Rating: 
Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipes Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-highest rating of four stars.
Currently, the Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe line lists nine canned dog foods… all designed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance.
- Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Beef Dinner
- Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Lamb Dinner
- Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Salmon Dinner
- Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Chicken Dinner
- Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Small Breed Chicken
- Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Large Breed Chicken
- Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Fish and Sweet Potato
- Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Hearty Venison Dinner
- Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Turkey Meatloaf Dinner
Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Beef Dinner Dog Food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Blue Buffalo Homestlye Recipe Beef Dinner
Canned Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Beef, beef broth, beef liver, carrots, peas, sweet potatoes, whole ground brown rice, whole ground barley, oatmeal, guar gum, salt, dicalcium phosphate, flaxseed, blueberries, cranberries, potassium chloride, carrageenan, cassia, vitamin A supplement, vitamin E supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, niacin (vitamin B3), calcium pantothenate (vitamin B5), riboflavin (vitamin B2), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, biotin, zinc amino acid complex (source of chelated zinc), iron amino acid complex (source of chelated iron), copper amino acid complex (source of chelated copper), manganese amino acid complex (source of chelated manganese), sodium selenite, calcium iodate, choline chloride
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5.9%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food is beef. Beef is defined as “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered cattle” and includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.1
Like most meats, beef is naturally rich in all ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life. A quality meat ingredient.
The second ingredient is beef broth. Broths are nutritionally worthless. But because they add moisture to a dog food they are a common finding in many canned products.
The third ingredient is beef liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal. So long as it’s not over-weighted in a dog food, beef liver is a beneficial component.
The next item lists carrots. Carrots are loaded with beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
The fifth ingredient mentions peas. Peas are considered a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re loaded with natural fiber.
What’s more, peas contain about 25% protein… protein that must be counted toward the total protein in this food.
The sixth ingredient is sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a good source of complex carbohydrates in a dog food. They are naturally rich in fiber, beta carotene and other healthy nutrients.
The seventh ingredient is brown rice. Brown rice is a quality ingredient… a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.
The eighth ingredient is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. Unlike grains with a higher glycemic index (like rice), barley can help support stable blood sugar levels in dogs. This is a quality grain ingredient.
The ninth item is oatmeal… a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in fiber, B-vitamins and is (unlike many other grains) mostly gluten-free.
The tenth item is guar gum… a gelling or thickening agent found in many wet pet foods. Refined from dehusked guar beans, guar gum can add a notable amount of dietary fiber to any product.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other healthy items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to have much of an effect on the overall quality of this product.
We also note 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.
The Bottom Line…
Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipes Dog Food
Based upon the ingredients alone, Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipes look like a quality canned dog food.
But it’s difficult to establish a final rating without first estimating the amount of meat in this product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 39%, a fat level of 27% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 26%.
Featuring a brand average of 40%, protein numbers range from a low of 36% for the Turkey and Fish recipes to a high of 45% for the Small and Large Breed Chicken formulas.
Fat was a 24% for the group… which implies about 28% carbs.
Average protein. Average fat. And average carbohydrates… when compared to a typical canned dog food.
With no trace of any plant-based protein boosters, this is the profile of a wet food containing a respectable amount of meat. Plus it’s hard to ignore the dashboards complete lack of any critical Red Flag items.
Bottom line?
Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipes is primarily a meat-based wet food using a variety of species as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand a solid four stars.
Highly recommended.
Those looking for a similar quality kibble from the same company may want to check out our review of Blue Buffalo Life Protection Dog Food.
A Final Word
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.
Have an opinion about this dog food brand… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.
- Association of American Feed Control Officials ↩
