements
- IU (international units)
- g/1000 kcal for macronutrients
Determining whether a recipe meets these isn’t guesswork—it’s math. Precise math.
If you were to do this manually, you’d need to:
- Run the nutrient profile of every single ingredient
- Convert everything to mg, mcg, IU, g, and kcal units
- Adjust for bioavailability
- Account for cooking losses
- Rebalance the formula when one nutrient affects another
- Ensure the recipe meets all 40+ required nutrients
This is why proper formulation requires training, specialized tools, and expertise.
The Most Common Homemade Diet Mistakes I See
-
No concentrated source of calcium
Without bone, eggshell, or a calcium supplement, the recipe will always be deficient. -
Overuse of phosphorus-rich meats
This pushes the Ca:P ratio far out of range. -
Missing choline, zinc, copper, manganese, vitamin D, and iodine
Meats + veggies alone cannot meet these needs. -
Too much omega-6 and not enough omega-3
Common in recipes without marine sources or fish oil. -
Following online “healthy dog food recipes”
99% of them are not formulated to any standard.
Why Working With a Professional Matters
A balanced diet is more than ingredients—it’s the relationship between nutrients.
When I formulate recipes, I look at:
- Nutrient density per 1,000 kcal
- Fatty acid balances
- Digestibility
- Mineral ratios
- Life-stage requirements (puppy, adult, senior)
- Health conditions (kidney, GI, allergies, weight loss)
- Activity level and metabolic weight
- Protein quality and amino acid profiles
It’s a comprehensive process that ensures the diet supports long-term health, not just “looks healthy.”
Feeding Homemade Can Be Amazing—When It’s Done Safely
Fresh food can be one of the best decisions you make for your dog.
But a balanced homemade diet doesn’t happen by accident—it’s built.
If you’re feeding homemade or thinking about it, I’m here to help you do it safely, confidently, and with evidence-based guidance.
I offer:
- Custom balanced recipes
- Commercial formulation
- Puppy, senior, and therapeutic diets
- Nutritional analysis
- Feeding recommendations
- Ongoing support
Fresh feeding should feel empowering, not overwhelming. And done right, it absolutely transforms a dog’s health.