Rating: 
Evolution Diet canned dog food receives the Advisor’s second-lowest rating of two stars.
The Evolution Diet product line includes two canned dog foods… each meeting AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.
- Evolution Diet Gourmet Entree
- Evolution Diet Gourmet Vegetable Stew Entree
Evolution Diet Gourmet Vegetable Stew Entree was selected to represent both products in the line for this review.
Evolution Diet Gourmet Vegetable Stew Entree
Canned Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Filtered water sufficient for processing, peas, potatoes, brown rice, carrots, wheat germ, oat groats, dicalcium phosphate, soybean oil, nutritional yeast, dl-methionine, l-taurine, guar gum, sea kelp, dl-alpha tocopherol acetate (vitamin E), vitamin A acetate, ergocalciferol (vitamin D-2), choline chloride, ferrous sulphate, zinc oxide, manganese oxide, niacin, calcium pantothenate copper oxide, manganese sulfate, riboflavin supplement (vitamin B-2), thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B-12 supplement, sodium selenate, arachidonic acid
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 8.3%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food is water… which (of course) adds nothing but moisture to this food. Water is a routine finding in most canned dog foods.
The second ingredient includes peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.
The third ingredient includes potatoes. Assuming they’re whole, potatoes are a good source of digestible carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.
The fourth item is brown rice. Brown rice is a quality ingredient… a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.
The fifth item lists carrots. Carrots are loaded with beta-carotene, B-vitamins and fiber.
The sixth item lists wheat germ… a nutritious by-product of the wheat milling process. Containing about 25% protein, wheat germ is also rich in fiber, B-vitamins and minerals.
The seventh ingredient is oat groats… a whole grain, minimally processed form of oats. So long as they are adequately cooked, groats are unusually high in nutritional value.
The eighth ingredient is soybean oil… red flagged here only due to its suspected (yet unlikely) link to canine food allergies.
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 product.
With one notable exceptions…
The minerals here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are usually associated with lower quality dog foods.
Evolution Diet Canned Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Containing no critical Red Flag ingredients, this Gourmet Vegetable Stew would be a fairly decent canned product. Except for what we see as one crucial shortcoming…
Evolution Diet Dog Food is a vegan product… totally meatless.
Now, before we continue…
Please understand we do recognize the need for some dog owners to provide (for whatever reason) a completely meat-free diet.
However, we also respect a dog’s natural carnivorous bias. For this reason, the highest rating awarded any vegetarian dog food found on this website can never exceed two stars.
That said, we still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 33%, a fat level of 21% and estimated carbohydrates of about 38%.
The two recipes feature an average protein content of 33% and a mean fat level of 21%.
Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 38% for the overall product line.
Below-average protein. Below-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to a typical canned dog food.
No surprises here. This is clearly the profile of a kibble containing absolutely no meat.
Bottom line?
Evolution Diet canned dog food is a plant-based wet product using a notable amount of peas as its main source of protein… thus earning the brand two stars.
Not recommended.
Those looking for a dry vegan product from the same company may wish to visit our review of Evolution Diet dry dog food.
A Final Word
This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in specific health benefits for your pet.
For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”
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… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.
Notes and Updates
04/23/2010 Original review
11/22/2010 Review updated
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.