Rating: 
Natural Balance Organic Formula Dog Food (dry) gets the Advisor’s second-highest rating of four stars.
Currently, the Natural Balance Organic brand includes just one dry product… and is designed for all life stages.
Natural Balance Organic Formula
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Natural chicken, organic brown rice, chicken meal, organic oats, organic millet, organic barley, organic sorghum, organic potato, organic peas, organic canola oil, organic flaxseed, chicken fat (naturally stabilized with mixed tocopherols), dicalcium phosphate, organic carrots, natural flavor, calcium carbonate, potassium phosphate, sea salt, mixed tocopherols, organic spinach, organic cranberries, organic tomato, yucca schidigera extract, dried kelp, organic parsley, organic rosemary, choline chloride, zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, vitamin E supplement, vitamin B-12 supplement, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), taurine, manganese sulfate, niacin, riboflavin (vitamin B-2), copper proteinate, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, vitamin A acetate, inositol, folic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B-6), thiamin mononitrate (vitamin B-1), vitamin D-2, biotin, potassium iodate, cobalt sulfate, sodium selenite
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food is fresh chicken. The company claims this meat is both hormone and antibiotic-free.
Raw chicken contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just 20% of its original weight.
For the sake of accuracy (and to reflect its lighter weight), the chicken should probably occupy a lower position on the list.
The second item is organic brown rice. Brown rice is a quality ingredient. It’s a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.
The third ingredient is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains almost 300% more protein than even fresh chicken.
The next six items are all organic grains and veggies…
- Organic oats
- Organic millet
- Organic barley
- Organic sorghum
- Organic potato
- Organic peas
Heck… even the canola oil is organic. Most praise canola oil for its favorable omega-3 content… while a vocal minority condemn it as an unhealthy fat.
Current thinking finds the negative stories about canola oil more the stuff of urban legend than actual science.1
Next on the list…
This product includes chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken… a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Chicken fat is notably high in linoleic acid… an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. A quality ingredient.
This dog food also contains chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to proteins. This process can make them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually associated with dog foods of better quality.
Natural Balance Organic Dog Food… the Bottom Line
Wow… talk about quality ingredients. This Natural Balance Organic Formula is loaded with some of the very best. But just how much of that recipe is specifically allotted to meat protein?
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 24%, a fat level of 14% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 53%.
By themselves, the nutrient gauges create the impression that this Natural Balance Organic Formula is just a typical dry dog food.
But the exceptional quality of the organic ingredients plus the lack of any critical Red Flag items together justify a higher grade.
With a solid four-star rating, Natural Balance Organic Formula Dog Food is certainly worthy of your consideration.
Highly recommended.
Some Final Thoughts
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult your veterinarian for help.
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- Mikkelson, B and DP, Oil of Ole, Urban Legends Reference Pages (2005), retrieved 12/05/2009 ↩
